WELL THAT WAS INTERESTING

At our RV park in Dillon, Mt.  The Jeep was clean when I took this.

They say that a clean Jeep is a Jeep waiting for an adventure.  Our Jeep was still pretty clean since leaving Las Vegas so today we took it for a drive.  We actually had a number of good choices for places to explore but the bad news is that this being Montana and all it is a long ways away to get to anything.  (Except the Dairy Queen.  It's real close.)  Arlyene spotted what appeared to be the kind of Jeep road we like to explore to we headed off to the Big Sheep Creek road.  The entrance to this road was only 46 miles back south on I - 15!  But that was closer than any of the other options.   For Montana that is nothing at all.  Turns out that this road is a "National Back Country Byway".  We had never traveled one before and if this one was any example these roads are fairly well graded and maintained.  Unlike many Jeep roads we have traveled this one had no areas that were any trouble at all for our Jeep.  In fact I think you could have driven most of it with a mini van.  Dirty, gravel and remote, no doubt about that, but not really a driving challange.  In the first 15 miles of the 66 mile total drive on the byway, I think we passed perhaps a dozen vehicles and they were all going the opposite direction from us.  That should have been a clue.  We of course had no internet or cell coverage and at one point were questioning some of the preparations we should have made but didn't.   

Taken not far off I-15 where the road starts.  No pavement from here on.

The first 20-25 miles winds through canyons following Sheep Creek.  (We never saw any sheep) Here and there we spotted a cabin, sometimes close to the road, often far off in the distance.  Folks out here pretty much live off the grid.  Hard to imagine this road being passable at all in the winter months.

Eventually we broke out into a large valley with mountains on all sides.  Still some snow on most of the peaks.  Here we started to gain elevation as the road wound between two ranges through the valley and towards a pass far up ahead.

This sign gave us hope.  "Maybe we won't die out here after all".

There were a couple of places where we had to choose "left or right".  None of our fancy electronic gizmos was doing a very good job of telling us where we were.  These roads do not show up on many gps maps.  We kept working our way to the right and heading North which turned out the be the correct choice but at one point we were discussing how we might divide up the one energy bar we had between us.  We also began to wonder how long it would take for someone to find our bodies.

As we continued north on Medicine Lodge Road we came to the top of a pass with the sign marking the Old Bannack Road.  It was just two ruts in the brush to the left of this sign.  In addition to being used for freight it was also used to supply miners working in the mountains.  Portions of the road we were on were also part of the route as well.

Highest elevation of the day - close to 8000'  (Dillon is 5100)

Heading down from the pass.

 It is hard to see in the photo above but the road disappears far off into the distant foothills.  We were encouraged to see the high voltage power lines and farther down we began to see actual cows, another good sign that we were headed in the right direction.

Map of the Byway starting from I-15 at Dell

Same map with topographical view.

So we were able to save the energy bar and instead pick up a pizza in town.  In another hour or two we will be checking out the Dairy Queen drive through.  Oh, and for our Las Vegas friends and family it never got above about 85 degrees today.

CRATERS OF THE MOON

One place I have wanted to visit for some time is the Craters Of The Moon.  Why?  Well I guess just because it sounded cool and because we have passed close by several times.  We have planned to come in the past but have had to cancel for one reason or another.  In fact we came close to that happening again.  But this time we actually made it and we were glad we did.  There are many places where you can go to see volcanic activity and geology and Craters is similar to many of them.  It is located on the Snake River Plain in south central Idaho.  It is the result of a geological "hotspot" under the surface plate.  The hotspot that the Snake River Plain passed over many, many years ago started near what is now the Idaho/Oregon border and it currently sits under Yellowstone - which  is expected to erupt again sometime in the next 300,000 years so if you have not been there you might have plenty of time to visit.....or you might not.

Because this area is not as well known there were no crowds.  Other visitors for sure, but no overflowing parking lots, no tour buses and no hassles.   The ranger at the entrance booth even gave us suggestions about places to visit and hikes we could take.  (There was no one in line behind us.) Hiking was high on our agenda and we were not disappointed.  We hiked up a steep volcanic cinder cone for a sweeping 360 degree view of the area.  Later we hiked 2.5 miles (out and back) to see some "tree molds" which are the result of lava overtaking a living tree.  In the case of the next to last photo here, the tree fell into the lava and the moisture in the tree caused it to leave its impression in the lava.  It looks like a tire track but that would have to be some kind of tough tire to leave its track in flowing lava!

So here are some sample photos of our trip today.  As is often the case the photos do not to justice to the scale of what we are showing.  I tried to give a little impression of the scale in the second and third photo.  One without any people and on with Arlyene standing close to the tree.   As always, you should be able to click on any photo to enlarge.

Still snow on the peaks to the north.

Looking back into the valley from the high point of our hiking day.

Same tree on the left with Arlyene close by.
That tree is on top of a 600' cinder cone which gives you some idea how long the cone has been there.

Beauty in both the foreground and the background.

No comment except glad you can not hear my huffing and puffing.
  (600 foot climb in about 1 city block to about 6000')

Much of the magma in this region has Titanium in it which accounts for the blue coloring.

Tiny, tough flowers were everywhere.  These looked like Arlyene's favorites - daisies. 

Note bug in flight(center).  I am proud of that one.

Tree Mold in lava - Not to be confused with bread mold.

One Last Look

HEBER VALLEY

We are currently parked in Heber City, UT, about 50 miles Southeast of Salt Lake city.  This is a beautiful, mountainous recreation heavy area.  Yesterday it was about 90 when we got here and today we will just barely make 80.  Tomorrow the temps start climbing again into the 90's.  That's still cooler than Las Vegas.

We are "camped" in the Mountain View RV park which is a very nice place and it also seems to be very full.  I think it is popular with the Salt Lake City crowd.  Late this afternoon my sister Kris will be coming to have dinner with us.  We are looking forward to that visit.  In the morning we will continue north to the "Canyons Of The Moon." in Idaho.

Tomorrow's route.  Bypasses Sale Lake City.  About 290 miles

Look closely at the snow marker, it is almost 6', yah think it snows here?

Pretty much the view out our windshield

Visit with Sister Kris

LEAVING LAS VEGAS - THE ESCAPE.

One problem with headings like the above - when you have a lot of family left behind they might take exception to my personal opinion concerning the heat.  Even our son Paul says, "Come on dad, it is not THAT bad."  Clearly I am a heat wimp.  It's not them it's me.  Although, I was tolerating it much better this year than last so maybe I was starting to acclimate - just in time to leave.

Anyway, today's report is short and sweet.  We left at 10 am this morning.  Changed one time zone, lost an hour, and arrived here 3:00 local time.  Uneventful drive other than watching the outside temp slowly fall as we gained elevation.  We are now at roughly 6,000 feet and the temp is in the mid 80's.

Friday we are headed to Heber City, UT which is east of Provo and about 180 miles from here.  An easy drive.  More on that later.  Right now I think I feel a nap coming on......

BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN BEAVER

All  the shopping and stocking is done.  Arlyene has paid her mom one list visit before we depart .  It appears we are ready to head out - and none too soon.

With some luck we will be in Beaver, UT tomorrow afternoon where it will be more like 88 or 89.  Let the cooling begin!

In the middle of July Arlyene will fly back here and spend about a week checking on  her mom's progress and giving some other family members a break while I house/dog sit in Idaho.  I think as long as I throw the ball often enough and far enough Rusty and I will get along just fine.