WYOMING, the cowboy state!! I enjoyed cycling this section very much because it involved many stops. I first spent nearly a week in the Yellowstone National Park (hiking, cycling and sightseeing) where I met up with my dad (Walter), we then headed down to Grand Tetons National Park where we did another longer hike. I then cycled along the Snake river and followed Highway 89 for most of the way through Wyoming and then switched to Highway 150 into northern Utah.
Date
Distance
Altitude gain
Place
16.08.05
022 km
0260 m
Mammoth Hot Springs , hiking day
17.08.05
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Rest day (Yellowstone)
18.08.05
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Sightseeing (Yellowstone)
19.08.05
122 km
1170 m
Mammoth Hot Springs - Grant Village
20.08.05
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Grant Village (Yellowstone)
21.08.05
099 km
0640 m
Grant Village - Jenny Lake (Tetons)
22.08.05
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Day of hiking, Grand Teton area
23.08.05
130 km
0515 m
Jenny Lake - Thayne (Salt river)
24.08.05
170 km
1070 m
Thayne - Randolph (Utah)
Entering Wyoming in the Yellowstone National Park was great! I knew that I would stay here for a couple of days. To do some hiking, sightseeing and wait for my dad to arrive.
On my first day in the park (16.08.05), I got up at the crack of dawn to go up the Electric peak (3343m). It was a long 32 km hike. I had packed my backpack and made my way along a forest trail which would then lead me to a trail leading up the steep mountain slope with a bit of easy rock climbing near the summit. I had alway heard everyone tell me to watch out for bears!!! Yea yea...I have heard that now for 3 months but I have never encountered a bear on a hike...until I got to the bottom of the steep section on this hike... I had my swiss cowbell making hell of a noise through the lonely forest when suddenly a huge Grizzly was frightened by the noise and jumped into the trail in front of me. Within seconds I stopped, stood still and talked to the huge Grizzly in a calm voice telling him to 'piss off'. I had my bear spray ready for the worst.....the Grizzly and I looked at each other for some time before he turned around and took off up the path which I wanted to take. I was wondering weather I should turn back or not but after walking all this way I was not going to let a Grizzly block my way, so I continued walking in his direction making such a loud noise, screaming at him that he ran away and I could continue on my way up to the summit. I did feel a bit scared when I had to pass the exact spot on the way down again!!!
I had returned to the campsite later that evening and decided to rest for a day and just enjoy a day of reading. Walter (dad) arrived on the 17.08.05 just as a thunderstorm passed by, creating a beautiful double arched rainbow.
It was great to meet up with dad. It was good to speak swiss-German for a change and sit around the fire, catching up on stories and news from home.
We spent 3 days viewing the hot pools, geysers, mud pools and wildlife in the great and popular park.
right: 'mud volcano' in the Yellowstone National Park
left: view of the Mammoth hot springs.
right: Lower falls, Yellowstone river
...cycling past a herd of Bison at close range can be quite scary!!! This huge 'fellow' was not too impressed when he saw a human cycling past!
After spending a few days in the Yellowstone National Park it was time to move south. Just south of Yellowstone we got to the Grand Teton National Park. I could not miss this opportunity to go hiking. I just had to do at least one longer hike in this beautiful range.
The hike up cascade canyon, over paintbrush pass and down into the paintbrush canyon was longer than what we thought and it took us a whole day of constant walking to finish the 30km circuit...
...however, there was always time to stop and pick some delicious berries (always on the lookout for bears!)
The view from the top of the paintbrush canyon pass (about 3250m)was just amazing (felt a bit like being back home in the swiss alps).
After leaving the Grand Teton National Park we headed south, past the lovely western style town of Jackson and then headed along Highway 89 towards Utah. It was time to leave the comfortable temperature zone and move on into the HOT western desert.
WYOMING, the cowboy state!! I enjoyed cycling this section very much because it involved many stops. I first spent nearly a week in the Yellowstone National Park (hiking, cycling and sightseeing) where I met up with my dad (Walter), we then headed down to Grand Tetons National Park where we did another longer hike. I then cycled along the Snake river and followed Highway 89 for most of the way through Wyoming and then switched to Highway 150 into northern Utah.
Entering Wyoming in the Yellowstone National Park was great! I knew that I would stay here for a couple of days. To do some hiking, sightseeing and wait for my dad to arrive. 
On my first day in the park (16.08.05), I got up at the crack of dawn to go up the Electric peak (3343m). It was a long 32 km hike. I had packed my backpack and made my way along a forest trail which would then lead me to a trail leading up the steep mountain slope with a bit of easy rock climbing near the summit. I had alway heard everyone tell me to watch out for bears!!! Yea yea...I have heard that now for 3 months but I have never encountered a bear on a hike...until I got to the bottom of the steep section on this hike... I had my swiss cowbell making hell of a noise through the lonely forest when suddenly a huge Grizzly was frightened by the noise and jumped into the trail in front of me. Within seconds I stopped, stood still and talked to the huge Grizzly in a calm voice telling him to 'piss off'. I had my bear spray ready for the worst.....the Grizzly and I looked at each other for some time before he turned around and took off up the path which I wanted to take. I was wondering weather I should turn back or not but after walking all this way I was not going to let a Grizzly block my way, so I continued walking in his direction making such a loud noise, screaming at him that he ran away and I could continue on my way up to the summit. I did feel a bit scared when I had to pass the exact spot on the way down again!!! 
I had returned to the campsite later that evening and decided to rest for a day and just enjoy a day of reading. Walter (dad) arrived on the 17.08.05 just as a thunderstorm passed by, creating a beautiful double arched rainbow.
It was great to meet up with dad. It was good to speak swiss-German for a change and sit around the fire, catching up on stories and news from home. 
We spent 3 days viewing the hot pools, geysers, mud pools and wildlife in the great and popular park.
right: 'mud volcano' in the Yellowstone National Park
left: view of the Mammoth hot springs.
right: Lower falls, Yellowstone river
...cycling past a herd of Bison at close range can be quite scary!!! This huge 'fellow' was not too impressed when he saw a human cycling past!
After spending a few days in the Yellowstone National Park it was time to move south. Just south of Yellowstone we got to the Grand Teton National Park. I could not miss this opportunity to go hiking. I just had to do at least one longer hike in this beautiful range.
The hike up cascade canyon, over paintbrush pass and down into the paintbrush canyon was longer than what we thought and it took us a whole day of constant walking to finish the 30km circuit...
...however, there was always time to stop and pick some delicious berries (always on the lookout for bears!)
The view from the top of the paintbrush canyon pass (about 3250m)was just amazing (felt a bit like being back home in the swiss alps).
After leaving the Grand Teton National Park we headed south, past the lovely western style town of Jackson and then headed along Highway 89 towards Utah. It was time to leave the comfortable temperature zone and move on into the HOT western desert.