Day 3: A walk in the park

Bike Distance	Avg Speed	Total Ascent	Saddle Time	Calories
0 miles	0 mph	0 ft	00:00:00	0 cal

The morning send off:

This morning I woke up to the sounds of my new found friends packing up their gear for their days travels. I popped out of the tent and had breakfast whilst they were packing up. It was nice to have more conversation with them as they were good company. First to leave was Jamieson and then soon after Peter and Amy. It was weird watching them go as I never spent two nights at the same campground while touring. I felt like I should also be packing. The Chicago girls left a little earlier for their hiking adventure so I was alone. I wrapped up breakfast and decided it was time for some hiking of my own.

Avalanche Lake:

I grabbed my handlebar bag, bear spray and water bottle. I attached the bear spray to one end of my bags shoulder strap. I then created a bottle holder using an REI strap and a carabiner and attached that to the other end of the strap. My hack job worked out nicely! I then started the two miles hike towards Avalanche Lake.

The night before the Chicago girls mentioned I should get an early start to beat the crowds and I am happy I took their advice as the trails weren't that busy yet. The hike to the Lake wasn't that difficult but sure did not disappoint scenery wise. There were areas where one could walk down to the rivers edge to cool off by splashing some crystal clear water on the face. One could also see glacial ice on the mountain tops surrounding the area. There were huge waterfalls draping over the side of several of the peaks. It was sensory overload!

Eventually I reached the end of the trail where there was a clearing to the lake. I walked over and sat on a log, took off my sandles and socks and dipped my feet into the icy cold water. Off in the distance you could hear the waterfalls crashing into the rocks. The smell of the forest was fresh and clean. It was totally bliss! I sat there for about 30 minutes soaking all the sounds and smells in. Eventually I made the 2 mile trek back to camp and then started the Trail of the Cedars.

Trail of the cedars:

The Trail of the Cedars is considered the northern most rain forest. The trail itself is actually a boardwalk along the rivers edge and circles back to the campground. There were ginormous cedars and small waterfalls adjoining the trails edge. It was a very casual hike but enjoyable nonetheless. I finished up just in time for a late lunch. Perfect! I walked into the camping area and noticed a new tent with two bikes parked nearby. Unfortunately they were not around so I would have to wait until later to meet my new neighbors.

Catching up:

After a light lunch I decided it was time to clean my bike which had gotten covered it road mud from the construction zone the day before. I rode it over to the water spigot and did a hand washing. It was pretty much gooped on everywhere so it took a good half hour or so to get her and the BOB trailer clean. Well... Cleaner. :) now if only I could get a bath!

I then spent some time sitting and completing day one and day two blogs as I was too exhausted the night before. Besides, it was more fun hanging out with my new neighbors around the campfire! Then, the two new cyclists arrived!

New arrivals:

The two new neighbors were a couple. The guy walked up and said "hello Dennis" . I had a stunned look on my face. He informed me that they ran into two other cyclists who mentioned that I would be the Avalanche. It must have been Amy and Peter. Funny how word travels. Anyway, they are from Quebec and started their tour this past May in phoenix. They are actually completing a tour they started two years ago but didn't finish. At that time they quit their jobs, sold everything they had and hit the road. Unfortunately 6 months in they were forced to head back to Quebec, get new jobs and regroup. They are both consultants so this time they are simply taking 4 months off between client jobs. Their story makes my bike tour seem so weak! :)

They asked me about my trip and they essentially did much of the same route but in reverse. I asked about several of the climbs and they confirmed some of the 6 and 7 percenters that I had ahead of me. They were overall disappointed with Yellowstone but really enjoyed the Tetons. I mentioned that my wife was flying in to Jackson Hole to spend time with me in Yellowstone and the Tetons. They said having a car is the only way to really enjoy Yellowstone so we should take advantage of that. I then mentioned that I was heading to salt lake city in order to ship my bike home via Amtrak. They said that ride from Teton to Salt Lake was not exciting at all and that I should consider ending at Jackson Hole with my wife. I suppose I will consider their recommendation when the time comes as 250 boring miles honestly isn't that thrilling to me. Either way, I got plenty of Intel and will research their suggestions once I reach Missoula as I won't have any sustained connectivity til then.

During dinner they were kind enough to share their wine with me. Went well with my black bean chili! I am on role with meeting kind and friendly people these past several days. I hope my luck continues. :)