Friday, May 24, 1996
Day 13
Belgrade, Montana to Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Today's Miles: 88
Cumulative Miles for the Tour: 951
Degree of Difficulty: Difficult (because of weather)
Terrain: Climbing into the Rockies
Find of the Day: Bozeman Food Co-op
Welcome to Wyoming!
It's 6:00pm in the evening and I'm sitting at a campsite in Yellowstone National Park. When we pulled into our site, there was a herd of wild elk guarding our space for us. It wasn't a bad welcoming committee after one of the most brutal days of biking I have ever had.
We left Bozeman at about 8:30am this morning headed for the mountain pass that would take us to Livingston. The weather forecast that we heard on the radio last night was correct...it said, "The weather this weekend will be crappy." That must be what's called a Montana understatement. It was drizzling as Lee and I pulled off Interstate 90 to find the main post office. His wife sent him a card, general delivery, but it wasn't there. The trip wasn't wasted, however. We found one of the most satisfying food markets we have seen so far on the trip, the Bozeman Food Co-op.The Food Co-op is the kind of place Lee and I are used to shopping in when we are home in New York and San Francisco, respectively. It's been hard too find healthy, bulk foods since we passed the outskirts of Seattle two weeks ago. We stuffed our rain jacket pockets with trail mixes, hummus, carrot salad...anything that would fit. This is a MUST stop for travelers headed across Wyoming and the Dakotas. It might be the last place you'll find food without gravy on it.Not to say that gravy is bad, mind you. Lee has developed a definite craving for the lard flavored delicacy, as he proved once again today by ordering an open-faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, smothered in the savory aroma of chicken-fat gravy...mmmmm, so good.
Eva, our "Truckstop" waitress
in Livingston
The ride out of Bozeman through the pass that drops down into Livingston was brutal, there's no other word for it. A fresh snow dusted the tops of the pine trees last night. As we got higher into the ascent, it started to sleet, then became a full fledged snow storm. I kept thinking of Gary, back at the espresso hut in Rearden, Washington and his comment/question, "Are you guys INSANE?". Today, I'd have to say we were.
By the time we reached the peak, visibility was 50 feet because of fog, sleet, rain, slush...total madness. Lee and I started laughing out loud. It's probably one of the craziest things you can do, take on the elements of a Montana snowstorm on a bicycle.The payback wasn't much. Livingston is on a high plain in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. The downhill to get there was blistering cold. When we reached the truckstop for lunch, I couldn't feel the toes of my left foot, yet I was soaked from perspiration. Today's ride turned out to be an endurance event instead of a bike ride. We agreed to call it a day and told Dave we'd finish the ride to Yellowstone in the van with him. He went up ahead to get Adam and Ken who were three miles ahead of us, while Lee and I had lunch.We were surprised to see Dave come back with Adam, only. Ken had decided to try and continue on his own to see if he could finish the ride. I couldn't imagine 50 more miles in the conditions we had just ridden...now THAT'S what I'd call insane.We sat at the truck stop, taking our time with lunch. Eva, our waitress, got off on the right foot by asking if we were crazy. How's that for a welcoming greeting? She's lived in Montana all her life and understands how volatile the weather can be in this part of the country. She took good care of us, making sure there was enough hot coffee and extra gravy to go aroundWe expected to catch up with Ken and have him BEG for room in the van. WRONG...when we reached the outskirts of Livingston, the sun came out, companioned with a 20 mile per hour tailwind. By the time we caught up with him, Ken was 32 miles up the road, with only 18 more miles to go. He had the ride of a lifetime. The road into Yellowstone from Livingston is a gorgeous descent to the entrance of the park. We were all jealous, but figured he deserved to finish the day solo.
The "crew" and our waitress, Nancy
standing under a pair of six foot antlers
at The Cafe, outside the north entrance to Yellowstone
Our waitress at the cafe in Gardiner, the park entrance, told us that wild life is plentiful this time of year. A friend of hers had even been charged by a grizzly yesterday. That's what I like to hear...communing with nature!
We'll be here for a two day rest. We'll see how much rest we get. It's supposed to snow at elevations over 6000 feet and we're camping 6200 feet, the lowest campsites in Yellowstone. Recently, I invited my friend, David Hurd, to go snow camping with me at Yosemite. Dave, I take it back. I've had enough of snow and cold for one lifetime, today, thanks.
Bike America Tours
dblair@wtp.net
1-800-738-7271