Bicycle Idaho, 2004
Background
We enjoyed last year's Bicycle
Idaho 2003 tour and planned to join the tour again this year. Last
year's route was a loop in Southern Idaho. This year's route is a loop
in Southeast Idaho, Western Wyoming, and Northeast Utah. As always, the
tour was organized by Bicycle Rides Northwest, a company based in Bend, Oregon.
Itinerary
| Day |
Start |
Stop |
Mileage |
Elevation Gain |
| July 25 |
Pocatello, ID |
Ririe, ID |
79 |
1444 |
| July 26 |
Ririe, ID |
Jackson, WY |
75 |
5080 |
| July 27 |
Layover in Jackson |
20 |
? |
| July 28 |
Jackson, WY |
Henry, ID |
85 |
2696 |
| July 29 |
Henry, ID |
Garden City, UT |
78 |
2500 |
| July 30 |
Garden City, UT |
Preston, ID |
71 |
3117 |
| July 31 |
Preston, ID |
Pocatello, ID |
78 |
2561 |
|
Totals
|
486 |
17398+ |
Diary
24 July 2004 (Saturday)
We drive to Pocatello from our home in Bend. The tour group registers
and camps at the Fairgrounds. The tents are packed closely together and
there are lots of conversations amongst friends from home and previous
rides.
25 July (Sunday)
We leave Pocatello and ride north, paralleling I-15, sometimes to the
west and sometimes to the east on side roads. We eventually turn east
to enter Ririe and camp at the Ririe High School.
|
|
|
Morning view from near Ririe,
Idaho
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Teton from near Victor,
Idaho
|
|
|
|
|
Teton Pass: It's downhill from here!
|
|
26 July (Monday)
Today is a scenic and adventurous day. We leave Ririe and ride towards
the Tetons on Highway 26 crossing the Snake River soon before Swan Valley.
At Swan Valley we stop for ice cream, then turn north on Highway 31, climb
over Pine Creek Pass, then drop down to Victor, where we first see the
Tetons from the west. From Victor we cross into Wyoming and climb steeply
to Teton Pass (8422 feet). I decide not to stop for any photos while climbing
- I want to see if I can make the summit without stopping. The descent
to Jackson on the east side of Teton Pass is steep (10% grade for 6 miles)
with some traffic. At one point it seems I am leaning too far over my
handlebars due to the steepness - I feel I might fall over them. I decide
to start breaking at 48 mph. Linda reaches 52 mph, a personal record,
but Doug says he reached 54 mph. We camp in a field near a creek in Jackson.
|
|
|
Doug, Linda, Paul entering
Grand Teton NP
|
|
|
|
|
Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park
|
|
27 July (Tuesday)
Today is a layover in Jackson. Linda, Doug, and I ride to Grand Teton
National Park for a view of the Tetons, but otherwise make it a short
day on the bike and spend some time visiting Jackson.
28 July (Wednesday)
We leave Jackson on a cool but sunny morning along bike paths and eventually
join Highway 89 and ride along the Snake River. At Hoback Junction we
turn west on Highway 26 and continue following the Snake River to Alpine.
We leave the Snake River here and ride south on Highway 89 for a few miles,
then turn west on Highway 34 and return to Idaho. We climb a gentle grade
for several miles and drop into a valley on the other side and ride along
the southern shore of Grays Lake and the Grays Lake National Wildlife
Refuge. We end the day's ride at a "resort" near the shore of
Blackfeet Reservoir and camp there. It was a long but scenic day.
|
|
|
South of Soda Springs, Idaho
|
|
29 July (Thursday)
It is a cold and clear morning as we leave Henry and ride south to Soda
Springs. We get a snack at a convenience store in Soda Springs, then turn
south on Highway 30 and pass the "Soda Springs International Aerodrome",
a small airfield, and follow the highway to Montpelier. The country is
open with rolling hills. We turn west on Highway 89 and ride through Montpelier,
hoping to find a coffee shop without success. The route continues south
along the western shore of Bear Lake to enter Utah and arrive at Garden
City, where we camp tightly together in a field alongside a KOA.
|
|
|
Sunrise over Bear Lake,
Utah
|
|
|
|
|
Dropping into Logan Canyon
|
|
|
|
30 July (Friday)
Today begins with a scenic climb out of Garden City west towards Logan.
The sun is rising over Bear Lake as we make the switchbacks above the
town. After about 1800 feet of climbing we reach Logan Pass and drop down
the other side in quite cold morning air. The air warms as we continue
descending into Logan Canyon and we enjoy a fun ride to Logan, where we
stop for ice cream produced by the Food Technology Department at Utah
State University. The route takes us along back streets through Logan
and then out into the valley heading north. We cross back into Idaho and
camp at a school in Preston, Idaho.
31 July (Saturday)
Breakfast service is very slow, so a few of us leave to try to find a
cafe in Preston. Unfortunately, the only restaurant available early Saturday
is McDonald's. We then try to gain some time by riding Highway 91 north
rather than the indicated side roads to the first food stop, but we decide
we did not save much time and experienced more traffic that way. The official
route continues north on Highway 91 through several small towns, then
parallels I-15 to Pocatello. Traffic in Pocatello is heavy and the afternoon
is getting hot so we are very happy to finish the tour back at the Fairgrounds.
