We awoke to rainy weather and didn’t regret our decision to stay in a motel instead of camping. The road from Alpine to Jackson is under forty miles but on days like this it’s important to go into the day thinking of it as any other – thoughts that the day will be “short” will only lead to disappointment as it inevitably drags on longer than anticipated.
We headed off into the rain and immediately entered a narrow winding river valley, following the Snake River upstream. White-river rafting buses passed by – looking initially like prison buses until you see the “rafting” logos – but no rafters were visible in the river below. Low-slung clouds shrouded the pine-covered peaks around us and before long Donald got a flat. Riding on rainy days makes lots of small dirt and gravel stick to your tires, obscuring the location of the puncture. After a quick cleaning he found and patched the puncture and we moved on, only for a second puncture to appear less than a minute later.
The road shoulder disappeared completely for a couple scary miles but eventually a bike path popped up on the side of the road and we followed it into town as it wound along a rapid stream through the outskirts of town and we finish up our “short” day with a late lunch of some good barbecue.
My first impressions of Jackson are very different than that of Park City from a few days ago. In both cities we stayed right in downtown, but in Park City, the city felt manufactured – home to Lululemon and Patagonia stores and devoid of any foot traffic in the “off season.” But downtown Jackson feels more alive – like people actually live here. We’ll be taking a break for a few days here and will be back on the road on Friday.
Notes from Donald: ” I liked biking along the Snake River but the shoulder really sucked… I can’t believe I got two punctures in less than a half mile.”
Today’s mileage: 39 miles
Total: 1483 miles
