The Grand Teton Bike Tour

On July 31'st Celisse and I set out on our first bike tour together. The kids were at their Grandma's house in Oregon and we had one week to go on an adventure by ourselves. We planned the trip for a couple of month prior and were getting really excited. Still this would be the most cycling Celisse had ever done and it was the first multiple night tour I had ever attempted.

All throughout the summer we have been hosting warmshowers guests. Touring cyclists who networked with us through the warmshowers website in order to get a dry place to sleep and obviously a warm shower. We had gotten pretty excited after hearing story after story from these cyclists as they crossed the country on multi month trips. We obviously didn't have enough time for a cross country journey but with Grand Teton and Yellowstone just a short ways away I couldn't resist going for a trip. Celisse had been riding her bike more and started to express interest in joining me. I was thrilled and so we made plans to go.

I had also recently purchased a Trek 920 touring bike for tours and as my everyday bike and so I wouldn't have any trouble carrying extra gear for Celisse. We also realized before the trip that Celisse could fit (just barely) onto my Cyclocross bike. This allowed her to carry a small load on a rear rack and most importantly she could roll on larger tires which would be more comfortable and allow us to venture off the pavement if we needed to.

The first day we set off for a 62.5 mile ride to the base of the Teton pass just outside of Victor Idaho at a small Forest service run campsite. Only 10 miles in it became apparent that Celisse was having serious knee pain. At about 20 miles in we stopped at the side of the road after averaging just barely 5 miles an hour for the past 10 miles

After a break and some liberal use of athletic tape we set off again just trying to do 10 miles at a time. We had a few more rough spots but slowly but surely we were able to tick off mile by mile as we got out of the farm lands and made our way through Tetonia and Driggs Idaho. In Tetonia we took a long break filling up our water and stocking up on sodas and gatorade.

Once we got through Driggs we were greeted by a wonderful separated bike path that took us all the way to Victor Idaho. It was scenic but incredibly windy. Celisse's knee held up just enough for us to to cruise happily into Victor. We found a Subway in a local gas station (one of the few things open on Sunday) and were glad to enjoy a prepared meal knowing full well that we probably weren't going to feel like cooking once we got to camp.

We had five miles left before we would get to Mike Harris Campground and even though that last five miles turned out to be a major challenge we rolled into camp and found a wonderful open campsite.

 It had taken us 10 hours, 4 more than we had anticipated but we had made it all the way to our intended campsite and for that we were grateful. After paying for our site, leaning up our bikes and storing our food in the bear box we walked down to the nearby creek to cool down and wash off. The water was absolutely freezing but it was refreshing after being out all day in the mid day heat. After setting up camp we went to bed almost immediately and ended up sleeping in late.

We had read in the description for Mike Harris Campground that it had water but that it was "by hand pump only". We had been curious about exactly what that meant (since we couldn't find any other info on it) but hadn't seen any water spickets when we had arrived and didn't think much of it that evening. In the morning I decided to go searching for the drinking water so that we could fill up our bottles and found one of the coolest things we saw on the trip. Mike Harris campground literally provides its drinking water via a hand pumped well. We were able to easily fill up all of our water bottles quickly once we got it going and it remains one of the highlights of our trip.

Celisse was not feeling particularly motivated to ride again that morning. The previous day's ride had been by far the furthest she had ever ridden and she was feeling the effects. Her knee was holding up okay but predictably her muscles, backside and morale were in bad shape. The very first thing we had to face that morning was the infamous Teton Pass. A climb that averages over 10% and climbs to an elevation of more than 8500ft. I figured we would just take our time and get over it when we got over it but Celisse was struggling. We took several stops in the first few miles before finally reaching the Wyoming border!

This was a brief highlight and it was a nice accomplishment for us both to get to the border together under our own steam. Right after that we even got a chance to weigh our bikes at one of those automatic highway weigh stations. Surprisingly it actually worked and seemed to be quite accurate.

Unfortunately Celisse's bike didn't have the ultra granny low gears that my touring bike did and so she decided to hitch a ride over the pass. Apparently this is a super common practice as there are many downhill mountain bike trails that originate off of the pass itself and many locals are only too happy to shuttle riders up to the top. I had mixed feelings about the decision until I started to climb the more serious part of the mountain. In my lowest gear I was giving it everything I had just to maintain a measly 4 to 5 mph. I was able to ride the whole thing but it wouldn't have been much fun for Celisse. At the top I met an older couple who were just amazed that I was able to ride to the top and congratulated me on my effort. After that I was able to leave the highway and follow a separated bike path all the way down. into Wilson where Celisse was waiting. The downhill was a blast but I definitely recommend a good set of brakes. The path is steep, twisting and very bumpy. With a touring load I was glad for my hydraulic disk brakes and kind of glad Celisse didn't join me at the top with her lackluster cantilever rim brakes. The pass ended up being more of an adventure than we had planned but one way or the other we made it over and met at the Stage coach bar and grill.

The Stagecoach is fairly famous with riders because many mountain bikers meet there to hang out, get lunch and hitch hike up to the top of the pass. Celisse and I enjoyed a meal and sat there for over 4 hours while we decided what to do next. We quickly learned that there weren't any campsites near by and the hotels in Jackson were just completely out of the question. Either they were full or they were $300 a night. When we first got there Celisse felt like she just wanted to be done and I didn't really blame her.

Our original plan for that day was to ride through Jackson along the separated bike path all the way to Jenny Lake Campground in Grand Teton National Park. Initially after we got over the pass Celisse felt like she wanted to be done. After looking at the options though Jenny Lake seemed more and more plausible. It was actually one of the closest campgrounds as it was and we knew that there were hiker biker sites there so we wouldn't get turned a way. Celisse felt well rested and was excited at the idea of getting to hang out at a lake so we decided to go for it. Instead of going through Jackson and following the bike path the whole way we opted to ride the more direct but much more remote Moose-Wilson corridor road.  Originally we had decided to avoid this road because of the high numbers of bears that frequented the area and because the bike path would be smoother. There's also an unpaved section of the road but given that the route would only be 20 miles and it was the middle of the day we went for it.

We were still able to follow a separated bike path all the way to the entrance to the park and were were in great spirits as we rolled up to the gate. Before we got to the gate though it occured to us that there was really no reason for Celisse to be carrying any weight on her bike given that I was riding super easy and we needed to complete the 20 miles before the sun went down. Thankfully my 920 was able to carry all of Celisse's gear with ease and surprisingly taking off the 20 pounds that Celisse was hauling made a huge difference.

Shortly after entering the park we tackled the very narrow (sometimes just one lane in width) dirt section of the road. It was just under two miles, dusty, bumpy and fantastic as far as I was concerned. We quickly realized that unlike most of Yellowstone, Grand Teton is much more raw. In many parks you only get to see the nature from a separated vantage point but even on this almost main route in Grand Teton we were right there in the dirt smelling the vegetation and seeing very few cars. We were able to get through the dirt section quite easily and meet back up with the bike path on our way to Jenny Lake. The ride wasn't a total breeze but we rolled into Jenny Lake with time to spare.

Celisse still felt pretty tired and the next day we had another 50 miles planned so we decided to ditch our original plan and pay to stay at Jenny Lake for two nights (which isn't technically allowed at the hiker biker site but we didn't realize that until after we paid our envelope and no one said anything so...). We found the Jenny Lake lodge to be simply amazing and the view from the Hiker biker site to be superb. We met several other cyclists there the first night including a young Canadian couple as well as an older French couple who were absolutely loaded to the hilt. We were certainly impressed but we didn't envy them. The heavily loaded French couple had been touring for months and apparently hadn't gotten rid of any of their winter gear.

The next morning we got a chance to talk more with the Canadian couple that had rolled in the night
before. They were cruising on matching touring/cross bikes with 650b mountain bike tires. They had built them up custom but they ended up being very similar to the 920 in purpose. If I remember correctly the conversations started because they asked us about my bike. They had just gotten married and had immediately set out on a long tour together. The guy was a school teacher but they decided to take the year off and have an adventure. They were very nice and out going and we quickly became friends. They decided to go and do the Junior Ranger program that day so they could earn their patch and we both ended up hiking around the lake before meeting up again that afternoon. We found a bag of rice left behind in one of the bear boxes so we decided to pool our resources and have dinner together. They provided the spices, flower and cooking expertise while we provided the chili, sauce and high performance propane stove. They had a wonderfully light msr stove while we had opted to lug around our heavier bottle of propane, stove and larger pot. Together we had a wonderful meal and talked about our adventures. Months later we realized that they actually starred in one of our all time favorite mountain bike videos on youtube but we were glad to get to know them without knowledge of their fame. We might have gotten a little too excited if we had known haha.

During our rest day Celisse and I decided that we would ride back to Jackson the next day and get a ride home with a relative. We had been having so much fun however that we decided we really didn't want the tour to end so suddenly. The kids were still with their grandma for several more days and so we chose to ride 20 more miles north to the Colter Bay campground at Jackson Lake. We bid farewell to Morgan and Stephanie the next morning who were headed to Jackson and headed north.

The road was wonderfully smooth and we gobbled up the scenic 20 miles in well under two hours. Celisse didn't struggle once and we set up camp in what was easily the nicest campground on our trip before heading over to the Colter Bay village to check things out. There we had lunch at a sit down restaurant that was fun but far too expensive, we bought a sticker for my bike, checked out the visitor center and got a look at the bay. We learned a ton and were actually really glad that we came. Celisse loves to collect playing cards and so once we got some groceries for the night's dinner we bought her some Grand Teton playing cards and headed back to the campsite.

While the Jenny Lake Hiker biker was a communal site, the Colter Bay hiker biker was more individualized. The sites were still close to other campers but you got your own extra large bear box, fire pit and pick nic table. It took me a long time to decide on a sticker to get for my bike. I wanted it to match the frame as well as possible but also be something that stood out for the adventure we had had there.

Finally I found something traditional yet striking enough to stick on my down tube. Celisse opted to not get

one since we were already planning on selling her bike in the near future. We spent the rest of the evening eating our samwhiches and playing cards by the fire. We ended up not eating much of the food we actually brought simply because we were able to find so many places to eat fresh food along the way. It was nice to know that we had enough dehydrated meals to last us for the entire trip but it was also nice to not have to
prepare and clean up for every meal as well.

Celisse felt good and so it was decided that we
would both ride back to Jackson together where a family member would pick us up and drive us back to Rexburg. Just a few days prior that would have been out of the question for Celisse but luckily the rest day had really allowed her to recover and the Grand Teton road had been so much fun that forty miles didn't seem like such a big deal.

That morning we awoke to sub freezing temperatures that left me wishing I had brought full fingered gloves and tights. We packed up about a half an hour later than planned and only made it as far as the gas station when we pulled over and got some hot coco while we waited for the sun to come up. Once it did we set off into the nippy morning air and enjoyed the wonderful rolling landscape just as much as we had the day before. The Jackson Lake dam was not nearly as windy as it had been the day before so we stopped to take in the view before continuing on.

We cruised through the forty miles without incident and finished the trip feeling really good about the whole thing. We rode a total of 170 miles over the 4 days and saw Grand Teton National Park closer than we ever would have been able to otherwise.

As of this post Celisse's cross bike is being sold and she is currently riding 10 miles/day pulling our two kids around town with her brand new Trek 920. Needless to say we are already thinking about when and where our next short tour will be.

Winter Bike Commuting Gear

This isn't the first winter that I have ridden my bike through but it has certainly been the harshest. I have learned a lot over the past few months and I felt it was time to pass that knowledge on.

In North Eastern Arizona we can have harsh winters but unlike here in Rexburg, Idaho we always get a break. We often struggle more with the thick clay filled month that results from a melting snow fall than we do with the ice and snow that seems to cover the roads (and everything else) permanently around here.

In 2011-2012 when we were up here before the winter behaved much like it does in Arizona with weekly snowfall and weekly snow melt. It was off and on and we were told shockingly mild for this area. Last September I was prepared with my old coat coupled with layers underneath, my winter gloves, wool socks and safety glasses just incase the snow actually came down while I was riding.

This worked great to keep me warm but my gear was so bulky that I didn't have any place to put it once I got where I was going and it was often too warm with little room for adjustment.

Over the Christmas break I was able to find several peices of gear that allowed me to be comfortable well into the negative temps but also was light enough to stuff into my backpack  and thin enough that I could mix and match layers to fit the temperature. After all of that trial and error here is the clothing that keeps me warm, dry and comfortable regardless of the low temp.

• Columbia OmniTech Waterproof shell- This blue jacket is completely wind and water proof, It hood incase of rain and it's roomy enough to fit insulating layers underneath. It also has adjustable wrist and waist cuffs to adjust airflow as needed. This shell can take me to 35F with just a T shirt underneath quite easily.
• Layers - For temps below 20F I pair the Columbia shell with an Addidas fleece hoodie that I found at an outlet store. This takes me down to -10 and could probably go lower with better gloves. For temps above 20F I pair the shell with a light weight longsleeve running shirt made of a very simple tech material.
• Gloves are the hardest thing to get right, my green/yellow Bontrager gloves are incredibly comfortable but will only really take me down to about 30F. I put another simple fleece/cotton glove over the Bontrager gloves and depending on the humidity can reach -10 comfortably. It's important to just try out different combinations and to avoid anything that is too tight.
• Columbia Balaclava - This covers my ears, neck, head and face and just really helps to shelter me from the cold. I often ride with my mouth and nose exposed but during especially frigid times it's nice to be able to cover everything. Some condensation does collect when the nose is covered but it is not excessive due to the venting that Columbia provides.
• Bolle Ski Goggles - Even with sunglasses or safety glasses wind and snow still like to make their way underneath to irritate the eyes and since sunglasses are fairly low profile these days they also hinder the field of view. The goggles help to keep the eyes and forehead protected from the wind and comfortable so that sight is not a challenge. Since the goggles are also very wide they do not obstruct the normal field of view. I chose to use clear lenses because I often ride at night and in generally low light conditions. If you ride in bright sunsine on snow for a long time you will want more UV protection but by going with the clear lenses my night vision is as good as it can be and that's important.

I have a choice between riding a mountain bike and a cyclocross bike and as long as there is snow on the roads I choose the mountain bike. The cross bike tends to sink into the ice and snow especially when the temp rises into the high 20's and this knocks the tires around causing a serious safety concern. The cross bike is awesome and it can do it but the mountain bike turns a challenging obstacle for the cross bike into something you don't even notice. The wide tires help it to float on the snow much better and the slackened position makes losses in traction much easier to control I don't use studded tires and have yet to have a problem but if you have the extra cash laying around they aren't a bad idea. There has been a few times when the right conditions turned the soft snow into glass ice. Spending more time sliding than rolling isn't exactly how you want to get around.

As you can see winter biking gear need not be complicated. I have seen a huge improvement in my grades and I have been able to maintain a positive outlook throughout this dark winter by getting out in the fresh air and getting the blood flowing.  I pretty much never go hard but all too often I have rolled out of bed not wanting to go anywhere and by the time I get to school I'm excited and ready to learn. There is a significant amount of research to back this up and it's a shame that more people don't get to experience this on a daily basis. 

The best part about bike commuting is that at least in my situation it is significantly faster. By the time I scrape off my windsheild, drive to the parking lot after sitting in traffic, and finally walk all the way to class I've spent almost twice as much time getting to school by driving intstead of riding.

Bike Touring Plans

The time has never been better to take a hack at bike touring. The internet is full of helpful advice, experience, ideal routes and awesome gear to make self supported bike touring easier than ever.

As I started hearing more and more about various bike tourers traveling all over the world I started to get more and more excited about trying it myself. That coupled with the plethora of natural parks and route options here in Idaho and before I knew it I had started to make some pretty detailed plans. I have always been drawn to attempting some kind of tour simply because of the adventure. Some people ride for fitness, others for finances and then there are those like me who mostly do it for the fun and adventure of seeing new places (or parts of places you don't normally see). We all have a mix of reasons we ride and some of us lean more towards one reason than another. 

I had always considered a long tour, and day dreamed a time or two about riding across the country, through Europe, or around Austrailia but up until now I never really considered how I could make that possible. As it stands even after 17 years since I started exploring the town on my bike and almost 11 years since I rode my first century I have never (unless I'm forgetting something) gone camping on my bike. I have spent loads of days backpacking and even did one swimming overnight trip (that's a story for another blog post) but never with my bike.

Since I bought the 2008 Specialized Tricross a couple of months ago touring has become all that more possible. It has dedicated eyelets for a rear rack and has no problem tackling any gravel road or even the occasional trail. And unlike a mountain bike the cyclocross bike is fairly fast and efficient on the road so that I can do decently big miles each day. 

This summer I have planned several possible weekend trips as well as several 1 to 2 week trips passing through several national parks including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier. My ultimate goal right now is to ride the Northern Tier from North Western Washington all the way to Eastern Maine over approximately 75 days including having Sundays off. The only problem with the last one is finding that much time off and the fact that Celisse and the girls wouldn't be able to come at all. If you are interested in either coming on one or more of these rides or meeting up with me for any section please let me know.