Day Forty-five (41 miles, 2151.2 total): You're As Cold As Ice

Clank! Shuffle, shuffle! Click! Pop! Shuffle, shuffle! 5:00AM. All three woman are shining flashlights and shuffling about packing their gear. It's apparent by their tip-toeing, that they are trying to be quiet. It was like a bull in a china shop! I had never heard so much noise in the morning on this trip! (minus the fire alarm in Pueblo). I see Bill look up then roll back over again. I try to go back to sleep but the racket is ridiculous. Fortunately for Bob, he was in a separate room. The women slowly make their way out the door. I just lie on the ground until 6:00AM when another phone alarm goes off. Ella has been running around since the women got up and spends the morning exploring the dusty corners of the church.

Finally Bill and Bob are up as well and we sluggishly pack away our gear. Before too long, we roll out the door and head for a coffee shop we had found the day before. Kathy's Koffee was one of the best coffee shops I had been to on the entire trip. I got a mocha and a breakfast burrito the size of my head! We took our time and spoke with the locals while we gorged ourselves on the massive burritos. We finally decided it was time to leave around 9:00AM. A much later start than our usual mornings, but well worth every second. It was soon discovered that our heavy breakfast was definitely needed. We had a long 34 mile climb to Togwotee Pass today.

The first hour or so is low grade and we stop for a lot of pictures here and there. The black veil of rain catches up with us and we quickly throw on our rain gear. The rain continues to drift on and off in waves. We slowly climb our way back int the mountains and the high plains morph into the lush greenery of the low alpines. The higher we climb, the thicker the forests around us become. It was absolutely beautiful, even in the grey blanket of rain. As the road levels, the rain stops momentarily and we are able to get a few good photos in. No sooner had I put my camera away, the onslaught of rain began again.

The final stretch of the mountain climbs on and on. A sheet of rain constantly soaking us as we fight on up the mountain. Between the incessant rain and the droning climb, I was slowly put in a trance as I pedaled on. Comfortably Numb became my mental soundtrack as I pressed on through the cold, wet climb. After who knows how long, I finally arrived at the peak. Just when I reached the top, the rain stopped and I was able to snap a quick picture of the pass. Bob and I waited a few minutes for Bill to arrive. As soon as he got his pass picture, the rain began again so we quickly slid our rain jacket hoods back on and continued on down the mountain. 15, 20, 25, 30, 35mph. Faster and faster, we flew down the mountain like rockets. The rain was light, at first, as we bolted around the mountain roads. About 5 miles into our full blown sprint, the sky turned as dark as night.

The winds swirled around us, rain came down in thick icy sheets, roads became cold slippery slopes. Harder and harder, the rain came down unlike anything we had experienced before. My hands were frozen in ice cold claws, my nose and cheeks burned from the sting of the rain. The temperatures dropped like a stone as we raced to escape the barrage of freezing cold sheets of water. The rain felt like needles of ice against my bare knuckles. We barreled on through the darkness until we could find shelter. The first place we came to happened to be Togwotee Mountain Lodge. Completely drenched, shaking like leaves we entered the warm lodge to find complementary coffee and hot chocolate.

Bill, Bob, and I sat by the wood fire to warm up, but even 30 minutes later our teeth were chattering like Halloween skeletons. After about an hour of planning, debating, and researching, we decided to stay at the lodge for the night. The hostel listed on the ACA maps was $75 a night per person with dorm style accommodations. It was a bit unreasonable. With the three of us splitting the cost of a nice, plush hotel room, we only paid $70 per person. If you are traveling in a group through this area, I recommend not staying at the hostel. Definitely stay at Togwotee Mountain Lodge because it is beautiful, has great food, and fantastic rooms as well. After we had paid for the room and settled in, I went down to the lobby to work on my photos while Bill and Bob went to the bar. A few hours later, I headed back up to the room where we had a bunch of snacks and watched movies for awhile. A spacious, warm room and a full tummy was the best way we could have ended such a tedious, freezing, wet day of riding. We hope you are enjoying our adventures and continue to follow us as we make our way to The Grand Tetons!