Day 27 – Some Days Everything Goes Right

By Mark Heggestad
Today was the tale of two different bike rides in one day, and both were wonderful: the climb and the descent.

The Climb:
The morning started cold and gray, but no rain, so I was happy.  Temps were in the 30’s as we began our climb up the second highest mountain we will face on this entire trip.  I was apprehensive to say the least.  Over the course of the next 20 miles we scaled almost 3,000 feet to the top of Togwotee Mountain, which is 9,658 feet high, and once again at the Continental Divide.  Before I knew it I had scaled 1,000 feet and I felt good.  I was surprised.  To make things even better there was a slight wind at my back, obviously making up for treating me so poorly a few days ago.  At 8,000 feet I could tell I was in thinner air, but it was easier than I expected.  I must have already built up some acclimation to the higher altitude.  When I reached the summit I was surprised by the ease of it all.  Don’t get me wrong – it was difficult.  But nothing close to what I had imagined.  It took me 2 hours, 34 minutes to travel those 20 miles up the mountain, at an average speed of 7.8 mph.  There was a lot of snow, and I was cold, but I did it.

The Descent:
Now the fun really begins.  Over the course of the next 50 miles we had a gradual descent of 3,000 feet.  I felt strong, thanks to yesterday’s rest, and so I went all out down that mountain.  As I descended the temperature climbed, the snow disappeared, the sun came out and the terrain changed dramatically (see pictures below).  In the next 2 hours, 55 minutes we went 58.1 miles at an average speed of 20.3 mph.

In total we biked 79.1 miles today, going from Dubois, WY to Crowheart, WY.  When we started the day we assumed the mountain would take everything we had and so we set our goal at 50 miles.  As the day went on we felt so good we added another 30 miles to it.  Amazing what a day of rest will do for the body (and mind).

So why do I say everything went right today?
  • Climbed our highest summit to date….. and felt good.
  • Biked our longest distance to date……. And felt good.
  • No rain, no wind in our face, and good road conditions all day.
  • Beautiful scenery.
  • Wonderful campsite accommodations.
  • Amazing food for dinner at a little restaurant in this little town.
  • A great feeling of accomplishment.

Some days everything just seems to go right!

Terrain as we rode up the mountain today

We did it.
Togwotee Pass at the Continental Divide.
Elevation: 9,658 feet.

Terrain as we rode down the mountain today

We see deer (lots of deer) every day, but I finally got close enough to take a picture

The family out for an evening stroll.




Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 28, 2017 at 11:57 AM

    Catching up on your blog today;. Your pictures make me want to pack up and go west. they are beautiful. You should feel a sense of accomplishment every night. Wow!
    Continued safe travels.
    anonymous Shan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blessed Beyond MeasureMay 28, 2017 at 10:21 PM

      Thanks Shan. Glad you like the pics. If you haven't been to the Tetons, but it on the list.

      Delete
  2. UnknownMay 28, 2017 at 6:44 PM

    The SMILE at Togwotee Pass says it all!! Glad you had a magnificent day! Ride ON!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blessed Beyond MeasureMay 28, 2017 at 10:18 PM

      Thanks Julie - It was a great feeling to get to the top of that mountain.

      Delete

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