Trish & Phill's Tandem TransAmerican

Tour 2003 

Jul 9 Dillon - Jackson 43mi

The road started off uphill almost immediately. Today we go over the top of two passes Bagger Pass 6760' and Big hole Pass 7360'.

Within half an hour we had a puncture in the rear tyre. It didn't take too long to fix and I also took the opportunity to fit a new tyre too, unfortunately the pump decided to die on us. Only the other day we had bought a small pump set up for Shreider valves (the dead one was for Prester valves) not sure about the spelling there   I managed to make one good one from the two but the event took us about an hour.

The temperature by this time was high 90's and we were drinking a lot more water than we had on the bike. We slowed down on the water consumption to ensure it would last us till we got to Jackson only 40 miles away but the mountains would take it out of us.

As we climber up the pass we saw a young man sitting in the road trying to hitch a lift. Heaven knows how long he had been walking or sitting in the sun on the roadway but he must have been very hot and in the middle of no where, six or eight cars an hour pass this way so didn't fancy his chances. We stopped at a few streams and wet ourselves down but this snow melt water can contain microbes making it unsuitable to drink. We took the last drink of water we had about two miles out of Jackson.

Jackson is built on a hot spring. The "Jackson Springs motel and Spa" was a great place to stay. The lodge room was a very classy place. Head animals heads every where of course but the essentials were all there Beer, Food and shelter.

 We stayed in the tent on a nice lawn out the back. We tried the water in the Spa- far too hot for us it would have scalded us but in the morning we was a couple getting into it OUCH! We had a showers that was too hot, even the Toilet for the camper was heated.  We would recommend a stay at this place to anyone passing by here.  

Page owned & maintained by Trish Collins email to  trishphill@aapt.net.au.  Last Updated 28/07/2003