A bike tour through the western USA

from San Diego to Seattle via Montana in June and July 2003.

These are the photos we made (except the photos that have been stitched into panorama photos, in cronological order, with a few comments, but not yet selected for interest. Click on the pictures to get a 1024x768 version; each one weighs in at about 100KB.

California

Start: June 14

June 15: First night on the Black Canyon campground near Ramona.

Up, on and after Mesa Grande

That's me, near Anza

June 16: In the mountains near Palm Desert

The road down to Palm Desert

Palm Desert (probably)

Towards Mecca

Box Canyon Road

Camping in the Box Canyon

June 17: Up Cottonwood Pass (Joshua Tree NP Entrance)

Joshua Tree NP

Down from Cottonwood Pass

Cholla Cactus Garden

Looking back down what we climbed up yet

Boulders near ? pass

Down towards 29 Palms

Between Joshua Tree and Mojave

June 18: Bristol Lake

Up the ? pass

The only shadow for miles (the I-40)

Mojave National Preserve

Near the top of the ? pass

Down towards Kelso

Dunes near Kelso

Kelso train station (under renovation as visitor center)

June 19: Flowers in the desert

We are not the only ones climbing towardss Cima

Jushua Trees near Cima

Cima (yes, all of it)

Nevada

Between Nipton and Searchlight

June 20: Las Vegas

Utah

We cheated and went from Las Vegas to St. George, UT by Greyhound.

Reassembling the bikes in St. George

June 21: Near St. George

Virgin River Valley near Zion NP

Views from the Campground in Springdale (near Zion NP entrance)

Zion NP

June 22: Zion Canyon

Views from Angel's Landing

View back to to Angel's Landing

From Angel's Landing Trail

Climbing out of Zion Canyon on the east side

Between Zion and Bryce

June 23:

They don't want bicyclists in Utah: A bicycle path (puke!) as bad as any, and of course the proper road is forbidden for bicyclists.

Bryce NP

June 24:

Utah Highway 12 (Escalante/National Staircase Monument)

June 25: Between Escalante and Boulder (UT)

The Escalante River

Towards Boulder

Close to "Summit" pass (they don't care for pass names in Utah)

"Summit" pass, 9400ft/2800m (highest point in the journey). Note to self: If you are photographing yourself, think of not standing in front of the sign you want in the picture.

Down and up from the pass

Finally down

Between Utah Highway 12 and Salt Lake City

June 26: Utah Highway 72

Utah Highway 10 (not recommended)

June 27: Morning on the Campground near Ferron

The reason why we don't recommend Highway 10: Coal Transports

June 28: US6/US89

Salt Lake City

June 29: Tabernacle Choir (they were on tour, so we only saw some recordings)

"This is the Place" monument

Dian Thomas, our host for the morning, and her guests (Guida Ponte, and us).

The Temple square

Between Salt Lake City and Grand Teton NP

June 30: No Pictures

July 1: Coming out of the Memorial Park Campground near Utah Highway 39

Breakfast!

Near Woodruff

Bear Lake

Idaho

July 2: Along Bear Lake

Wyoming

July 3: Snake River

Jackson

That's not me

Flags for crossing the street

July 4:

Independence Day parade

Scenic Boat trip on the Snake River

Rodeo

Fireworks

July 5: Extracting the hub of a too-weak wheel

The new wheel is installed at Hoback's bike shop in Jackson; it was built by McGhies bike shop in Las Vegas, and I am happy with it. The weak wheel was sold by Tri-a-bike in Palm Desert and had 6 broken spokes until Jackson.

Grand Teton NP

July 6: Tim and Michael, who invited us to put up our tent in their camping lot (the campground was full)

Yellowstone NP

Remnants of the fire of '88

This time I noticed that we stood in the way

Yellowstone Lake

Bison

Moose

July 7: Photos from a bus tour around Yellowstone

Crowd waiting for Old Faithful

Old Faithful

More photos from the bus tour

Female deer (called "elk" by the locals)

Male deer (called "elk" by the locals)

Eagle's nest

Black bear

Virginia Falls?

Deer/Elk

Yellowstone Canyon

Bisons

Natural bridge near Bridge Bay

July 8: Pelican

More geothermal features

Bisons

View from the climb to Dunraven Pass

Grizzly bear

Dunraven Pass

Descent from Dunraven Pass

Tower Falls

Yellowstone River Valley

Coach

More fire remnants

Petrified tree

Landscape

Female Deer/Elk near Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs

Montana

Between Yellowstone and Glacier

July 9: Yellowstone Valley towards Livingston

One of us was fascinated by American patriotism

On I-90

In the Valley of the Shields river (climbing up)

Camping in Veteran's Park in Wilsall

July 10: Wilsall Bar

Further up the Shields river

Phone Booth in Ringling

This bird of prey is pretty big (maybe 4-5 feet wingspan). What is it?

July 11: Northwest of Helena: Flesher Pass

The moon

July 12:

Thomas swims in Lake Alva

Along Montana Highway 83

Swan Lake

July 13:

West Glacier

Glacier NP

I swim in Lake McDonald

July 14: Hiking day

From Glacier NP to Seattle

July 15:

July 16: Flathead National Forest

Entering Kootenai National Forest

Kootenai River between Libby and Troy

July 17:

Idaho

British Columbia (Canada)

July 18: Camping on the way to Kootenay Pass

Note the bear-safe position of the (green) food bags

Kootenay Pass

Washington

July 19

Sherman Pass

Republic

July 20

Woucunda Pass

On US97

July 21: The three-pass day

Loup Loup pass

Climbing up to ...

Washington Pass

Rainy Pass is just a small hill from this side

Diablo Lake

July 22: Down the Skagit River

Two veteran motorbikes

Further down the Skagit river

July 23: David, a minister and fellow bicyclist

Look back at the mountains

A snack of berries

On Washington Highway 20 and 19 across the islands

July 24

The Ferry to Seattle

Seattle

Jay Farrar concert in the Showbox

July 25: Seattle at night

July 26: Seattle from Veteran's Park


Anton Ertl