Upon seeing the snowcapped mountains of the Grand Tetons in Yellowstone National Park I felt like I was now crossing into western United States. I was really feeling like I was on a journey-- far from the northeast United States. Unfortunately, I had my first mishap in Yellowstone.
I spend several weeks in Yellowstone hiking when I was in high school. I didn't need to see Old Faithful, but I did stop and enjoy the scenery. It is a wonderful place, but I think to enjoy it you need to go out hiking into the wilderness. Viewing the mountains from the road is more like a tease. The mountains showing you just there tips and you know there is so much more to see.

As the afternoon passed I started to cruise through the park. It had been slow going through the park earlier in the day because of construction on the east side of the park. I wanted to make it to Helena, Montana to a fellow Horizons Unlimited member. In my haste I neglected to tighten my chain. I suddenly felt a big thud from under me and knew my chain had come off the sprocket. Why my rear wheel didn't lock up I still don't know. The damage was bad. The chain was coiled around the rear sprocket housing. Even when I pulled the chain off the sprocket it was so bent up it could hardly move through the chain guides by the front sprocket. I waited for someone to help, but people just stopped to take pictures of the scenery and park rangers just drove by.

I was starting to unpack and planned to set up a tent in the pullout. My first priority was to stay warm and dry and I was ready to be confronted by a park ranger with an attitude. Fortunately, I was greeted by a friendly man and his girlfriend who stayed with me for several hours trying to make the bike ridable. As it got dark was started watching for park rangers or tow trucks and finally got lucky. The next morning I managed to find an auto mechanic who rode motorcycles and put a new chain on for me.

I ended up staying at the same hotel and we had breakfast together then next morning.