July 4 Idaho Falls, Idaho to Jackson, Wyoming

Welcome to Wyoming.  How would you like your wind?

What a ride we had today.  A brilliant sunrise over Idaho Falls was a good omen. We loaded and left by 6:30 and cruised through nearly empty streets.  Part of our route was lined with chairs that people put out last night in anticipation of today’s Fourth of July parades.  Then a long, nearly flat stretch for 15 miles or so.  As we began climbing the first big hill, the wind picked up, buffeting us from side to side.  Then we dropped into a gorgeous valley that seemed completely isolated from the rest of the world.  I’m pretty sure I spotted Julie Andrews singing, “The hills are alive …”

The Snake is swollen

The valley protected us from the wind until we turned north and started climbing Pine Creek Pass.  The road climbs at a 6% grade to the top of the pass at 6,764 feet. It seemed hard at the time but later we realized that it was just a little appetizer to get us ready for Teton Pass. From the summit of Pine Creek Pass, we had a nice run down to the town of Victor, Idaho, passing the Snake River several times.  Each time, the river seemed fuller and more swollen than the last time we saw it. It must be very near flood stage.

From Victor, we turned east again and started climbing.  A few miles out of town, we crossed into Wyoming and the winds picked up.  Then the pass got steeper and steeper.  I had trained on Trail Ridge Road in Colorado, a 23-mile uphill grade that rises to nearly 12,000 feet. So I thought I was ready for Teton Pass.  The big difference is that Teton Pass is much steeper than Trail Ridge.  Teton averages a 10% grade.  Trail Ridge doesn’t get much steeper than 7%.  That’s a big difference and the headwinds on Teton Pass didn’t help much.  I had to stop once to gobble some nutrition but eventually I got to the top — 8,431 feet —  to be rewarded by beautiful view of Jackson, Wyoming.

From the top we had a steep — also 10% grade — run down to Jackson.  You can pick up a lot of speed very quickly on a 10% grade.  It’s fun but also a bit nerve-wracking especially when you can go faster than some of the blimp mobiles on the road today.  At one point, I thought seriously about passing a Winnebago but ultimately decided that discretion is the better part of valor.

Before leaving Idaho, I’d like to record some of my favorite signs from the potato state:

Best technology company name:  Spudnik Technologies
Best Sinclair sign:  Live rude girls
Best middle school sign: Confused about the rapture?  Don’t worry — it’s not the end of the world.

Day’s distance: 88.5 miles (142.4 km)
Average speed: 13.1 mph (21.1 kph)
Day’s climb: 5,500 feet (1676.4 meters)
Total distance: 1,085.3 miles (1,746.6 km)