Day 44- Yellowstone National Park

77.1 miles- South Yellowstone, WYOMING to West Yellowstone, MONTANA

With a few inches of snow on the ground and the South Gate of Yellowstone closed, I was off to a rocky start. I enjoyed breakfast with a couple who was preparing to do a supported (i.e. instead of bags they use a van and driver) ride from West Yellowstone back the way I had come to Colorado. When I finally entered the park, the snow was deep and the weather was cold. After climbing up for 35 miles and across the continental divide three times the ride rinally began to look up. By Old Faithful I was in lower elevation and had left the snow and frigid weather behind.

Towards West Yellowstone gysers and bison became were around every turn. For the most part, the bison ignored the cars and lone cyclist. Even a mother sitting next to her newborn a few feet from the road did nor bother to chase away onlookers. I was very worried, however, when I caught a particularly mean bison looking at me (which was rare in itself) like the cows from Missouri just before they called the herd to chase.

After the desolate beauty of Wyoming, Yellowstone was a bit disapointing. Holistically, the crouds make the experience dull and unexciting. Speeding campers and touring buses are a far cry from the one-car-an-hour I have become all too comfortable with.

(Water two nights ago did not destroy my camera or phone, but looks like my camera card is useless. Losing my pictures since Colorado has been devistating. I should be able to find another and have more pictures up then.)