Prelude to Alaska

Little Miss Sunshine goes to Jackson, Wyoming

May 28, 2008
by floracycle

I like to wash my windscreen with a water filled hotel trash can in the mornings.  Rinsing off the grit before scrubbing the bugs from the day before.  This is not a big deal usually but today it caused a small problem.  I've made some small gauntlets to protect my hands from the expected cold and rain on this trip. 

They slip over the handgrip protectors and fasten with velcroe.  They work great allowing me to wear lighter gloves.  I believe these two factors worked together today.  As I picked up speed my horn began to blow as if possesed just like the movie Little Miss Sunshine.  Now I've upgraded from the Roadrunner like beep horn to a Stiebel which sounds like a small semi truck horn.  So I'm leaving the peaceful little town of Steamboat with a horn of the devil.  At stoplights I honk at the cars in front of me while I fiddle with the button trying to make it stop to no avail.  Hikers and bicyclist give me evil looks as I go by.  I knew immediatly that water was being held near the button causing it to short.  I could stop and fiddle with it or I could get out of town and let the wind take care of it.  That's exactly what I did.  To the fair people of Steamboat my deepest apologies.

After passing about a dozen of what Colorado calls "Points of Interest" I decide to take a break, eat a snack and check one out.  As I was snooping around I saw something that caught my eye around back. I assume this was a pronghorn antelope as I've been seeing them all day.  Apparently this guy jumped in to eat the more succulent grass found on the inside.  He must have caught his foot in the fence on the way out essentially hanging himself buy the rear foot.  Not a great way to go.  It is not for the faint of heart so beware if you view the slide show.  I'll spare you here.

Next stop was Dinosaur, Colorado were I stopped for a bowl of Chili and talked to some old timers who told some pretty good tales.  I found this fellow guarding the town hall.  Many of the streets were named after dinosaurs, T-Rex drive and Terradactyl Lane.

The old timers from Dinosaur told me the drive north of Vernal, Utah was very pretty and they were right there are 10 switchbacks on the ascent.  The area is referred to as the Flaming Gorge Recreational Area.  It looks to me like one of those special places that are more overshadowed by the big name.  However I think it has a lot to offer and deserves more research.  Sounds like a new adventure to me.

Here I saw my first moose.  A baby I think but a moose none the less.  I first saw it in middle of the pond pictured.  Buy the time I stopped he had move off a little so I stalked it through the woods to get a better shot.  Once upon him I wondered, where's mom?  I looked aroung took my pics and got back to the bike.

Shortly after this my battery went dead on my camera.  I grabbed my spare and wouldn't you know it but it was dead to.  That's too bad because the last 75 miles or so to Jackson, Wyoming were spectacular.  The sun was in my face and I was running late so I probably wouldn't have taken any good shots anyway. 

I stayed at the Victorian Inn in Jackson and ate at their restaraunt.