We got an early start to beat the RV traffic on the paved highway into Grand Teton National Park, which worked pretty well. The morning light on the mountains was beautiful and we passed Colter Bay which marked the end of the second map. We stopped at the lodge in Jackson Lake for a celebratory brunch buffet and then knocked out some pleasant pavement miles through the Snake River valley. A gravel climb brought us up to gorgeous alpine meadows below Togwotee Pass and then a blessed tailwind blew us up the pavement stretch to the start of the descent. It started as a nondescript rutted road, but we wound around a corner to stunning views of the Absaroka Range. The surface turned to perfect gravel and we cruised downhill for miles past lakes and rocky spires. It was easily one of the best gravel descents I’ve ever done in my life. We stopped into Lava Mountain Lodge for dinner and ran into some cyclist pals who we camped with just down the road at a BLM turn-off.