The bike ride

What have I been doing lately? I've been sleeping! Actually, I've been working and sleeping. Due to the start up of the hotel, I had one day off last week, plus I am adjusting to the new schedule that includes some late nights and some early mornings. Plus, there's a bug going around. I have it, but I've been managing to keep it at bay with regular doses of Vitamin C. Then, there's also the bike ride....

D, whom I work with, and I both had Monday off, so we decided that it was a good idea to take Alex's and my bike for a ride into Gardiner on the Old Gardiner Road. Gardiner is 5 miles north of Mammoth Hot Springs, at the north entrance to the park, but 925 feet lower in elevation. (Having just looked this fact up, I wonder if I would have changed my mind if I had known it ahead of time.) According to a plaque on the Fort Yellowstone walking tour, the enlisted soldiers who protected the park prior to the founding of the National Park Service would occasionally take the walk down to Gardiner to partake of libations and prostitutes. The 5 mile walk back the morning after was the harsh punishment for their sins. I was forewarned!

The ride down to Gardiner was beautiful. We started off with rolling hills, but I noticed about 1/2 through the ride that the hills were no longer rolling and we were on a continual coast downhill, I relying heavily on my brakes, foreshadowing the journey back. We paused to take in the view of Gardiner, realizing that we were closing in on our destination. Serenity Salon & Tanning, about the only hair salon that I have ever seen open on a Monday, amazingly had room for us just after we arrived in town. An hour later, both of us shorn of our too long locks, we decided it was best if we didn't hang around town, but headed right back.

We pedaled our way through town, passed through the entrance gate (thankfully, we had both thought to bring our work IDs as it would have cost us $12 to get back into the park), and hit the dirt road. Less than 5 minutes later, we both came to a stop. "Let's walk for a while," we agreed. I had been concerned that D. was in much better shape than I and I would be walking back alone as he pedaled on ahead, but I was in luck - we are equally not in shape for a 5 mile walk up hill. So, we walked, and walked, and walked some more. At some point, we realized the we would not be needing our helmets for a while and took them off. Occasionally, we would come to a flatter area or a short downhill and hop back on our bikes for a brief ride. D. went ahead on the downhills as I have a fear of hitting a rock and careening headlong over my handle bars. I've come to suspect it's from some childhood accident, but now I can't remember if I was the one who tumbled over the handlebars of our little red Schwinn onto the black pavement of Fox Run Road, or if I witnessed my brother in this traumatic incident. Each time D. started up the next hill, I was struck with the thought that, this time, he was going to keep going and I would be walking without him. But, alas, he would stop, and we would continue our conversation. Fortunately, D. is a great conversationalist, so we actually talked and enjoyed the scenery the entire 5 miles back to MHS and the time passed rather quickly. We met the husband of one of our managers near the top who gave us encouragement and informed us that most bikers walk their bike back up - or they're riding so slowly that he is able to pass them on his evening 4 mile out and back walk on the same road.

Finally, we made it, grateful to meet Alex on the last downhill to our dorm, who helped us lock up the bikes as we were too tired to lift the bikes back into the trailer. We even had time to wash the dust of the road off before heading for dinner.