The Roving Lunatic

Yesterday we had a day off, but it rained all morning. We waited at the window like schoolkids: is it breaking? how hard is it raining? how far do you want to ride in the rain?

The rain broke at 2 and we darted for the door. Karen, Matt Helbig, and I headed towards Jackson Hole Ski Resort, in nearby Teton Village. By nearby I mean 12 miles. In a great twist we found Colin and Mary Beth just wrapping up trip support, so we raided them for extra food and water.

Next, we hit the switchbacking snowcat trail that heads up 4000 vertical feet in 7 miles. The climb relented for 20 yards of downhill. Every other inch climbed and most of it was lowest gear or walking.

The icing was that the resort prohibits riding down. The tram takes you down from the top, but the last tram leaves at 6:30. It was going to be very close. We did finally get to the top at 6:17, to see a tram leaving. K and Matt were sure that was it, the last tram, we were hosed. Of course, we could ride down.

But really, it was dangerous. We had passed a huge cliffband, it was all fast, loose very steep rock and gravel. Blood would be involved. We wanted that tram.

And up it came, right on cue. Which gave us about ten minutes on the highest viewpoint around. I shot a few pictures of Jackson down below, then preceeded to eat snacks like crazy. That much climbing is good for a few calories...

I have to say that that ride was one of the most intense rides I have ever done, for the speed we rode out and back, for the massive elevation gain, for the unrelenting nature of the trail. It's a great send off for Jackson, now it's on to Glacier!!

Here is a guest post by Karen Williams on a ride from the 28th:

>It was Thursday afternoon. Jamaica, my co-worker, and
>I have been in Jackson Hole, WY since Saturday. Yes,
>we are here for work, but somehow have managed to ride
>all but one day. Go figure.
>
>We've ridden through incredible wild flowers that were
>handle bar high and a few sections that were above our
>heads. We saw a moose, a deer, even a chipmunk.
>We've been at the tops of climbs and seen other riders
>putting on full body armor. (Is this the descent I
>remember?) Beautiful days. Great, great riding.
>
>So, we drive WAY out on some dirt road that Jamaica
>had been telling me about. Hmm. I'm a liiiittle
>grumpy. Too much working and riding and working and
>riding. Need more sleeping, but no time right now,
>we're in freakin Jackson Hole! Okay, we get our bikes
>out. He heads over to the naked sunbathing girls who
>had given him water the day before. He gives them a
>cool drink from our cooler and we're off. We putter
>up a 4x4 road. Come to a fork. Take the road less
>traveled. It runs out, but there's a singletrack. We
>try to ride, but realize we are mere mortals and must
>stop. We walk. I'm concerned about bears. Luckily,
>Jamaica likes to talk a lot. Sometimes he gets into a
>rant. This, hopefully, will keep the bears away. We
>end up bushwhacking to the top of a hill and
>BAM...TETONS! Beautiful view. Wow. I'm in a much
>better mood. Cool. Down we go. Get the bikes, clean
>out some sticktights from our socks. Take the road
>more traveled now. Haven't seen anyone since the
>parking lot. Up. There's a truck coming we step
>aside. Three guys wave, one is in the back seat in a
>pregnant woman position. Weird. I'll let you picture
>that one yourself. This road follows a little river.
>Wonderful views. Rolling road. We take pictures.
>Then we hit it. Bear country. (Scary music!) I
>haven't seen a bear since I've been here, but if I was
>going to...this would surely be the place. The plant
>life is THICK and well above our heads. You would
>not be able to see anything coming at you until it was
>in the road. On top of you. Oooo, scary. Ride fast.
> Whoa, water hole. Look out! Cool. The rocks aren't
>as slippery as expected. I expected to be on my face
>by now. Now we come to a slow spot in the river. It
>looked like a glass pond. So clear. Fish jumps.
>Nice. Another half mile and the adventure is almost
>over. Private property. We head back. I didn't
>realize, we had been going UP a slight grade. That
>makes for fun riding back to the van. Yeeha! It's
>on. Jamaica and I take off. It's like a video game
>or something. We are riding side by side, faster than
>I would normally go. But it's so fun. We each have
>our own line. It's freaking cool. Splash through the
>water. Fly through bear country. Wow. The sun rays
>look like angels are coming. Towards the bottom the
>roads cross back and forth. Take separate paths.
>We're still even and can see each other riding. Feels
>like we. are. flying! Hey, where did the angel rays
>go? There's a giant black cloud now. There's the
>van. Whoa. That was a lightening bolt. Wow. We
>made it. Have some pringles. Get in the van. The
>first drops hit the windshield. That's good timing.
>Darn good riding!
>

We rode up the infamous old Teton pass road yesterday. It is so steep that they retired it for a better and wider road, so now just the locals ride it. Saturday there will be a hill climb race UP Black's, one road race and one mountain bike race. Karen and I might do it, crazy I know.

The ride down rocked. Three guys joined us, and scared us by opending their packs and strapping on body armor before descending. Uh oh, what did we get our selves into...

Pure gold of course. More Wild flower filled meadows and wet sloshy stream crossings, miles of switchbacks and singletrack. Wow.

I have now ridden 8 days in a row on the trip, and then 5 mountain bike days in a row here. maybe I am ready for the hill climb race...

An update for the last evening in St. George. My blog post went in about 8, then I thought I might go for a little spin on the mountain bike. BUT, the same massive thunderstorms that slammed us in Zion followed us to ST. George and were headed that way as I went riding.

The temperature that day precludes riding before eight anyway. My hope was to ride some of the Stucki Trail, or maybe the motorcycle park. The park rocks, but I was alone and if I stacked (read: crash with bike on top of you in a "stack") I would regret it.

So I rode to the highest hill I could to watch the storm approach. The view was amazing in three directions. A great desert sunset, the black thunderhead approaching, and the triple threat, a massive wildfire in Pine Mountain. The mountain looms over town, and the whole face is a steep valley between ridges on the right and left. The valley was aflame, and as I watched the winds from the thunderhead fanned larger and larger towers of flame and smoke.

Real Lord of the Rings stuff, flaming mountain tops, lightning, thunder, swirling wind. Great.

Watching it all converge, I finally headed back when humungous raindrops started pelting me. The edge of the storm was on me. Below I could see wind whipped dust swirls blasting across the riverbed I had to cross. Racing the storm back to the house challenged real riding skills. I made it just as the pounding rain began, whooping out lound of course...

I love that place, too bad it's so damn hot. But you treasure it more when you only get small doses...

Then off to Jackson.

BBGQ, otherwise known as the Backroads Tour, with Epic Biking, of the Canyons, in Inns. Translation: Massive riding, up to 133 miles! But comfortable Inn beds! Oh baby.

The crew were great, Jere Carroll and Matt Petric, supported by Carol Liu and Mark Selcon.

The cast were myself, Bob, Kevin, Diane, Jen, Austin, and Gupreet. Bob, the 6'7 beast from Chi-town. Kevin, the Terminator from New York. Diane, the suprising SCIFI and Celine fan. Jen, our New Yorker kinder-admissions specialist. Austin, Shakespeare company master. And last but not least Gupreet, our doctor/biz wiz with an appreciation of the excess synthetic estrogen in the food supply. We had fun.

We started in Brian's head, outside of Cedar Falls. We then rode to Bryce Canyon, then rode the the Grand Canyon North Rim, then rode to Zion Canyon. Each park had a day to hike, shoot, relax, eat, and enjoy ourselves. The riding days were stacked, 67 miles, 81, 100, 133.4, The Whopper. Support was great, and all levels felt good, and did as much as was still fun. I can't say 133 was "fun" exactly, but REALLY DAMN SATISFYING!

Other highlights including scaling Brian's Head alone, and glissading down the snowfield, our scavenger hunt, the smoke filled Grand Canyon at night, and the lightning storm which sealed the trip. All in all great fun.

Now back to work, I drive to Jackson tomorrow.

I'll post more about the trip soon. Jamama

The Roving Mechanic trip itinary:

St George for the first work, the personal trip, and then I head north, on to Yellowstone. A few days spent in Jackson Hole, maybe hiking the Tetons, then we motor to Glacier. Whitefish Montana, home of the Riding to the Sun Road. The final stop, Puget Sound. More fun, a new house apparently. Then home, Aug 10th.

I just finished the first work day in Utah. Hot, so hot. Jerry Carrol wrenched with me, but I will meet Karen when I make it to the Tetons. The normal mode of operation screeched to a halt when the owner of the "Swiss Bank Storage" refused to let us work. Short version, we will work with a minimal profile, the units will move at the end of the month. Damn storage nazis.

Rode from 8-9. Still hot. A hot blow dryer in the face hot. Oh, at bugs to inhale. Schuuweeet.

I will see our newest employee Brett in Jackson Hole. How cool. Don't get mistaken for a moose. And don't share a tent with the unsuspecting...

Time to eat, we need to get a very early start to beat the heat.

See you on the beach. Jamama