Our memories faulty and our time limited, this journal is going to be on the briefer side. Writing a recap for just four days of the ride is admittedly difficult and reminds us of just how novel this endeavor is. It is rare that every day of your life for over two months is so vividly new, from constantly changing landscapes to the people we meet on the side of the road. Throughout it all, though, we hope that we offer a meaningful look into what we do and experience as Illini 4000. With that, enjoy a look into our I4Kamping experience!

Ride Overview, Days 44-47

Mileage: ~219.4

Elevation: ~12,236’

Points of Interest: Ocean Lake, Pilot Butte Dam, National Museum of Military Vehicles, Welty’s General Store, Horse Creek Gallery, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Wilderness Boundary Restaurant, Shoshone National Forest, the Continental Divide of the Americas, Jackson Lake, Jenny Lake, Emma Matilda Lake, Lizard Creek Campground, Colter Bay Convenience Store, Cowboy Coffee Co, The Hub Bicycle Shop, REI of Jackson, WY, Dairy Queen of Jackson, WY, Cascade Falls, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring

Quotes of the Day

“One day the adults of the world will understand what it means to be ‘ballin.’” - Riddhima

“Emma’s dreams are like Peloton videos.” - Joey

Tales of the Trail

Dubois, WY (not a camping day, but a day with limited internet access for journaling) stood out as one of the most memorable stayovers of the trip so far. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, where we spent the night, is also a Bike/Hike Ministry, meaning it has served many weary bikers and hikers on their travels. Not only was the wooden log architecture of the church beautiful, but its values too. The team was also treated to a delicious home-cooked meal at our hosts’ home. We are beyond grateful to be a part of the extensive community that has experienced the generosity of the church’s mission. The town of Dubois also housed memorable locations such as Horse Creek Gallery, which showcased intricate antler carvings, as well as Welty’s General Store, where Riddhima and I found some much needed ice-cold Dr Peppers and incredible kindness from the store owners. 

We departed from Dubois to hit the visually stunning Shoshone National Forest, the first federally protected National Forest in the U.S. The massive forest was a gorgeous build-up to our eventual destination for the day: Grand Teton National Park. Knowing we had a rest day ahead, we took our time riding through the beautiful landscape. We took a stop at the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet of the Wilderness Boundary Restaurant, snapped some photos at the Continental Divide, and stopped by a multitude of park signs, of course. The Tetons gradually came into view to huge cheers from the entire team, and it was surreal to see them coming closer and closer as we pedaled on through the forest. We met more cross-country cyclists riding into the park than on any other day of the ride, some of which were on solo bikepacking trips across the country in a variety of directions. We wound down night one of our camping trip with beans and hotdogs, a lake shower for some members of the team, and a solid nap on our campsite bear box for Neal.

We had a full camping rest day at Grand Teton as well, which we made the absolute most of. Our day started off with a bang as a grizzly bear was spotted incredibly close to our campsite by several members of the team. The bear proved to be harmless, and left us completely alone — it likely just wanted to say goodbye to Claudia, who decided to travel home and spend some much needed time resting before rejoining us at the Golden Gate bridge. Jack, Tommy, and Kavin ventured out on an ambitious mountain hike, while the rest of the team explored Jackson Hole and went cliff jumping. We had another camp dinner together, and many of us chose to stay up to see the sunset and Wyoming night skies.

Our final night of camping brought us to a bucket list item for many members of the team who hadn’t yet gotten to experience it: Yellowstone! We hit as many highlights as we could on our way to our campsite, which included Cascade Falls, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic Spring. We encountered a good deal of climbing, traffic jams, and wildlife, including a massive car holdup due to bison in the road! We arrived in time to take a quick swim in the Madison River, before enjoying a pizza dinner donated by Lucas’s family. Some light rain showers gifted us a beautiful rainbow to enjoy as well! There was also a surprise visit from 2014 I4K alum Ellen Butler, who brought us some lovely anecdotes from her ride, advice for the future, and an amazingly kind snack donation from the 2014 team. We finished our 3-day camping bananza off with smores, which we shared with some neighboring campers.

Once again, we apologize for the lack of Cyclist’s Corner as we try to get caught up. We will return as soon as possible!

(A reminder that any unfamiliar terms can be found in our handy I4K dictionary.)