Day 15--Jackson WY to Dubois WY--July 6th
Miles Ridden 88.0
Avg. Speed 13.9 MPH
Climbing 4065 Feet
Total Miles Ridden 1117
Miles To Go 2512
Most of the country is going through a major heatwave. Not Wyoming. When we left Jackson this morning it was 43 degrees and when we arrived at Dubois (pronounces dewboys) we hit the high of 52 degrees. Over the mountain passes it was even colder and the wind was blowing in our faces all day at over 25 mph. The cold and the wind were the major issue for most of the riders but there were other events of note today.
Leaving the hotel in Jackson we got to see the town that most of us were too tired to visit yesterday. Jackson appeared to be a western town meant to appeal to the wealthy with
remnants of the past like the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and statues made of antlers next to sushi bars and boutiques.
We continued north out of town past the National Elk Refuge which is a miles long expanse of grass where 9,000 elk spend the winter every year after spending the summer in the mountains. About 8 miles out of town the view opened to the west and we got to see the rising sun hit the Tetons. The view was magnificent but the riding was cold and into a strong north wind. A cloud covered the top of Grand Teton, the highest point in the range and stayed there for more than an hour as we pedaled up and through Jackson Hole. We turned right toward the Continental Divide rather than left to Yellowstone Park.
A few miles further we started the 17 mile ascent to Togwotee Pass (pronounced Toegotee) and the eastern side of the Continental Divide. By the numbers, this is the highest climb of the trip but due to the more gradual ascent, it was not as difficult as the Teton Pass climb.
On the way up we were astounded to see a unicycle rider coming down the mountain. We stopped and talked to him and he told us he had started from Virginia and was on his way to our start point, Astoria. As difficult as our trip might be, I can't imagine crossing mountains on a unicycle.
Major road construction was going on for 5 miles on either side of the pass which necessitated shuttling us in the back of a pickup truck for about a mile and then we continued the ascent over unpaved gravel. At the top of the pass it was 40 degrees with patches of snow and a howling wind right in our faces. We started the long descent to the Wind River and Dubois in early spring-type weather.
Dubois looks like a real western town with one long main street and not much else. There might be a few tourists but most of the people look like they work outdoors and they all seem to drive beat up pickup trucks.
The riders arrived cold and tired and for the first time you could see doubt in a number of their faces about the rest of the ride. I was more comfortable than most with the conditions and finished the day feeling much better than yesterday.
Lots of pictures of the Tetons this morning. Grand Teton is to the right but the summit is covered by clouds.
That's me, third in line
Avg. Speed 13.9 MPH
Climbing 4065 Feet
Total Miles Ridden 1117
Miles To Go 2512
Most of the country is going through a major heatwave. Not Wyoming. When we left Jackson this morning it was 43 degrees and when we arrived at Dubois (pronounces dewboys) we hit the high of 52 degrees. Over the mountain passes it was even colder and the wind was blowing in our faces all day at over 25 mph. The cold and the wind were the major issue for most of the riders but there were other events of note today.
Leaving the hotel in Jackson we got to see the town that most of us were too tired to visit yesterday. Jackson appeared to be a western town meant to appeal to the wealthy with
remnants of the past like the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and statues made of antlers next to sushi bars and boutiques.
We continued north out of town past the National Elk Refuge which is a miles long expanse of grass where 9,000 elk spend the winter every year after spending the summer in the mountains. About 8 miles out of town the view opened to the west and we got to see the rising sun hit the Tetons. The view was magnificent but the riding was cold and into a strong north wind. A cloud covered the top of Grand Teton, the highest point in the range and stayed there for more than an hour as we pedaled up and through Jackson Hole. We turned right toward the Continental Divide rather than left to Yellowstone Park.
A few miles further we started the 17 mile ascent to Togwotee Pass (pronounced Toegotee) and the eastern side of the Continental Divide. By the numbers, this is the highest climb of the trip but due to the more gradual ascent, it was not as difficult as the Teton Pass climb.
On the way up we were astounded to see a unicycle rider coming down the mountain. We stopped and talked to him and he told us he had started from Virginia and was on his way to our start point, Astoria. As difficult as our trip might be, I can't imagine crossing mountains on a unicycle.
Major road construction was going on for 5 miles on either side of the pass which necessitated shuttling us in the back of a pickup truck for about a mile and then we continued the ascent over unpaved gravel. At the top of the pass it was 40 degrees with patches of snow and a howling wind right in our faces. We started the long descent to the Wind River and Dubois in early spring-type weather.
Dubois looks like a real western town with one long main street and not much else. There might be a few tourists but most of the people look like they work outdoors and they all seem to drive beat up pickup trucks.
The riders arrived cold and tired and for the first time you could see doubt in a number of their faces about the rest of the ride. I was more comfortable than most with the conditions and finished the day feeling much better than yesterday.
Lots of pictures of the Tetons this morning. Grand Teton is to the right but the summit is covered by clouds.
That's me, third in line
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