Happy 4th of July!

Many beautiful views of the Tetons!



Allison and Joel at the Snake River; "Uncle Bob" at our fav ice cream shop in Aberdeen, WY.



A new approach to the blog: more pictures and less text, cause we're running out of time to write essays at night when we've got be up up at the crack of dawn every morning!

Highlights of the last few days:

July 2nd, 88 miles into Jackson:
-HUGE headwind the first 2o miles, which was supposed to be the easy part of the ride!
-two big climbs, including one to the top of Teton Pass, which involved several miles of a 10% average grade. We were huffing and puffing, especially due to the altitude, and were at several points doubtful about whether or not we'd make it to the top. With a bit of persistence, we did.
-An awesome descent from Teton Pass. Windy, steep, wide roads, and lots of fun.
-The two of us went out for a great dinner in Jackson on our own, to the Snake River Brewery.
-All in all a very hard day, but the views were great and we felt accomplished at the end!

July 3rd, 88 miles into Dubois:
-We didn't think any ride could top the difficulty of yesterday's, but this ride was a similar challenge. Only one hill to climb, but it was an interminable 15 miles long, concluding at Togwotee Pass (9,000+ feet).
-We got caught in some construction near the top of the pass, and had to be driven up a mile of the climb in a truck bed. We weren't complaining ;)
-After nearly 15 miles of climbing, we were looking forward to the payoff descent down into Dubois. Unfortunately, we were robbed of the opportunity due to a 10 mile stretch of more construction further down the road. We waited on top of the pass for about an hour in the blazing sun for a ride down, and then once we were dropped off, we faced a 20 mile ride into town. It should have been easy, but we again encountered a very gusty head wind, and were pooped by the time of our arrival at the hotel.
-Allison got a taste of small town America at the weekly Wednesday night Dubois square dance. It was fun!

July 4th, 79 miles into Riverton, WY:
-Today was easy compared to the past few days! It was mostly flat or downhill, and the headwinds didn't pick up until later in the day.
-We had a 4th of July bike decorating contest, but after a devastating loss in the scavenger hunt competition earlier in the week, we decided not to participate.
-No fireworks tonight, because we have to rest up for our 120 miler into Casper, WY tomorrow. It's gonna be brutal.....