Cycle Across America
Day 59 of 7331 July 2010

Day 59: The Two Passes

Day 59: The Two Passes
View route map — see where this day sits on the trail
Route overview

73 days, one line across the country

67 riding days · 6 rest days · 4,227 miles · Yorktown, Virginia → the Oregon coast

Start — Yorktown (Atlantic start), VADay 1 — Chickahominy Riverfront Park, VADay 2 — Ashland, VADay 3 — Ashland, VADay 4 — Mineral, VADay 5 — Charlottesville, VADay 6 — Afton, VADay 7 — Lexington, VADay 8 — Lexington, VA — rest dayDay 9 — Daleville, VADay 10 — Radford, VADay 11 — Rural Retreat, VADay 12 — Damascus, VADay 13 — Rosedale, VADay 14 — Breaks Interstate Park, VADay 15 — Hindman, KYDay 16 — Hindman, KY — rest dayDay 17 — Booneville, KYDay 18 — Berea, KYDay 19 — Bardstown area, KYDay 20 — Hodgenville, KYDay 21 — Rough River Dam State Park, KYDay 22 — Sebree, KYDay 23 — Cave-In-Rock, ILDay 24 — Eddyville, KYDay 25 — Carbondale, ILDay 26 — Carbondale, IL — rest dayDay 27 — Chester, ILDay 28 — Pilot Knob, MODay 29 — Eminence, MODay 30 — Houston, MODay 31 — Fair Grove, MODay 32 — Golden City, MODay 33 — Chanute, KSDay 34 — Eureka, KSDay 35 — Newton, KSDay 36 — Larned, KSDay 37 — Ness City, KSDay 38 — Scott City, KSDay 39 — Sheridan Lake, CODay 40 — Haswell, CODay 41 — Pueblo, CODay 42 — Pueblo, CO — rest dayDay 43 — Cañon City, CODay 44 — Fairplay, CODay 45 — Silverthorne, CODay 46 — Hot Sulphur Springs, CODay 47 — Walden, CODay 48 — Saratoga, WYDay 49 — Rawlins, WYDay 50 — Jeffrey City, WYDay 51 — Lander, WYDay 52 — Lander, WY — rest dayDay 53 — Dubois, WYDay 54 — Colter Bay, Grand Teton NP, WYDay 55 — Grant Village, Yellowstone NP, WYDay 56 — West Yellowstone, MTDay 57 — Ennis, MTDay 58 — Twin Bridges, MTDay 59 — Jackson, MT (you are here)Day 60 — Darby, MTDay 61 — Missoula, MTDay 62 — Missoula, MT — rest dayDay 63 — Powell, IDDay 64 — Kooskia, IDDay 65 — Riggins, IDDay 66 — Cambridge, IDDay 67 — Richland, ORDay 68 — Baker City, ORDay 69 — Mount Vernon, ORDay 70 — Mitchell, ORDay 71 — Redmond, ORDay 72 — Eugene, ORDay 73 — Florence (Pacific Ocean), ORYachats, ORLincoln City, ORPortland, OR

Every dot is a real day on the trail, placed from the towns named in that day's post — click one to jump straight to it. Hollow-ringed dots are rest days along the way. The lighter branch up the coast is the post-ride detour to Portland. A few days without a clearly named stop are interpolated between the nearest confirmed ones. The highlighted dot is where you are right now.

Jump to a chapter
  1. 1Why Would I Want To Cycle Across America?13 Apr 2010
  2. 2Training Rides With Spring Tides9 May 2010
  3. 3Equipment List12 May 2010
  4. 4Pain In The Ash17 May 2010
  5. 5Flying19 May 2010
  6. 6Day 1: Destination, Oregon23 May 2010
  7. 7Day 2: Smells Like Dead Possum23 May 2010
  8. 8Day 3: Epic Failure Followed By Saviour23 May 2010
  9. 9Day 4: Mineral Take Two25 May 2010
  10. 10Day 5: Bottoms Up Charlottesville26 May 2010
  11. 11Day 6: The Cookie Lady28 May 2010
  12. 12Day 7: Going Up!28 May 2010
  13. 13Day 8: Zero Day29 May 2010
  14. 14Day 9: Dullsville29 May 2010
  15. 15Day 10: Then There Were Two30 May 2010
  16. 16Day 11: Just what the Dr Ordered3 June 2010
  17. 17Day 12: Damascus Downhill5 June 2010
  18. 18Day 13: Clinch Mountain5 June 2010
  19. 19Day 14: Gimme a Breaks8 June 2010
  20. 20Day 15: Keeeeentucky!8 June 2010
  21. 21Day 16: Hindman Rest8 June 2010
  22. 22Day 17: The Booneville Four12 June 2010
  23. 23Day 18: Escape From Appalachia12 June 2010
  24. 24Day 19: Kentucky Wine12 June 2010
  25. 25Day 20: Cruise Inn15 June 2010
  26. 26Day 21: Rough River15 June 2010
  27. 27Day 22: Soaking To Sebree15 June 2010
  28. 28Day 23: The Big Match15 June 2010
  29. 29Day 24: Emancipation17 June 2010
  30. 30Day 25: Cooper's Last Ride23 June 2010
  31. 31Day 26: Takin' It Easydale23 June 2010
  32. 32Day 27: I Hate Popeye24 June 2010
  33. 33Day 28: The Show-Me State25 June 2010
  34. 34Day 29: Rollin'26 June 2010
  35. 35Day 30: Houston, Texas (County)26 June 2010
  36. 36Day 31: Spoke Out!27 June 2010
  37. 37Day 32: Fun In The Sunshine28 June 2010
  38. 38Day 33: Kansas!1 July 2010
  39. 39Day 34: Eugh-reka1 July 2010
  40. 40Day 35: More Pools & Parks2 July 2010
  41. 41Day 36: Centurion2 July 2010
  42. 42Day 37: Tyresome3 July 2010
  43. 43Day 38: Rod's Got It Covered4 July 2010
  44. 44Day 39: Limp or Hitch5 July 2010
  45. 45Day 40: String For Spokes7 July 2010
  46. 46Day 41: To Pueblo7 July 2010
  47. 47Day 42: El Resto8 July 2010
  48. 48Day 43: The End's Not Near9 July 2010
  49. 49Day 44: South Park9 July 2010
  50. 50Day 45: Happy Birthday America!10 July 2010
  51. 51Day 46: Cold Sulphur Springs12 July 2010
  52. 52Day 47: The Cop, The Bad & The Ugly12 July 2010
  53. 53Day 48: Riding The Storm14 July 2010
  54. 54Day 49: 49 on the 49th16 July 2010
  55. 55Day 50: What's Wrong With Jeffrey?16 July 2010
  56. 56Day 51: Landed In Lander16 July 2010
  57. 57Day 52: Grounded In Lander16 July 2010
  58. 58Day 53: Windy Wyoming21 July 2010
  59. 59Day 54: Grizzly Country21 July 2010
  60. 60Day 55: National Parks21 July 2010
  61. 61Day 56: A Trapped Tourist22 July 2010
  62. 62Day 57: Easy Rider22 July 2010
  63. 63Day 58: Twin Bridges29 July 2010
  64. 64Day 59: The Two Passes31 July 2010
  65. 65Day 60: Marvellous Montana31 July 2010
  66. 66Day 61: Pilgrimage1 Aug 2010
  67. 67Day 62: Mooching Round Missoula2 Aug 2010
  68. 68Day 63: Lets Go Idaho5 Aug 2010
  69. 69Day 64: Déjà Vu7 Aug 2010
  70. 70Day 65: Fruits Of Labour8 Aug 2010
  71. 71Day 66: Long Haul Truckers8 Aug 2010
  72. 72Day 67: Oregon8 Aug 2010
  73. 73Day 68: Civilization8 Aug 2010
  74. 74Day 69: 3 Passes8 Aug 2010
  75. 75Day 70: The Winepisode8 Aug 2010
  76. 76Day 71: Its Called A Rideover10 Aug 2010
  77. 77Day 72: Penultimate Push11 Aug 2010
  78. 78Day 73: Cycled Across America11 Aug 2010
  79. 79Extras: Riding Up The 10112 Aug 2010
  80. 80Extras: Chance Encounter12 Aug 2010
  81. 81Extras: Portland12 Aug 2010
  82. 82Reflection3 Sept 2010
OriginalStorytelling

76.36 miles (Total: 3246.04) Avg Speed: 11.3mph Max Speed: 34.5mph

Me and Wim were the slow starters this morning with the others having left as we were just heading to pick up some groceries. Wim was looking at the bottles of wine for this evening when he was informed, not for the first time on this trip, that you can’t buy alcohol on a Sunday. Terry was the first victim of this back in Kansas where local county laws prohibit the sale.

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Beaverhead Rock, I don’t see it.

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We soon caught up with Stefaan who was taking it easy suffering form some saddle sores. After passing through Dillon we had the first of two big passes to deal with. Wim was on fire today and set out to storm up the mountain as me and Stefaan plugged away drafting in the slight headwind. We stopped halfway up for some food and then slowly climbed on. After the first came a steady descent to the base of the second, since Dillon we had quickly ran out of water and Stefaan took the duty of walking up to the few trailer homes dotted along the route to get some. The first two attempts he was barked away by dogs then eventually he found some guy who stumbled out of his home to help fill bottles from the spigot.

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Stefaan finally getting some water.

By this time the sun had started falling steadily and we still had the second, longer pass to go. It was slow progress all day especially with Stefaan’s saddle sores. I slowly pulled away from him on the final ascent as my determination to be done with the climbing took over from the pain my arms, neck and legs were kicking out. The road curved up and round the final bend which took an eternity and I was feeling pretty low. I knew by this point Wim, Terry and Jessica were probably already relaxing in Jackson. But a strange sensation happens at the top of a pass. After spending several hours listening to your own heavy breathing and chain winding round in dead silence you suddenly see the curve at the top where the road stops going up and seemingly drops of the other end out of sight. Once you reach that point, without even pedalling, you begin to gain speed as the wheels snowball into action and the dead silence is replaced by the rush of wind reducing your eyes to tears and blasting your ears with noise.

I don’t think I’ve felt as happy all trip as I was to get to the top of the second pass today. I couldn’t even see Stefaan behind me so I was all alone. I threw my fist in the air and when one car eventually passed I shouted “COME ON! WHOO!”.

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Top of the final pass.

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As I approached Jackson I wasn’t expecting much, maybe some primitive camping and a gas station supper. But as I pulled in I see the other bikes up against the Jackson Lodge building. In the middle of a pretty baron town is this amazing bar, restaurant hot springs resort which allows you to camp out back. We rejoiced with a beer and food at our fortune before taking a dip in the hot spring and hitting the sack.

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Jackson Lodge

1 comment from 2010

Ben31 July 2010

Haha I can def imagine you shouting whooo when someone paced past Keep it going bud! See you soon <3 xxx

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