BikeTrip 2011: Cruising the Snake River plain and up Togwotee

Here we are: http://www.togwoteelodge.com/ The day’s journey was built on good timing and good fortune. Jackson Hole is full of big pickup trucks and campers all rushing to get somewhere. We had ended yesterday’s trip on the south side of town with no restaurantts within walking distance, so we bundled up (well, Diane did) and headed north. Diane spotted a breakfast prospect (she said she smelled the food before she saw the place) – The Virginian. It was great food at a reasonable price and great service. Our timing was good because there were several empty tables and booths, which was not the case five minutes later. People kept streaming in, but our orders were in, arrived promptly, and we cleared pretty quickly. Back on the bikes, we took the truck route to avoid the steady flow of rush traffic on a four way with no shoulder. We stopped at a fuel station/food mart, and although they didn’t carry the products we desired, they had “good air” – i.e. an air compressor with sufficient pressure to air our tires which run at 100 lbs. pressure. Good fortune! Additionally, we had the pleasure of visiting for a few minutes with tourists from China. They were very impressed with our bikes and our journey. We then headed north – 30 miles to Moran Junction. Just outside Jackson Hole, we hopped on a bike trail that took us some eight miles. From there, Rob was able to capture a couple of fine photographs. More good fortune. Sometime later, Diane thought it would be good to shed her leggings, so we pulled onto a turnout. There stood a quite clean honey hut. Good timing and good fortune! We hustled to get to Moran Junction, but unfortunately there were no services, save a post office. But we did a quick mailing and jumped on our bikes, just in time to miss the rain that was moving north (and east). More good timing. Eight more miles, and we were at the location that in 1982 had been a KOA campground where we had camped during our Washington to Iowa bicycle camping trip. Now it’s an RV park with a food mart and small café. The rain was still threatening, so Diane had a hot coffee/cocoa and a banana, and Rob, a can of Beanie Weanie, and we hit the road again. We had gone 41 miles in 4 hours, when we came upon substantial road construction. It covered an approximate six-mile stretch of former highway, and they were not letting bicyclists through. Instead, we put ourselves and our bikes in the bed of the pilot pickup, and were driven up the road. Diane was quite pleased by this circumstance, seeing as how we had topped this pass two times before in 1982 and 1995, and this ride was almost certain to avoid another cold rainy ride. The pilot truck driver dropped us off about two miles from the Lodge, which was our final destination for the day. Great fortune. And the rains did come, and there is no doubt we would have experienced a soaking rain were it not for the construction. It’s worth noting that Diane did suggest we soldier on to Dubois and cancel the Lodge reservation. But Rob had the better idea, to call it a day. That was good fortune, because we would have been soaked on the way to Dubois. All in all, another great bicycling adventure.

Diane cruises the bike path north out of Jackson with mighty Tetons in the background.