BILL HONEYWELL

Yellowstone and Grand Teton Cycle Tour, September 2014. Day 19

Wednesday 24 September – Signal Mountain Lodge  to Jackson – 39.5 miles

The dawn view of the Teton mountains across Jackson Lake was quite, quite stunning.  After recovering from this amazing sight I once again went for the calorific option of blueberry pancakes, not quite managing to finish the two monsters I was served.  Signal Mountain Lodge had been a wonderful place to stay – cosy cabins, friendly staff, a fabulous setting (including the dining room) and a beautiful star-studded sky last night.

Simply knockout views

 Almost immediately after setting off, an obliging mule deer posed for photos as it fed among pine trees at the roadside, whilst later, at the Mount Moran turnout, six Pronghorn Antelopes were grazing in the sage brush.  The views continued to be spectacular, especially as the autumn colours were now advancing quickly.   Retracing our steps of two and a half weeks ago, past Jenny Lake and then on to the cycle path along the Grand Teton Highway, I began to think that if views were alcohol I’d be seriously inebriated by now!

One of many views of the Tetons

Pronghorn

Mount Moran

 At Jenny Lake there was an ‘overlook’ (viewpoint), where a man was taking a picture of his girlfriend.  I offered to take a photo of them both, and once I’d done this he asked to take my photo too.  Not being a big fan of being photographed, I answered

 “No thanks, I don’t really like my photo being taken.”

“Ugh?”

“It’s for security reasons.”

“Really?”

“Yes, UK Social Security...”

This is not a joke that your average American understands, which is understandable without a detailed knowledge of the UK benefits system!  (It WAS a joke, by the way.  The last benefit I claimed was unemployment for two weeks in 1971).

Jenny Lake

Autumn colours

By the way, there's a frequent sign on the cycle tracks which at first I thought was for the benefit of Chinese tourists - it reads XING HWY.  It took me a long time to realise it means 'Crossing Highway'! Numpty.

It's not Mandarin...

At Moose, engineers were working on resurfacing the cycle track (in the notes I’d mentioned to take the cycle track through a tunnel under the main road, then bear right, to which Andy replied “How do you know there’s going to be a bear on the right?.  Now, ironically, we couldn’t use the tunnel!).  While Helen decided to go to Dornan’s (where we’d called on the first day’s cycling) I decided to detour back to Mormon Row to try and get a better photo of the classic view of barns and the Tetons.  I don’t think I was very successful but after a 7-mile detour arrived back at Dorner’s whilst most people were still there.

Mormon Row

Sadly the next long section had to be on the shoulder of the main road, as the cycle track was closed for some miles for resurfacing.  I had to continue past the airport and over the Gros Ventre River before I could get back on it.  There were more stunning autumn colours here.

Gros Ventre River

No sign of elk as I cycled along the edge of the National Elk Refuge (nor the Sandhill Cranes seen by Kathryn a little earlier).  From the outskirts of Jackson I followed the cycle route through town back to our original starting point – the Rawhide Motel.  After retrieving all the bike bags, and giving the manager her living room back, it was a matter of disassembling the bikes and packing them.  This time I packed a full pannier’s worth of clothes in with the bike in an attempt to save the $100 excess baggage charge I’d had to pay on the way out (this was to prove a BIG mistake!!).

Then a quick shopping expedition (more ear-rings, a new wallet and an ice-cream).  The wallet was priced at $49.50 but with sales tax came to $51.48.  Haggling, as usual, I offered $50.00 cash and was rebuffed with “You’re in Jackson, not Morocco, sir!”  $51.48 it was then.  We all went out for a final evening meal together, and found there was a quiz in the restaurant/bar.  Much too biased towards the US, but managed to win a couple of spot prizes – one of which was for my answer to the question “What is the largest dolphin in the world?”  No other team knew the answer.  In an attempt to gain some ground, I wrote “The Killer Whale or Grampus, Orcinus orca”.  The question master, in his wonderful western drawl, said “The guy hasn’t just got the right answer, he’s written it in Latin!!”

Look at the pedestrian-conscience bonnet mascot!

'Fun' Quiz?

Then an early night – tomorrow we’re getting picked up at 5.00 am for our ride to the airport and a 16-hour flight home.  Not before problems at the airport – details in the last episode tomorrow!

Total, final mileage 777.0 miles (1,258 km)