Day 16: My words can never express the beautiful nature we are exposed to over and over again on this trip. Today we left the very quaint and upscale town of Jackson. It was 43 degrees, and as the sun rose, steam rose from some very small lakes outside town. We followed the 25-mile long green valley through Teton National Park, with the high peaks getting closer and closer.
We finally left them behind us to fill our rear-view mirrors. We climbed 4770 feet and reached the top of Togwotee Pass at 9658 feet, atop the Continental Divide. All day long we were surrounded by majestic views including colorful wildflowers lining the roads. The climb was rewarded with an almost 30 mile descent and a tail wind all the way to Dubois. Dubois is a town of 942 people that used to be a rendezvous point for French, American and Indian trappers. Today, it has extensive cattle and dude-ranching operations.
After dinner, some of us went to have ice cream at a restaurant across from our hotel. I was immensely surprised when the lady behind the counter looked intently at me and called out 'Costa Mesa'. She was Sue Jardine, a former neighbor who had moved with her family to Jackson 12 years before, and now lives outside Dubois. They own the restaurant "The Wild Bunch Grill and Bar" as well as a motel, campground and their Jardine Performance Exhaust business that they had moved with them from Costa Mesa in 1989. What a small world!
Day 17: Today was my most challenging mechanical day. Thank goodness I was biking with the very best team of Rich, Ed and Julie. First, I got a flat on the rear wheel after about five miles of riding. A tiny metal thread from a truck tire was the cause. Karen came in the SAG wagon and assisted us with the large pump, always faster than the hand pumps we carry on our bikes. Continuing through some colorful gigantic rock formations, my chain broke.
Unfortunately, my chain needs a special tool for the repair, and my extra link was in the luggage truck. Rich rode back down a hill to where we had seen the mechanic's truck, and soon Brad, the mechanic, was there. However, without my spare part, the chain couldn't be fixed. I feared I would have to ride in the SAG car, such a pity on this nice day. But sweet Brad volunteered his bike for me to use. I accepted, and was fortunate that the size was right. All I needed was to switch to my seat, and a quick refresher course on a granny-geared Shimano shifting system.
Brad's bike rode very well until I had a front-wheel flat. Luckily, again, Brad came cruising by within a few minutes and fixed it. The rest of the ride went well, but we had to fight serious headwinds and heat. It was 101 degrees when we finally rolled into Riverton. Everyone had passed us, and for the first time we were riding with the sweep (one of the staff that makes sure no one is left behind).
/Gunnel