Day 4: '50s Postcards

(Return to the first Utah Loop trip post)

Yellowstone National Park WY to Rock Springs WY (617km)


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Awaking up to a blue sky and limbs intact I could finally appreciate how beautiful Yellowstone is. My camp was on the edge of a marsh and breakfast was enchanting. While many of the famous sights like geysers are fun there is a subtle beauty I discovered as I re-rode the roads I had burned through the night before and toured about two thirds of the main park roads (several hundred kilometres). I met a few nice people at the various stops and finished the day in the park at Old Faithful. I didn't really want to go here but everyone kept saying it was unmissible. It was actually pretty fun as the best kind of tourist trap and the geyser didn't disappoint. I left Yellowstone via the south gates and onto Hwy 89 then 26 through Grand Teton Nat. Park. Traffic was slow with construction and RVs and I could tell it would be tough to make the miles I planned on. A milkshake at a diner in Hoback Junction and then it was onto the long stretch of Hwy 191 to my final destination of Rock Springs. This was one of the most desolate stretches of the trip and my first real taste of desert riding, or at least deserted riding. Take the gas you can at any stop you see and push on. There was also extensive construction and I picked up a large amount of mud that branded us 'bike and rider well traveled'. Due to the lazy start in Yellowstone then the traffic in the afternoon I was riding into a rising moon for the final kilometres. This was ranch country and no campgrounds were to be had. One traveler at a dusty gas station told me of a museum lawn he was going to pitch tent on but I declined the invite. Accepting that I'd find a motel that night I relaxed and savoured the evening ride into what was almost a full moon, witness to the transformation arid land takes at night. Moments after taking my hotel room and exiting to the streets looking for food I wished I was camping. Surrounded by dunderheads in 4x4s and fast food joints I ended up with the worst meal of the trip and downing a 24oz. can of watery Budweiser from the drive-through liquor store in the parking lot, looking up at the moon hours ago I felt so connected with. Another beer and I was bloated and ready to waddle inside and head to bed.


Waking up in Yellowstone


Yellowstone Campsite


The morning ritual packing up. All of that has to fit into one duffle bag and two saddle bags.


Lookout over the Yellowstone Geysers


The earth steams, spits, and bubbles




Volcanic earth mounds


Breakfast with the antelope


Northern Yellowstone


Beautiful after a night of rain




Canyon


Much of Yellowstone is burned from forest fire


Ladies and gentlemen, Old Faithful


Waiting for construction


Another typical Yellowstone road


Exiting the park and entering the heat


Made it! Somewhere...




Jackson Hole, WY!!


We'll call this 'Middle Wyoming'






More construction. This one was 20km of dirt and gravel.








Sun getting low


Riding in to Rock Springs at twilight. The moon was huge and bright.