We made it!!!!

Day 67 Berea to Boonville 49.86 miles cycled, 3:47.37 time on the bike, 12.7mph average speed                                                                                                                                                     
Day 68 Boonville to Hindman 61.3 miles, 5:14.09, 11.7 ave                                                               
Day 69 Hindman to Lookout 52.41 miles, 4:16.54, 12.2 ave                                                       
Day 70 Lookout to Rodedale 63.76 miles, 5:31.04, 11.5 ave
Day 71 Rosedale to Cedar Springs/Rural retreat 80.51 miles, 6:28.26, 12.4 mph ave             
Day 72 Rural retreat to Christiansburg 77.57 miles, 6:00.02, 12.9 mph ave                            
Day 73 Day Off                                                                                                                                     
Day 74 Christiansburg to Troutville 45.9 miles, 3:17.24, 13.9 ave
Day 75 Troutville to Viseuvias 52.41 miles, 3:58.17, 13.2 ave                                                      
Day 76 Viseuvias To Charlottesville 76.08 miles, 6:34.22, 11.5 ave
Day 77 Charlottesville to Mineral 52.93 miles, 3:59.32, 13.2 ave                                                 
Day 78 Mineral to Glendale 75.08 miles, 5:26.12, 13.8 ave                                                        
Day 79 Glendale to Yorktown!!! 66.82 miles, 5:10.36, 12.9 ave

Its been nearly a two months since we got back from America, I would like to say the delay has been because i was taking the opportunity to have a period of reflection but its really just been because real life is pretty busy!

Its a shame that it all seems such a long time ago already, it seems like a different life in some respects. I haven't had time to go through the photographs yet which i’m sure will bring it all flooding back, i am excited about getting round to doing this.

I have been asked several times ‘how was it?’ ‘What was best bit?’ and other similar questions. They are all very difficult to answer. It was such a diverse trip with so many highs, some lows and a whole array of experiences. The answer i normally give is ‘it was amazing’, probably not sufficient for a 79 day cycle.  In truth I couldn't pick one moment, there was so many incredible experiences from awe inspiring views, to amazing accommodation at the end of a bad day, surprising generosity, eating what i like without weight gain and so many other elements that made a trip of lifetime.

I was ready to finish (my bike was definitely ready to finish), 79 days is a long time cycling and living out of a couple of bags. Also it is a long time to be spending with one individual, although that said Tom and I spent 90 days together and didn't have a single proper falling out. I don't think many people could do that, hats off to the people we met who were doing it with their partners....that must be true love or more likely insanity.

Overall it is certainly a trip i would recommend. Small town America is a very friendly place to be, just under 4,500 miles and not once did i feel anything but safe. The roads are on the whole very quiet, not one incident where i genuinely felt in danger from other road users. We seen so much its difficult to recall it all, varied landscapes, people, cultures, roads, weather, the trip which had been on the wish list for nearly ten years certainly did not disappoint.

 

 

 Oh how i miss the Chili, sweetcorn and pasta.  I don't miss the mosquitoes though.  Good times.

 A nice early start, treated to a stunning sunrise and misty lake.

 We were having a nap at a Post Office in Troutville when Michael and his daughter came up to us and asked us if we would like to stay with them!  It would be unbelievable/too good to be true but on this trip it was far less of a shock.  Well, we of course took Michael up on his kind offer.  Michael, his wife Paige (also in the picture with Tom), two daughters and 4 dogs made us feel very welcome! What a fantastic evening once again.  We went on to stay with Michael and Paige's daughter Caitlin in Newport News, such lovely people who love having hikers and cyclists to stay.

 

The last big climb complete. The climb up to the blue ridge parkway was one of the single biggest climbs of the trip. It wasn't too bad, i think it would be more of a challenge for those starting from the East, thankfully we were pretty fit by nowand it wasn't too bad at all. A great feeling to know the last climb was complete. The East of the country contained more climbing than the West despite significantly less altitude.

 

The view coming down the blue ridge mountains, a beautiful cycle.  A very long descent made better knowing there was no more ups!

 

We camped at the Glendale fire station, we used their showers and spoke with the guys there.  As always a very friendly bunch.  We woke in the morning to find a note attached to my bike thanking us for staying with them!!! I'm pretty sure it should have been the other way around.

 

 

 

Last nights accommodation, a beautiful church, a great way to spend our night before our last days cycling.

 

 Corn fields and a serious pose

 Yeeha! We made it, the last days cycling was an absolute joy along the federal highway, absolutely stunning.  Such a great way to finish.  It was flat too which we were grateful for, i had 3 gears left working on my bike, no back breaks and badly buckled wheel.

 The York Town memorial, the memorial depicts Washington's victory and the US's ultimate Independence from the pesky Brits.  (i think that is what it is all about, doing this from memory)

Hello Atlantic. What a feeling.  This is 'pre-unveiling of the milky white bodies' picture.  We got more strange looks once we took our tops off than we did when we walked in with the bikes.  Ridiculous tans.

 

The church in York Town allowed us to stay in the 'church house' for two nights when we finished.  It was a three bedroom house on three levels within walking distance of the pub and you can see the ocean from the door.  Incredible.  Perfect end to a fantastic trip!!!!!  We moved on for 7 days holiday in Virginia, DC & Phillie after this.  Immense.

Angry dogs, prayers, steep hills, stormy weather, Mammoth caves andKentucky fried chicken

Day 50 Pittsburg to Everton    time on bike 4 hrs 54 mins, 64.02 miles, 13.0 mph average

Day 51 Everton to Marshfield 4:31.50, 55.03 miles, 12.1 mph ave

Day 52 Marshfield to Houston 5:12.58, 67.63 miles, 12.9 mph ave

Day 53 Houston to Ellington 5:32.46, 69.21 miles, 12.5 mph ave

Day 54 Ellington to Farmington 4:37.22, Day 55 impromptu day off in Farmington. The 'cycle only' hostel was too good to leave

Day 56 Farmington to Chester 3:29.35, 47.79 miles, 13.6 mph ave

Day 57 Chester to Carbondale 2:52.22, 40.65 miles, 14.1 mph ave

Day 58 day off, a lazy few days but needed a bit of a break, a bit scunnered with the bike

Day 59 Carbondale to Eddieville 4:35.43, 60.89 miles, 13.2 mph ave

Day 60 Eddieville to Sebree 6:44.34, 88.05 miles, 13.0 mph average

Day 61 Sebree to Falls of Rough 5:51.57, 75.65 miles, 12.9 mph average

Day 62 Falls of Rough to Mammoth Cave

7:24.19, 92.92 miles, 12.5 mph average

Day 63 Mammoth Cave to Hodgenville 3:55.53, 50.29 miles, 12.7 mph average

Day 64 Hodgenville to Chimney Rock RV camp 7:25.48, 97.48 miles, 13.1 mph average

Day 65 Chimney Rock RV park to Berea 3:21.48, 40.39 miles, 12.0 mph average ave

We are currently in Berea, KY.  We are 3 days or so from Virginia which is our last state.  Approximately 700 miles/2 weeks to go on the Transam!  The last two weeks or so has thrown up so much.  We left Kansas to enter Missouri, then Illinois and now Kentucky.  Every state is very different, it is very difficult to begin to talk about what we have experienced, the photos below hopefully give a snap shot.

The kindness continues, we stopped for lunch in a small village in Illinois, just as Tom was going up to pay (I know sounds unlikely) the cashier advised him that the lady in front had paid for our meal.  Tom ensures me he wasnt giving her or her husband the eye during lunch, it was just an act of kindness. We have also been offered places to stay, we have been given lots of tomatoes and generally just continue to be met with such unbelievable kindness.

Its fair to say by the time we finish the trip we will have been faced with every type of weather (with the exception of snow, although we have had hail) that there is on offer.  Through Missoula (nicknamed Misery by some locals and myself at times) we had consistent thunder storms.  Both our tents are pretty good, far better than most of the other touring cyclists but unfortunately they aren’t self supporting so cannot be pitched without pegging down.  Most of the other cyclists during the weeks of storms (flash flooding, record breaking rain in Missoula) have pitched within band stands on the concrete plinths to stay out of the rain, we don’t have that luxury.  Not a big problem because our tents are good but unfortunately on one occasion there had been so much rain during the night the water came from underneath and our stuff was swimming in the morning…..motel time the next day!

The weather improved somewhat for Kentucky, the humidity massively reduced and the temperature has been in the mid 20’s making for some fantastic cycling conditions.  We are now in mid Kentucky and so far it is one of our favorite states for cycling,  the cycling is on quiet roads flanked by huge corn fields on the whole. 
The one thing everyone has talked about in relation to Kentucky is the dogs!  So far it hasn’t been too bad, we have been chased a lot and I had my pannier bags bitten by one dog but all in all nothing to savage. We have nearly witnessed a couple of dogs being hit by cars as they focus on getting us, thankfully some emergency stops by the cars has prevented canine road kill.  I think it will get worse before it gets better, Eastern Kentucky is said to be less affluent, trailer type homes with no enclosed gardens so dogs roaming free.  I will strap a steak to the back of Tom's bike and see what happens.

We have less than 1,000 miles to go now including the added 250m miles to DC.  The bikes are making all sorts of noises now. The brakes kind of work and are complete with loud squeaking although this is actually of a benefit in scaring off dogs. The gears have a mind of their own but all in all they on the most part seem to work.  If the bikes see us to Yorktown, VA our original finish then we will be happy…anything after that is a bonus and we can always hitch to DC.  I reckon if I take the bike into a bike shop it may be written off and funds are running a bit low to replace every moving part.

One other new sight on the roads in Kentucky is a number of Amish people. We have passed a few horses and carts on the main roads full of children no older than 8 years old. Great to over take some other road users! That said we have also seen them in trucks and in gas stations buying junk food, the movie Kingpin obviously taught me nothing! 

State #7....happy to get out of Kansas.  Kansas was nice in its own unique way but i didnt like the fact our days cycling was so heavily influenced by the weather.  I was also a little disappointed we didnt get one tail wind, that said the head winds could have been worse! In that sense we were kind of fortunate.  We have met so many people who had easily cycled 130 miles or so in Kansas or completed 3 or 4 successive century days because they had a wind, it is so flat it would be easily done.  Och well.

Entering the Ozarks.  Our first hills in a while.  The Ozarks are small in height but steep in gradient.  It is described in our maps as a self propelled roller coaster, a fine description although a roller coaster evokes thoughts of fun.

Illinois - This was a campsite 'social room' which doubled up as the community church.  The campsite owner allowed us to sleep in there instead of camping due to the storms.  There was one bed shown in the background.  We flipped for it (contrary to popular belief sharing would be a bit too much), needless to say Tom won and i slept on the concrete on my self deflating air bed. The flys buzzing around assisted with the nice nights sleep.

Crossing from Illinois to Kentucky.  No bridge across the Ohio river at our point of crossing.  I was a bit disappointed at the duration of the boat trip.  It was about 10 minutes including loading and unloading, i was hoping the boat was going to take us 20 miles or so.

 Yeeha. State #9.  Fried chicken, mullets and loose dogs. 

 This is the church we stayed at in Sebree.  The best place we have stayed in.  There was a bed and a shower too as well as a large screen tv complete with DVD player. If that wasn't good enough we were invited into the Pastors house (along with 3 other cyclists traveling West who also stayed there) where the pastors wife cooked us the most amazing meal.  We said grace and joined hands for prayer at the end.  I'm not a religious man but prayer is the ideal opportunity to fill your pockets with the remaining food. I didnt get the giggles during grace and the prayers.

 The outside of the Sebree church.  Difficult place to leave and we definitely would have stayed if we hadnt have had a few lazy days a couple of days previously.

 Back into the swing of things camping.  We actually missed our rice, green beans, chilli combination! 

 Another bridgeless river and a ferry crossing (20 metres or so), this was entering the mammoth cave national park.  The 'Mammoth Cave Loop' is a 87 mile loop which is an optional extra on the TransAmerica.  Tom and i decided (we must have been feeling fresh) we would do it as we have a few days to spare.  A beautiful cycle, so beautiful that Tom got us deliberately lost twice giving us a nice wee 15 mile extra.  Cheers Tom.

 Mammoth Cave, the longest cave network in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site.  We only ventured in for a tour of approximately 1/2 mile,

the cave extends over 400 miles and new parts are being discovered all the time.  Graded 'moderate' difficult because of the 80 steps......i wont say anymore.  Fascinating place and well worth the extra 87 miles (plus Toms bonus miles....not still annoyed)

 We decided we havent been taking enough photos.  Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and to an extent Kentucky havent thrown up the same picturesque sites as the more Western States.  Beautiful and interesting in their own right, we just havent taken too many photos!  We also on this day passed through our final time zone (Central to Eastern), only 5 hours behind now.

 Kentucky - We passed the birthplace of Lincoln, president and vampire hunter.  Decent bloke by all accounts.

 Kentucky - We camped at the back of high school ball park one night and on the adjacent field there was a high school football match going on so we stopped by for a look.  I managed to negotiate us free access by saying Tom was a high school kid from the UK hoping to make it in the US as a 'receiver' an american football term i believe.  The American high school talent on show was fantastic, the game was pretty poor.

 The home of Bourbon in Kentucky.  A huge distillery on our route, we stopped in for a tour and some tasting.  I'm not sure they do it on 'Le Tour' but a whiskey half way through a 97 mile cycle is just what you need, especially in the heat.  It was actually really interesting, i managed to hold back on saying Bourbon is just a poor mans whiskey.

Half way and beyond...

Hello, its been a while.  Apologies, my excuses are the smart phone  has killed the internet cafe and Kansas Libraries have funny opening hours. 

 

Half way has been and gone since the last update.

 

We have left Wyoming, cycled through Colorado and we are currently on the Kansas/Missouri border.

In Wyoming we continued to cycle at altitude through mountain dessert, still every bit the wild west.  Not a lot of people, several deserted 'Ghost Towns'  mainly from the gold rush era.  The landscape was relatively bland in comparison to the magnificent scenery of the Tetons and Yellowstone and the preceding states. 

 

Colorado and the Rocky mountains were absolutely stunning, some of the best cycling of the trip so far.  We gained altitude culminating in the highest point of the trip - The Hoosier Pass at 11,542ft, thankfully we were pretty well acclimatised so it didnt seem to effect us.

After this we had some awesome descents which took us into the very flat Eastern Colorado which was a warm up for the even flatter Kansas.

 

The weather in Wyoming and Easter Colorado continued to be very hot (I cant wait for winter), unusually though Kansas has been very wet.  We had 8 inches of rain in two days which is pretty much unheard off for a state which has apparently been in a drought for the past 3 years.

 

Some pretty frightening lightning storms accompanied the rain which has been an experience to cycle through, someone needs to tell Tom that it isn't safer hiding under trees if trying to avoid lightning.  A couple of flood induced diversions ensued also, a baw ache at the time but it all adds to the experience!

Photos and further explanation below.

 

The stats:

 

Day 30 - Ddebois to Lander                      5hrs 08mins 28secs on bike, 74.94 miles, 14.5mph average

Day 31 - Lander to Jeffrey City               4:26.49 on bike, 58.17miles, 13mph average
Day 32 - Jeffrey city to Rawlins              5:35.02 on bike, 74.3miles, 13.3mph average
Day 33- Rawlins to Riverside                  4:31.11 on bike, 62.71 miles, 13.8mph average
Day 34- Riverside to Walden                  3:48.46 on bike, 49.09miles, 12.8mph average
Day 35 - Walden to Kremmling              5:33.23 on bike, 81.01 miles, 14.5mph average
Day 36 - Kremmling to Breckenridge      5:13.24 on the bike, 64.05 miles, 12.2mph average
Day 37 - Breckinridge to Guffey             4:52.15 on the bike, 67.99 miles, 13.9mph average
Day 38 - Guffey to Pueblo                       5:41.56 on the bike, 85.21 miles, 14.9mph average
Day 39 - Day Off in Pueblo, Tom still cant finish a large Dominos pizza
Day 40 - Pueblo to Ordway                     3:56.24 on bike, 51.08miles, 12.9mph average
Day 41 - Ordway to Sheridan Lake         6:12.05 on bike, 91.05 miles, 14.6mph average
Day 42 - Sheridan Lake to Scott City      5:59.44 on bike, 75.98 miles, 12.6mph average
Day 43 - Scott City to Bezine                  6:39.10 on bike, 67.04 miles, 10.0 mph average
Day 44 - Bezine to Larned                       4:35.13 on bike, 52.48 miles, 11.4mph average
Day 45-Larned to Hutchinson                  5:37.12 on bike, 73.11 miles, 13.0mph average
Day 46 - Hutchinson to Cassody             6:03.35 on bike, 77.8 miles, 12.8 mph average
Day 47 - Cassody to Coyville                  4:53.17 on bike, 66.96 miles, 13.7mph average
Day 48 - Coyville to Pittsburg                  6:36.48 on bike, 89.4 miles, 13.5mph average

NB on Day 48, Tom cycled a further 10.6 miles around Pittsburg to ensure he got a 100mph day, whoever made the bet must now pay up.

Day 49 - Day off Pittsburg

  

 The view leaving Debois was stunning.  We stopped at an Indian reservation about 20 miles after leaving Debois, a guy came up to me and asked me if i liked Debois, i replied 'yes, very nice' before i realised what i walked into. Prick.

 

Tom insisted on taking a photo of me on this occasion, he said i looked really nice.

 

 Typical camping scene, kit explosion.  If i was to hazard a guess I would say Chili and Pasta was on the menu with sweetcorn and/or green beans.

 Proper cowboy pose in the Wild West, more Brokeback than John Wayne though.
 

The stars and stripes flying proudly on Tom's bike. Tom has mentioned many times how he wished he had been born an American

 

 Jeffrey City, one of many 'Ghost towns' in Wyoming.  This town within the last 30 years was booming with over 3,000 people, a new school was built in the 80's which in its prime had around 600 attendees. Jeffrey City was a Uranium mining town.  When the Uranium industry collapsed in the US the town was vacated over night, there are lots of empty buildings, i believe about 50 people now reside there, very creepy.  Liquor store wasnt open, darn it.
 

Continental Divide #lost count, still enthusiastic though, you got to give the guys some credit.
 

 Some sight seeing, Wyoming State Penitentiary opened in 1901.  It was a very interesting place if not a little eerie.

A low budget movie titled “Prison” was filmed on location. The movie was one of Viggo Mortensen’s first and featured several other well known actors. Significant damage was done to the prison grounds during filming because it had yet to be considered a historic site, the walls still stained with fake blood etc.  The Gas Chamber and Stalls where quite a few people were executed over the years remain intact though.

 

 Wyoming and Tom. State #4 (although this seems in the wrong order, we took this when entering Colorado as the sign was better than the one within Yellowstone)

 

 Spelt colourful wrong, other than that the photo is flawless.  State #5.
 

 We visited a Rodeo whilst in Breckenridge, an authentic American experience.  A bit cruel for my liking but the Americans seem to be all over it!  That said they love Baseball.

Breckenridge was one of the best places we have stayed, it is a winter ski resort so very cool (and expensive).  We would have liked to have stayed longer but were also keen to get going with the Hoosier Pass looming.

 

Highest point of the trip, we reached the 11,524 feet pass on the last day of the Tour de France. Many road users commented on how i reminded them of Chris Froome in the way i tackled the mountain. The climb was beautiful and the downhill was class too.
 

This was our accommodation in Guffey, Colorado. The gentleman (Bill) owned a lot of land which was full of cattle skeletons, old buildings, wrecked cars etc. He let some of the buildings out to cyclists and has done for a good few decades. It was a very unique place, Tom put some of the external shots on twitter.

 

Kansas........I might have something nice to say about it if the wind blew East. It doesn't though so i haven't. Dorothy your shoes are shit. OK so perhaps a bit harsh.  The people were incredibly kind and friendly, the weather could have been worse. 

 

An indication of how flat the roads are in Eastern Colorado and Kansas

  

 Half way! yeeha.

 

 Seeking shelter at a church by the side of the road.  Kansas doesn't have too much going scenery wise but it does have lots of Churches which are generously open to cyclists.  Happy to soak up the hospitality.

A quick stop following a thunder storm, although i dont like it i am very happy at the UK'esq weather.  I am more suited to it peeing down (this was pre humidity) with rain than i am to anything above 25 degrees, it tends to be around 35 degrees.

 

 This was a church we stayed in Hutchinson.  The Zion Lutheran Church.  We picked the key up from the local bike shop as indicated on our map.  The place had two beds with a TV and DVD player above each bed, a kitchen, showers, lots of room to hang stuff up.  It is one of many churches offered to cyclists along the Transamerica Trail. It is incredible.  There was a storm outside as we sat watching a DVD, so happy and grateful to be indoors.
 

 Early morning cycle to beat the heat.  The rain has brought the humidity, and i know i keep complaining about the weather but it is so bloody hot.  The humidity is unreal.
 

The community centre where we stayed in Coyville. We asked a local resident whether we could stay there for the evening (another cyclists had said it would be ok if we asked).  The same lady we asked offered us use of her pool, we ended up showering in her house and she made us dinner.  I in return offered up Tom but she declined.

In the photo Tom is planning the remainder of the trip.  We are a little ahead of schedule so have decided to extend the trip another 250 miles and cycle up to the Nations capital.  According to the maps, the Obama's let you camp in their garden.

The journey continues.....

Hello all, I would like to start by thanking every single person who has made a donation to Yorkshire Cancer Research.  We are over halfway to reaching our target, if we dont raise another penny the total to date is already superb.  Thank you all on behalf of Tom and I and Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Day 21 - Missoula to Darby (Warm Shower Host) 5hrs 3mins in the Saddle, 67.33 miles, 13.3mph Average
Day 22- Darby - Jackson Hot Springs 6hrs 16mins, 72.45 m, 11.5mph Ave
Day 23 - Jackson Hot Springs - Dillon, 3hrs 33mins, 47.7 m, 13.4mph Ave
Day 24 - Dillon to Ennis, 5hrs 13mins, 73.12 m, 13.9mph Ave
Day 25 - Ennis to West Yellowstone, 5hrs 45mins, 73.63m, 12.7mph Ave
Day 26 -West Yellowstone to Grant Village (Yellowstone), 4hrs 40mins, 56.5m, 12mph Ave
Day 27 - Tourist Day in Yellowstone
Day 28 - Grant Village to Teton RV Park, 4hrs 12 mins, 59.77 m, 14.1 mph Ave
Day 29 - Teton RV Park to Debois, 3hrs 45 mins, 51.7 m, 13.7 mph Ave

Its been a good week on the bike - we have passed from Montana to Wyoming (our 4th state, high 5's), over the Continental divide at least 4 times, through Yellowstone Grand Teton National Parks and the weather has cooled. 

We have been cycling at an altitude of 5,000 feet plus for the past week, this means although still hot through the day it cools down quite dramatically in the evening which is great for sleeping.  We have cycled as high as 9,650 feet so we can definitely feel it on the lungs, we continue to go up for the next week or so culminating in the Hoosier pass which is 11,542 feet....something to look forward too.

A couple of stories from the week.  We arrived in Darby from Missoula, i was in the supermarket picking up some tins for dinner, daydreaming about whether the campsite would have a shower.  I was approached at the checkout by 3 generations of femal.  This is quite a common occurrence so i wasnt too surprised, one of the ladies then asked if i would like to stay with them, again i took this in my stride.  It turned out the youngest of the three alogn with her husband was a host on a website called warm showers.org in which generous individuals give up their garden/couch and shower for touring cyclists.  I was shocked but very gladly accepted, within 30 mins we were showered and sitting waiting for a 3 course meal, the hosts made us breakfast too.  Very humbling and yet another example of the generosity which has met us at almost every turn.

The day after the magnificent hospitality shown by our Warm Shower hosts, Tom and I stopped at a MacDonald's for some free re-fill Coke and Wifi.  We were telling some local kids about our trip (which was in defence and explanation as to why we were dressed like a couple of plonkers) when some guy passed us $40 and said 'welcome to America!' I am not sure what we said to invoke such generosity but despite Tom's protests i told him this would be donated to our charity and we were very grateful and humbled by his gesture.  Tom wanted to spend it on a couple of supersize meals, he is always eating.

Yellowstone was as advertised.  Spectacular scenery, an abundance of wildlife and even more tourists.  We had a great time and enjoyed our day off but truthfully i was almost happy to move on.  The roads were so busy it didnt feel safe, every second vehicle was a huge RV and roads are generally narrow.  Additionally we have already witnessed so much spectacular scenery on our trip WITHOUT the tourists Yellowstone didnt quite match up, difficult one to explain. 

The fitness levels continue to improve, although the mileage is still varied we are no longer absolutely shattered at the end of the day.

 Hitting the shops before we get on our way

 Brokeback mountain heroes

 Refreshments time

 Still in the wild west

Quake Lake - this lake was formed by an Earthquake in the 1950's, sadly a lot of people lost their lives.  The picture shows the location of a former campsite which was full on the night of the earthquake which caused a landslide and flash floods.

 Arrived in the town of West Yellowstone located at the gates of Yellowstone national park.  Yellowtone was the one place pre-trip we were most excited about.

 State #4

 Long eared deer, bike is the best way to see the wildlife in Yellowstone.  Although in the time we stopped to take a photo about 6 cars pulled up to see what we were looking at.  In Yellowstone there are frequently 'bear jams' 'elk jams' etc where the Cars/RV's just stop where they are and people jump out to take photos - mental.

 The geysers in the background, hundreds of them, a very cool cycle!

 We passed over the Continental divide 4 times in 2 days, this is the first, hence the enthusiasm.

 The Yellowstone Grand Canyon, the highlight of the park for me.  It was originally called simply the Grand Canyon before the one in Nevada stole its name, the bastard.

 Grand Teton, the other pre-trip highlight.  We need a new highlight now that they are both done.

 My Peanut butter bagel enjoyed with a view.  I love bagels.

 The Tetons with my bike in the forefront, amazing.

 It takes a good photographer to make this guy look cool

 Happy to be at the top of the pass, the post not so happy.

Yellowstone, this was as close as i dared go. Just less than a ton.  Something to aspire too.