Day 11 + Cascade Corner Cruising

Stopped into the Bechler Ranger Station and picked up some good info from the old hand manning the desk. We ended up doing a hike along the Falls and Bechtel Rivers. We saw Lower and Upper Cave Falls and also the smaller Bechler Falls.
This overlooked corner of Yellowstone has a much different vibe than the main loop areas. We got to enjoy each the falls by our lonesome for notable spans of times, no distractions to interrupt the hypnotic rush of water. At Bechler Falls,  Glenda even spotted noticed  few fish try to swim up the water fall just a few feet from us. There were a couple dozen attempts while we were dwelling in their reality.

The afternoon found us boucing down a 4wd road looking for Sheep Falls on the Falls river. I bit unusual, in that the falls is working it's way up a crack parallel to the water fall,  and it was also a split falls to boot. All and all, an enjoyable day of exploring.

Tomorrow, I ride the Ashton - Flagg Ranch road, 35 miles of gravel and dirt road up and over a low spot in the Teton range. Nick, one of guys working at Squirrel Creek Ranch, told me that us where the Park Service relocate problem bears. So my route will be taking me though a bad bear penal colony! The bear spray will be kept handy.

GDT Day 12 Squirrel Creek Elk Ranch to Teton NP Colter Bay

Fri. July 29, 2016

Start - 5900'
High pt  - approx 7300'
Lo pt - 6730'
End Elv - 6730'
Climbing - maybe 2300'

Miles 53.2
Total time 8 hrs
Ride time 6:05
Day with BOB 11

Long day with 35 miles off pavement on the Ashton-Flagg ranch road before  16 miles on US 287 thru the park.
I did not see any bears, good or bad, whilst  riding thru the bear penal colony.
But a lot of gravel roads today, and I want to ask you;

Have you ever contemplated gravel roads?......

I ... mean ... REALLY ... studied ... gravel ... roads  ... closely??  

From 4 feet above the road
at 4 mph?
For hours?

Let me tell you, I am beginning to steel myself when the route description says "all weather road". In these parts the gravel is liberated from moraine cobbles, nice and round and smooth, the size ranging from foosballs to golf balls or bigger, liberally applied. I am sure I will appeciate these roads more in wet weather, but in the hot and dry weather, coupled with good stretches of washboard, the ride turned in to one long optimization problem of what line to ride to reduce rolling resistance, with much second guessing.
One is continually evaluating which tire track has less cobblestones, whete the firmer underlayer that is exposed, how long does the run last, is there wash board. There is much second guessing.
I turn a corner, lifting my head from my study to reconnoiter. Oh crap, a hill, with wash board AND loose gravel. Sigh .... what could be worse flashes through my mind as I start grinding up. But wait, I here a rumbling growing behind me; Gads it is a dually with an eight horse trailer passing , billowing a long tail of road dust in its wake. The dust hangs  laguidly in the still air, as if waiting for me to struggle through it ......

The road changed to more typical forest service roads, and this was better for the steeper climbing of the day.
The forest was beautiful along the way, the forest had not burned in any of the of past few decades, lots of meadows, and lush creek wetlands.
I completed the route through Idaho, my second state. It was only about 80 miles in the land of famous potatos, but it certainly has more to offer than spuds!

Quenched my thirst at the convienence store at Flagg Ranch and met a couple of other riders. One fellow, Terry, from N Carolina was doing the TransAmerica road route. He had had both shoulders, and one knee replaced, and a femur/hip held together with rods. More remarkable, he was doing this 3000+ mile  ride at the bright young age of 78 years young. What an inspiration!

After a decent climb out of Flagg Ranch, 10 more miles of rolling highway brought me to Colter Bay, and some incredible views of Mount Moran and the Tetons.

Glenda and I will stay in Teton NP and hike for the next couple of days, and meet our friends Dennis and Karen. We will need to assess the route closure and possibilities due to several local fires.