Fargo and Away

June 15 was officially day 0 for the trip, and we had planned a relatively level, paved 46 miles from Jackson to Colter Bay Village, where we would camp.

I had spent the night blowing my nose, taking medicine, going to the bathroom, all in an effort to force out the remains of Covid that I had been dealing with for 10 days. I woke at six to finish putting my bike together, but I was moving in slo mo, as a migraine and some dizziness had settled in. At 8, still not completely set up, I met Kai for a big breakfast, in the hopes that coffee and some food would clear my head.

After breakfast, I finally got everything set on the bike, checked out of the hotel, and headed to UPS to mail back some stuff I didn’t need /couldn’t fit on the bike. Then, I met Kai at REI to get some last minute food and supplies.

Finally, we were ready and headed out of jackson. It was already past 11 am. We were getting a late start but figured we would still make the campground by around 4.

The scenery was immediately amazing, and though my sinuses were still in pain, my mood lifted.

The views kept expanding.

We were making pretty good time, when a road closure after about an hour of riding forced us to double back…all the way to Jackson. We rolled back into Jackson, regrouped over lunch, and decided to begin the 46 mile journey, hoping to get in by five.

Our legs started to lose steam as we got to with 20 miles and our pace slowed. We arrived finally at 6 with just enough energy to set up camp, eat only half a pizza between us, and then turn in. My body was expressing its displeasure with me, but I was hoping by morning that it would bounce back.

Despite the false start and unplanned miles, it was a gift to be out in this amazing part of the country riding with a friend on my birthday.