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Tour de Gros Ventre


dinneR

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https://www.relive.cc/view/vMq5GrJMYQO

I let one of my friends talk me into this ride. Originally, the plan was to do it over two days and camp. Then he said we could do it in one long day. I trusted his math.

Of course we started an hour late. The first 65 miles or so were great. We made good time. There was only one spot where we couldn't locate the correct road. I packed light on food, knowing we would pass Togwotee Mtn lodge and I could refuel. It was closed for the season. We rolled on crossing the continental divide, then Togwotee pass around 9600'. 

We dropped into the backcountry. It was great at first. Beautiful descent. It is bear country. We saw lots of grizzly tracks. Then the road ended and we were on a horse trail. We pushed for hours. Parts were rideable, most were not. We followed this creek and had to cross it about a dozen times. 

We finally made it out of the backcountry and onto a gravel rd just as the sun dipped behind the mountains. We finished in the dark. I think it took more than nine hours. I am pretty confident we are the first fools people to do this route on bikes.

 

TDG mtns.jpg

TDG valley.jpg

TDG valley2.jpg

TDG river.jpg

TDG sunset.jpg

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5 hours ago, dennis said:

Tour de Gros Ventre

Isn't that, like, a trip to Starbucks to get a large coffee?  :dontknow:

 

5 hours ago, dennis said:

then Togwotee pass around 9600'

Air runs out at that elevation. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

 

5 hours ago, dennis said:

I think it took more than nine hours.

157km is something like 43 furlongs per fortnight or about 100 miles.  And crossing the continental divide, even.

You are mighty!  I bow to you. (And great pictures - especially the last!)

 

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4 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

Isn't that, like, a trip to Starbucks to get a large coffee?  :dontknow:

 

Air runs out at that elevation. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

 

157km is something like 43 furlongs per fortnight or about 100 miles.  And crossing the continental divide, even.

You are mighty!  I bow to you. (And great pictures - especially the last!)

 

My friend took the photos. I forgot my phone at home. I'm the fool in the creek.

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22 hours ago, dennis said:

I let one of my friends talk me into this ride. Originally, the plan was to do it over two days and camp. Then he said we could do it in one long day. I trusted his math.

Of course we started an hour late. The first 65 miles or so were great. We made good time. There was only one spot where we couldn't locate the correct road. I packed light on food, knowing we would pass Togwotee Mtn lodge and I could refuel. It was closed for the season. We rolled on crossing the continental divide, then Togwotee pass around 9600'. 

We dropped into the backcountry. It was great at first. Beautiful descent. It is bear country. We saw lots of grizzly tracks. Then the road ended and we were on a horse trail. We pushed for hours. Parts were rideable, most were not. We followed this creek and had to cross it about a dozen times. 

We finally made it out of the backcountry and onto a gravel rd just as the sun dipped behind the mountains. We finished in the dark. I think it took more than nine hours. I am pretty confident we are the first fools people to do this route on bikes.

Nice adventure!  You're lucky you posted here instead of where being that unprepared :whistle: would get you hammered! 

It looks like wet shoes again for you!  That creek definitely is not rideable :D so how did you decide to walk it rather than up on the bank? Did you also know it would hit a trail again at some time?  I'd think even if you are the first to ride that route, hikers would have at least established a semblance of a trail that didn't include the creek.

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1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

Nice adventure!  You're lucky you posted here instead of where being that unprepared :whistle: would get you hammered! 

It looks like wet shoes again for you!  That creek definitely is not rideable :D so how did you decide to walk it rather than up on the bank? Did you also know it would hit a trail again at some time?  I'd think even if you are the first to ride that route, hikers would have at least established a semblance of a trail that didn't include the creek.

Well I had a jacket and a hat so that would count as prepared for bikeguy. I also had bear spray on my belt. 

At each crossing we would look at our options. Sometimes, routing around the creek was a pretty long bushwack. Sometimes, the creek edge ran up against the hillside and it was not an option to go around. If the go around option was easy, we took it. After a few crossings, your feet are wet and are not going to get dry any time soon, so you suck it up. 

This trail was pretty remote. We did not see any hikers or footprints. We passed through a gate to get there. That would be the closest you could park a car. We rode at least five miles from the gate to get to this trail. This trail was really an elk migration route and horseback route. It was really narrow. We had to walk with our bikes on the rear wheel with us pushing the bike.

Grizzly and wolf tracks.

 

20201004_173107.jpg

20201004_161030.jpg

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5 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

Oh, I hardly think so.  I think, instead, it was quite ingenious.

1 - You're in bear country.

2 - Your friend is behind you taking the picture because you 'forgot' your phone.

3 - If a bear shows up, you've got a head start on your buddy as to who becomes dinner.  ;)

Always an upside. I like your thinking.

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