Route planning has picked up again,  with the help of the friendly folks on the Adventure Cycling Association forum now got my route planned through Yellowstone National Park, then east to Granite Pass (51/100 on the top US cycle climbs) and onto to Mount Rushmore. Got lots of tips on where to camp and what to see when in Yellowstone and also advised not to eat in my tent EVER!! – grizzly bears have an incredibly good sense of smell and I’m now trying to remember what and when I last ate in my tent – should I be hanging my tent out to air for the next few months?? – should I be hanging lavender in to detract from the food smell and what is more appealing to a grizzly bear a sweaty cyclist or a freshly scrubbed up one??   According to the National Park Service I need not worry – chances are 1 in 2.7 million that I will be injured by a bear,  far less eaten by one – fingers crossed and all that.

“Bear Inflicted Human Injuries and Fatalities in Yellowstone – From 1980-2015, over 104 million people visited Yellowstone National Park. During the same 36-year period, 38 people were injured by grizzly bears in the park. For all park visitors combined, the chances of being injured by a grizzly bear are approximately 1 in 2.7 million. The risk is significantly lower for those visitors that don’t leave park developments or roadsides, but much higher for those hiking in backcountry areas. When backcountry hiking, you can reduce the odds of being injured by a bear by: 1) hiking in groups of 3 or more people, 2) staying alert, 3) making noise in areas with poor visibility,4) carrying bear spray, and 5) not running during encounters with bears.”

I now have my new mini Trangia Stove – had a full sized one for years but decided to downsize to minimise on size and weight – reckon its just perfect for what I need it for – big thank you to my wee sis Emma for my Christmas vouchers.

The snow has all nearly vanished so no skiing yet this year but good bike ride yesterday.   Went to a talk on Friday night in Glasgow – Ishbel – aka World Bike Girl – really inspirational the places she has cycled to but also her promotion for animal welfare and cycling for women,  amongst other stuff – check out her blog.   I stayed in Glasgow and cycled home yesterday – took the cycle route 7 to Drymen and then joined the main road to Stirling – cold but sunny when I left Glasgow but misty and chilly most of the way as I was low down and near the Forth and Clyde Canal and the River Leven – good bike ride though and lots of interesting stuff to see.

Finished the weekend with a good 16 mile run today – cheers to Tal for the company.