Grand Targhee: Part Two (of some)

After the lift-served morning ride(s) and lunch, we were headed out to the Rick's Basin area for some XC action.

My foot was hurting a bit from slamming down the mountain all morning, but at least I wasn't on a hard tail, so okay.  We got up and out from the resort pretty quick, and within minutes, I couldn't see from whence I came.  It felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere... which I guess we were.

I know that I've been some sweet places, many of them out in this westerly direction... but still, I don't know if I've ever seen anything like this.  The high meadows, the snow covered rock mountains, dope aspens, huge valleys below me.

I'm not normally one for views (I can find them on the internet), but these were truly something else in person.  We spent some time soaking it in, and somehow no one thought to bring a trail beer?    We needed to get back for dinner, so I followed Alex's wheel as best I could (he's only 22 years old).

I look at that map now, and I don't think I could even come close to guessing our route.  I only know that we were out there long enough for me to drink my entire bottle of water but not so long that I was dead.

Oh yeah.  My foot.

It was acting up pretty bad after the ride.  I remembered there was an ice bucket back in my room, so I assumed there was an ice machine in the Sioux Lodge.  I couldn't find it.  I called the front desk.

The ice machine is in the Teewinot Lodge... which was way closer to where I was just dropping off my rental bike, but at least I was headed back that way for dinner in a bit.  I shoved a ziploc bag in my pocket and went over to The Branding Iron to get my grub on.  After we got done eating (I aimed calorie-low with a salad that was so big I could swim in it to make up for the over-nachoing I'd done earlier), I was gonna go get ice, but someone smarted than me suggested I just ask the waiter to fill my bag.

I did and he did and now back to my room for some HBO, rest, ice, and elevation.

I was about at the point when Andy Kaufman (played by Jim Carrey) gets diagnosed with cancer when I realized I could feel some moisture on the comforter.

Shit.  My ice bag was leaking all over the foot of the bed.  I set my beer down next to me, sprung into action... and spilled my beer in the process right at the head of the bed.

Dammit.

Go grab some towels, soak up what I can, consider sleeping in one of the smaller beds in the room... and just end up sleeping on the moist, IPA-smelling towels.

Wake up the next day, again way too early to get coffee... barely able to walk about the room.  Grab some ibuprofen and wait until 7:30 AM (first coffee) comes so I can get started all proper like.  We've got a full day of "down country" riding ahead of us.