Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) - Segment:
Togwotee Pass (Divide Crossing #7), Brooks Lake, Warm Spring Creek (Wild Camp),
Union Pass (Divide Crossing #8),
near Strawberry Creek (Rain Camp), Raspberry Creek,
Green River (Mosquito City),
Trail Head near Kendall Ranger Station to Pinedale
(Log Cabin);
Wyoming; June, 2016
Objective:
Ride as much as allowed by the Weather for 4 days.
Highlights
Day 1:
Togwotee is pronounced TOE-guh-tee.
We last ended our bike tour adjacent to, and we started adjacent to, the Togwotee Pass Overlook (a few miles below the actual Togwotee Pass).
Climbing to the 9,584'/2921m Togwotee Pass happened early in the day. Togwotee Pass happens to be GDMBR Continental Divide Crossing #7. My older Adventure Cycling map shoes an altitude of 9,658', it may be correct, put I'm posting the lower elevation.
We next followed the route to Brooks Lake. The Brooks Lake Lodge and Camp Ground has had so many Bear Problems that Forest Rangers/Officials only allow hard side Campers and RV's to stay there. No one is allowed to stay there in a tent or a pop up soft-sided trailer.
The route segment from US 26/287 to Warm Spring Creek was typical with no particular issues.
Riding off-road in the mountains is time consuming but we really enjoyed Nature along the way.
Initially we wanted to stay at the Warm Spring Creek Third Crossing but we stopped 2 miles short at the beautiful Warm Spring Creek Second Crossing for the night (pictures will justify). We had a few Rain Sprinkles during the night and we did not bother to put our rain fly over the tent (the fly was handy, always).
The next morning we saw a huge Elk Herd from our camp site. Terry stated that she is so happy that we stayed at the unplanned campsite.
Day 1 - Togwotee Pass (Continental Divide Crossing #7), Brooks Lake, Wild Camp on Warm Spring Creek
Above Left: We mounted the bike components across the highway from the Togwotee Pass Overlook (which is in the background).
Above Right: We were on the go, Yay Bike Touring!
Above Left: We were on the correct course but we were turning off Hwy 26/287 in about 3 miles.
Above Right: Still Climbing.
Above Left: Antelope.
Above Right: A snake shaped brook.
Above Left: An old open mountain-side mine. There is no mention of the mountain or the mining in our map's highlights.
Above Right: Still climbing.
Above Left: Terry Struck and the Bee at the Continental Divide (9584'/2921m) and at Togwotee Pass (Continental Divide Crossing #7 of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, GDMBR).
Above Right: Continental Divide (9584'/2921m).
Above Left: Entering Shoshone National Forest (from Bridger-Teton National Forest).
Above Right: Togwotee Pass (9584'/2921m) - Togwotee, pronounced TOE-guh-tee, is named after Captain Jones' 1873 Expedition Guide whose means Lance Thrower or Exactly Three (derived from an Indian Game - according to Adventure Cycling map notes).
Above Left: This was our turn-off for the Brook Lake tour leg.
Above Right: Wind River Lake and Picnic Area (unfortunately a Sun Shot).
Above Left: We enjoyed the morning sun shield.
Above Right: Yellow Daisies.
Above Left: The handlebar bag leads the way.
Above Right: Blue Lupine, seemingly a good crop this year.
Above Left: Terry, posing with some snow.
Above Right: NF-515.
Above Left: Blue Lupine and Yellow Daisies.
Above Right: A view over a beautiful park and a mix of Blue Lupine and Yellow Daisies in the foreground.
Above Left: We met these Gentlemen; they were participating in the South to North Tour Divide Race. They gave us a nice trail report and everything in the near term looked good. We told them of the few things that we knew. We had a nice discussion about travels, we were all old military vets; it is amazing how much was discussed in an eight minute period of time.
Above Right: Climbing and some snow melt.
Above: Composite southeasterly view - Our GDMBR tour route will more or less take us through the low points of those mountains in the center of this image.
Above Left: Lupine.
Above Right: Recent Deer Tracks.
Above: Our view to the south.
Above Left: View southwest.
Above Right: Getting steep, that's our day's second summit.
Above: Terry and the Bee at our second of three summits for today. That's the Washakie Wilderness Mountains behind Terry. Brooks Lake is downhill to the left, yet a mile or two away
Above Left: Lupine and Yellow Daisies.
Above Right: We got a sneak preview of the tour ahead, both roads.
Above: We were still cycling inbound to Brooks Lake. For some reason, the mountains remind me of the Drakensburg Mountains of South Africa.
Above Left: That sign said a lot, Hard Side Camping Vehicles Only, No Tents, No Soft-Sided Campers.
Do you think that maybe they have had Bear Problems around here?
Above Right: There is a Ranger Work Station ahead.
Above: Brooks Lake is in the background. This is a very fancy Dude Ranch and Resort.
Above Left: Brooks Lake, Wyoming.
Above Right: We're outbound from Brooks Lake.
Above Left: We had a nice 5 mile downhill run.
Above Right: Dennis Struck and the Bee, just before we turned onto US 26/287.
Above Left: Riding down US 26/287.
Above Right: I seem to recall that this place was called Moose Junction. There was a gas station and small country store there also.
Above Left: Moose Dung Gulch!
Above Right: Looking at a ranch across Big Wind River. We paralleled the river for about 6 miles.
Above Left: Still riding down US 26/287.
Above Right: Lava Creek Ranch.
Above: The Hack Historical Monument located at mile 70.4 (of the Adventure Cycling Map). The actual monument is a stone carving above this information display.
Above Left: The 'Hack' is about Tree/Timber Cutting but the Industry was floating logs down the river to Riverton.
Above: We found NF-532, our turn-off for our climb to Union Pass (we get there tomorrow).
Above Left: Where NF-532 crosses Big Wind River. We have two big climbs to Union Pass, we will only complete one more climb today.
Above Right: Another Bear Warning - We won't see any on this leg.
Above Left: We ate lunch on the other side of Sheridan Creek and we had to put on DEET.
Above Right: We were climbing and it was quite warm, probably in the upper 80s F/mid 30s C.
Above Left: Climbing.
Above Right: We met these Tour Divide Racers who are just taking their time and maybe only riding 80 miles a day versus the leaders who are riding more than 200 miles a day.
Above Left: White Columbine.
Above Right: Our third major crest of the day, but we have a about six more rollercoaster crossings.
Above Left: Warm Creek Valley.
Above Right: Geraniums and Buttercups.
Above Left: Another roller coaster top.
Above Right: Not sure, perhaps Leatherleaf Saxifrage.
Above Left: Perhaps Leatherleaf Saxifrage.
Above Right: Evil looking Thistle bush looks like Audrey II from the Little Shop of Horrors.
Above Left: 100 year old style of western fence layout.
Above Right: ... Into the valley ... rode the Bee ...
Above Left: Warm River Valley.
Above Right: We're still following NF-532.
Above Left: This is our second crossing of Warm Spring Creek; we topped off some empty water bottles here.
Above Right: Another hill top and a nice view.
Above Left: Our road ahead after we cross Trappers Creek.
Above Right: Trappers Creek.
Above Left: Another Creek Crossing (dry).
Above Right: Another Hill Top.
Above: The sign states Warm Springs Creek and we will turn left here to set up camp for the night. This will be our THIRD CROSSING of Warm Springs Creek.
Above Left: Our riverside camp.
Above Right: Traditional Blue and White Columbine in our campsite.
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