Day #85: Jackson to Alpine (38 miles)
- chrisbentley349
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
Before I leave Jackson, I want to sing its praises... It has 2 or 3 really good sushi restaurants and an absolutely hopping downtown shopping district of 3-4 square blocks... lots of funky shops, lots of young kids, lots of families out and about together. The place I ate was Koi Sushi and Poke and the food was great, and I had a lovely talk with the owner on why so many Asian and Indian families visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton. He said, he thought they wanted to give their kids the full American experience. It has always seemed to me that immigrant families grab life by both hands.
The ride today was pretty short (again) and mostly downhill (no complaints from me :-). Again, cool in the morning and I was done before the day got really hot.
The whole morning folowed the Snake River as it ran sometimes wide and flat and sometimes narrow and fast between rock canyons
As I was about to take this movie, I heard someone say "hello" close behind me... it was a state trouper, and we had the nicest conversation that ended up being about feeling a little self conscious of our both being a little fat. He said he works with a bunch of younger guys and can feel embarassed by his body, and I said, no matter how far I ride I can't lose my gut... he said "well we're probably doing ok compared to other 63 year old guys." Then he asked me to move, so he could set up his speed trap :-)
Stats: 38 miles, started at 8:15am, ended at 12:30pm, 4 hours of actual riding:
It’s good the speed trap didn’t set at an end of your down hill rides, you could be caught speeding :-). One can dream that one day the bike trail may run from the east to the west, no more car sharing ride. One big plus part of on the road, biking or hiking, you have better chances to know interesting people from all walks of life. Enjoy the Wyoming days!
Awww, the way you and the state trouper connected sounds so sweet :') Daytime Jackson sounds like it might be more hopping than 10pm Brookline! Also, wonder if the Snake River is named for its shape, or its contents... :)
Thank you, Chris for another beautiful entry! You’re making us feel like we’re right there with you! Alex and I both loved your reflections on Jackson! Such a vibrant town, and you really captured its energy. That conversation with the sushi shop owner was so thoughtful.
The ride along the Snake River sounds stunning, and that moment with the state trooper? Priceless. It’s amazing how the simplest human exchanges can be so real and encouraging. Thanks, as always, for bringing us along for the ride - we’re loving every mile you share! 🚴♂️