Salem to Yellowstone catching up

It's been hard to find time online, awake, able to update, but I have tried to jot notes periodically, so here's part one of the update:


Monday – Salem OR to Twin Falls, ID

Monday back in the saddle again, after spending the weekend with my sister and her family in Salem. The route was 20 east. It goes all the way to Cape Cod, but I won’t get that far. (another option was to go up the slab (5) to Portland then pick up the interstate there for the trek east. Recommended for the Columbia river gorge stretch, but way out of the way, and that’s less than 50 miles anyway, so passed. The 2 lane route would take me over the mountains in Oregon – passing Detroit lake, hoodoo – where the sister’s family has a cabin – and then Burns, Bend, etc. The road follows the route of the Oregon trail, I was travelling it backwards, of course. Periodically there were markers explaining this ford or that stopping point, etc. Most striking to me, though, was the section in the mountains where some 90k acres burned some years back. Amazing how barren it looks.

It was pretty cold in the mountains, glad for my overpants, the jacket I’d borrowed, the glove liners I’d bought. Then down off the mountain, the rest of Oregon – eastern – and the part of Idaho I rode – through boise and about 100 miles beyond – were arid, hot, dry. More desert. Ugh. Didn’t get as far as I might have liked as a result, maybe 600 miles in the day. Landed at another KOA, which was just fine. No local beer, but they had Jack & Coke premixed in a bottle. Who knew. Yum.

Tuesday – Twin Falls, ID to Yellowstone

From twin falls it was mostly slab for the first half of the trip to the park, then 2 lane for the second. About 200 miles to the west entrance. I opted to skip the craters of the moon route which would have been more 2 lane, but also more slow going through dry nothing. I’ve had enough desert by choice.

It was really cold for much of the morning. I had breakfast at a truck stop right near the campground to try and fuel up, but it didn’t really help. I kept stopping to add layers. Wasn’t till about halfway that I had the right combination and was riding comfortably. My fault. Should have just started right.

West Yellowstone, the town at the entrance, is just one big tourist magnet. Full of little shops selling tshirts and the like, plus a few outfitters thrown in for those doing it more rough. I passed.

Got into the park and rode the loop southward. I know old faithful is soo touristy, but I figured I had to do it too. The crowd was, alas, probably more impressive than the geyser. Ok, saw that. Took the route that LA’s friend recommended from there. Aound the lake, beautiful, past the canyon/falls, ditto, and then north. No bear sightings, but a pelican guarding the river, and then lots of bison. I only have a couple of pictures, hard to do it alone on the bike, but there were plenty. Stopped traffic a couple of times, even.

As a result of the bison, all my stops to take in the views, the off and on rain and very dark skies, and impending nightfall, I decided not to leave the park in a rush, tense over the rain, etc., but rather camp here for the night and push on the last 50 miles or so in the morning. It’s supposed to be beautiful, and I want to enjoy it. When am I coming back, after all.

Fortunately, a ranger had pity and though the campsite was marked full, said I could stay in the area reserved for hikers and bikers. Ok, they mean cyclists, but he was being kind. (just before the campsite was xxx pass, up twisties into the moutain and then a 7 mile descent, which might have been fun had the ground not been wet from the rians earlier. I was going really slowly. Great views, hopefully some decent pix, but that’s when I decided to camp if I could.

Down the hill from the campsite is a general store, where I ran back after setting up, to get some dinner. Highlight was a bottle of moose drool beer from Montana. Quite good actually, though of course I just bought it because it’s local and has such a funky name.

In the section of the campsite I’m in are two guys from china who flew to seattle and have been travelling here – and plan to go much beyond – on bicycle. Very interesting to talk to them. About their journey, mine, their bikes, mine, etc. at least one of them plans to continue all the way to maine, riding through October. Amazing. Also a guy who came here to backpack for a week, but unfortunately turned his ankle quite badly the first day, so he’s cut that short. At least he has plenty of gear, and like me, the rangers let him use this section due to the circumstances (he drove in from where he’d left his car_

Oh, and lots of bear warnings here. Stash your food in the metal lockers provided. Even your water bottles, toothpaste, etc. I’m kind of hoping I’ll see one – from a safe distance of course – in the morning.

Tomorrow’s route will take me out the northeast part of the park, up I think 212 which is supposed to be a beautiful road, then pick up the highway and head east. Whether I can pick 20 back up I don’t know. How close to rushmore/Sturgis etc I’ll get I don’t know. No reception here so I can’t use my iPhone, and my Garmin has so little charge I don’t want to try that.

Ok that’s it for the night. The fire I made is dead – had to do the boy scout thing now that I’m not in a no burn area like I was so much of the trip, and in a primitive campsite to boot. Computer is dying too, and I’ve got to get some sleep anyway. I need to make lots of miles tomorrow. It’s Wednesday already, and I have to be home by Sunday. I figure I’ve got at least 2200 miles to go.