What a week!

UPDATE: PICTURES ARE UP! Also check out Pinedale, WY for more pictures of the recent fires.

I know you have been all sitting on the edges of your seats waiting for a new post and pics...and here they are!

Well we left Lima after filling our stomach's at Jan's Cafe. It was great to have some homemade pancakes and some of the tastiest sausage I have ever had. We headed back into the rolling hills of Montana and right back into the desert. We passed by a beautiful reservoir and through some more cow pastures before ending the day with our longest ride (57 miles!) to date.



We spent the night at Red Rocks Refuge which is home to thousands of different animals including the always popular mosquito! They had delicious spring water there which we were able to fill our camelbaks with on our way into Idaho.



The next morning we got up early with our sites set on Big Springs, ID and another divide crossing. Another beautiful day and a great climb to 7,120 ft to the border of Montana and Idaho. We made it there well before noon and from there is was a nice coast and pedal through the roads and paths of Idaho. We popped out of the woods to find ourselves surrounded by ATV's (Texas Wheelchairs) and dirt bikes. We made camp by a nice stream and listened to the constant whir of motors for the rest of the night.


Well at the convenience store, we heard of a small restaurant in Ashton, ID called Big Jud's. They were famous for their one pound gourmet burgers, something we just had to try! So we made the trek to Ashton, which was about 6 miles off route and gave it a go. Nat, Doug, and myself each finished one with room in our stomachs to spare. It was quite a treat to feel so full again! We stayed in Ashton for the night and was treated to breakfast by our camp hosts in the morning.



With Wyoming (and Jackson) on our minds, we left Ashton and headed down the road. It was one of the worst gravel roads we have hit yet with lots of loose sand and big stones to push and pull the trailers all around. We made it to Wyoming around noon and decided to head for Flagg Ranch, the most over-priced, over-populated campground between the Tetons and Yellowstone. We headed out and followed the road that took us right along the border of Yellowstone. It was a very scenic ride as we got plenty of glimpses of the snow covered Grand Tetons.









The next morning we woke up early so that we could beat a few of the RV's to the very heavily traveled highway. That didn't work out so well. We rode down to the Jackson Lake junction with 50-60 foot motor homes just inches away. It was quite an experience (That I never want to go through again).




We had decided to take a day to head down to Jenny Lake so that was could see the Tetons up close without having to deal with Jackson. Jenny Lake was filled with tourist and as we rode in, the sign read "Campground full". We rode in and immediately saw they had a hiker/biker campground that was almost empty, what a relief! So we put our stuff up and headed for a swim in the 90 degree heat. Cooled off, we headed back to cook some dinner and then Jen noticed something moving around in the woods. At first she thought it was a buffalo but as soon as it came out into the open, she knew what it was. A grizzly mother and cub strolled out of the woods about 100 feet from our campsite. We all froze and got up slowly to back away. They walked across an open stretch and then into another grove of trees before disappearing out of site. We were all relieved and immediately threw all our stuff into the bear bins, we didn't want any trouble that night!


As Nat got up to go brush his teeth, Doug and Jen asked if I would hold on for a second. They let me know that for reasons outside of their control, they would not be able to keep going. They planned to ride to Jackson in the morning and board a bus to take them back home. We were all stunned and saddened by the news and tried to think up solutions so they could continue. With no real solution, we made some brownies to headed to bed. In the morning, we got ready and wished them the best of luck and headed off. We wish Jen and Doug all the best and hope they can come back next year to ride the divide!







With the shocking news, Nat and I headed off with a big day ahead of us. We pulled into Turpin Meadows around lunch time and noticed a group of picnic tables in the shade. There were a few folks sitting around and we asked if we could sit with them. They said sure and we were able to rest and plan out the rest of the day. This was going to be one of our biggest climbs yet and we would have to conquer it with 25+ miles already on our legs. The goal was Togwotee Pass (elev 9610, divide crossing #8) and we had a good solid 20 miles of climbing to get there. We set out and began to pedal. It was around 5pm when we finally hit the top and with much relief, we took some pictures and started our descent. We flew back into the forest and past a few huge ranches and made it to the nights destination, Sheridan Creek. The big surprise came when we looked down at the odometer, 64.1 miles. We had broken our previous mileage and we had done one of the biggest climbs of the trip in the process! We were very relieved as we passed out under a star filled Wyoming sky.



Which brings us to yesterday morning. Nat and I awoke with a feeling of strength and rejuvenation (I still have no idea why). There had been some talk about doing a century (100 miles of riding) but not until later in the trip. We looked at the map and saw that to start the morning we would need to do an equally, if not harder climb up Union Pass (9200 feet) and divide crossing #9. We stopped at the bottom of the hill for a couple of S'more Pop Tarts (hint hint) and got ready to climb. The road was all gravel, compared to the paved Togwotee, and the grade was a good bit steeper.







As we reached the top of the first pitch, we met a couple of folks riding South-North on the divide. Jo and Lewis warned us that our climb was nowhere close to being over but that in a couple of days, we would be able to refuel and relax a little in Pinedale. It was about 75 miles from where we were talking. Nat and I looked at each other and the word "relaxing" struck a key in both of us. It was on! We were going to try and do 3 days worth of riding (according to our guide book) in 1 day. We grunted up the mountain and as we hit the summit at noon, we noticed smoke way in the distance. It looked like a prescribed burn (which we are used to at this point) so we didn't think much of it.




We started our slow descent and as we entered a large clearing, we noticed the smoke was starting to billow and turn white. Concern started to fill our minds but as we are not from around here, we figured it was something normal. Around 5 we came to the 50 mile mark and looked to our left and about 40 miles away, we knew this was the real thing. I have never seen a forest fire before and it was a sight that filled me with awe and terror. The smoke was billowing and looked like a bomb had gone off. We could now see flames hovering on a ridge in the far distance. The only problem was that our road was heading towards where the smoke was. We kept following it and luckily at about 20 miles from the fire, the road took a right and out of the trees. I cannot wait to get some pictures up so you guys can see what this looked like. It was just unbelievable.



As soon as we got out of range of the fire trucks and smoke, we realized that we were riding on pure adrenaline and that was needed some calories! We pulled into a little cafe and got a burger so that we could refuel before we attempted to get to Pinedale. We finished eating around 6:30 and headed onto a paved highway. It was busy with trucks and fire equipment heading in the other direction. We maintained an average of 15 mph as we hugged the white line of the double lane road. Before we knew it we had gone 20 miles and Pinedale was on the horizon. We pulled into town at 8:30 and I immediately went into a gas station and chugged a chocolate milk. It was such a great taste after 6+ liters of water. We pulled into the campground at dark and setup all the stuff. When Nat looked at his odometer, we were both surprised and amazed. 89.3 miles! We slapped each other five and then hit the hay!



So today (7/12) we are in Pinedale (notice it too is on fire) on a much deserved rest day. We miss Jen and Doug and hope that they found a way home. I just got another e-mail from my Uncle confirming he will meet us in Steamboat and maybe even have a place for us to shack up (yey!). I appreciate all the feedback you guys have been giving us and please keep Jen and Doug in your thoughts for safe travel as they head back to NH. Looks like Rawlins is just a few days away! We will see you again then!



Also a plea from me is for someone to send Nat a guide to birds in the Midwest/West. He has been asking me what kind of eagles and other birds of preys we are seeing and I have no idea. So if anyone has a guide or book on birds that they want to let Nat borrow, I would be grateful. Thanks!