I got off from Mono Lake at 7:00 AM before it got hot, the wind came up, and gusting crosswinds began. After rising to 9000 ft the road dropped to 4000 and kept going down. After 100 miles my gas gauge had barely moved. My gas mileage today was 18 mpg. Lacking Wi-Fi access I was unable to check for road construction and ended up cooling my heels on HWY 395 and enduring several extended slow patches. Better alternatives existed but my GPS didn't choose them or have records. The drive through Carson City went on and on and on. After I reached I-80 the wind that had come up was following.
I've been through the Green River Tunnel before as it looked familiar. Much of the highway is rated at 80 mph. On the long straightaways there isn't much to see.
Just before Elko stopped at Pilot for gas at $3.13. In town got groceries at Smiths using my Kroger loyalty card.
Missed the Ironhorse Campground and in driving rain settled for the Double Dice Sports Bar and Grill and RV Park. Gambling and pool hall, this is Nevada. I was told their fees were cheaper, they lied.
I've been doing some research. Just as their Indian neighbours to South called those to the north Eskimo, eaters of raw meat; those outside the valley called their neighbours Yosemite, those who kill. Not an association the present owners promote readily. My present location, Elko, meant rocks piled on one another. More opportune is the meaning of Inyo, the place where the great spirits dwell.
My Great Value Wal-Mart Bacon might have been a bargain had it actually been a pound. Welcome to America where a pound is not a pound and a gallon is 128 oz. Where a 2 hour movie takes 3 hours to run because of ads. Where yahoos ride donor cycle crotch rockets without a helmet but wear a face mask for the bugs.
I-80 heads north from Elko to avoid a mountain range and tops out at 8000 ft before dropping to enter the Salt Flats of the Great Salt Lake. The highway runs straight on a raised bed with signs warning of blowing dust and triple signs warning of drowsiness. Five miles out of town one is still among salt beds, there are no suburbs.
New highways since my GPS was programmed and the commuter rail line mid street make getting to Salt Lake KOA challenging. The city is arranged on a grid 100 per block starting from Temple Square in all directions.
This is a luxury KOA though I quip at $60/night they could have made the sites level. Four hundred of their 600 sites are residential park model homes. Staff are busy but friendly and efficient. The price one pays for a site beside the pool I didn't use and the bathroom/laundry is contant traffic. There's a major rail line nearby and the airport across the Interstate. However this is one of the few campgrounds I've seen in the middle of a major city.
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| River Jordan |
Braved the light rail system to get to Temple Square. It's a marvel of efficiency and convenience and seems to run like clockwork. The city pointedly discourages giving change to beggars and provides donation meters for charity.
Visiting Temple Square for me is about the music. The Tabernacle has perfect acoustics. Three hundred and sixty voices, 100-piece orchestra and the famous organ which dominates the hall.
The two o'clock organ concert is a short half hour.
With 4 hours to kill I wandered down to the Red Rock Brewing Pub for lunch and ran afoul of a gay pride parade. In a state where "conversion therapy" is still practiced this was a miles long affair I had to brave to get lunch. Amber IPA was well hopped and the cod fish, slaw and chips were good if a mite expensive.
When I got home hot and tired had a 3-hour late afternoon nap. Woke in the wee hours of the morning and had a shower and went back to bed. Found my way to a Smith's for a few groceries and visited their gas bar where my Kroger Card saved me 3¢/gal. Had a scare when I realized my keys were not on me—left in the ignition when I was diverted by other concerns. Fortunately I hadn't locked the door.
Heavy truck traffic on I-15 North to Ogden but then it settles down. The Great Salt Lake is not visible from the highway but the sky remains hazy until after the height of land at Malad Summit 6820 ft. Snow-capped mountains appear to the West. I've finally entered Idaho.
Pocatello at 4462 ft is named after an Indian Chief. The self-described pokey little KOA here was the sixth in the chain. I suffered a few tense moments when I learned that Salt Lake had screwed up my reservation. Staff here chose to honour my payment. The cottonwoods here are aging little left of the one under which I'm parked. With the temp outside 88ยบ my A/C has been running flat out. The campground is owned by a gentleman originally from Sudbury Ontario.
I've spent a fortune on camping for the next week. Check in time at Headwaters Campground Grand Teton is 2 PM. By the route I want to take through the park it's almost 200 miles distant.
Had a tepid coffee from my thermos and got off around 6:30 joining Interstate 15 after a trip through town. If Idaho is known for potatoes it is irrigation that makes them grow and the misters were all busy as I drove along. As anyone who waters a lawn should know doing so in the heat of the day is a waste of water. Idaho drivers don't seem to know about engine maintenance and almost every pickup trailed a cloud of smoke, one half-ton was pulled over and looked to be about to catch fire. Every trailer seemed to be leaking something, I hope not toxic. Three bags of sulphur were broken open in the passing lane. Signs warning drivers to secure their loads were regular roadside attractions.
Left I-15 at Idaho Falls and headed East into the sun on Hwy 28. Stopped at the ice cream stand, (closed) in Swan Valley and had lunch and used their porta potty. Hwy 31 climbs to a summit in Targhee National Forest with warnings forbiding trucks over 60,000 lbs. On the way back down 10% grades had me using low gear. There were two suicide lanes. Jackson Hole is a tourist trap. I stopped for gas at a cramped little Shell Station where the card reader screen was unreadable. Gas was $3.15. Stopped at a visitor centre for a break and used the facilities but didn't find anything worth the money. A left turn takes one toward the parks. None of the Grand Tetons Gate Houses were open so I drove through. The jagged Teton range to the left was outlined in snow. All the pull-outs were on the wrong side of the road. Speed limit throughout the park is 45. I was past the Visitor Centre Road before I could read the sign and did not go back. Caught a few pictures at one pull through site.
Drove into Coulter Bay to pick up a park guide book and watch a one-hour movie on the Yellowstone Wolves. They're Canadian Wolves, an exchange as I remember between our prime minister and the American President. The thought that they might return to Canada hadn't occurred but they'd certainly be quite capable so they were kept in a pen to habituate. Shunning the gate they had to be let go through a hole cut in the fence. On many levels the return of the park's top predator has been beneficial. Although not gratuitous the violent nature of the wolf's life is not avoided. Caring for an animal that hates man is definitely a labour of love for the park ranger team. Interesting to learn that the entire pack cares for the Alpha Female's pups.
Drove the 2 miles past the campground road to reach the Yellowstone Park Gate to pick up their Visitor Guide. Long line to get in. Their closest visitor center being 12 miles in I turned around and came back.
After some driving around parked and walked into the Flynn Ranch Park Lodge. The elderly man who checked me in had no clue how to work their system and they had no record of what I'd already been billed. For the exorbitant price the campsite is a fly infested dirt lot. It is treed and the washroom is across the road. Moderately cramped but I've seen worse. At 5:00 PM I'm ready for bed. No evening programs here and I'm not prepared to drive 25 miles one way and drive back in the dark.
Spent a day in camp reading and catching up on a few chores. Early in the afternoon a thunderstorm developed.
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