D26 6/9 Jenny Lake CG to Dubois

(Milestone passed)

Mileage: 74

Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vDqgMYDkoVO

Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/92786799

Tomorrow's Destination: Lander, WY

Tonight's Accommodations: The Twins Pines Lodge

Today was tailwinds the whole way! They helped me grind up Togwotee Pass and powered me down the Wind River Valley. I passed the Continental Divide, a big psychological milestone for this West Coast boy. For the first time (thanks to tailwinds) I beat the Ride With GPS estimated time, which is for people without 40 pounds of gear on their bikes, mind you.

(Nice to wake up to this)

The day began with breakfast with Marco. We’d had a wonderful, long conversation the evening before. Marco didn’t have a stove so I boiled water for coffee for him. We chatted over coffee and granola. He caught a fox sneaking up on us. About 8 am we sent out on our separate ways. He is headed to Salt Lake City where he’ll catch a train to California to do more cycling before flying to NYC to meet his girlfriend.

(Hard to take a bad shot)

My day started on the Teton Park road parallelling the Tetons. It was hard to keep focused on the road in front of me. The closest we come in the Pacific NW is the view you get of the Stuart Range from I-90 on a good day. We all must part and so I parted with the Tetons for a date with Togwotee Pass, but first I pedaled through a high plateau. I had an early lunch at a gas station / RV park store (Italian wrap and chips - not bad).

(Goodbye Tetons)

At the foot of the climb, I saw a sign warning motorists not stop their cars and approach bears on the road. That wasn’t super comforting for a person travelling 5-6 mph uphill. The ranger station was close by so I popped in to ask if any bears had been seen on the road recently. 

(Hmmmm)

Ranger: “Well, there was a gizzly sow with two cubs spotted about ten days ago, but we think she’s hunting elk in the lowlands now. Do you have bear spray?” 

Me: “Um, no” 

Ranger: “Well just make a lot of noise”

Me: “OK”

Thankfully, I didn’t see a bear, but I did spend the 8 mile grind talking loudly to myself. Kind of therapeutic in a way.

At the top of the grind, the Togwotee Mountain Lodge appears like a magic castle with everything the sweaty cyclist could want: food, water, bathrooms, shady porch, and nice staff who know cyclists. 

Continuing on, the route wandered a high snowy plateau. I stopped to slather on more sunscreen, look up when done, and saw Stefan from Austria across the road going the opposite direction. He’s killing it. Five weeks from NYC to Togwotee! Against the wind! We compared notes because our routes are a lot alike.

(Highlands at the Pass)

A short time later I reached the Continental Divide! Big woohoo! As I was taking pictures, two Belgian cyclsts rolled up. They are doing the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail south to north. We didn’t chat long. I didn’t get their names. The Divide is a huge milestone for me. I was happy to begin a nine mile downhill.

Tailwinds pushed me the whole day, from leaving the campsite, to the grind up the pass and now the really built up for a strong push down the Wind River Valley. I was cycling 25 mph on the flats which is crazy for me. I hope the wind gods are with me through the rest of the trip.

(Wind River Valley)

I reached Dubois at 4:30. Crazy for a 74 mile day with a big hill. There aren’t any public campgrounds near here and the KOA charges $58 for a tent site so I got a hotel. Once I again, I found a reasonable but unique old place, The Twin Pines Lodge. I ate at the Cowboy Cafe which the camp host at Jenny Lake told me about. I had buffalo meatloaf and nutella pecan pie for desert because I deserve it.

(Twin Pines Lodge)

(My feet in my room)

(My dinner)