Day 14--Idaho Falls ID to Jackson WY--July 5th
Miles Ridden 92.3
Avg. Speed 13.9 MPH
Climbing 5500 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 1029
Miles to Go 2600
Today was the ride we were all worried about and it didn't let us down. We left Idaho Falls in the cold at 6:30 AM and for the first time had extended headwinds which blew down from the Teton passes along the Snake River for the first 40 miles. We crossed the Snake River one more time and then started the 2000 foot ascent and descent of Pine Creek Pass (elevation 6794 ft.) which was the first of our two major climbs. At that elevation we were out of the desert and back in the forest but we were all a lot more tired than we hoped to be before climbing Teton Pass (elevation 8431 ft.).
The Teton Pass climb started in earnest as we crossed into our third state, Wyoming. It was challenging for the first three miles but then the next three miles became the most difficult cycling I have ever experienced. According to the Garmins some of the riders were using, elevation rose 10 to 15% or about 1600 feet in the last three miles.
I don't know if it was the altitude, the steepness of the climb, the extra weight I wish I wasn't carrying or something else but about halfway up I started to get a splitting headache, then a queasy stomach and then a dizzy feeling while gasping for breath. I was weaving back and forth on the narrow shoulder as motorhomes and campers lumbered by and decided it was time to get off the bike. I walked the bike about a quarter mile until I felt a little better and then rode up the final few hundred yards to the summit.
At the summit I was greeted by a magnificent view of Jackson Hole and the Tetons as well as what looked like a truly frightening descent. I waited for my head to clear and then started down. The slope was as steep as what we had climbed and within a few seconds I was going over 40 miles an hour, which exceeded the speed limit for cars. Then hairpin turns started and a strong wind threatened to blow me off the road. I squeezed the brakes until my hands cramped and slowed down to about 35 MPH for the rest of the way. Despite heavy traffic on the road, no cars were fast enough to pass me for 5 miles. I'm sure there were some great views along the way but I'll have to wait until I drive the road before I'll see them. I was soon on the floor of Jackson Hole and finished the ride to the hotel in the town of Jackson.
Hours of hard work to get there, then torturous exertion up a mountain followed by a terrifying roller coaster ride down sums up about the toughest day I want to face on this ride.
When we got in, I contacted a colleague of mine from my Ford days, Sven Roehrig, who has a vacation home in Jackson Hole and is here now. He picked me up at the hotel and drove me out to his place. It's a beautiful log house looking out at the Tetons to what is without question the most stunning view I have ever seen anywhere. I got to meet his wife, Heidi, and their son, Shane, and had a great homecooked meal, the first in two weeks. Shane told me about some of the animals he has seen around the house including wild buffalo which were in the back yard.
I didn't see any buffalo but did see two elk right near Sven's house.
Tomorrow looks like another tough day as we climb out of Jackson Hole and cross over the Continental Divide at Togwotee Pass which, at 9658 ft. of altitude, gets us higher than today.
The Snake River about 40 miles east of Idaho Falls
The mandatory group picture as we cross a state line. Left to right; me, Jeff from Connecticut, Mark from Toronto and Joe from Georgia
No one knew what was coming next
Jackson Hole looking down from Teton Pass
Sven and Heidi's "log cabin" (I forgot to get a picture of Sven and his family)
Grand Teton from Sven's front yard
Two elk near Sven's house
Avg. Speed 13.9 MPH
Climbing 5500 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 1029
Miles to Go 2600
Today was the ride we were all worried about and it didn't let us down. We left Idaho Falls in the cold at 6:30 AM and for the first time had extended headwinds which blew down from the Teton passes along the Snake River for the first 40 miles. We crossed the Snake River one more time and then started the 2000 foot ascent and descent of Pine Creek Pass (elevation 6794 ft.) which was the first of our two major climbs. At that elevation we were out of the desert and back in the forest but we were all a lot more tired than we hoped to be before climbing Teton Pass (elevation 8431 ft.).
The Teton Pass climb started in earnest as we crossed into our third state, Wyoming. It was challenging for the first three miles but then the next three miles became the most difficult cycling I have ever experienced. According to the Garmins some of the riders were using, elevation rose 10 to 15% or about 1600 feet in the last three miles.
I don't know if it was the altitude, the steepness of the climb, the extra weight I wish I wasn't carrying or something else but about halfway up I started to get a splitting headache, then a queasy stomach and then a dizzy feeling while gasping for breath. I was weaving back and forth on the narrow shoulder as motorhomes and campers lumbered by and decided it was time to get off the bike. I walked the bike about a quarter mile until I felt a little better and then rode up the final few hundred yards to the summit.
At the summit I was greeted by a magnificent view of Jackson Hole and the Tetons as well as what looked like a truly frightening descent. I waited for my head to clear and then started down. The slope was as steep as what we had climbed and within a few seconds I was going over 40 miles an hour, which exceeded the speed limit for cars. Then hairpin turns started and a strong wind threatened to blow me off the road. I squeezed the brakes until my hands cramped and slowed down to about 35 MPH for the rest of the way. Despite heavy traffic on the road, no cars were fast enough to pass me for 5 miles. I'm sure there were some great views along the way but I'll have to wait until I drive the road before I'll see them. I was soon on the floor of Jackson Hole and finished the ride to the hotel in the town of Jackson.
Hours of hard work to get there, then torturous exertion up a mountain followed by a terrifying roller coaster ride down sums up about the toughest day I want to face on this ride.
When we got in, I contacted a colleague of mine from my Ford days, Sven Roehrig, who has a vacation home in Jackson Hole and is here now. He picked me up at the hotel and drove me out to his place. It's a beautiful log house looking out at the Tetons to what is without question the most stunning view I have ever seen anywhere. I got to meet his wife, Heidi, and their son, Shane, and had a great homecooked meal, the first in two weeks. Shane told me about some of the animals he has seen around the house including wild buffalo which were in the back yard.
I didn't see any buffalo but did see two elk right near Sven's house.
Tomorrow looks like another tough day as we climb out of Jackson Hole and cross over the Continental Divide at Togwotee Pass which, at 9658 ft. of altitude, gets us higher than today.
The Snake River about 40 miles east of Idaho Falls
The mandatory group picture as we cross a state line. Left to right; me, Jeff from Connecticut, Mark from Toronto and Joe from Georgia
No one knew what was coming next
Jackson Hole looking down from Teton Pass
Sven and Heidi's "log cabin" (I forgot to get a picture of Sven and his family)
Grand Teton from Sven's front yard
Two elk near Sven's house
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