Day 10 started nice and liesurely! Why, you may be asking? Because we’re staying at the same hotel another night! Kind of a luxury on this trip, wouldn’t you say?! I think I mentioned that this is the kind of trip where we’re at a new hotel almost every night, so to be able to take it easy, get on the bike, not have to pack up and load the bikes, a treat!
We decided to meet for breakfast at the hotel. When we were there in 2023, we really enjoyed the breakfast, this time, not so much. And that’s ok, we’re here for the hotel, the location, not the breakfast. Oh, I completely forgot! Yesterday was when Spain won the World Cup!
Admittedly, I am not a futbol fan, even though I played in high school, it didn’t stick with me, but… I come from a futbol family! My dad played 4th grade through college at his alma mater, Guildford College in Greensboro, NC! My b-i-l played, and still does, my sister and I both played, and against the school our dad was a coach, both EJS and MGS play, and EJS is playing for Endicott College in Beverly, MA! I told you, I might not play or be a huge fan, I am a fan of my family and love to see them play!
I digress…we happened to have just come from the pool when the final match was on tv and everyone was rivited! Even if you aren’t a futbol fan, the World Cup swept everyone up in the excitement! I was swept up in the excitment as well! We watched the last 15 minutes with everyone else and saw Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in South Africa to win it all! I will just say WOW!
Back to our regularly scheduled program…That was Day 9! Back to Day 10!
One of the things we realized was we had a little too much in the way of clothing and needed to lighten the load a bit! PSM and I had originally gotten riding pants that would work with all weather, which we decided to nix at the last minute. Since we had already packed and loaded the bikes, we didn’t feel like undoing all that work, so we just threw on another pair of jeans, that was one pair too many. We also had heated vests that we knew we wouldn’t need for more than maybe a day or two, if that, and as much as we might use them for those two days, they were puffy and take up a lot of room. PSM had a leather jacket that was definitely taking up too much room. The thing is, when you’re packing, even though you’re trying to pack as little as possible, you’re still trying to pack for all eventualities. DJH had a bunch of things he also wanted to send home.
So…first stop of the day… Post Office! 8:55a, loaded up the things we were shipping home, got on the bikes, shipped our items, felt lighter, and then we were off for another day of adventure!
We headed into Yellowstone and rode through to our first picture spot, the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide runs for about 115 miles through the southern and western portions of Yellowstone National Park, it separates the Pacific Ocean watershed from the Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic Ocean watershed. 37 sec video, 48 sec video
Next stop, Lewis Falls, While the falls are only 30 feet in height, the width of this waterfall is the full width of the river and is quite impressive. You can often see anglers casting their line just below the falls and from there downstream about 2 miles before the river enters the canyon. It was absolutely stunning, and peaceful, you could feel how much everyone enjoyed it. Doesn’t the sound of the water just fill you with peace and joy?
After a nice respite, back on the bikes and on to Grand Teton National Park. Have you ever wondered how Grand Teton got its name? Better yet, do you know what it translates to? The name Grand Teton comes from the French phrase les trois tétons, which translates to the three breasts or the three teats. In the early 19th century, French-Canadian and Iroquois fur trappers working for the North West Company named the prominent peaks after noticing their resemblance to female breasts. Ya loin’ something new every day! Grand Tetons…unreal!
Next stop…Jackson. I know, I know, you’re asking yourself, but JJ, isn’t it Jackson Hole, WY? Why no, no it’s not! I was schooled while we were there! Jackson is the main incorporated hub located at the southern end of the valley, famous for its elk antler arches at Jackson Town Square. While Jackson Hole is a 55-mile-long valley in western Wyoming framed by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges, serving as a premier gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Who knew!
The ride through the park was lovely, then we were stuck, and I mean stuck…to get to Jackson we were stuck in traffic trying to leave the park, we were probably sitting for about 30-45 minutes, maybe more, which is not fun by itself, but when you’re sitting on a bike that gives off heat, your calves are near the pipes, and it’s close to 100 degrees, well, I think you get the idea. We finally made it into Jackson and found parking, thankfully! and made our way to the Roadhouse Brewing Company. Ice waters all around for my friends!
After lunch it was time to head back to West Yellowstone. The ride was beautiful and moved a lot faster than getting to Jackson! And we rode through Caribou-Targhee National Forest, this country is just beautiful! When we got back, it was pool, relax, find some food. We went to a Mexican restaurant ant we didn’t really enjoy that much, so no mention here. Video: Ride through Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Back at the hotel, we hung out a bit by the firepit and planned tomorrow’s ride. What more could you ask for?!
Day 10: 259.5 Miles, 7.5 Hours, Post Office, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, tomorrow…more of the good stuff!
Peaches Prattlings 