Okay, I've figured out a few new blogging techniques.. so enjoy the new media! It's too bad I figured this out with only 2 weeks left in the trip! Oh well, it's better late than never!
The lack of internet access has made it harder and harder to update this lately! Sorry about that. Apparently I'm doing better than some of the other riders because they only have 1 or two entries! We're all staying busy and having fun.. here's some things that have been going on the last few days.
Today we had a build day in Idaho Falls. We had a lot of fun hanging siding and throwing things for animals to fetch! We also made the local news! I found a link to the video earlier.. hopefully you can find the video! They interviewed me and Buttaro. Check it out:
You may have to scroll through a page or two of videos before you see the Bike and Build one!
We've been at the First Presbyterian Church in Idaho Falls for 2 nights now, and I must give a big "Thank you" to their congregation. They have provided amazing meals and great accomodations! Tonight we ate at the pastors house and the food was epic. It's nice to have a break from PB&J!
Anyway.. lets talk about the rides.
Yesterday I rode from Jackson, WY to Idaho Falls, ID. This ride was awesome because we finally got to conquer Teton Pass. We have heard about Teton Pass the whole time we've been on Bike and Build as one of the hardest, steepest climbs of the trip. The mornings are getting so cold we're bundled up in all of our arm warmers, leg warmers, and rain jackets. I rode out in the morning with L-Peso (Laura) and we headed towards the pass. We climbed for 4 or 5 miles at a 10% grade! It sounds intense, but it really wasn't that bad. Laura and I climbed slowly and steadily all the way up without stopping. It was a great experience because we both took our time and talked. Once we got to the top, everyone was waiting and cheering the other Bike and Builders on! We stopped at the top and got a bunch of group pictures and then headed towards the descent! On the descent, it was also 10% grade for 3 or 4 miles. Good news is that Kira let me borrow her camera handlebar mount.. so I filmed my descent down Teton Pass. I hit a speed of 52.9! A new top speed! Check it out!
After the descent, we were only at mile 20. We entered Idaho and headed to Victor, ID where we got Huckleberry milkshakes at a store called the Emporium. They were amazing! We had another mountain pass to climb after the milkshakes and it wasn't nearly as long or steep as the Tetons. I was riding alone during the pass being bored and thinking, "I wonder how long this will last," when a car drove by and yelled, "Whooo! Keep going, You're almost there!!" I got a spur of inspiration from this stranger and I pedaled faster all the way to the top. (Later that day, I found out the stranger was Christina's dad cheering on all the Bike and Builders!) Thanks Christina's dad (if you happen to read my blog!). Anyway.. once I reached the top, the Church of the Tetons had set up a drink and snack station for us. That was perfect. I ate watermelon, brownies, and cookies and drank Gatorade. I rode the rest of the ride with Emily and Idaho is beautiful. There were mountains and green fields. We made it to Idaho Falls right before a storm came in at 3:00. It was a good day.
The day before that, we had a day off in Jackson. We stayed the night and spent our day off in Jackson at the Ambler's house. They had an amazing house and let us camp out in their front yard. Their house had an epic view of the Teton's! The Amblers also took some of us on a tour of Teton National Park. We got to see some Bison, antelope, and a moose! This is my 2nd moose sighting ever! We also went white water rafting down the Snake River on our day off! It was a great time and I'm glad I went! No one got thrown out, but we all got soaking wet and the water was really cold!
I rode from Pinedale, WY to Jackson, WY with Jen Dvorsky! This ride was rolling hills in the morning and then a huge descent (about 20 miles) into Jackson in the afternoon. We saw a lot of wildlife, but didn't stop much because we were both excited about Jackson. It was a great day, I just am having problems remembering a ton about it because it is late!
Thanks for reading!
Sounds awesome! I watched both videos and loved them! You do great interviews. I love that little laugh, haha. I also loved the pictures! I don't think I've ever seen the Tetons and they look beautiful in pictures; I can't believe what they look like in person!
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