Day 11 - June 27th

The alarm went off at 5:45 and I was on the road and spinning by 7:10 am. I was quickly cooled by the 50 degree weather as I rolled out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and headed toward Dubois, Wyoming; 88 miles away. When I awoke this morning, I was surprised to realize the temperature outside was a chilly 47 degrees. Since the goal today was to climb to over 9,600 feet elevation and cross the Continental Divide, I figured it would be a good day to throw on some winter gear. I was glad for that decision when I started out into the early morning air. Making my way out of town, I was once again enveloped by the scenery. Off to my left mountains jutted out of the ground with violent force, hurling themselves skyward with omniscient strength. They were a dark grey hue, jagged faced, and topped with snow that was constantly being blown off the peaks by violent gales. It was majestic to watch the snow swirl off the summits and hang suspended in time. At times the mountains looked so close that I thought I may be able to reach out and touch them. The sky was also abuzz with people; there were hot air balloons making their way over the spine of the world, and leer jets landing at the local airport; the wealthy arriving to play in God’s playground for the weekend. At one point I crossed over a mountain stream and discovered myself awash in blossoming flowers; the aroma was intoxicating and brought a broad, serene smile to my wind-burned face. It is moments like this that make this bike ride so worthwhile; some sights and smells you just can not experience from a car.

The first 40 miles of the ride were fairly easy, but the scenery is so picturesque that is simply beyond words. I beg of you to check out the photos that Larry snapped today, as they at least give a hint of the beauty this land possesses. At mile 40 of today’s ride we began a 17 mile ascent. The grade going up wasn’t too bad, I believe it may have hit 6 percent a couple of times, and the miles went by fairly quickly. Gary and I separated early in the climb and Mr. Hart once again delivered his Tour like support to both of us. It is such a treat to be able to do long climbs and not have to worry about being loaded down with food or fluids, as Larry is always close by to provide his fleet footed support. I don’t think he realizes how much it helps to not have to stop the bike to restock on supplies, thus letting our legs keep moving and stay fresh. I felt great in the saddle all the way up, the legs were solid, and I was really looking forward to reaching this particular summit. My only real worry during the climb was the possible adverse effects that the altitude may have upon me. Since oxygen becomes less prevalent in the air as you ascend, I was afraid that I may find myself short of breath and not able to recover. However, through the entire climb I never experienced any negative consequences that I can contribute to the altitude. My biggest disappointment on the climb was when I was a mile and a half from the top and there was construction underway. I asked the lady running the sign (stop/slow) if she would let me go through on my bike; she told me that was not going to be possible. Therefore, I was forced to load my bike up on the SUV and Larry then drove Gary and I through the construction zone, about a mile. He dropped us off to climb the last half mile to the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is the highest point along our trip, we therefore stopped a few moments to take in the beauty of the area and to bask in what we had just done. We’d started our bike ride at sea level and now were standing at over 9,600 feet; we were actually standing on the Continental Divide! I can’t begin to describe the effect this had upon me, as it has not fully settled in, but I feel very grateful for the opportunity to do such a feat. It is one of those treasured moments in life, the kind I pray the future holds many more of for all of us. After the summit, we quickly descended the last 30 miles into Dubois, Wyoming where we will be spending the night before trekking onward tomorrow.

Physically I am holding up really well. My right knee did great today; but I’ve been having some slight pain in my left knee the last few days. I figure it’s because I’m using my left leg more to compensate for my weak right knee. Looks like I may have to pay the piper for that choice, though, as it was the left one today that was giving me problems throughout the entire ride. Ahh well, the price one must pay while on the road. I figure I will start the same treatment for it as I have for my right and hopefully in a week or two the pain will be absolved. Maybe one of these days they will both be healed, but until then I have but one choice; deal with it. Aside from the knees, the rest of my body seems to be taking the punishment quite well. I thought today I would be a little more sore than I was, considering the climbs I went through yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised to feel as fresh as I did throughout today’s ride. The human body is such an incredible machine, I am constantly amazed at what you can put it through and it still comes out with panache. It makes me wonder just how much it is truly capable of.