august 16 day 99 27 miles total 2,611 “where are you going?” a passing car had stopped and the driver got out to talk to me. “newport oregon.” “i started in newport rhode island!” “i knew something was up.” “i went on a 3 day fishing trip and i saw you in dubois. on the way back i saw you climbing teton pass. the next morning i saw you in victor… and i told myself Read more…
august 15 day 98 29 miles total 2,584 this was my best day in a while. but i was inspired by the amazing scenery. first it was the beautiful big hole mountains. then, when i hit the main highway, it was the snake river cutting thru layers and layers of lava deposits left when the yellowstone caldera passed thru. it was amazing to see all the different kinds of lava that had been deposited at Read more…
august 14 day 97 26 miles total 2,555 have you ever heard of the big hole mountains? up until today neither had i. they ought to have been named the sucker punch mountains… my plan for the day was to finish off the last 2 miles of teton pass, and then use the journey down to kick off a relaxing and potentially low mileage day. i have been whipping myself thru the mountains, and after Read more…
august 13 day 96 28 miles total 2,529 there is a new bad boy on the lazcon course. the climb to teton pass is a bear! i had to stop with about a mile to go, but i reached the top of the worst grades. i just ran out of time. would have easily made it over the top, and almost to idaho… if i had not gotten lost in jackson. that’s what i get Read more…
august 12 day 95 28 miles total 2,501 i felt sort of silly taking a 2500 mile time. after all, as i have heard so often; if you ain’t done 2600 you ain’t done nothing… but i did it anyway since i don’t expect to do another 2500 real soon. today was a very nice day, no major climbs and absorbing what i had seen of the wind river mountains while learning a lot about Read more…
august 11 day 94 27 miles total 2,473 this morning i finished the high passes in the wind river mountains, playing around climbing and descending between 8000 and 9000 feet for way too long before finally making one last push to the big boy. in addition to hitting the high point for the journey, i crossed my second continental divide! for the first time since crossing the missouri into nebraska, me and the water are Read more…
august 10 day 93 27 miles total 2,446 happy hour in wyoming is that special hour shortly after sunrise between when it is 40 degrees with a stiff wind (usually in your face) and when it is 100…. with no wind at all. this morning saw me moving very well up the picturesque wind river valley/canyon. i had to, to keep from freezing. following happy hour it was just another broiling hot wyoming day cooking Read more…
august 9 day 92 27 miles total 2,397 the last few days i have been making my way up the wind river plains. by yesterday the mountains had closed in from north and south until it was more the wind river valley. it continued to narrow today and i found myself crossing a series of snowmelt tributaries. millennia old, each one entailed a long, steep descent and a long steep ascent. but the reward at Read more…