2017 Bikepack Yellowstone

[blueeyes]

Some of you will recall I did this trip last year. I fell in love with seeing "main" Yellowstone by bike and no tourists and have decided that is the only time I want to venture into the "main" parts of Yellowstone is when I can go on my bike. 50 miles from West Yellowstone to Mammoth Campground for a 100 mile round trip.

I rocked this ride, felt strong the entire time. My favorite comment this trip was on my way out of the park a women on a road bike said very loudly as she was passing me. "You have got to be kidding me!" I just hollered back "Believe it!"

I saw bison and a fox, some bear tracks and wolf tracks. The day we were leaving Mammoth I talked to a couple who about 5 minutes before I rolled up had seen a wolf. I just missed it.

Nothing to exciting as I rolled slowly through the park. Windy and cold but gorgeous as Yellowstone always is.

Here is the photo dump. Enjoy



Packed with my new Apidura front roll and a can of bear spray handy.



Me


My friend Aaron





Aaron and Bryan










Bryan shrouded by the steam . Loved the clouds on Saturday.


Gibbons Falls


Caldera Rim


Bryan fighting the winds. Aaron was almost blown off the road on this section. The winds were strong and it was a bit difficult to keep the bikes going in forward.


Roaring Mountain








This is me at midnight warming up more water to put in my bottle to hug and keep me warm, I went to bed hugging it, had to warm it up at midnight and 4 am. But at 4 am I made coffee too and started getting packed and ready to leave. The temp dropped to around 17F at least that is what my phone said.




Ready to head home














Snuffleupagus




I found my speed limit!!



Look who we ran into Dave from my trip last year! Most of the iHike group bailed because of the temps and winds. Dave, Mike and Sydney stayed in a hotel in Gardiner.


Wolf Tracks


Wolf Tracks I have a size 10 women's foot. These boots are actually a bit bigger for thick socks.







Foxy fox


Now she is sitting pretty watching us.








Bozeman crew that rides from Mammoth to West Yellowstone in costumes.


Me, Dave, and Bryan








Aaron






This guy was filling his oats. He head butted the goose on the island. I wish I would have had my camera out when that happened. I took a few pictures of him until he turned at looked right at me and started grunting and pawing the ground. Very happy there was water between me an him. Even then I put the camera away and let him be.

 

[scatman]

You didn't happen to see my lost can of bear spray by Gibbon Falls did you? I've never been to the Park in April so it's nice to see the conditions this time of year. I particularly like your shot of the "Slow" sign which is right up my alley. Thanks for sharing.

 

[blueeyes]

I didn't poke around Gibbons Falls much. There is still pavement under snow there, it just might be under that snow still.

"Slow" is how I roll on the fatbike. You see so much more than if you are whipping by on a road bike. Maybe someday I will do this trip on skinnier tires, but I kinda like being the crazy chic on the fatbike.

 

[DrNed]

Even better than last year! The bison crossing the river is my favorite. You probably mentioned it, but when do they open the gates?
This is looks like a great trip, but me and the bitter cold are not good friends. I'd want to do it as late in the spring as possible.

Thanks.

 

[Jackson]

On a fat bike! That's hard core. My road bike challenges me enough.

I've wanted to do this for a while. Thanks for showing what it's like!!

 

[blueeyes]

Even better than last year! The bison crossing the river is my favorite. You probably mentioned it, but when do they open the gates?
This is looks like a great trip, but me and the bitter cold are not good friends. I'd want to do it as late in the spring as possible.

Thanks.

I am not good friend with bitter cold either. But I am too cheap to fork out the money to stay in a hotel in Gardiner which is always an option. You could ride your bike from West Yellowstone to Gardiner and stay in a hotel or do like the Bozeman riders do and go from Gardiner to West Yellowstone and stay in a hotel.

Each gate opens at a different time. Here is a link http://www.yellowstone.co/roads.htm

One thing about the spring bike ride is you cannot ride to Old Faithful that one you have to wait and do in the fall.

 

[Kmatjhwy]

Blueeyes, thanks for this posting. This is something that I would like to do sometime. It is on my bucket list. At this time of year here in Jackson Hole, at every opportunity am out and about hiking and birding with using my bike. Wishing You the Best!

 

[blueeyes]

On a fat bike! That's hard core. My road bike challenges me enough.

I've wanted to do this for a while. Thanks for showing what it's like!!

Once you get those tires moving they keep their momentum, on this trip last year and this year I average about 8 MPH. Sometimes faster, sometimes much slower. I roll really slow uphill but I can make it up those hills thanks to granny gear. The wind this year was a challenge between 7-12 MPH. It robbed me of the downhill on the return past Gibbons Falls usually I can scream down that section but only topped out 27.3 MPH and I know I can go faster! Wind was brutal. On the decent to Mammoth Campground I hit 33.1 just to give you an idea of how the wind impacted us on the way back.

 

[blueeyes]

Blueeyes, thanks for this posting. This is something that I would like to do sometime. It is on my bucket list. At this time of year here in Jackson Hole, at every opportunity am out and about hiking and birding with using my bike. Wishing You the Best!

It is worth checking off your list! Grand Teton Park is next on mine. I might come this weekend if weather is good before the park opens.

 

[Tim Valentine]

Blueeyes glad you had clear weather. You saw a lot. I really like the picture of the bison in single file crossing the Madison (?)
I did the reverse trip solo in 2008 and I also thought the obvious choice was a mountain bike. Ended up back at Gardiner with snow falling, it was a perfect ending. My highlight was seeing a bison give birth right near the road. I also remember savoring the solitude by making sure I tried to ride every turnout path and boardwalk I came by. I will be repeating the trip again, that is for sure. Maybe I will see you next year. Thanks for rekindling some inspiring memories.
TimV.

 

[blueeyes]

Thanks Tim. I will be easy to spot, only women on and orange fatbike with a camera strapped to her chest.

I would love to see a bison calf born.

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[Bob]

You didn't happen to see my lost can of bear spray by Gibbon Falls did you? I've never been to the Park in April so it's nice to see the conditions this time of year. I particularly like your shot of the "Slow" sign which is right up my alley. Thanks for sharing.

You can't use the gramp's emoticon.......you're still a youngster

 

[scatman]

You can't use the gramp's emoticon.......you're still a youngster

I thought the gramp's emoticon was specifically designed for me.

Just to let you know, I am now the proud owner of a fitted carbon fiber knee brace for the left knee. I've tested it out four times now and it works like a charm with zero lateral knee pain that i had been experiencing the last two years. We will see if it still works on my trip to the Sierras in July.

Maybe @Nick can design a new emoticon wearing a knee brace. If so, I'll give up the gramp's one for 5-10 years.

Sorry to hijack your thread @blueeyes .

 

[blueeyes]

@scatman I like hikjackers so you are good. Take care of that knee. Knee pain sucks. Dealing with my own right now. May end up going to doc again.

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