Conference noted::bicycle

    There is a LAW sponsored event called GEAR or  '90 which is (I seem
    to recall) around the 1st of June. It is a 3 day tour and is going
    to be in Southern Conn. New London maybe. Some of you Nutmeggers out
    there probably have better information about  

    Sorry about not ending that note...Some fool hit the ctrl/z when
    he wanted a ctrl/w oh well. what I meant to say was.... it. Or you
    can call anyone who is in LAW they should know more about this ride.
    
    Fred Mudgett
    

    	GEAR-UP '90 is in New London from June 8 to 10. It is not a Tour,
    but a rally where over 1000 cyclists get together for a long weekend,
    and go on various rides (from 5 miles to 125 miles, typically, you
    choose), attend workshops, brouse thru exhibits, and socialize. You
    must join LAW to attend. For info, see me or any LAW member. - Chris

    r.3 
    
    Yah that's what I meant to say! 

I thought GEAR was in Mystic Seaport?????


I will look in my latest Bike USA tonight. 

JC

    	The 110th Aniversary Party will be at the Mystic Seaport Aquarium
    Sunday night, the 10th.  The center of activities will, as usual, be
    a college campus - in this case Conn. College for Women in New London,
    across the street from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (how convenient ;-)
    [I took my first downhill ski lessons on the slope on the south end of
    the campus back when I worked at Electric Boat]. - Chris
        I wonder if we'll have Police escorts for crossing the bridge like
    they had 10 years ago at the Kingston, R.I. rally - Newport Bridge - ?

   	r.0 There is a section in the back of BICYCLING Magazine that
    has a list of rides that are going to happen by region. It isn't
    ALL the rides in the area but it does have a good selection. I was
    impressed that they call Deleware and Maryland in the South. 
    
    Fred Mudgett

    .7 -- South of the Mason-Dixon Line

    	remember where Bicycling comes from:  Pennsylvania mentality...
    		- Chris

    re: .7----->  What issue of the magazine has the info- the latest?
    
    Mike~

    Bike America is a 2 month tour across the U.S. from Washington state to
    the coast of Maine. They break it up into ten individual tours, so you
    can take all ten and cross the whole U.S. or you can only one of the
    tours. The New England tour starts August 18,1990, in New York state
    right over the border from Vermont. They will take the ferry across
    Lake Champlaign, cross Vermont, cross New Hampshire's White Mountains
    via the Kankamagus Highway, then cross Maine and end up at the Atlantic
    Ocean. They limit each tour to 300 people and twenty or so do the
    entire U.S.
    
    They tent out in fields, lunch and dinner are provided, usually pancake
    breafasts and spagetti feeds at a local church or nonprofit
    organization. A sag wagon is provided as well as showers. They average
    75-100 miles per day. You are free to travel at your own pace. 
    
    The latest issue of Bicycling magazine has their ad in the back
    section. I am trying desperately to get in shape to participate in the
    New England section.
    

    My friend and I are planning our next western bike tour and will be
    going to yellowstone/tetons and glacier.   I have a few questions:        
    1.  does it matter which direction to ride "going to the sun"
    road? ... much more concerned about scenic beauty than difficulty. The 
    only reason I ask is a note on the web mentions east to west is best
    but does not state why.  
    2.  We have one day to go hiking ... which trail do we go on at glacier?
    3.  Same question for the Tetons ... which trail do we go on?

    Well, its a month old, but...
    
    Glacier and Going to the Sun...  Either direction.  BUT, I believe you
    now have to be OFF the road between 11:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. - at least
    that's what I recall from last year when we were out there.  
    
    Going from West to East, the climb is longer, and I believe you're at a
    lower altitude.  But, either direction is a GREAT ride.
    
    As far as hiking with only 1 day - I'd do a couple simple trails - the
    Highline Trail at the pass with the garden wall across the valley, and
    the Hidden Lake trail EARLY in the morning if possible.  You can also
    have a nice time in the Many Glaciers area, with several nice trails to
    wander.

    just returned from 12 day bike/hike trip out to the
    Yellowstone/Tetons/Glacier parks. Just the highlights:
    
    Yellowstone is a wonderful place to go despite the crowds.  Tourists 
    go out of there way to go around bikers.  It was lots of fun visiting
    the yellowstone natural wonders:  geysers and lots of hot spring
    basins,  the canyon and falls are magnificent,  wildlife everywhere
    (I almost ran over a bear!).  Great hiking as well.
    
    The Tetons are magnificent as well.  Did not get a chance to go up
    in the mountains to hike but did a 10 mile walk along the lake with
    the mountains looking down at us.
    
    Glacier is spectacular.  The "Going to the sun road" is probably the
    the most inspiring stretch I've ever ridden on!  We decided to do the
    road both ways.  The first day we managed to get up during the 
    forbidden hours (11-4). We were told that we were very lucky
    because the rangers (police) normally stop the bikers.
    Your really need to start at about 6am to go
    east to west because the last 10 miles of the 50 mile road are part of
    the off limits zone.  We also Walked on glaciers at
    the top and took a great 10 mile hike up one of the mountains.
    
    The riding highlights had to be the 100 mile stretch between Roosevelt
    lodge in Yellowstone to Red Lodge Montana.  This road is called the
    Bear Tooth Highway.  It starts out through the gorgeous Lemar valley
    with green pastures complete with buffalo with mountains and streams as
    a backdrop.   There are two mountain passes.  The first is cook pass
    which goes from 6000 to about 7000' (and back down to 6000 ... nice
    down hill).  The other is Bear Tooth Pass.  This climb is at least 
    20 miles long with a 5000' altitude gain!  It never seems to end
    and the real climb is saved for the last few miles.  Incredible views
    going up.  Snow piled 10 feet deep in spots!  Spectacular drop down
    into Red Lodge.  I've ridden over many mountain passes in the West.
    I think this was the longest, toughest I've ever rode over.
    
    The other highlight was the Going to the Sun road.  It was like riding
    up the Grand Tetons.  Simply spectacular the whole way.   The climb
    itself was not to difficult.  East to West goes from 4000' to about
    6000'.   West to East is about 3200' to about 6000'.
    
    Just one other comment for anyone planning trips out to the rocky mtns:
    Do not underestimate how cold and how wet it can get.   The day time 
    temperature range in the mountains was high 30's to high 60's.  We
    got rained on 3 times (two short rains and one 3/4 day).  It was very
    very cold during those stints.  Thunderstorms pop up most afternoons it
    seems and its pure chance if you get one or not.  I think we missed one
    by about 100 yds one day!  Still most of the trip our weather was
    great.  3 sunny days in Glacier after they had about a month of solid
    rain! 
    
    -Larry 
    

    re: 1504.14
    If you want a real treat, take in Yellowstone in the winter.  You can
    x/c ski and stay in the hotel on the north end...forgot the name right
    now.  This way you can see the glory of this park without the crowds.
    
    steve