Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Oregon

[raybo]

I am planning my next major bike tour for 2009. I have never been to Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons and I have friends that live on the Oregon Coast near Portland. This suggests a tour starting in Yellowstone and going to Oregon.

I realize this is how the ACA Transamerica route goes and I am willing to ride on that route. However, I also know that there are other possible routes. Since I have never been to this area, I don't know what areas should be avoided or visited.

It seems to me that July and August would be good times to start such a tour. Can it be done as late as September? I would like to avoid as many (non-bike) tourists as possible.

I'd appreciate any comments you might have.

Thanks,

Ray

[staehpj1]

The TA is nice in that section and would be a good way to go. Traffic was not so bad for us, but Yellowstone should be hit at a low traffic time if you can. Late Sunday afternoon it kind of empties out and Monday and Tuesday traffic seemed light. At least that was my impression. We were going the other way, but left West Yellowstone on a Sunday afternoon and didn't find the traffic bad at all. We are probably more tolerant of traffic than some folks though so YMMV.

I can't say much about alternate routes based on personal experience, but it seems like you could probably cut some miles off by not going to Missoula.

If you wanted to extend the trip a bit you could consider seeing Glacier NP.

You might also consider using the Lewis and Clark from Missoula to the Coast. I have no experience with it but I did meet other riders who said it was flatter and a nice route too.

[jamawani]

Why Wyoming to Oregon?

Ya, it may appear to be downhill, but the prevailing winds are westerly in this part of the U.S.
Or course, "prevailing" contains no guarantees.

Either way, I might suggest a route through the Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho.

[capejohn]

Yellowstone and Teton National Parks are very popular. Bike touring people usually don't care for the crowds, and these places attract huge numbers. Yellowstone will be very crowded. The Tetons a lot less so.

Personally I prefer the Tetons.

[SRS]

I like the route Jamawani suggested with one alternative to consider. From Arco, ID go west on Rt 20 past Craters of the Moon National Monument(Park?) then take Rt 75 north through Hailey, Sun Valley to Stanley. The routes rejoin at that point. Jamawani's route appears to suggest going north of Arco on Rt 93 to Challis. Both are nice routes but I like the ride over Galena Pass between Ketchum an Stanley.

Once you get to Banks, ID you could go north to McCall/New Meadows and pick up the TA going west or go southwest toward Ontario, OR and pick up Rt 26. That will hook you up to the TA route in Austin, OR. Both are nice routes. The Rt 26 route has very few services from Vale, OR to Unity, OR - I only remember one small store in Brogan.

I've ridden that route as late as late October into early November. If going that late be prepared for snow and ice and cold. But, that said, there were no tourists, few cars and a lot of helpful people offering me places to stay almost everynight across ID and OR.

The only significant, sustained wind, i.e., all day headwind, that I had on that route was in south central ID. The ride along Rt 26 through OR was quite nice.

[staehpj1]

I forgot to mention... In Yellowstone there are lots of little short hikes that are worth doing. Trails seemed to be very uncrowded even on very short hikes. We just asked the rangers what we should be sure to not miss and they hooked us up with some short hikes.

Also I should have mentioned that we were there in early July on a Sunday afternoon plus Monday and Tuesday. The traffic was still heavy but really not a huge problem. I don't know how traffic is for sure at other times, but from what we were told by other riders we met, the weekend is generally to be avoided at least up until late afternoon on Sunday.

Also I won't claim to know more than jamawani who has a lot more local (and general touring) knowledge than I do, but... We were going the opposite direction and had more headwinds than tailwinds. There were definitely both and VERY strong ones at times especially in Wyoming. It seemed to me like it is a crap shoot either direction.

[Camel]

Wow, sounds like a great tour. I haven't cycled Yellowstone, but spent a good bit of time car camping there last summer-awesome!

If you do yellowstone, and have an interest in wildlife, bring a spotting scope-or a good pair of binoculars. Talk with folks and find out where/when species can be seen. I saw 6 grizzlies (a mom w/3cubs, and a mom w/2cubs)-let alone the bison heard(s?), cayote, bald eagles, and wolf pack.

The geoligical features of that park are pretty darned amazing as well.

[raybo]

Thanks for all the ideas.

Why Wyoming to Oregon?

There is no reason to go that way. If you (and the wind) suggest west to east, that is fine by me. Would that change the best times to do this ride?

One reason to start in Oregon is that I could ride down to Florence, OR on the coast and then head over using the Transamerica Trail. It would be much easier to research that way!

I don't expect to be riding through Yellowstone. I will fly with my (non-biking) wife, probably rent a car, and see Yellowstone and the Tetons and then start biking. If I end there, I will likely stop in Jackson Hole, meet my wife there, and then see the Tetons and Yellowstone in a car.

Ray

[raybo]

Either way, I might suggest a route through the Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho.

This route looks interesting.

How much of it is dirt road?

Ray

[staehpj1]

If I end there, I will likely stop in Jackson Hole, meet my wife there, and then see the Tetons and Yellowstone in a car.

Isn't Jackson Hole on the other side of Yellowstone? Do you mean that you would finish in West Yellowstone maybe?

[jamawani]

None -
Zero percento - unless you want to do some dirt,
The photo is looking up a dirt from the paved highway near Stanley.

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area has all the beauty of Yellowstone/Grand Teton with about 1/10 the people. The little town of Stanley has basic services - motels, cafes, stores.

If were going east to west, I would start in Jackson no later than the day after Labor Day. You might have a light snow or two in Wyoming or Idaho. Also you should expect chilly nights. If you start on the Oregon coast, I wouldn't start much later than August 20th since that would put you in Jackson the second week of August.

I used to live in Jackson. You can expect the first frost around Labor Day and the first snow by mid September. It will be gone the day, but the second snow is usually bigger, etc.

The road through Lava Beds is extremely exposed - zero trees - and hot in summer. The road from Arco to Challis to Stanley is moderately exposed, with tree areas along waterways - esp. the Salmon River. The roads in Idaho have narrow to zero shoulders; however, the traffic is light. Still, you have to know how to ride these kinds of roads.

Best - J

[Roughstuff]

I also recommend the Sawtooths of Idaho, which I saw on a cross country tour 2 years ago. I followed the Payette river to its source....and there they were! Unlike the Tetons, which run north south and thus don't have the majesty of the red skies of sunset, the Sawtooths do. There is a small roadside rest area on the road north of them that is fantastic for wild camping.

In Yellowstone: try and make sure ya do a zigzag thru the park rather than just a straight line thru the geyser basins and then south. There is ALOT more to Yellowstone than people see when they visit the park, and this includes cyclists.

The rest of the ride others have covered. I have done both the TransAm route, and other rides thru southern oregon, the steens mountain area and over to Crater Lake NP. Hard to find part of the state that I didn't like!

roughstuff

[raybo]

None -
If you start on the Oregon coast, I wouldn't start much later than August 20th since that would put you in Jackson the second week of August.

I assume you mean starting no later than July 20.

Ray

[raybo]

Isn't Jackson Hole on the other side of Yellowstone? Do you mean that you would finish in West Yellowstone maybe?

My wife would also like to see the Tetons and Yellowstone without the biking. So, I will likely see them from the inside of a car, not the seat of a bike.

Since Jackson Hole has an airport with service via major airlines, I figure it is a good place to end. When I get a bit farther into the planning, it might make more sense to meet my wife in Jackson, visit the Tetons, drive to Yellowstone, see it, and then fly out of some other city or go back to Jackson for the flight home.

Ray

[markf]

Definitely budget some time to go hiking/climbing in the Tetons, it will be time well spent. Garnet Canyon/Middle Teton, Amphitheatre Lake, Cascade Canyon and Paintbrush Canyon are all worth seeing. If you're really feeling strong, hiking up Paintbrush Canyon and down Cascade Canyon in one long day is a good challenge.

I would expect flights to and from Jackson Hole Airport to cost a bit more than flights to/from any nearby cities, you might want to check prices to Missoula, Bozeman, etc. if that matters to you.

[ken cummings]

I like the route going through the middle of the Idaho Mountains. There are lots of hots springs along that path/ I remember the pools in Challis. May be some springs in eastern Oregon.

[Pompiere]

I just returned from a Boy Scout trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Make sure you take some time to get off the beaten path. In Grand Teton, we found the Bison herd off a road called Antelope Flats, but you couldn't see them from the main road due to a low ridge. We got the tip from a truck driver who had been in the park every day on a construction job. The rangers have all the latest information about where the wildlife hangs out, trail conditions, lesser known places that avoid the crowds, etc. All you have to do is ask at the visitor centers.

If you go in late July/early August, be aware that there may be a lot of traffic due to the Sturgis, SD motorcycle rally. Many of the motorcyclists pass through on there way to or from Sturgis. The traffic was not as bad as it was around Mt. Rushmore, which is only about 60 miles from Sturgis. We saw a lot of bicycles in the parks, but many seemed to be with touring companies who would drop them off somewhere to ride for the day, then pick them up later to go back to their camp or hotel.

Keep in mind that these are big parks. You cannot see them in one day. Yellowstone is about 60 miles square, and it is about 20 very hilly miles between each of the major sights. Grand Teton NP is about 50 miles long. You can spend a lot of time just traveling around. If a road is closed due to snow or forest fire, you would have to backtrack, which could add a lot of miles. Both of those have happened in my last two visits, snow last June, and a fire this year. The rangers usually know how long the closures will be in effect.

Don't take this as me trying to scare you away, I just want to make sure you are prepared so you have a great experience. A lot of people don't realize how big these parks are until they arrive, then they have to rush through and don't get to enjoy them. There is one fee to cover both parks, so you could stay in either place and drive to the other. We stayed at Flagg Ranch and Grant Village, both of which are close to the center. Good luck and have a great trip.

[jcbryan]

West Yellowstone used to have a couple of commuter airlines in and out. Might check?

Best, John

My wife would also like to see the Tetons and Yellowstone without the biking. So, I will likely see them from the inside of a car, not the seat of a bike.

Since Jackson Hole has an airport with service via major airlines, I figure it is a good place to end. When I get a bit farther into the planning, it might make more sense to meet my wife in Jackson, visit the Tetons, drive to Yellowstone, see it, and then fly out of some other city or go back to Jackson for the flight home.

Ray

[staehpj1]

My wife would also like to see the Tetons and Yellowstone without the biking. So, I will likely see them from the inside of a car, not the seat of a bike.

Be sure to get out of the car and onto the trails. There are a lot of great hikes. We only did short ones, but even they were quite rewarding.

[raybo]

I'm trying to map out the route suggested by Jamawani. It looks like it takes Idaho 52 near Payette in western Idaho and the goes on 55 for a short while and then along the Banks-Lowman Rd. Is this correct?

I have DeLorme maps on my PC and would like to create a route using it.

Thanks,

Ray

[raybo]

The Transamerica Route through Oregon to Prairie City looks like a find route. From there, instead of staying on route, I could deviate south a bit east of Prairie city, head east north of Boise, catch the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway to Stanley, head south and then east to Idaho Falls, and then over to Jackson, where the ride would end.

I have posted this route on bikely.com. Here is a second routing option that goes into Boise and picks up the Ponderosa Scenic Byway, there.

I would be riding this route in the summer of 2009, probably after July 1, but have not decided on dates, yet.

I'd be very interested in any and all comments about either of these routes or suggestions on better ones.

Ray

[BengeBoy]

Three comments:
1. I just wanted to reinforce some of the comments above - if if you go to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Park at the height of tourist season it is not difficult to get away from the crowds. 99% of all tourists don't seem to get beyond the roads, parking lots, and paved trails. Pick up a guidebook, research in advance, or talk to some locals, and you can take any number of day hikes in the area that get you away from people. In some cases you leave a busy parking lot, get around a corner, and you're on your own for much of the rest of the day...


2. As you go over the Tetons and head across Idaho, the route through Craters of the Moon is interesting, and worth doing.

3. If you don't already know the history of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce, it would be really worth your time to read a book or two on him. The route you're taking is a bit south of the route that the Nez Perce took from Oregon and Idaho over to Yellowstone, but the story of the journey is one of the great stories of the American West and worth knowing.

I bought this book last time in Yellowstone and wish I had read it earlier. There are actually is a "Nez Perce National Historic Trail" you could follow that more closely tracks the path of the Nez Perce across Idaho to Wyoming but as I've not driven or ridden it I can't recommend it.
http://www.fs.fed.us/npnht/

Here is the book:


http://www.amazon.com/Chief-Joseph-Flight-Nez-Perce/dp/0061136085/ref=pd_sim_b_1.