Walk in the Park

[Bozeman through Yellowstone National Park; Two days: 145 miles total]

It’s probably unsurprising to learn that they ride heading into Yellowstone National Park was extremely scenic! We had a very narrow shoulder on the road we were cycling on, so occasionally it seemed like we were going to be getting a bit too up-close-and-personal with the natural beauty around us. However, that was not the case and we eventually reached the big sign welcoming us to the park – as well as numerous signs on our descent into town warning us about the amount of “bison impacts” that had occurred that year on the highways. The grand total was 15, and I was glad not to up that figure.

The first day we merely scraped the service of Yellowstone, and day two was to entirely take place in the park. This was undoubtedly the coldest morning of the trip and, despite thick skin acquired in New York winters, I was shivering with the best of them. Once the sun made its triumphant appearance, the day ushered in not only our first continental divide (8,361 at its peak), but sights ranging from a massive heard of buffalo to active geysers. I’m ashamed to say I did not recall any previous knowledge about the infamous geyser “Old Faithful,” which erupts water upwards of 100 feet in the air reliably each hour. I was able to catch up on some factoids by listening to “Ranger Rod,” a children’s television personality who was filming a special about Yellowstone a few feet away from me – hmmm. A solid day with no cyclists (or bison) harmed!