Day 26: Friday, July 22, 2005 Today we wimped-out! Our phone message light was blinking when we woke up and it was a message from Steve. Steve had planned to rent a car and spend several days in the Yellowstone area and seeing how worn out we were from the long hard days of riding—he very kindly offered to let us load the bike and trailer into his rental car and drive us the 52.6 miles with a climb of 2837 and one very steep downhill run from West Yellowstone to Grant Village. We are eternally grateful to him!
The new drum brake did not arrive as it was supposed to because of a foul-up by FedEX/Bike Friday (who knows—it was mistakenly sent to Missoula where they had previously delivered some tires to us) so we are still without a drum brake until next Monday in Dubois, Wyoming.
So, I took photos out the window of the car as we drove along and because of the traffic it was about like being on a bike. Although if we had been riding today we would not have been going that fast!
We did have breakfast at the Running Bear Pancake House and it was every bit as good as Jeff and AK told us they would be.
We stopped in the Old Faithful area for lunch but did not do the required thing of watching it blow! Another time for that.
So, this is now a real rest day and we should be back in form to continue on tomorrow. It will be a short day and downhill so almost another rest day!
A herd of Elk just inside the park
That is the Madison River again with another look
This scruffy Coyote was the only wildlife other than the Elk Herd when we first came into the park
Our second crossing of the Continental Divide
Elevation 8391 – you know how sorry I was not to be on the bike!!!
Just coming around to Grant Village – a view of Yellowstone Lake
View out our window with the screen imprint – sorry!
from the walk out front
Pre dinner indulgence
view from our table
We were so lucky – when we booked the rep made sure we got dinner reservations early as she knew we would be hungry after our long hard ride! Well even without the long hard ride we were ready and there were so many folks who did not know about the reserving thing and had to wait until after 9:30 to eat. We would never make that!
So now to bed early and no alarm again and we should be back to some sort of normal energy tomorrow! Thank you Steve!!!