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Yellowstone Grand Loop - Day I - Mammoth to Lake

September 7, 2008 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Bike

Weather: 30s-50s, cloudy with ocassional sun

Comments:
This morning we were up VERY EARLY. I was up at 0440 and Dan by 0500 to prep for our first big Yellowstone ride. We camped at Eagle Creek, which sat a few hundred feet above the town of Gardiner, MT, which is at the northern entrance of YNP.

We had prepped all our gear -- camelbaks, packs, bikes, food, clothes -- the night before so the morning's prep was pretty easy, which was good because it was still pitch dark when we piled into the Impala to head into the park.

We arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs, the start of our ride, at about 0615. It didn't take long to see our first wildlife, since the area was crawling with elk, including several feisty bucks with some impressive antler racks!

By 0615 we were prepped and ready to go, so it was on! This first leg of the ride, especially the leg to Roosevelt, was terrific because it was so quiet and peaceful. There was clouds and fog, which made it even more serene.

Part two of the first leg, from Tower to Canyon, saw us climb from about 6500 to 8800, then down to about 8000 feet. I was worried about Dan but he rode like a champ today -- not particularly fast, but we climbed up it with few stops. The ride down, especially when greated by some sunlight, was amazing.

After a long stop to warm up at Canyon, we finished to trek by biking through the Hayden Valley to Yellowstone Lake. With a nice tailwind-aided ride, this was a perfect way to end the first big ride, which ended up being 58 miles long. We were both pretty damn tired, but overall feeling strong.

It IS worth noting, however, that my right achilles was bothering me today, walking around after the bike. I wasn't sure of the origins, since my sciatic was bad on the drive up. I stretched both my heel and my ass, which helped a bit.

At Lake, we checked into our little cabin, then celebrated our successful day with some tap microwbrews in the lodge. Great day -- one of the best EVER!