IPFS
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Frosty Wooldridge
More About: Entertainment: Outdoor RecreationPart 21: Bicycling the Continental Divide—Mexico to Canada—Mammoth Hot Springs
The dentist said, "Open wide and a bicyclist will pop
out!" On an adventure, you never know what different kinds of
"moments" will spontaneously burst upon you in foreign countries. You
may walk on the Wall of China from the Ming Dynasty. When traveling in Nepal,
you may pedal behind a water buffalo known as the John Deere tractor of Asia.
You may walk with and meet people from centuries ago like Caesar's cremation
spot in Rome or stand where Alexander the Great stood at the Oracle of Delphi.
You walk where Thomas Jefferson lived in Monticello and you turn the same
doorknob he used to open his front room. You may march down the same street as
Susan B. Anthony or Joan of Arc. You may run into Muhammad Ali and shake hands
with Clint Eastwood like I did. On an adventure, every day fills you with
expectation for the extraordinary. Travel becomes the great educator and
humbler. The subtleties of travel acquaint you with great characters of history
and inspire you to your own greatness. Travel renders ideas for your own life
process.
(Frosty pedaling off a Norwegian ferry boat on his Arctic
Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece bicycle ride.)
Quickly, after the grizzly bear breakfast “moment”, I
returned to the peace and quiet of the Gibbon River on my way to Norris Geyser
Junction. I stopped at the paint pots where bubbling mud and
multiple colors along with steaming vents opened into the early morning
air.
At one point, a single bull elk munched grass along the
river. Three dozen cars stopped with folks bounding out of their cars to
take pictures. I almost find it comical that humans drive other creatures
out of their own habitat via housing projects, roads, cities and other
development, thus creating over 250 extinctions of species in the lower 48
states annually—but when they see such creatures, they become excited and
overjoyed with the wildlife.
Even in Yellowstone, where the speed
limit stands at 45 miles per hour as the maximum, most drivers travel at 55 to
65, which kills thousands of creatures annually in their own back yard.
Drivers run over buffalo, deer, elk, bear, coyotes, foxes, pronghorns, sheep,
moose, hawks and other birds every day.
(The view of the road ahead from the from the vantage point
of a touring cyclist.)
At one ranger station, I filled out a request to have more speeding
law enforcement to save the animals in their own backyard. I suggested no
more plastic containers be sold at concessions in the park because I saw dozens
of cups and junk tossed onto the roadway. I suggested only paper
containers colored in “forest green” colors so all the trash visitors throw out
of their cars would blend in with the brush while degrading.
I
asked for 36 inch bicycle lanes on the roadways to encourage more
cycling. Problem is: I suggested the same ideas five years ago with no
action or results. Once again, I bet the ranger threw my
request into the circular file below his desk. You would think that
such common sense suggestion would be implemented immediately. Good luck
with my idealism.
( A picture cannot “describe” the enormity of Yellowstone
Falls, but look at the little human beings standing on the deck beside the lip
to give you an idea of its size.)
At the Norris Geyser, I pedaled over to Canyon Village for a
look at Yellowstone Falls. Utterly and totally stupendous! With
spring runoff, the Yellowstone River poured over the first falls with raging
white water and energy. The second falls, which drops over 150 feet to
the canyon below, offers visitors stunning beauty. I walked down to the
lip of the falls to watch about two feet thick water cascade over the edge.
Pretty amazing! Dazzling mist, power, energy and sheer beauty!
(Steam vents along the highway with tourists viewing them on
boardwalks.)
Not wanting to climb over Dunraven Pass, which would take
the rest of the day (I’ve cycled it two times in the past), I opted to ride 12
miles back to Norris and head north. Once back on the northbound road, I
stopped at Roaring Mountain where a dozen steam vents blew their fury into the
afternoon sky. From there, I pedaled past Obsidian Cliff at 7,383
feet. Another 21 miles, I passed Sheepeater
Cliff. In the late afternoon, I reached Mammoth Hot Springs.
(Every kind of natural phenomenon and beauty greet
Yellowstone visitors throughout the park.)
A huge “white” and multicolored mountain greets
visitors. A colossal spring created a near perfect “pumpkin” that dazzled
the likes of Jim Bridger and John Muir over 100 years ago.
Some of the tall tales that returned to the Eastern seaboard in the early years
stemmed from mountain men not knowing how to “name” natural phenomenon.
They called geysers “upside down waterfalls” and they thought steaming pools
boiled from fires built below ground by mysterious characters. They
couldn’t figure out steam vents.
(Roaring Mountain offers visitors an entire side of a
mountain a glimpse of geysers and steam vents blowing off their pressure 24/7.)
I reached the north end of the park with ranger barracks,
visitor center, hotels and trinket merchants selling T-shirts. I pedaled
around for the sheer delight of seeing all the visitors from all over the
world. I saw lots of Chinese, which now travel the planet in greater
numbers because they make a lot of money. I’m glad to see more
foreign visitors because international travel allows all of us to get better
acquainted on a personal level. In the end, all people love peace and
civility. I find the megalomaniac politicians of most governments,
including our own leaders, love confrontation more than peace. The
Internet and international travel give all of humanity the best chance for a
peaceful future.
(Mammoth Hot Springs with its multi-colored pools and water
runoff.)
“Happy World Peace Day! Here is how you can get involved:
A. Engage in dialogue with someone from a different country or nationality
other than your own. B. Let go of the past and renounce vendettas, denounce
revenge, and live for the future. C. Contemplate your life and find the areas
that you are in conflict. Work towards solving the conflicts by defusing them
through communication or dis-engaging so that the conflicts wither away.
Understand the conflict from the viewpoint of your opponent and do not think of
winning. Think of co-existing. D. Close your eyes and breathe deeply while
clearing your mind of all your troubles. Repeat as needed. E. Volunteer for a
peace organization. F. Read a book on conflict resolution.” ― Kambiz Mostofizadeh
As the evening approached, I pedaled past a dozen cow elk
with “just-born-babies” lying in the grass just off the highway. I mean,
“Those little spotted guys offer new beauty in the world.”
(Fresh, spotted baby elk calves resting in the warm sunshine
alongside the road. Such beauty gives me hope for the world.)
Suddenly, a thundercloud squall gave me a taste of the first
rain on the trip. I pedaled over to a porch to wait out the downpour. As
I sat writing notes, I noticed another fully loaded cyclist heading northbound
out of the park. I whistled, but he couldn’t hear me. “Maybe I’ll
catch up to him,” I muttered to myself.
After an hour, the rain stopped. I decided to stop at the
campground just before heading out of the park. I would enjoy a picnic
table, bathroom and campsite for the small “Hiker-Biker” fee. I could
coast into Gardiner in the morning.
After setting up my tent and preparing dinner, the fellow I
saw earlier pedaled right into the “Hiker-Biker” camp area. He stacked
his bike up against a picnic table. He walked over, “Hi, my name’s
Robert.”
“Glad to meet you,” I said. “I’m Frosty.”
At 33 years old, a Personal Trainer, and wanting to
experience more in life, he cycled from Montgomery, Alabama and headed to the
Canadian border. After dinner and conversation, we felt comfortable
enough to ride together. I think he wouldn’t mind some company after
2,500 miles cycling solo. I enjoyed his unique brand of enthusiasm and
style.
##
Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the
Arctic to the South Pole - as well as eight times across the USA, coast to
coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway
to Athens, Greece. In 2010, he cycled 3,400 miles coast to coast across
America. In 2012, he bicycled the northern tier coast to coast across
America. In 2013, he bicycled 2,500 miles from Mexico to Canada on the
Continental Divide, 150,000 vertical feet of climbing and 19 crossing of passes,
10 of the Continental Divide. He presents “The Coming Population Crisis
facing America: what to do about it.” www.frostywooldridge.com . His latest
book is: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by
Frosty Wooldridge, copies at 1 888 280 7715/ Motivational program: How to Live a Life of Adventure:
The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, click: www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com
Live well, laugh often, celebrate daily
and enjoy the ride,
Frosty Wooldridge
Golden, Colorado
6 Continent world bicycle traveler
Order these unique cards
today: http://www.howtolivealifeofadventure.com/