Dubois, WY

Day 42: Saturday, June 29, 2013
Hatchet Campground to Dubois: 49 miles

After an unsatisfactory breakfast at the lodge that just happened to be next to the campground (the omelets were about half the size we expected), the first order of business was conquering Togwatee (TOE-guh-tee) Pass. It wasn't particularly difficult, but it was long, and took up the rest of the morning.

Goodbye to the Tetons from Togwatee Pass

The fun part of the climb occurred only half a mile short of the summit, where I met the most amazing family coming down. Mark and Erica are biking with their three kids and 80-pound black Lab, and you can see their heavy-duty setup and unusual configuration in the photograph and in detail photos on their website. The two girls, aged around four or five, can usually be found in the trailer with the dog, although Erica is also towing a Trail-A-Bike in case one of the girls wants to pedal. And, of course, Erica has the little one on her back. I don't know if it was typical, but everyone, including the girls, was cheerful and talkative. We shared stories and then were off, happy to enjoy the downhill side of pass.

This family really rides together!

The descent from the pass and the ride to Dubois (DU-boys) were marked by striking rock formations and a half a chicken, barbecued, which I ate for lunch at a roadside bar and grill. And a headwind. We expected wind - after all, we're following the Wind River. Back in 1981, we had a tailwind. Oh, well.

We saw this impressive ridge on the descent from Togwatee Pass.

This red striated sandstone looked just about the same in 1981.

It was another KOA night. This one was not as accommodating as Bald Bob's in Dillon, MT, having a ridiculous pricing structure. Matt tried arguing with them, but it was no use. Jordan, Israel, and Natalee found another tenting spot elsewhere - I think it was free. But at least we got our laundry done, and we had wi-fi.

I think this is the same campground we stayed in back in 1981. But this time, we didn't spook any horses.

To cap off the evening, we dined at the Cowboy Cafe, which was extremely busy and had excellent food. And I had my second beer of the trip!