August 4, 2015 – Clouds and sun, 80 degrees

Miles Today: 34

Miles to Date: 5,106

States to Date: 20

A short day of intense riding. Eight miles along an easy bike path and then fortified myself with a huckleberry shake in Victor, ID.

Eight miles at 6% grade plus three miles at 10% grade to climb Teton Pass. Met couples from LA, MS and CA at the Wyoming sign.  Am I going backwards? I’ve already been in Wyoming! No worry, Jackson Hole beckons.

The descent is more hair-raising than the climb – brakes full throttle for four miles along the old road turned into bike path: too many switchbacks to count.

Arrived in Jackson by two. What am I doing here? A tourist mecca flooded with Asians and guys with big guts all wearing Jackson Hole T-shirts. Don’t they already know where they are? However, the antler arches in the main square are great and it’s cool how the mountains form the backdrop to absolutely everything.

My warmshowers host is a long time Jackson summer resident and bit eccentric. Hooray!

Off to Yellowstone tomorrow – my first night of sleeping outside and no Internet. Goodbye civilization as I know it.