Teetering Tetons - The Old Geezer Goes Off - 151 miles

Cold night last night in our backwater campsite. A group of six other riders was camped with us. Blokes from Spokane WA on various V-twins. Nice group. Good snorers too.

We were up and away first with the temp showing 37F on the bike. The camera was refusing to operate. So we stopped in Jackson Hole for breakfast. It was a bit warmer when we were ready to go again.

First stop out of town was first view of the Grand Tetons. A spectacular mountain range of craggy peaks named after the highest peak, all of 13,770 ft which was about 5770 ft above us. The range rises directly out of the plains adding to the grandeur. In other places they are bordered by lakes. So you can see the photo opportunities abound. We spent quite a while here.

We had already been warned about roadworks between Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP, our next stop, so we were prepared to endure delays. Didn't plan to BE a delay.

After a 15 minute wait we got underway and slowly followed the cars up the gravel road that had been helpfully sprayed by the water truck. Through the first section. Fine. Then down the other side the engineers decided it would be OK to let traffic go both ways on the wet dirt.

Mostly went OK until a really soggy patch coincided with a motorhome going the other way. I had nowhere to go and no way to stop. Slipped into the soft soggy patch (probably pulled in by the trailer) and the rear tyre immediately overtook the front and down we went. Luckily the motorhome missed us. Everyone stopped and several nice people helped us right the bike and I managed to back and fill a few times to get it pointed in the right direction. Then we went down the road a bit to where we could stop off the road and take stock.

No damage to the bike. The plastic add-on foot-warmer snapped in half and the highway peg turned a bit on the crashbar, but otherwise nothing.

Personally, Charleen will have a bruise where I kicked her with my left foot. I have a grazed elbow - jammed in to the elbow padding of the jacket. Better than would have been without.

And I dirtied my jeans. Fortunately from the outside with mud. The inside was OK.

Back underway and we finally got to Yellowstone. The first section of the park is a bit stark due to past fires. Not really nice to look at. We later got to Old Faithful and watched a real geyser go off. So did a heck of a lot of other people.

Then we travelled through a more pleasant part of the park with hot pools and geysers everywhere. Lastly today, we left the park for West Yellowstone town where we took a motel for the night. Need to do a wash - specially the jeans.

Some good pics today - none of the bike down though.

Cold morning

All made of antlers

First view of the Grand Tetons

Without the bike in the way

Moose P.O.

Yellow-headed blackbird. What else.

There are moose in the field - you'll have to squint to see them.

Old Faithful

and the faithful viewers

thousands of 'em

This guy had fun wandering on the road and holding up traffic

Geyserland

All runs into a very pretty river