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Day 67 July 28th Paradise Valley

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Gardiner MT to Pine Creek MT. 46 miles (2,887) Today's ride ended with 17 miles of pure riding pleasure through Montana's Paradise Valley: video000000016.mp Here are some sites before I got to Paradise Valley: I met Marshall while he was going toward Yellowstone: Marshall is riding from Alaska to Argentina! So far he has ridden 1,200 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska, where he caught a plane to Bozeman, Montana. He had to skip Canada for now because of Covid restrictions; but will ride Canada when he gets back from Argentina in one and a half to two years. He is planning on hiking/climbing the highest mountain in each country he passes through. On my way back from dinner I met a young couple who are staying in a cabin next to mine: Neil and Kori giving the OH sign for Ohio. Neil is a fireman in Cleveland and Kori is a kindergarten teacher in
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Day 66 July 27th (Un)Common Courtesy

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Rest Day  Gardiner MT  0 miles (2,841) This is Greg: Greg is from Seattle and is on a road trip with his family around Montana, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Park. We were in line for breakfast at the Yellowstone Grill in Gardiner, Montana; the town just outside the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. He approached me to ask me about my rear view mirror and if I had trouble focusing on the road while viewing the traffic behind me. We ended up talking about cycling etiquette and motorist etiquette around cyclists. After speaking with Greg, I realize that most accidents could be avoided if  cyclists and motorists alike exercised (no pun intended) common courtesy. Greg told me that when he was in Yellowstone yesterday, he drove by a cyclist down on the road with first responders attending him and rangers all around. After yesterday's harrowing ride on Grand Loop Road, I realize that I could have been the downed cyclist. I pray for that cyclist's quick
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Day 65 July 26th Yellowstone Wildlife

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Canyon Campground Yellowstone NP WY to Gardiner MT 40 miles (2,841) Today I entered Montana through the North entrance/exit to Yellowstone National Park. But first I picked up some food at the Yellowstone General Store in Canyon Village near where I camped last night. These two couples from California were sitting at a table outside the store and agreed to gang up on anyone who so much has looked at my bicycle sideways: From left: Gray, Laura, John and Annie. When I came out of the store they informed me that they had fought off four people. We Californians have to stick together! Today the only four-legged type of wildlife I experienced was one lone buffalo, a herd of tiny buffalo (they were very far away) and several itsy bitsy elk (they were very very far away). However, I experienced quite a bit of the two-legged type of wildlife - specifically the type that drives motorized vehicles. Much of today's route was along Yellowstone's Grand Loop Road, much of which h
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Day 64 July 25th Seven Years

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Pahaska Tepee WY to Canyon Campground Yellowstone NP WY 45 miles (2,801) Today I commemorated my 7th year after open heart surgery (July 25th, 2014) by riding into Yellowstone, up and over Sylvan Pass, and on into Canyon Campground. To say that God has been good to me would be a gross understatement.  Here are some of the views from today's ride: The road up, over and down Sylvan Pass seemed safe as it had a shoulder to the north and some of the views from the pictures above to the south. Beside the shoulder we're granite walls interspersed with trees and grasses and punctuated with waterfallettes: Tonight's campsite in Yellowstone: Note the bear box I was sharing with a couple of cyclists w
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