Who Is Bob

. . The Fogbees know Bruce and me, but some have asked "Who is Bob?"  A picture is worth a thousand words.
. . Apparently wearing orange garbage bags is popular in Australia.  Also, for those who do not know me, I am not in the above picture with Bruce and Bob.  That is David Irvine (aka DTI). Also, if you've every been on a tour with DTI, you'll know he likes to travel light similar to Bob.
. . Bob has added a link to his CrazyGuyOnABike journals for additional introduction

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/aussiebob

Traveling With A Bike

We're working out alternatives to haul all the bike to/from Jackson and from the end of the TransAm ride.  If you planning to go your own way click here for stuff I lifted from the Active.com newsletter.  I also added to the planning list in the right sidebar.

Rooming Arrangements

Click Here for a spreadsheet to show the rooming arrangements.  Please send me your corrections and updates and I will try to keep this spreadsheet current.  It has been initiated with what everyone has shared with me on 10/21/13

Important Room Strategy

. . Our potential problem is to get accommodations for everyone.  Because the Yellowstone locations do not have a cancellation fee, please book what you believe you'll need with the "shares" you believe you have.  Our problem is a potential shortage of beds, especially at Yellowstone Lake.  After everyone has done their best to get their needs, we can reshuffle everyone to get rid of any excess rooms, if we are lucky enough to have that problem.  You won't be out any money in the long haul, but if you don't book now you will very likely be out of a warm bunk.  (There is always a cold tent).
. . Please let me know what you have booked, if you are looking for a "share" at that locations, or if you have spare bunks. 

Accommodations WARNING!

. . Unfortunately, the accommodations in the two National Parks are filling up quickly.  Almost everything is already "sold out."  If you think you want to do this ride, you better book now. The possibility exists that as we get closer to the date several rooms will open up, since there is no harm to booking and then cancelling. You might want to call and see if the park has a waiting list.
. . If you can't find a "room" in the park, you still have the option of camping or finding something at the edge of the park.  Since we have several vehicles on this ride, those two alternatives are workable. We have the possibility of our guests moving the cars to destination points where riders can then us them as needed.
. . Another alternative for those not bringing a guest is to book one of the cabins and then clandestinely throwing a bunch people with sleeping bags in it. It would be much warmer that a tent. Mammoth only has rooms, but there are motels a reasonable distance away.
. . At this time Bob, Bruce, Dave_S, and I have booked rooms/cabins. Please keep us informed of your plans so we can assist.
Tom_E

Yellowstone Climate

     Another topic raised has been the potential for snow during our visit.  That is highly unlikely.  We are touring in the second week of September.  We picked that time very carefully to be after the tourist rush, so we aren't fighting motorist traffic and before the bad weather, so we have minimal chance for snow.  The mornings will be chilly, but at high altitude the sun can get quite warm.
     For climate information here is a link that you can reference: Average Weather In September For Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

High Altitude Cycling

      A number of people considering this trip have commented on worries about the altitude.  About five years ago, before I spent a week in Estes Park, I had similar concerns.  Our cabin was at 10,000 feet and I hiked between it and 11,000 feet.  Before then I had spent time with groups of people in Vale at 5500 feet and skied Vale Mountain at 11,000 feet.
      No one in our party experienced any discomfort or unusual fatigue. Did we do anything different in prep? No, but I suspect our experience is not universal. I would surely recommend everyone become familiar with high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE). Symptoms range from a combination of headache, insomnia, anorexia, nausea, and dizziness, to more serious manifestations, such as vomiting, dyspnea, muscle weakness, oliguria, peripheral edema, and retinal hemorrhage.  We experienced none of these.
     On our YS Tour I have specifically kept our daily distances short in recognition of these potential issues.  Our first day ride to Colter Bay is flat, meaning those in the van will have two to three days for acclimation to the altitude.
    For further information I suggest you read, Cycling and Performance Tips -- Altitude and Athletic Performance and Altitude 101.

Sam D. bowing out

Bruce, Bob, David Shumaker, Tom,

I've been thinking about this trip, and y'all have already put a lot of work into the planning.
I think I'm going to have to bow out, ....
I'm just too stressed out thinking about getting me (and my bicycle) to Wyoming, about the traffic on the park roads, and worrying about the weather in mid September out there in the mountains.
I think I'll wait till FOGBEES does a more traditional trip in the eastern U.S.......It would be hard to beat
that RAT last year! (and it was so close!).

Thanks for inviting me to go though!

Sincerely,
Sam Denham

ps I did take the altitude concerns off my worry list, after finding out that all the roads would be less than 9000 ft.

Tour Review

Graduate school friend (another Ph.D. physicist) and current member of my political debate group Tom Sherwood spent his college days (about 50 years ago) working in Yellowstone Park.  He has since been back several times throughout the year with his son Mark visiting the park.  Several years ago, he shared his winter pictures of wolf and elk.  I asked him to review our plans and comment.  I placed his response on the POI page.

Bike Yellowstone Lake

A Collection of Bicycle Artices on the Web

This following video http://youtu.be/KZc55KB3q9U is long and tedious but does give an idea of road conditions while riding the south entrance to the park.

Here is a Yellowstone Biking Page. Here is another Yellowstone biking page.

Why you should see Yellowstone by Bicycle

Cycling through Yellowstone and the Tetons

CrazyGuyonaBike Journals

Yellowstone and Grand Tetons
West Yellowstone to Old Faithful
Turtle Adventure (start here and click through next six days)
TransAm Trail (start here and click through next several days)

West Yellowstone to Madison

This is one of the roads on our visit.  although this is a winter ride it gives a view of the road condition.

Bicycling Yellowstone Video