No, the other one, Wyoming.

My laptop is injured not allowing me to open the screen. I’m on my phone for this. This will not be as stuffed w/ words as a result.

So, on Sat I rode the Outlaw trails outside of town for a technical experience. Here there lots of rocks for moves, I made the ones in my wheelhouse, the others were not attempted. This was my 3rd time riding here. The BLM developed a trailhead. The ride goes out a double track to a fence line with a stile now a 4 step stile, previously it was more steps steep and narrow. Apprehension filled me should I be faced w/ previous as I might not make over and back. This time some effort. Trails here are rough and little dirt work, sort of ridden in. Old school. Pics are in laptop.

After ride I drove into Cody for supplies. 25.6 mph.

I let google navigate to Meadowlark ski area. Surrendering routing to digital solution sent me on roads I would not have figured out. Highway  climbing out of Ten Sleep into the mountains climbing and climbing. Big Horn mountains. I did not recall my previous drive. Road shares a canyon curtailing side roads. I sought an open FS xg. Chose Island something. Picked first open site. $10. Chilly night allowing heater to burn all night. Camp was 7979′, I crossed my fingers that the heater would burn at this elevation. Bfast was scratch pancakes as every Sunday’s. I looked out my windshield to see a cow moose maybe 15′ away. Her calf accompanied her. I watched them browse aspen greens, no stripping the leaves, just eat entire branch. Again pics on laptop. They ate for many minutes then bedded down right in front of me. Then they ambled away. And I drove away continuing climbing. Trees. Steep descent into Buffalo.

At Buffalo the drive became interstate to my destination of Sundance. At the exit I read a sign for heading to mountain bike race. Hmmm? Previous visit a race was going on. And today, that annual race was underway. I scratched my ride to prevent interference. Later I approached the race organizers. One guy greeted me quickly as he remembered my green van and conversation. I’m staying here tonight then ride tomorrow.

I join sister Lynn on Friday. I will ride many South Dakota trails.

I must find a computer repair person and wait repair.

Trails here are cowified meaning copies and tread damage.

Enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Monday was my 75th birthday. I was held in Hailey, ID waiting for alternator etc parts to arrive then installed. Shop told me parts would arrive on Mon or Tues and that they would be installed same day. Over promise and under deliver. Parts arrived Tues but install was to be Wed. Previously I made a plan to drive ride and camp on way thru Yellowstone to make a Thurs night campground reservation East of the park. I lost ride days because of late repair. More later.

Wed morn I drove out of camp spot on Democrat Gulch. Maybe 25 antelope watched me go by, most were on hillside silhouetted against the sky. Turned onto paved Croy road were a moose cow and calf paced me a short distance on the other side of the fence.

Arrived at shop. I expected about 2 hours shop time. Van wasn’t finished until 2 for my departure heading east. Maybe the noise I heard came from the worn bearings in the alternator and the tensioner. For sure parts were replaced before failure.

Windy day. Drove US 20 thru Craters of the Moon lava fields. Sage brush vegetation then acres of tilled land. Racing against darkness to make Driggs for the night. Rain started to fall with darkness. Seems my headlights lack brilliance to shine thru newer headlights. Made Driggs in the dark. Shopped at large grocery store for Happy Camper bread that is gluten free for my diet. Bought 3 loaves, put 2 in freezer and 1 in fridge. Too late for restaurant food. I drove out of town to destination Big Eddy dispersed campsite on the river. I struggled navigating to the spot in the dark and map confusion. Made the spot.

Thurs morn I got after it early as my route would take me thru Yellowstone NP. I chose the northern route entering at West Yellowstone instead of going over Teton Pass and thru Jackson Hole. Rural farmed land. Many vehicles entering the park with me. Traffic flowed until a back up occurred. Miles of brake lights. Why there are first gears in transmissions. WTF? road work? accident? Finally I arrived at cause of backup: a lone buffalo was grazing that drivers were slowing down to view. WTF?  That was the only buffalo I saw during my trip thru the park.

That day was Thursday, my laundry day. I had visions of doing it on Friday at Cody, WY. Route went thru Fishing Bridge village. I stopped and checked out general store looking for a laundromat, none among all the tourist trinkets. Back at the van I read the park paper and saw that a laundromat was at the RV park nearby. I asked if non campground visitor could use the facility. I was in the laundromat. I have clean clothes done on Thurs. The machines were housed in the same building as the campground registration function for the only hard sided campers, meaning rvs only. I noticed that there was an awful lot of gray on the staff: people my age. I visited with a man in gray. He said this season is known as near dead or newly wed. I walked into the campground: rigs were packed close together separated by mere feet. No way for me.

Evening destination was Wapiti XG which is outside the park on USFS land. No openings in the few opened XGs in the park. More driving. Stormy. Road went along the north shore of Yellowstone Lake. I stopped at a turnout and took this pic:

Very windy moving my van around. How fast was wind? I held my wind speed device which never reached 20mph. I over estimated the speed. I thought higher but had no idea what. Sheesh.

Drive continued and climbed up to 8,xxx’ with snow flurries, none stayed on the road like higher up the mountain sides. Dropped down and exited the park. I passed several other XGs. Wapati XG is well outside the park. I had made a reservation for an assured spot. The XG had many open spots but I did not know that ahead of time. Peace of mind knowing that a spot had my name on it.

During bfast fixings the heater shut down. Oh no. I could not clear the fault, the led went solid red. WTF? I fired up the cat infrared heater for warmth. I pulled the fuse which triggered flashing led and I was able to clear the fault which allowed the heater to fire up. Whew. I put a double layer of cheese cloth over the intake grate to block fuzzies entering the heater which caused the demise of the last heater. I removed the cloth and saw the fuzz build up which restricted air flow which overheated a motor which caused it to shut down. I haven’t figured out the source of the fuzzies. Happy that I figured out how to enjoy the functioning heater. I will turn it on now. It fired up.

Completed the drive into Cody. Filled propane. Drove to Funhoggin bike shop seeing that it was still open. The owner was absent whom I met on previous visit.

There are 2 trail systems in town. The Outlaw trails are outside of town that I have ridden 2 times. The other one is on the city property line which I decided to check out. Weather forecast was for gusts to 20 mph. I parked exposed to the wind. Do or am I able to ride in such strong winds. Again I checked the velocity: a gust hit 16 mph. I decided to give a ride a go.

windy. I came upon a rock move with the wind full on broadside. I walked the move as I was concerned wind would alter my line.

Short duration ride. I looked up wind speed at the nearby airport, a gust of 21 mph, otherwise in the teens.

Drove out of town towards the Outlaw trails. Anchored at different spot as spots close to that trail have been shut down because of past abuse. Everything is exposed.

So tomorrow I will continue towards Spearfish, SD making 2 days to drive the 300 miles across the state. I plan on riding Outlaw in the morning before leaving.

My shoulder is barking big time from this typing. Enough.

Sat morn typing on my phone.

I can be where I want to be etc. Bend’s air quality suffered from heavy forest fire smoke from 30 plus lightning started fires up near Bachelor. Heavy fuel load. Swampy would have been breathing chunks. Fires were on the other side of the road. Climate change sending precip elsewhere and the fuel load continues to build with less retained water. Some day when I’m anchored at La Pine I’ll be faced with fire smoke.

Tuesday night I watched the debate between Harris and dump. He never looked at her. He is such a threat to democracy and is a blow hard w/ no substance. He’s bad but his cult followers enable him. Those who believe absurdities can commit atrocities. My goal in life now, as it has been for each election that he has been on ballot, is to live long enough to cast my ballot for the other person. To me watching the entire debate, which was a struggle, listening to his blather gave me the denominator to compare to the various news coverages.

 

 

 

It starts at the bottom then comes back down, no in-between. Wood River Valley says it up front: valley as low point, hills rise from there.

Thurs morn early I arrived at repair shop for alternator work. The service manager had no record of my appointment. I gave him Performance’s shop notes. He said he would order the parts, work up price for next day install. Free to go. drove into Hailey to do wash in a cruddy laundromat, only 1 in town. Steve gave me a ride choice of Croy that we have been riding or, new to me, Quigly just outside of town. I chose the newer. System is purpose machine built, very new and raw. Long climb on rideable grade and descending on about same. I rode behind Steve who is slower to use him as my rabbit to check my speed hence effort.

The tread is fresh disturbed rocks. The descent let speed increase. Trail is machine cut wide into steep hillside. Loose rocks. Numerous bends with possible Thelma and Louise launches. 9.6 miles climbing 922′.

Contacted repair shop late afternoon, he was still seeking an alternator, his parts supplier wasn’t calling back. I stuck with it for his 3rd call. Scored an alternator to arrive on Mon, tomorrow for install. Staying here for the weekend.

Friday Steve lead me on a Croy Canyon ride. The Glendale range fire that started on Tues is now contained which is a short distance up the canyon from our ride. Croy is an older system of purpose built trails, all pedalable, few tech problems beyond normal hillside exposure.

Up down around down. Many bermed corners and they are packed firm that can be counted on. 6.64 miles climbing 774′.

Steve’s future time is committed for no more ride sharing. A ride Steve calls the Trade Route beckoned me. This spring I attempted it by myself but my body was not happy with the effort limiting my distance to the perch above Fox creek then returning. I drove thru Ketchum to Oregon Gulch / Saddle trailhead. I spent the night. Sat my departure was delayed as I listened to Wait Wait… that is an hour later than last week’s PDT. Today I attempted to implement the slower speed and effort. Today I made the previous turn around point and a decision to push myself to complete the loop or turn back down. I decided to further. From the high point the trail drops over patches of exposed loose rock below grade, attention focused. Dropped down Fox creek drainage letting gravity provide the energy. And knowing that what went down must go back up. And it did. I had some success with lessening my effort. I still needed short blows on climbs. Joy was rejoining Saddle for a great old school hiking trail descent. Deep tree cover. Trail suffers from lack of water. 8.49 miles climbing 1345′, that’s 160′ per mile of ride, most rides are less than 100’/ mile. Except Olallie and Oleary. I didn’t take any pics.

Drove back down valley. Quinoa w/chicken salad dinner at KBs in Hailey. Drove out to Democrat Gulch for the night and staging for today’s ride. The aroma of a freshly squirted skunk permeated the air. Smells like the out of doors. Today the scent is still strong. Was there a second squirt?

Forecast for today was 30% showers in morning. I fixed and ate Sunday scratch pancakes while checking the sky for wetness. Sky was filled with possible rain clouds. I added my rain jacket to my pack. I pedaled away up Lamb’s gulch. Sprinkles started falling as I started the traversing climb and continued, never enough to put on my jacket. I rode here this spring when all was green, today is dried out brown.

Climb is rewarded by descent. This pic is from other side of gulch looking down and up that descent

Amazing! I rode my entire ride of 9.87 miles climbing 1138′ all alone.

Spending the night here again. Internet 5 bar strong. Side door and driver’s window open. Light is attracting insects, not enough yet to block the 65 degree cooling night air. Camped at 5505′. Will close up just after I quit this.

So I was able to ride the Trade Route because I set my mind to it. My body would have preferred sitting in a chair in the shade. The effort was taxing no doubt. Mountain riding.

I have been working on travel plan to arrive in Spearfish on the 20th. My route will take me thru Yellowstone. I scored a camp ground site for the 12th. There are rides and places to visit between here and there. I will be rationing my time to meet these 2 dates.

time to put out the cat so to speak.