Day 16: Awesome Start But Brutal Finish!

Jackson, WY to Dubois, WY

86 miles with 4,400' of climbing

A one-word summary of our morning ride is spectacular! We left Jackson via a 14-mile bike path that offered amazing sights of the Teton Mountain Range. We had crystal blue skies, the terrain was flat, and the temperatures were cool. Approximately 9 miles into the ride, I was able to snap a photo of Grand Teton, which at 13,775 feet is the highest point in the Teton Range.

For the next 30 miles we rode in a group of 4 (Gail, Drew, Dan - husband of a staff member, and me). We stopped at several overlooks just to take in this gorgeous portion of our country. We even saw a herd of buffalo who appeared to be lounging in the morning sun.

At mile 40, the "fun" began. For the next 15 miles, we climbed and climbed. Let me repeat that - 15 miles!!! Thankfully, the grades were not as steep as yesterday's climb. It must have been the hearty breakfast that I had or that I was still psyched from the morning ride, but I felt great. I actually passed several others and was third to arrive at the summit. It was a great feeling of exhilaration! Additionally, we passed another milestone as we had reached the Continental Divide.

After an 11-mile descent, we tried to eat lunch, but the restaurant was closed, foreshadowing how the rest of the afternoon would treat us. As we reached the bottom, we were hit with a stiff, dry headwind that remained with us for the next 25 miles. The beautiful scenery had disappeared and was replaced with a desert-like terrain. The one highlight was the red rock sandstone formations as we approached the town of Dubois.

After a quick veggie burger, we checked into our hotel to discover that they don't have air conditioning. Uh-oh, it may be a hot night!