The day would be short mileage but featured a good deal of climbing. I was really cold on the bike, registering 36 degrees when I climbed in the saddle, and it was tough to get my pistons warmed up properly. But the traffic was light most of the morning as people were sleeping while I was climbing.
I tried a new strategy today that I read about in the New York Times whereby a person can burn more fat by working out bonked in the first hour of the day. It didn't work for me. My body felt fine but I developed a headache that I would try and fight off the rest of the day.
Today was important for one reason relating to my 2004 journey. In 2004, I was forced to load my bike on a pilot car for 5 miles through a construction zone in Yellowstone. At the time I was livid, since it would be the only miles, other than the Mississippi River, that I would not get a chance to ride. The purist in me wanted to do the whole enchilada! Anyhow, today I rode those 5 miles that I had to skip before, so now the trip is complete, unless someone dares me to swim across the Mississippi!
My arrival at Grant Village meant an ice cold Gatorade and an uncommonly good bacon cheeseburger. After talking with staff about the options for seeing the park by tour bus I realized there were no options -- since almost all of the tours leave from destinations elsewhere in the park. Turns out Yellowstone is pretty much a car place, bummer.
The Grant Village Campground was reserved full, but cyclists enjoy a guaranteed campsite anytime. Score one for cyclists! The rest of the day was lazy: eating, reading, napping etc. The only exciting turn of events were when a Boy Scout troop camping in the site next to me returned from their days activities.
Those little devils can make a lot of noise. A one had he gall to come peek in my tent as I was laying down! I thought about chasing him down and giving him a toilet swirly (a time-honored tradition when I was a Boy Scout) but my 38-year-old legs told me to stay put.
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