Today’s Date: June 9, 2024
Today’s Start Point: Ashton, Idaho
Today’s End Point: Victor, Idaho
Today’s Miles: 49.34 Miles
Cumulative Miles: 1,396.32 Miles
Last night after yesterday’s post, I received a text from another old friend from school (the same caveat applies when I use the term “old” friend), Paul Kirsch, with a post attached about the washout of the road between Victor, Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming. He was hoping I was not taking that road, because according to the post, and the accompanying video, it was going to be out of commission for months.
Well, that was the road I was supposed to take on Monday, June 10th, in which my route would be from Victor to Jackson. Since I have been in a virtual news blackout since the start of the trip, I had not heard the news. Thanks Paul, the advance notice saved me.
I had intended to keep that day’s ride short to about 25 miles so I could use it as a semi-rest day. With the road washed out, the work-around was an 100 mile detour by using a road with no shoulders and heavy traffic since it was the only way to travel between the two locations.
Paul and I texted back and forth discussing various options and I eventually settled on seeing if I could find some type of transport to get me to Jackson from Victor. With a plan in mind, I wanted to make sure that I got an early start in the morning.
As intended, I awoke early and set out. The skies were partly cloudy with a strong wind out of the east. I did not hit another town for about 30 miles, and with the convenience store yet to open, I dug into my supplies of energy bars.
After a couple of miles, my route veered east off of the highway onto pure country roads. There was no shoulder but that didn’t matter; for the next thirty miles only a handful of cars passed by.
The road was hilly with little flat. The climbs were about one-half to one mile long, a short descent, and then right back up. Due to the headwind, I really couldn’t take advantage of the descent to use on the next climb, so it was a bit of an effort.
In the beginning, as was true with the scenery at the end of yesterday’s ride, I pedaled through farmland. As the morning progressed, however, the Teton Range loomed into view. I had never seen the Tetons from the west side, but they are truly impressive whichever way you see them.
As I was coming over one of what seemed hundreds of these little hills, there was a man on the side of the road taking my picture. I thought, “Bruce, you’re back”!
Nope, not Bruce. I did not recognize the gentlemen but as I approached him he said, “give me your e-mail address and I will send the photo to you”. I stopped with all of my Chicago senses wondering what kind of scam this might be. Was the next line going to be that he was a Nigerian prince that needed me to wire money to him?
Again, nope. His name is Wally and he is a retired federal employee who is traveling with his wife to visit family in Ashton. When he passed me in his car he thought it might be nice to take a picture of me since I was riding alone and would not be able to. Cynicism be damned, just another good person doing something nice for someone that they don’t know. I gave him my e-mail address and I will post the picture when it comes through.
After my encounter with Wally, the clouds quickly rolled in and it began to rain. The Teton Range faded from view, so I just concentrated on riding. I was a couple of miles from the first town of the day, Tetonia, Idaho, so I planned to stop and get some food (and 5-hour Energies).
The convenience store in Tetonia had some table and chairs inside so I leisurely ate my sugar and preservative filled meal. After about 20 minutes I looked outside and the rain showers had passed, so it was back on my bike to head south through the town of Driggs, Idaho and then on to my final destination of Victor, Idaho.
Due to the early start and lack of any huge climbs, I was making good time. The Teton Range was on my left and dominated the view. It’s fascinating to see how the light makes every angle of the range shift and change as you pedal along. I believe that this is one of the advantages of riding a bike, you proceed slow enough (and in my case very slowly( so that you can see the subtle changes to the landscape.
I went through Driggs, which looks like a nice little town that I would have liked to explore, but I wanted to keep moving so that I could nail down plans for tomorrow’s transport to Jackson, Wyoming.
Between Driggs and Victor, there is a paved bike path that runs parallel to the main road. The wind had shifted from the easterly to southerly, becoming a strong headwind. I rode leisurely against the wind, not pushing it because in the end you cannot win against it.
I arrived in Victor at noon, by far the earliest that I have finished a day of riding. I checked into what I would consider the first real hotel that I have stayed in for awhile-doors that don’t open to the outside, a real working elevator, etc. They let me check in early and I called a local driver who was delivering a pickup truck to Jackson tomorrow so he said it was no problem to take me along. Another crisis averted.
I will use tomorrow as a rest day and take in the sights of Jackson, since I will be getting there at about 10 am while still wearing street clothes. As I write this, I realize I really need the down time. This is no doubt an amazing adventure so far, and I have seen sights and met people far outside my bubbled existence. But at the same time, it can be physically, and more importantly, mentally draining, so I am looking forward to some down time to recharge my batteries.
I am not sure if I will post tomorrow, but since my driver tomorrow sounds like an interesting character, who knows.
Opposite of the Teton Range is the Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Jimmy's Big Adventure-2024 
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