Rain, Rain Go Away. Come Back When I'm Old and Gray
Wait, I am old and gray, so that tells you something. We’ve been dealing with some crappy weather the last few days and it has impacted our route a bit. Upon arriving in Island Park, Idaho, we assumed we would be heading on to Colter Bay, WY, the following day. No such luck. It was an all- day torrential downpour that turned parts of the route into ‘peanut butter’ mud, a not so affectionate term for mud that is so thick that, at times, you literally cannot roll, let alone ride, the bike. Discretion being the better part of valor, we took a rest day.The folks I am riding with are much more savvy social media-wise and keep in contact with other riders on route. I was informed in no uncertain terms that text messages are archaic and that no self-respecting rider uses them. Apparently, I lack all self-respect. WhatsApp, Instagram and dedicated Facebook GDMBR user groups appear to be the favored means of communication. Every time we stop and meet other rides there is the ritual exchange of user names, handles, etc. I stand by the side and look at my phone with serious intent - but, of course, it fools no one.
Anyway, a day was lost at Island Park. We eventually made our way to Colter Bay, whereupon the skies opened up again. Welcome to Wyoming. It cleared enough, though, that we were able to make Towogee Pass at about 9700 feet, the highest we have been so far. Beautiful views and then a screaming (fast) multi-mile descent to Lava Lake Mountain Lodge.
It seems “lodge” has many meanings in Wyoming,; one of them may be ‘luxurious’ but that didn’t apply in this case. Someone in the group - there were now 5 of us (the group expands and contracts as we move south) - booked a cabin that the proprietor described as ‘primitive’. That description gave us pause but it actually was clean, had a roof, walls, and two sets of bunkbeds but measured only about 12’ by 8’. For the math majors reading this that means 4 beds for 5 people. Someone was going to be sleeping on the floor. A drawing was held. Guess who lost? That’s right, yours truly. Naturally, I made everyone feel bad but not bad enough to give up a bunk bed. I am now a full fledged conspiracy theorist.
It rained again that night and we worried that the trail the next day would be peanut butter mud. No way of knowing until you are on it. Because two of the folks I am riding with are experiencing ‘undercarriage’ issues (thankfully, I am not, at least not yet), the decision was made to go off route and avoid Union Pass. It seems to have been a good decision. Two of the strongest (and youngest) riders in the group did attempt it and made it over but barely missed getting caught in a very nasty hail and lightning storm. The storm was similar in intensity to the one that Bill and I experienced a couple years ago where we became bridge trolls for a few hours, but this time lasted only an hour or so. We waited it out at a gas station, which is much better than huddling under an overpass. For one thing, you can buy snacks at a gas station. The slower group (which I lead most times) would assuredly have been caught out. So it turned out to be a wise decision.
After the storm passed we made our way to Lander, WY. Nice town of reasonable size, which, thankfully, had two bike shops. I had both tires replaced - I had another flat the day before to go along with the sidewall cut from a few days ago. Brake pads will need to be replaced soon but the type of pad I need was not in stock. I may be able to score some from a shop in Pinedale that a fellow rider is passing through. (The alt route makes it so we cut off some miles and won’t go through Pinedale.)
It rained again that night and we worried that the trail the next day would be peanut butter mud. No way of knowing until you are on it. Because two of the folks I am riding with are experiencing ‘undercarriage’ issues (thankfully, I am not, at least not yet), the decision was made to go off route and avoid Union Pass. It seems to have been a good decision. Two of the strongest (and youngest) riders in the group did attempt it and made it over but barely missed getting caught in a very nasty hail and lightning storm. The storm was similar in intensity to the one that Bill and I experienced a couple years ago where we became bridge trolls for a few hours, but this time lasted only an hour or so. We waited it out at a gas station, which is much better than huddling under an overpass. For one thing, you can buy snacks at a gas station. The slower group (which I lead most times) would assuredly have been caught out. So it turned out to be a wise decision.
After the storm passed we made our way to Lander, WY. Nice town of reasonable size, which, thankfully, had two bike shops. I had both tires replaced - I had another flat the day before to go along with the sidewall cut from a few days ago. Brake pads will need to be replaced soon but the type of pad I need was not in stock. I may be able to score some from a shop in Pinedale that a fellow rider is passing through. (The alt route makes it so we cut off some miles and won’t go through Pinedale.)
Today (August 8) we’ll leave Lander for Atlantic City (no, not in NJ), which is the start of the Great Basin, a stretch of about 135 miles of, essentially, nothing, to Rawling. The Basin, many say, is beautiful in its own right assuming no stiff headwind or heavy rain. If either occur, I will need to revise the adjective. There are limited water sources in the Basin so careful water management is key. Should be interesting.
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