Day 9: Destination Dillon

Bike Distance	Avg Speed	Total Ascent	Saddle Time	Calories
66.07 miles	15.7 mph	2118 ft	04:13:11	3898 cal

Got cereal?

I woke up at 7:30am craving a bowl (or two) of cereal. There is something about icy cold milk and crispy flakes that does it for me. The grocery store opens at 8am so to kill time I packed up all my stuff and prepared my bike for departure. I then walked over to the store which is literally 50 yards away and purchased a single serving of milk (last one!), sunny d, a coffee, trail mix (for break time) and a box of Golden Grahams. I paid up and headed back to my "apartment" where I enjoyed two bowls of cereal. Yum. I tossed the box and saved the rest for tomorrow's breakfast. It has been a while since I actually had milk as we usually buy almond milk instead due to Swati being a vegan. Don't get me wrong almond milk tastes good just not as good as milk from a cow. Sorry vegans...

Autopilot:

It was still pretty chilly at 8:50am when I headed south on 278. I sported my smart wool pull over but skipped the leggings. I usually warm up quickly and didn't want to fuss with leggings 5 miles into the ride so meh. Well, 5 miles in and my knees were still not warmed up yet! I suppose I should have taken the elevation change a bit more seriously as it takes longer for the sun to warm things up above 6000ft!

I quite honestly don't remember the next 13 miles to Jackson as I was numb and on autopilot. The scenery was boring so I instead thought about family and things I need to do when it get home. I have some "unfinished" projects that require my attention. Most notably assembling the Triumph TR6. Once this tour is over I will be out of excuses. :) This will have to move up on the priority list for sure. I haven't even fired up my 68 Camaro this summer. That too must happen! No good sitting in the the garage collecting dust. Okay, no dust as she is covered but you get the idea! :) summers seem to come and go too quickly...

Juiced up at Jackson:

Before I knew it I was in Jackson. It was as if a time warp occurred. There are no services between Jackson and Dillon so I stopped at the only "store" in town for a break. I bought a Snapple tea, sat on the bench in front of the store and ate a slice of banana bread (1 slice left). The sun was now warm so I stripped off the pull over and relaxed and mentally prepared for my next leg.

There will be two climbs today. The first will bring me to 7400ft and I'll then descend down the back side to 5900ft. Then the second climb will start and I'll reach 6700ft and descend 15 miles into Dillon which is at 5100ft. Got all that? ;)

Hellacious Hills:

5 miles outside of Jackson I suddenly needed a bio break. Apparently that Snapple put me over the top and I needed to take care of it. I am completely exposed out here. Not a tree in sight. So, I waited for my opportunity, pulled off to the side and did the deed. I then figured I would take a 10 minute break since I was already stopped. I finished snacking and was getting ready to leave when two cyclists quietly pulled up behind me. They caught me totally by surprise as I didn't see them coming. I think I yelled out "whaaa" caused it scared the crap out of me! :)

Brad and his wife Sarah are from England and have been touring through Alaska, Canada and the US since June. They stayed at an RV park just outside Wisdom and were heading to Dillon just like me. They were going to camp at some RV park just outside of Dillon. They asked where I was staying and when I said a KOA Sarah quickly rolled her eyes in disgust and stated "I hate KOAs and refuse to stay at them". I asked "why" and she didn't really have an answer. I sensed the awkwardness and changed the subject to Yellowstone. They've been there before on a prior trip and really enjoyed it. Overall they were quite nice and friendly and besides who doesn't like a British accent? After a few more minutes we continued the ride together. I stuck with them for a bit but wanted to go a bit faster so I said goodbye and pressed on to the first ascent.

A few miles after separating I started climb one. It began as a series of rolling hills or steps. Each 3 to 4% grade step taking you higher in elevation. This continued for about 10 miles until I encountered the last 600ft push. This was a 1.5 mile 6 to 7% grind to the top. I pushed through and reached the summit where they had a nice 7400ft elevation sign which I proudly photographed before beginning my pleasant high speed downhill! Whoosh!

By the time I reached the bottom of the descent my hands were numb from the death grip I had on the handlebar. For fear of safety I tried to keep my speed under 30mph which meant I was pulsing the brakes at all times. I could have easily attained speeds close to 50mph had I not. While 50mph might sound exciting controlling a fully loaded bike at those speeds is a recipe for disaster. Every small steering manipulation is magnified which can cause the bike to oscillate if you're not careful. If you can't correct it your going down in a blaze of glory my friend.

The second climb began around mile 47 and continued for 3 miles. It was comparable to the first only the total ascent was a few hundred feet less. I crested and began the longest downhill I have ever experienced. I barely pedalled the 15 miles to Dillon except for the last 1 or 2. It was almost too good to be true. Was I in cyclist heaven? :)

The only issue outside of speed control I've encountered on long descents is that your knees kind of get locked from lack of movement. Normally you are constantly pedaling so when you descend you just stop pedaling and coast. When it comes time to pedal again it is as if your legs are locked into a fixed position and you must break them free. It only takes a few minutes to get them going again but it is an odd feeling.

Dining in Dillon:

I researched the Dillon food scene while in Missoula and wanted to try Sparky's Garage for lunch as their pulled pork sandwich got rave reviews. As I pulled into town Sparky's was at the very first intersection I encountered. I can see why people like this place as the pulled pork was tender and juicy. The unlimited ice tea refills helped wash her down. If you're ever in Dillon Montana give Sparky's Garage a try. They won't disappoint.

Kool KOA:

I secured my camp site at the KOA and even received a 5% cyclist discount! Not sure if all KOAs do this but $20 with free coffee, showers and an in ground swimming pool isn't bad. As I was heading to my camp site I was surprised to see the English couple rolling up. I guess they didn't like the RV place and were "settling" for the KOA. I told them about the 5% discount and that seemed to turn Sarah's frown upside down.

I setup camp, showered and headed into town for supplies. I headed to Safeway for a deli sandwich, chips, milk and bananas. I rode back to the campground and dipped my feet into the pool and relaxed. I ate dinner at around 7pm and then sat at my picnic table to write when Brad stopped over for a chat. We talked for about 30 minutes or so. He and his wife have bike toured in many amazing places. They toured most of Europe, Northern India, much of Canada and now the US. Many interesting stories to tell. They might just be "The most interesting couple in the world" :) "They don't always stay at a KOA but when they do..." sorry, I must be getting tired... :) (shameless Dos Equis beer commercial reference)

Riddle me this:

Most roads I travel have a single lane in each direction with a 18 inch shoulder (smallish). The frequency of cars in any direction is like 1 every 10 minutes. Why does it always seem that when a car is coming towards me from the opposite lane a car is also approaching from my lane? This results in either both cars passing me at the exact same time (tight squeeze) or the car in my lane having to slow down and wait to pass me. It can't be traffic light related as I am in the middle of nowhere! Seriously, the likelihood of it happening seems so miniscule but yet it seems to happen a lot. Baffled.