Mileage: 84.8 miles Average Speed: 13.0 mph
Vertical: 4561 feet Depart: 6:50 AM Arrive: 2:30 PM
Calories: 5371
Today was a varied ride. First, the weather stayed very cool all day (good for me, some of the rest thought a bit cold). It was probably 45 at the start, and I don't believe it got above the mid-50s all day. I even put my jacket on for about 5 minutes. Everyone else was bundled up.
About 6 miles into the ride, we entered Teton National Park. I learned at one of the signs that Teton is French for breast. The mountains were once Le Trois Tetons, or the 3 breasts. They made a terrific backdrop for well over half the ride.
I stopped at a variety of pullouts in the park, to learn such as I have exposed you to. One of them was an overlook of the Snake River, for probably my last look before we move on. If you look closely, you will see a raft near the far bank.
After we left the park, we started a long ascent to the Continental Divide. I will spare you the photo I took at the top, looking back, that says 6% grade next 16 miles. I don't think it was 6% that much, but it was a steady climb from about 6900 feet to the summit at almost 9600 feet. Unfortunately, we lost about 100 feet of the climb when we got to some road construction, where they would not let us ride through. They took us about a mile and a half in a truck on good hard packed dirt, with little activity, and dumped us on a terrible stretch with graders working, etc. After about a mile of this, we got back on the pavement, and finished the last 3 or 4 miles to the top. Our SAG held several of us there, while waiting word on how to handle the next construction. After 8 of us were gathered, they sent us on down the road, and when we got to the construction, they again loaded us 2 at a time in the back of a pickup, for another mile or two. I hate to lose a nice downhill. At any rate, we lost about 3.5 miles of the planned sheet. Later riders lost over 10, as AbB shuttled them from the beginning of the first construction all the way past the second. My last picture of the day is of a formation called the Pinnacles, which looked more spectacular in person.
I then rode alone directly to the motel, as I was afraid of an afternoon shower in the mountains. I don't think it developed, but it certainly threatened. I don't think I saw anything very exciting on the way in anyway. We did have a nasty gusting wind that was not helping me get there, but after several days of help, I was due.
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