Well, today couldn't have been much different from yesterday. The riding was great! Much better.
To follow-up on some thoughts from yesterday, just real quick:
1) I should have run a front shock. I did a lot of research and people have strong opinions on both sides. I went with simplicity, but now I definitely agree with the "use a front shock" crowd. I'd be doing much better. Far tires aren't cutting it.
2) I'll decide if I go past Denver when that times comes. If I get there and am feeling amazing, I'll likely finish - since I'll have had 30+ days of high altitude training already, and that is invaluable. However, word is that the roads down there are mostly what I hate, so... maybe not. Also, wildfires may make up my mind for me.
3) Not all dirt sucks. Just the kind that is supper rocky or rutted, usually around ranches. Again.. I think that's all of New Mexico? Anyone want to confirm that? If that's the case, knowing what I know now, I may have only planned to do this first section from the beginning. I have nothing to prove.
There are plenty of hard things that I can do that I don't do because they don't sound fun, like solo hike the Continental Divide or PCT, or adventure race, or 24 hour race, or ... race... Maybe the shitty southern part of the Divide is on that list (unless I have a shock and a buddy). We'll have to see. Maybe that's the best part of the Divide? Yea.... hard to imagine that is so.
Today was super fun though. The first 15 miles or so was the same BS road as yesterday, but Motrin is helping with the hand pain. Then it was some pavement and I could zone out, and then some fun double track trail riding that was actually quite fun, then some pavement, and then.. civilization! A subway!
I'm in a very touristy part of nature right by the Tetons and Yellowstone, and was pretty close to West Yellowstone at the time. I ate a HUUUUUGE sub and felt super powered the entire afternoon. It made me realize I'm probably not eating enough.
The next 30 miles or so were along an old railroad line with super soft soils. There was a 17 mile longer alternate that avoided that, but I decided to risk it on the trail.
It was hard, but fun. It's shared with ATVs and Motorcycles etc, so at times it got pretty crazy, and at times I could barely ride, but it was flat and still better than those bullshit primitive dirt ranch roads. I made good time (thanks in part to the huge sub, cookies, and three refills of coke), and totally enjoyed the ride. I even saw the Tetons finally!
At one point I noticed my bear bag was missing - it'd shaken look from my handlebars and I missed it?!? I thought: crap... well, I can still hang my food. No.... my rope was in there, as were my odor proof bags. Crap! But, my response was not "great, an excuse to quit" like it might have been yesterday. Also, I found it after about a half mile of backtracking. My whole system falls apart without that taking up space, so I noticed it rather quickly.
At another part I reached a lake in the trail at the same time as some local camping bikers. We all took off our shoes and socks and walked across. I've learned my lesson when it comes to wet socks and shoes all day.
After a sweet picturesque downhill along the Warm River I got to Warm River Campground, totally full of 4th of July people tubing and camping. The camp host is super cool, and has an amazing mustache, and let me camp in his host yard since camping was full. He says that in the summer he can have something like 4-5 Divide riders camping here a night. He's lobbying for a hiker/biker section of the park, but hasn't been successful yet.
I'm apparently the first of the "tourers" he's seen, as the rest were all racers. I figured I was a head of the touring pack since I didn't start in Bannf. I didn't see the two southbounders that I'm pacing with today, and they are likely camped something like 30 miles more down the road.
So now I get to hang out with this guy tonight, and he seems like a lot of fun. He's offered a campfire and cocktails. Allllright. This is more what I expect out of a day of touring. I'll put photos up later tonight.
Oh, also, I'm in Idaho. I've now biked across Montana, in different ways, about 3 times (2 full, 2 half times).
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