Cycling 5000 km, from Banff in Canada to the US-Mexican border, raising money for MS research.
Flag Ranch > Togwotee Lodge Campground
In the morning I took another quick shower, packed up, made some porridge with milk this time and of course I let it boil over :( Talked a bit with the neighbors and then I went on my way to Turpin Meadows Campground, according to the directions of my road book. Immediately I started with a heavy climb with beautiful views of the Tetons. I pass Coulter Bay, buy myself a new can of coffee at the gas station end I asked the guy there if there’s Wi-Fi. Unfortunately not, but further down in the little village there is Wi-Fi at the Laundromat. So I went to town so I can talk to Loren on facetime. I fear that’s going to be difficult the next couple of days. As soon as I enter town I run into Magda & Jos and Sascka & Przemek. We had a cup of coffee and chatted for a while. Their finish point for tonight is a lot further than mine, with a heavy pass along the way. After coffee I went to the Laundromat to facetime. After I talked to Loren I quickly went on my way, still a long way ahead! The weather is a bit cool, I was wearing my vest the entire day. I passed by a lovely wooden entrance sign that says “Tentons National Park”. It’s crowded with tourists who al want to go on the picture with that sign. I short way ahead there’s the Tentons itself to photograph, but strangely enough there’s a lot less people there, strange... The landscape changes as I leave the park and come closer to the campground. Also the weather is getting darker and more threatening. People here are looking forwards for some rain, everything here is way to dry and there are two forest fires going on for a couple of weeks now. Along the way I noticed some sings saying the campground I planned to go is closed due to a lot of “grizly activity”. So that means I have to go a lot further than planned to find the next campground. I also have to climb a lot. Can’t do anything about that, I’m going deeper into the deep dark forest. It started raining and there is some thunder, so I have to put on my rainwear. Cycling, climbing, cycling, climbing! They say the last part of the trail is impassible when it’s raining, so I have to take the normal road. Eventually I make is to Togwotee Lodge, there should also be a campground here. And whom do I run into? Exactly, Magda & Jos and Sascka & Przemek. They warmed themselves in the lodge with some hot chocolate milk and told me they rented a 4-person cabin 18 KM ahead. Joss very kindly asked me if I wanted to join them. I’m cold and tired so I need to warm up first. The others leave and I take a couple of (free) hot chocolates! There’s good wifi in the lodge. I decide to stay at the lodges’ campground, which is 500 meters further into the forest. It’s not much, but I can put up my tent (a little skewed) there. The camping doesn’t cost anything either. After that I cycle back to the lodge and order a nice hamburger and a beer. Now I finally have the time to answer all those emails. At 21.30hr I leave the nice warm lodge to go to my cold tent. I’m in my sleeping bag for barely 5 minutes and it starts to thunder and rain quite heavily!
