Saturday – Northbound
I had been watching the weather in the Tetons for a couple of days now. The image of the rain cloud and temps in the 50s (daytime highs) seemed to repeat endlessly. The option of scrapping the northern route had crossed my mind. After all, I had five national parks to my south and that wasn’t even counting Colorado. Then Michelle said it. “You know, if you always listened to the weatherman you would never leave the house”.
So I stuck with the original plan and left Al and Michelle this morning headed for Jackson Hole, via Flaming Gorge. The route was easy, follow Rt. 191 all the way up.
First some pics of Main Street Helper, Utah
The ride north up 191 is a gorgeous route. There are lots of elevation changes, curvy roads (with a switchback section too!) and spectacular overlooks.
The scenery builds up to the Arch Dam that holds back the waters from Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
The Flaming Gorge area stretches well into Wyoming and produces some of the breathtaking vistas I have ever seen. The valleys scales of size are so huge they just don’t seem real.
Interstate 80 marks the end of one landscape and the beginning of another. Still following 191 North the route takes you up on top of a seemingly endless overview, looking down on huge valleys to either side. I was startled out of the scenery induced trance a couple times by antelope jetting across the road.
I met some southbound bikers at one of the turnouts that were looking forward to some warmer temps. We exchanged cameras and I believe this is the first pic I have of me so far. Proof that I am actually on this trip and not doing it from my kitchen table.
The scenery eventually flattens out as you travel between the Wyoming and Teton Ranges to the west and the Wind River Range to the East. By this point I had stopped and added a sweatshirt as it was beginning to get a bit nipply.
The closer I got to the Tetons the more I could make out the scattered thunderstorms that had been lingering around this section of Wyoming for days. I wondered what my chances were to dodge them before finding tonights shelter.
As it turns out, I ran head on into a thunderstorm as I entered Jackson Hole. I had decided to find a motel for tonight miles before the downpour due to most of the camping areas leading up to Jackson are along the Hoback River. The river was extremely high and fast due to the recent rains. Not the place I want to be sleeping when the river starts to rise. The Super 8 proudly flashed the No Vacancy sign as I rolled past. The Motel 6, however, had no such display and I grabbed a room and ordered a pizza…delivered. Nice.
So now I sit here watching the stitch drip dry onto the towel strewn bathroom floor as the Weather Channel delivers the news that I stand a good chance to get wet at least once every day for the next several days.
I’ll make a call into Yellowstone tomorrow morning to see if I can snag a reserved campsite somewhere in the park.
Neither rain, nor snow (please, don’t let it snow), nor dark of night shall keep me from my appointed rounds.
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