We entered our 13th state today, Wyoming! Excited for the mountainous scenery and animal encounters waiting for us in the days ahead, we set out from Soda Springs to make it to Jackson, WY. One group booked it for most of the day, wanting to see a theatrical show of a shootout near our stayover location for the night. The scenery blew us away today, making for a beautiful ride.

quote of the day

“I can’t open my eyes. Are they red? I have spicy eyes sis. They burn.”

— Hanxi

ride overview

Mileage: 107.1 Miles

Elevation: 4,308 ft.

Points of Interest: Marin RV, Yankee Doodles Cafe, State Line Road, Bridger-Teton National Forest

Ride Dedication: Marian Lendas

tales of the trail

The team ate well this morning with breakfast provided from our stayover at the First Presbyterian Church of Soda Springs. We had bagels, fruit, croissants, and more! After grabbing a bite (and a long line to the bathroom), we headed out for the day to get to one of our most scenic states of the ride, Wyoming! One of our first stops was at Marin RV parking, where we had a lakeview to enjoy along with our snacks. The team expected to encounter some cows along the road today as we rode through an open range, but we got unlucky and didn’t encounter any cows on our path. We did, however, get to see plenty from a distance, just none a couple of feet in front of us.

We once again had a climb followed by a long, scenic descent with mountains as we crossed into Wyoming. This glimpse of the mountains got all of us excited for the days ahead when we would be heading into the national parks. The route we took resulted in us not seeing a welcome sign to Wyoming, but instead had us ride along a state line road! Idaho on one side and Wyoming on the other! Once we got into Wyoming, we had a rest stop at Yankee Doodles Cafe. For some, it was the best coffee they had all trip, and all of us decided to get some grub before heading further into the ride for the day.

We knew we were getting closer to the Grand Tetons when we entered the Bridger-Teton National Forest. There, we had another rest stop at Elbow Boat Ramp, where we got to dip in the river to cool off before riding through the heat to Jackson, WY. One group got to Jackson early to watch a theatrical shootout in town, and they had a great time viewing the spectacle. Once the rest of the teams got to the stayover, some of us searched for a hose to do a hose-down shower, that's when we met some of the church's neighbors, Chris and Bri! They were really kind, and Chris even let the team use his shower! As we filed in to get our turn, we all got time to chat with Chris and learn more about him and the town. Thank you for letting the team use your shower after a long day of riding!