Yellowstone Pt 1

Lake Yellowstone
Lewis Fork

7.13.09 Colter Bay to Grant Village (in Yellowstone)
Today we left Grand Teton NP (sniff) and entered Yellowstone (woo). Got a late start this morning since we had a short day ahead of us and I stayed up too late. Got on the road with a lot of traffic, climbed, and climbed some more. We rode out, staying close to Jackson lake for the first bit, and then heading off toward the Lewis Fork. We had a ton of construction today, and the drivers were testy from having their 30 minute waits. One spot let us throw the bikes in their pilot truck. The other two, we just had to book it and try not to congest traffic too much. There was plenty of honking, a bit of yelling, and I still don't appreciate either. Alack. If we hadn't had lots of jerks and rough road, I think the area would have been lovely. We spent a lot of time alternating between dense forests and more open, grass-filled stands (the difference is caused by fire severity). Both were lovely and cool - especially with the slight overcast of the morning and breeze of the afternoon. Not much wildlife, which I find disappointing, but we weren't exactly out there during peak viewing time either. Once we got near the Lewis Fork, we had a long climb up the ridge next to it, and we eventually found ourselves on the very edge of one of the canyon walls. The water looked pretty technical, even from the height we were at, and there wasn't necessarily anything between you and the chasm, so I was happy to stay in the middle of the lane. A bit vertigo-inducing really. The view was even less obstructed than usual since it's an area recouperating from fires back in '88. Though I was worried about having to go to Lewis Lake before taking on another continental divide, instead of having to lose all the altitude we had just gained climbing the cliff over the river, the river gradient changed to meet us. There was this huge section of several falls (looked like some incredibly tough rapids) that ended up helping us out. We got to the official Lewis Fork Falls (pretty, even if the view is a little obstructed), the lake, and then climbed with more jerk trucks to the divide. We coasted 2 miles downhill to get to Grant Village, where we're spending the evening before getting to West Yellowstone (and out of the park) tomorrow. Totalled somewhere around 39 miles. I'd like to see some wildlife and figure out more of the stuff behind the Caldera soon. This area does seem neat; I just don't know enough about it yet.