After a restful night at Shawn’s lovely home in Jackson, I said goodbye to Shawn, and I hitched a ride back to Moran Junction, 10 miles south of Colter Bay, where Section 4 of the Tour Divide begins. Within 10 minutes of the try, a familiar truck pulled over. It was Joe, a guy who gave me a ride the day before. “Is that you again, Miho?” said Joe as he got out of his truck to help me load my bike in the back of his pickup truck. He gave me a ride to the traffic circle where he dropped me off the day before. From there, I had another ride with Ruby and Or, a gay couple from Israel who came to the US for egg donation and in vitro fertilization (IVF). By the time we made it to Moran Junction, we became great friends and they told me if I come visit Israel, they’ll take care of me. I understand the risk of hitchhiking, and I meet most wonderful, interesting, and kind people by doing so. Ruby and Or left a long-lasting impact on me through their stories.

From Moran Junction, I started a 17-mile-long climb toward Towgatee Pass. First, it followed the highway, then to the unpaved road called Buffalo Valley Road that led me to Turpin Meadows. The road was quiet and surrounded by cottonwood and aspen golden leaves. As I approached the pass, the unpaved road merged with the highway. I saw the turn off to the forest road 30010, which Shawn, Beth, and I took to look for my lost phone back when I was hiking the CDT. Later, when I saw Beth, I told her about the road. She said, “When I pass the road, I always think of you.” 

I thought of the lost phone incident again when I saw the Two Ocean Mountain. When I was hiking the CDT, I dropped my phone while navigating a few miles before reaching the Towgatee Pass. Without my phone, which has the CDT map app, I navigated using the prominent landmark of Two Ocean to the highway. I remember when I reached the pass, Shawn found me and took me to Beth’s home in Dubois. We had a miracle to find my lost phone in the middle of nowhere, the following days, and for that, I will remember Towgatee Pass forever. 

From the pass, I followed the Brooks Lake Road, passing Wind River Lake and Brooks Lake. Once it merged back to the highway, I descended all the way to the Warm Springs Loop and continued until I saw Beth, coming to get me. 

Beth and I made a yummy dinner with grilled Sockeye salmon that Shawn shared with me, a big salad, and pizza. Over the meal, we caught up, and I found so much comfort in her presence. I’m lucky to have such friends who are real, so that I can just be who I am.

The next morning, we left early in a stunning sunrise, and Beth dropped me off at the Warm Springs Loop Road. While she and her dog started jogging, I pedaled up the hill toward Sheridan Creek. The ascent to the first summit was reasonable. I was able to keep a decent pace, but going over the pass near Fish Lake Mountain on the narrow mountain bike trail was very challenging. I was able to ride most of the way until the last mile, where it became so steep that I had to get off my bike three times to push it up the hill. It was like a mini version of Lava Mountain, Montana. 

Once I made it, I saw a wide open space with a summit of Fish Lake Mountain. Then I saw the Tetons one last time before going over Union Pass. Right after the pass, I came across the Strawberry Creek Safety Shelter, which was built as an emergency shelter for anybody to take refuge. I decided to take a lunch break in the shelter to be out of the sun.

In the afternoon, I was excited when I took my first glance at the Wind River Range. The road became very rocky, and it was a lot of work to control the bicycle as I went down some steep hills. Soon, I could not believe how beautiful the scenery became. The mountains were covered with bright and stunning golden colors mixed with the orange and red of aspen and cottonwood leaves against the clear blue sky. It was epic. It was also soothing to hear their leaves whistling in the wind, like a wind chime of the fall season. The climax of the epic view came when I reached the Green River. The late afternoon sunlight made the whole world magical, and I was completely in awe. I thought I had to make every effort to see the fall colors every year, just like I commit to going back to Japan to see the Cherry blossoms in the springtime.

I wondered why I am in such awe of fall colors. There is something more than just being simply beautiful. To me, they represent maturity and the cycle. These leaves eventually fall on the ground, decompose, and are recycled back to the soil. Right before they fall, the leaves are most beautiful in my eyes. In human life, aging is not something viewed as a positive experience all the time. What I’m learning from looking at these leaves is that being mature and old comes with beauty, and eventually, we will all fall to the ground, just like these leaves. That is part of life. If I can just go like these leaves, isn’t it easier than hanging on to life, knowing that the circle of life continues beyond this lifetime? Then, leaving this world is not something scary or unknown. So the question is, how can I live a life so I have a beautiful state like these Aspen leaves? They are not trying hard to be pretty. They’re just being what they are, following what they meant to do. So, be true to myself. Maybe that’s what it means to live a life of a full circle. I came into this world with a purpose, a gift, and a responsibility. It is just a matter of finding the truth, and when I do, perhaps I can live a life of a full circle.

I went over one more pass, and then it was mostly downhill in the open Sagebrush land to Pinedale. There was a construction happening. The construction supervisor put me and my bike on the truck and transported me to the other end for safety reasons. I enjoyed a short break, riding in the back of the truck with my bike. I made it to Pinedale a few minutes after 5 PM. Since I had enough daylight to make it to the NOLS Three Peaks Ranch in Boulder, Wyoming, I kept going, riding smoothly, catching the warm evening tailwind for another 13 miles, seeing the Wind River Range and aspen leaves in the stunning golden time.

I arrived at the ranch just in time before sunset. Kenzie, the ranch director, whom I met last year at the Outside Festival, set me up to stay there for a night. It was so nice to take a shower and sleep on a bed in a warm place. I have so much support in Wyoming, and I’m grateful for that.

A night at Three Peaks Ranch was very comfortable. I left right before sunrise. Even though we passed the fall equinox, I still like early start and watch the sun coming up on the horizon as I ride my bicycle, even though it has been cold for the past week. 

I enjoyed seeing the mountain covered with yellow, orange, and red aspen leaves. I took a turn onto Lander Cutoff backroad, which went through the rolling sagebrush hills, a typical Wyoming landscape with many Pronghorn Sheep roaming around. There’s almost no wind in the morning, and I enjoyed a quiet ride. The wind tends to pick up in the afternoon, so an early morning start helps to get most miles in the morning to avoid the headwind. I checked the wind forecast the night before and planned that by the time I hit South Pass City, I would ride the southeast tailwind to get to Atlantic City. 

I crossed the Big Sandy River. I was getting close to the southern end of Winter River Range. I enjoyed the last glance of the Winds up close as I approached South Pass City, thinking about how my outdoor education career started with NOLS, where I learned all the skills I needed to navigate and live in the wilderness and handle many challenging situations on both hiking and biking tours. Another full circle, I thought.

I hitched a ride from Atlantic City to Lander with Nick and Salina, who live in Lander. Once I made it to town, I first stopped at a bike shop to see if I needed to replace the bike chain. Most people have to replace the chain in Pinedale. Since I travel light, I thought I could put 100 more miles from Pinedale to Atlantic City before replacing it. Mark, the owner of Gannet Peak Sports, measured the stretch of the chain and said that it still has more life left, and I could probably ride fine till Steamboat Springs in Colorado. I was glad to know that being small and light has an advantage!

Then I rode to Liz’s home. I spent a night at her home in mid-July when I was hiking the CDT. I was excited to come back to see her again. Another full circle.

I took a zero day the next day, seeing Allison, one of my NOLS mentors and friends, and met her friend Jim. I had not seen Allison for 6 years! She was in town for the NOLS 60th anniversary, and I happened to be here. Allison is one of the funniest people I know, and sometimes you have no idea how much you missed the person until you are in their presence. As we caught up, I realized how much I missed being around her, laughing!

Having a zero day at Liz’s home allowed me to take care of my bike, especially the chain and cassette needed some deep cleaning. I also enjoyed access to a fully equipped kitchen and cooking fresh meals. Liz and I had a wonderful dinner together and more time to catch up on life. 

The next morning, Liz gave me a ride to Atlantic City. I left right in time for the sunrise. This 98-mile section between Atlantic City and Wamsutter is known as the Great Basin, a long stretch of exposed open range with no trees. I remember hiking the CDT between Rawlins and South Pass City, which is north of the Tour Divide. It was brutal, with a lot of exposure and very limited water. It took me 4 days to cross the Great Basin on foot. I planned to bike across it in a day. The challenge is the headwind. So an early start is better to get the most ride in the morning when it’s calm.

It was a beautiful morning. I was able to ride with almost no wind, then I had to push through the headwind for the last 30 miles. The wide open landscape with the clouds extended all the way to the horizon was impressive. I saw many wild horses, herds of antelope, and a badger. Cows, of course. I came across a CDT sign once, which made me smile. 

It was a long day with the headwind. I was relieved when I made it to Wamsutter. 

Tomorrow, I’ll be crossing the Wyoming-Colorado border. Colorado was the crux of the entire CDT. I remember postholing snow in the San Juan Mountains in May. That was the most memorable and difficult thru-hiking experience I ever had. If things get tough while biking through Colorado, I’ll remind myself, “I made it through San Juan. Let’s go!”