May 2017 Rockies: Tandem Cycling Expedition
Tandem Touring Through Yellowstone:Seeing All There Is to See
13-14 May 2017 | Mri Grout- A Lifelong Vagabond
After discovering that the only two places in Yellowstone that you could tent camp at in mid May was Madison and Mammoth, Rob and I decided that we might as well cycle the Yellowstone Loop while we were still up in the caldera of this famous supervolcano. After all the whole reason we had arrived early was to avoid the crazy tourist traffic of high season and so once we went down into Jackson valley we wouldn't be coming back up due to the complete lack of a shoulder and too many inconsiderate, selfish, impatient, and not to mention, distracted drivers. A further favourable point in our new decision was that the night before we had discovered that one of the roads was currently closed due to a washout and wouldn't be useable to vehicles for a few days at least. But luckily we weren't traveling by campervan this time and so after stopping at numerous steam vents, mudpots, and other volcanic attracation, we were escorted through the roadworks by a friendly forest ranger and then invited back to his backyard after work for a place to pitch the tent as well as to further chat about our adventures.
Hours later we arrived at his house nearly exhausted after having battled strong headwinds, struggled through a short, but extremely cold storm, and dodged certain death from crazy tourist drivers that didn't understand that their huge vans actually pulled us towards them when they passed so close. Not to say that Yellowstone wasn't worth the hassle because its unique attractions and abundant wildlife definitely made it so; just that there are some places better seen from the safety of a vehicle. However, if you're set on bike touring through Yellowstone then I would suggest doing so in the spring when the park road from Mammoth to West Yellowstone is only open to cyclists (though the only campsite open at that time will be Mammoth as it's open all year round). We learned all of this and more while talking to Ranger James and his partner Anna, but the most interesting chat in my opinion was the one about James' hike along the Appalachian Trail. It was something Rob and I had talked about doing if I could ever get my chronic pain under control (hiking is a serious trigger for a high spike/week long sleep to get me through the pain), but it wasn't just an echange of trail information that made this talk great. No, it was how Ranger James find a tiny kitten abandoned by some jerk and instead of just calling animal services or something like that, he freaking CARRIED IT THREE THOUSAND MILES on the back of his neck!!! That was seven years ago and this adorable ball of fluff is still with him. How adorable is that!? And then when he would go into a shop looking like a disheveled hiker and buy cat food people thought he was so desperate that he was the one eating it. So they gave him money for 'real' food! Ahahahahaha. What a great time we had getting to know these two rangers and if you two are following this, thanks a ton for having us over for dinner and saving us from a terribly cold night outside...as well as being eaten by a bear.
For just as we were heading out of the park after our three days of bike touring through Yellowstone, we came speeding around a blind corner at 20mph and braked just short of a mamma grizzly and her cub... Now up to this point we hadn't yet decided on whether we were disappointed or relieved to have not seen a wild bear from the exposure of a bike, but as we stood there not even 30 yards/27 metres from a startled duo, we finally decided. Rob was temporally frozen with fear and I was over the moon estatic. Unfortunately however, I was still too rational to take out my camera first and so grabbed the bear spray instead. I mean, what kind of smart person does that!? I totally missed out on an amazing photo opportunity due to my intelligent instinct when everyone knows that if you only have a memory of something it isn't as cool. Urgh. But despite my disappointment in Rob's quick thinking, he claims he saved our lives due to your tips on how to safely deal with a wild bear. And I guess given we're both alive it's hard to argue with his logic. Lols. Seriously though, people, don't be stupid when it comes to wildlife for even 'cute and cuddly' bison can fuck you up. Instead, invest in a camera with a good zoom (like the Canon Powershot or the Sony Cybershot) so that you can view animals both from a safe distance and in a natural environment - like we did when we got the amazing opportunity to film a coyote hunting through the snow in Yellowstone.
Tandem touring through Yellowstone comments:
lifelong vagabonds 2017 cycling expedition