June 2001 |
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After consulting the Mountain book once again, we decided on the scenic route rather than the quickest. No unforeseen problems with steep hills or sharp bends and it would be slow but with a promise of wonderful scenery for the entire 250 miles. There was only one road we had no information on " Garden Valley Scenic Highway". This connects Idaho 55 to Idaho 21 north of Boise and we never did find an Idaho highway number, but being designated a scenic byway it must be pretty. The road winds alongside the south fork of the Payette river and is no doubt beautiful. Unfortunately the heavens opened making the road surface similar to the nearby river which was busy with rafters and white water canoeists. As the road climbed the rain turned to sleet and by the time we reached Banner Summit at over 7000 feet it was snowing heavily giving the surrounding forest a Christmas like appearance.
We were pleased when we arrived at Elk Mountain RV Resort at 4.30, a small park in the cover of trees, even though the temperature of 36 degrees (with snow) meant the immediate ignition of the central heating. Just 48 hours previously the temperature in Hells Canyon had been 98 degrees. We didn't realise what beautiful scenery surrounded us until the snow stopped and the sky cleared 2 days later! This was definitely the most scenic move of the month.
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area & Sawtooth Wilderness -The brochure for the Sawtooth NRA boasts that "it is one of the largest and most magnificent NRA's in the United States". There is no argument from us! This is one of the most scenic areas we have ever visited, with four mountain ranges, Sawtooths (aptly named), Boulders, White Clouds and Smoky's providing spectacular scenery at every turn. The fairly wide valley is surrounded on all sides by mountain peaks, 40 of which are over 10,000 feet. These mountains contain more than 300 lakes and are the source of 4 of Idaho's major rivers - Salmon (river of no return), Payette, Boise & Big Wood.
The NRA provides a myriad of recreational opportunities, snow-mobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, ice skating, steelhead fishing in the winter. Fishing, hiking, camping, horseback riding, mountain climbing, bird watching, mountain biking, off road driving & motor biking and all sorts of water based activities are available in the summer. We were sort of between seasons? - snow for 36 hours and sunshine for the next five days. We spent the first 36 hours in the RV park looking out at the snow and the many birds attracted to our bird feeder by the bad weather. The Western Tanager (extremely colourful) and the Red Crossbill provided the highlights and our first sightings of those types.
We camped near the small town of Stanley (pop 69) which is the only place in the United States where three National Scenic Byways converge - Sawtooth, Ponderosa Pines and Salmon River.
Ketchum/Sun Valley via Galena Summit (8701 feet) -
Since we had limited information on the area a trip to the NRA HQ near Ketchum seemed like a good idea. On the way we stopped at Galena Summit 8701 feet and although it was somewhat cloudy we still had a fairly good view of the surrounding mountain ranges. The road over the summit was built to allow supplies to reach the miners in the valley and was originally a toll road. Alexander Ross (Wee Eck Ross) of the Hudson Bay Co. is credited as the first European/American/Canadian to discover this area. The staff in the NRA HQ were very helpful and provided lots of valuable information. The snow level was at 8,300 feet so only certain hikes were possible and many would not be available (without ice axes etc.) until July. Linda had read there was a Microbrewery in Hailey further down the valley but despite the temptation we made Ketchum/Sun Valley the limit of our days travel. Sun Valley Idaho is widely recognised as one of the top ski areas in the USA and the property prices would seem to reflect this. As you would expect from a ski resort, Ketchum has many bars, restaurants and small specialty shops making visiting easy & pleasant.
Stanley Lake & Bridalveil Falls. - A lovely easy 7 mile hike with good under foot conditions as we were to find on other trails in the area. Right from the start we knew this would be an enjoyable experience as we hiked through a beautiful meadow of blue, yellow and white flowers backdropped by McGowan Peak towering above (9860 feet).
Took a short spur of the main trail to Lady Face Falls - not only are the falls worth seeing at this time of year but the view across the valley was also worthwhile. After a couple of days of snow the creeks were running well so we had to ford a couple. Wullie managed a tree trunk crossing at the first one but Linda could not hold her balance so off with the boots and socks to wade in the icy cold water - quite refreshing. Bridalveil Falls are a short distance from the trail and to get a closer/better view? we decided to ford yet another creek, this one was wider and colder, and after all that we still could not get a complete view of the falls. On our return journey Wullie decided rather than take his boots and socks off once again he would try to cross via a large tree trunk in the sitting position. Much to Linda's amusement he ended upside down on the tree trunk hanging on with crossed feet and hands. Unable to regain the upright position he dropped down (fortunately on the creek bank) and we waded once again. At the end of the hike we
wandered down to the shore of Stanley Lake, very picturesque. We
chatted to a family from Chattanooga, Tennessee. The daughter had just caught a large lake trout weighing about 9lb. and proudly posed for pictures with the Catch of the Day!.
Bench Lake Trail - The trailhead for this very popular hike (6700 feet) starts at Redfish Lake which is known as "the gem of Idaho". The Redfish lake area gets very busy with campers and water activities as well as a few hiking trails. The hike to Bench Lake is a gradual gain in elevation all the way, although the first couple of miles were quite disappointing with only occasional views of the peaks between the trees. However once the ridge overlooking Redfish lake is reached the trees thin and the views improve. Now the White Cloud mountains add an extra dimension to the views across the lake & beyond. Another mile and we arrived at Bench Lake (7800 feet) nestled beneath the snow covered Hayburn MT.(10229 feet) with Thompson peak (10750 feet) to the west. Yet another beautiful spot to rest, take lunch and admire the scenery before making our homeward descent.
Idaho 75 - Salmon River Scenic Route - We were not to be disappointed in the scenery of this road as it followed the contours of the rugged Salmon river. Just after Sunbeam Hotsprings we took an alternative "scenic" dirt track road that took us though Bonanza and Custer historical mining sites. They dredged $1.8 million of gold from the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River between 1940 - 1952 with a short break during WW2. The road became rough and narrow as we reached Mill Creek Summit at 8794 feet. During the mining days part of this road was a toll road. Once we started our descent the road and views opened up giving great views of rolling hills and snow capped mountains in the far distance. Back onto a good road surface we passed through Challis and started our loop back home. Just after Challis we decided on a detour to Bayhorse Lake where we took a late lunch, then headed back down the 9 miles of dirt road, passing quite a few old mine working before arriving back on the Salmon River Scenic Highway and home. A very enjoyable 130 miles in beautiful sunshine.
The repeat journey across Galena Pass was on a clear sunny day so we had a view across the valley and the Sawtooth peaks when we stopped at the viewpoint. Once photos were taken we made our way down to Sun Valley where this time we could see all the ski runs, then it was across the plains to Twin Falls. A very nice easy 160 miles.
These are a few things to see in the Twin Falls area, but our prime reason for choosing this RV park was the convenience of the RV Service centre next door. While in Oxbow we developed a problem with the powered front feet, which meant we had to hand wind the front feet (surprisingly easy! good gearing I suppose?). On the morning of our departure from Stanley we had a malfunction of a turn indicator. we just couldn't get it to work even with the help of a fellow camper so that is another job for the repair guys. Our repair appointment was 8.30 a.m. the following day. On arrival Wullie automatically tried the powered front feet and they worked. Since the foot fault? (Well it is Wimbledon month?) is obviously intermittent we will still check it in for repair and they can clean the electrical connector for the lights at the same time.
Shoshoni Falls - When the Snake river is high these falls tumble 212 feet to the canyon floor, which is 50 feet more than the American side of Niagara Falls. The Snake river was very low for the time of year and most of the water was being used to fuel the hydro generators leaving little for the falls. There is a small fee for admittance to the falls and this also allows day use of Dierkes Lake park, which has a swimming area, picnic tables and easy hiking trails. After our picnic we walked the river trail which ended up at a very beautiful small lake, where lots of local teenagers were swimming and diving from the rock face. The variety of trees and bushes makes this a great spot for birds, many we couldn't identify but the brightly coloured Bullock's Oriole was added to our list.
On the way home we took a 40 mile detour on a scenic road that took us through the Sawtooth National Forest ascending gradually to Magic Mountain Ski lift then a further 1.6 miles uphill on dirt single track to the Pike mountain lookout for a wonderful panoramic view across Idaho and the mountain peaks of Nevada. When the settlers first came to this area, Rock Creek which runs by the side of this scenic highway spooked their horses as it was alive with salmon. Due to all the dams further up the Snake river there are no salmon left in the creek.
Twin Falls - Whilst in Twin Falls Linda visited a jewelers to get a battery fitted to her watch - the very friendly folk in the shop did not charge for the battery, just wished us a continued good holiday.
At a petrol (Gas) station in Twin Falls the prices were advertised:
Regular unleaded $1.60.9
Premium unleaded $ARM.9
Super Unleaded $LEG.9
This is a statement about the scandalous price of petrol here in the USA? (Send a letter to your Congressman!)
Twin Falls, Idaho to Teton Village, Wyoming
140 miles of Interstate to Idaho Falls, then the scenery became more interesting. The mountains were covered with a dusting of new snow, the Snake River was winding through the canyon (known as the Snake River Grand Canyon on this part of highway 89), thin cloud sat on the tops of the Teton Mountains helping to make the last 100 miles scenic.
We arrived mid afternoon in cool but sunny weather. Our neighbour from Arkansas asked us to join him and other neighbours around the fire for a peach cobbler cooked in a Dutch (earthenware) oven. We enjoyed the company of neighbours from New York, Arizona, Pennsylvania and our hosts from Arkansas, around the campfire, before rain intervened. The weather improved for our return to Grand Teton, non-stop sunshine, something we had very little of on our last visit in May 2000. This time we could do some of those hikes we had researched the year before.
Jenny Lake/Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point - One of the most popular hikes because you can either take a boat across to the other side of the lake and hike back, or do as we did hike all the way round. We started from String Lake and as we headed for Hidden Falls a family told us about two Moose that were grazing by one of the trails, so we made the detour. One was lying down and the other was grazing very near to the trail.
Our first sighting of a Moose was last year while in Grand Teton NP but that one didn't look too healthy as he was losing his winter coat. This years model had his new coat and if you can ever consider a moose as handsome then I guess this one was. One ate and the other dozed while we took photo's. Our return to the main path led towards Hidden Falls and the aptly named Inspiration Point at el. 7300. The ferry boat docks very near to this trailhead, making it extremely popular (busy). At the Falls we chatted with a couple from Texas who visit Scotland and the Yorkshire Dales every two years or so. We recommended The Farmers Arms, our favorite eating/drinking establishment in Muker, so look out for them Chris & Marjorie. We took lunch at Inspiration Point looking out across Jenny Lake to the mountains beyond. During our hike we also spotted an Elk and a Western Tanager (very colourful, we only saw our first one this month but we keep spotting them now). A very nice, fairly easy 10 mile hike in beautiful sunshine.
Lupine Meadows/Surprise & Amphitheater Lakes. - This was Wullie's favorite hike. The hike started with a gentle elevation gain through woods before coming out to the aptly named Lupine meadow where yellow Daisies & red Indian Paintbrush complemented the deep blue of the Lupines. From then on we had fantastic views of Bradley & Taggart lakes below, and across the valley to the Rocky Mountains on the horizon. At the 1.7 mile mark the path began to get steeper which opened up a view of the entire park including Jackson Lake. Four white pelican soared above us and we wondered which lake they would come to rest on. As we approached Surprise Lake there were deep patches of snow on the path, but with all the foot traffic that went before us it was well packed down. Surprise Lake el. 9540 feet is the larger of the two lakes with a backdrop of Teepee Pillar, Disappointment Peak & Mount Owen. Amphitheater Lake el. 9750 as the name suggests - is surrounded by the Tetons, including Grand Teton at 13,700 feet. As the snow melts this lake becomes a feeder lake for Surprise and the waterfalls below. A truly wonderful place to take lunch and relax after the somewhat strenuous but most enjoyable hike. On the return journey we saw four mule deer just off the trail and when we reached the trailhead, a few Elk and a lonesome Pronghorn were grazing in the nearby fields.
Cascade Canyon - This was Linda's favorite hike. It started when we saw a mummy and baby moose on the drive into the park. To reduce the distance of the hike to a reasonable length we took the boat trip across the very scenic Jenny Lake on a clear sunny day to the start of the trail. The first part of the hike was the most strenuous as we gained 900 feet in about two miles which brought us to the beginning of Cascade Canyon. The path climbs very gradually alongside Cascade creek which is fed by numerous waterfalls that rush down from all the peaks that look down on this canyon, the highest being Teewinot at 12,325 feet. We had hoped to make it as far as Lake Solitude but by the time we reached that junction time was against us so we decided to hike a couple of miles up the south fork of Cascade Creek towards Hurricane Pass and have lunch by a waterfall before heading back. As we headed back we met two lady backpackers who told us a black bear and her cub were grazing near the path a few miles down the trail. We were now alert, hoping to see the bear but also hoping it was from a distance. We thought we had passed the area they had described and as the trail turned a corner there they were on the path right in front of us! This is when you wish someone else would come along, safety in numbers and all that. We knew that you must never come between mother and baby. Baby bear (cinnamon coloured) was on the path eating happily and mummy bear had wandered off into the trees. The mother didn't seem agitated or upset that we were there which made us feel an awful lot better as we always said we had no wish to meet a bear when out walking. At one point we lost sight of her so Wullie scouted around while Linda carried on taking pictures. She eventually re-appeared at the same time as some more hikers so everyone was happy. Baby bear rejoined her mum and most of us took a slight detour through the trees but one macho man had to walk right past the bears, fortunately his wife & son had more sense. The rest of the homeward journey was quite insignificant compared to that excitement. Something we will never forget. The perfect end to a perfect day.
Not everyone want's to meet a bear apparently, as we met a young lady backpacker who when we told her what was on the trail ahead, turned around and said "I'm going home". The young man with her persuaded her to carry on, but we wondered what she would be like sleeping in a tent at night with bears around?
Phelps Lake/Death Canyon - This was the best wild flower hike. The entire 7 miles had the greatest variety of wild flowers (perhaps not the most colourful) we have encountered for a long time. We gained 400 feet in 1.2 miles when we reached Phelps Lake overlook at 7200 ft. The trail descends through more beautiful meadows of wild flowers. At one spot it was a haven for the Broad-Tailed Hummingbird and their loud wing beats attracted our attention as they swooped down onto the flowers. The lowest point of this hike was 6770ft. The trail ascended alongside a creek with many cascades roaring over rocks. We terminated our hike at the patrol cabin at the junction with the Static Peak Divide trail. We ate our lunch at 7870 feet in another of those restaurants with a view, looking over the top cascade/waterfall and wondering just how much of this water would find its way to the Pacific Ocean, via the Snake & Columbia rivers (so much is taken out for irrigation, power generation, drinking water). A very enjoyable hike with plenty of beautiful scenery throughout.
Chuckwagon BBQ & Western Show at the nearby Bar-J Ranch - This is a really "tourist" type attraction but it came highly recommended so we decided to go for it. As it was less than a mile from the RV we decided to walk forgetting that when it ended it would be dark but it worked out OK. You can make reservations but your seat is allocated when you arrive, so most people get there early and then sit around for 1 - 2 hours. The smart thing is to send one of your party to get your seat allocation and then go home until nearer the time. The BBQ was fair to middling but the Western show was magnificent and well worth the cost on it's own. Great music and singers, very good storytelling and lots of comedy thrown in.
Teton Village to Flaming Gorge Recreation Area, Wyoming/Utah
The majority of our 242 mile journey was on another very quiet highway (US 191) which meandered through a winding narrow canyon created by the Holback river before climbing to a wide high altitude valley situated between the snow capped Rocky mountains to the east and the Wyoming range to the west. Crossed the Green river about 10 miles from it's origin in the Rocky's, which later on is dammed to produce the Flaming Gorge reservoir and eventually joins the mighty Colorado (Big Red) in the Canyonlands region of Utah. The biggest town we passed through was Pinedale, elevation 7200 ft., population 1,181 which we imagine will be greatly increased during the winter for cross country skiing. One 'point of interest' in this small town that brought a glisten to our eye was the Brew Pub on the main street but visits are not allowed whilst travelling. We had to drive a few miles on Interstate 80 (the longestInterstate in USA), before taking highway 530 to Lucerne Recreation Area, situated by the side of Flaming Gorge.
The RV park is run by The National Forest and only a few sites have electric. When we arrived the office was closed so we chose a site and once we were settled went back to the office to pay. This is when Linda got kinda upset - she was asked if she was a holder of a Golden Age card (these are issued to people over 62?). Wullie stepped in and produced our Golden Eagle card which meant we were entitled to a 50% reduction on our three day stay.
Flaming Gorge Recreation Area - The emphasis here is on water based activities and most campers had boats or Jet Ski's and at this time of year the cool air on the lake would be a godsend. The temperatures were in the 90's during our stay and with no shade from trees or anything else we had the awning out to shelter one side of the RV. They were having what the local TV station later called "micro burst" winds in the region and during one of our trips out one hit the RV site ripping our awning off the RV! Now both sides are unshaded and we have to find somewhere to get a replacement which isn't easy when constantly travelling as they have to be ordered.
This is another very scenic area with lots of wilderness and few people around. There were quite a few hiking opportunities in the area but we passed on those due to the high temperatures and lack of shade. The southern end of the reservoir has some very striking bright red rock faces, but then it is in Utah! The roads around the Flaming Gorge include many steep grades on which we were reluctant to take the RV for our trip to Colorado. Having driven them in the truck we decided we have travelled on worse and this way we can make Grand Junction easily in 1 day instead of 2.
To get close to the eastern shore necessitates extensive travel on dirt roads with some parts a bit dodgy and signposting infrequent. However we Scots didn't travel all over the world by being timid so we drove down the paved road to Fire Canyon, had lunch in a sand storm (same "micro burst" wind that got our awning), travelled Sweetwater County (33) dirt road, 40 - 50 miles back to highway US 191 which gave us the most extensive view of the reservoir yet.
Colorado - Land Area - 103,730 Sq. Mi. Pop - 3,307,912. Capitol - Denver. State Flower -
Flaming Gorge, Idaho to Fruita, Colorado.
Utah 44 from Manila to the junction with US 191 has quite a few 8% up & downs which is good preparation for US 191 to Vernal. After climbing to the summit of the hill (8428) you have 6 miles of rolling grade (some parts 5/6%) followed by 10 switchback curves, on an 8% - 10% grade for 10 miles. The switchbacks are posted at 20 MPH. This meant the driver had little opportunity to admire the great views (To our British readers 6% to 10% may not seem terribly steep but when that continues for several miles and you have 11,000 pounds of trailer following you downhill then it all becomes sorta relative if you know what I mean?). The town of Vernal (Utah) has little notice boards on the sidewalk marking points of interest. One which took our fancy concerned the Zion Bank building. Apparently in the early 1900's when the the Zion Bank was constructed they wanted to use a particular type of facing stone (used for all Zion Banks). The quoted shipping cost from Salt Lake City was very high and so they shipped the stone, brick by brick, by parcel post as this was much cheaper (Accountants have some uses after all?) If that last statements offends any Accountants then feel free to make us redundant and force us into early retirement! . Our journey took us past the edge of Dinosaur National Monument but Linda seems to believe she is married to one so there was no need to visit? Colorado 139 from Rangely to Fruita is designated a "Scenic Byway". It included an 8% grade to the top of Douglas Pass (8268) a gain of over 2000 feet. We managed a quick look down into the green valley and out across the mountains before starting our steep 4000 feet decent to Fruita. For a short distance the grade was 12%, then 20 miles of 8% and the rest gradual. Near to Fruita the scenic byway passes through the Book Cliffs, very pretty, one of the few areas in the USA where wild horses can be found. All in all an exciting 200 mile move.
Fruita - The main attractions in this area are the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa and the City of Grand Junction where we may be able to get a new awning fitted. We have decided to give the Colorado State Park system some business and are staying at Colorado River State Park. The park is quite new, has a very spacious RV Park, large day use area, small swimming lake and is on the banks of the Colorado River surrounded by high mesa's, mountains and cliffs. This area known as the Grand valley has a desert like climate and at this time of year that means HOT - temperature around 100 degrees during our stay, and once again very little shade for the RV. This time we ain't got an awning to keep one side shaded!
Took the RV in for an estimate on the awning, and as expected they have to order it in, however we will be back within 90 miles of Grand Junction in the next two weeks so they can do the work then. While in Grand Junction we took the truck into Meinkle's to get the brakes checked out as we would be up & down mountains! during our stay in Colorado. This provided another example of the difference in attitude in the USA compared to home. They checked the brakes and found they were OK for about another 30,000 miles and therefore did not charge us anything for their time and trouble. During our stay in the air conditioned office of Meinkle's we inquired about Microbreweries in Grand junction and were rewarded with excellent directions (Junction of 5th & Main, downtown). The "Rockslide Brewpub" is well worth a visit both for the Microbrews and the food, as the high local attendance attested.
Colorado National Monument - Situated between Fruita and Grand Junction the entire 23 mile rim rock drive has outstanding views and most of the 16 viewpoints have a short trail which takes you to a scenic lookout point. We called into all the viewpoints and walked the short trails but avoided the longer ones into the canyon because although the day was quite cloudy it was still very hot. A wonderful leisurely drive in another beautiful National Monument reminiscent of some parts of Utah, but then it is only next door
Grand Mesa - The largest flat top mountain in America. At 10,000+ feet and with 200 lakes, spruce forests and lots of hiking trails it is a very popular vacation area. The drive to Crag Crest Trail passed through some lovely scenery. The trailhead started at 10,150 feet (more importantly a cool 65 degrees) and by the time we reached the ridge we had gained a further 1,049 feet making it the highest elevation we have hiked (not a record liable to last for very long in Colorado). The views were exceptional - we counted 13 lakes tucked amongst the trees and looked out across the peaks in Utah. Yet again we had lunch in a restaurant with an exceptional view. We drove the Lands End Road where we had a panoramic view of mountains and the valley below. We had a choice of retracing our route along the miles of paved road with a relatively gradual descent to the valley floor or a short 12 mile dirt track switchbacking steeply down to US 50. Being adventurous Scots we chose the shorter, more exciting option which was made even more exciting by two uphill travelling vehicles on a narrow dirt track with no guardrail. By the time we reached the valley it was 102 degrees so we took a small diversion to the Brewpub where we lingered, in their air conditioning, over dinner and a few pints before venturing out into the heat and home.
We spied this notice on a church billboard which appealed to our sense of humour:
The wages of sin is death, quit before pay day.
NEXT MONTH: we continue our tour of the Colorado Rocies and visit: Priest Gulch - Telluride. Cimarron - Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP - Curecanti NRA. Basalt - near Aspen. Estes Park - Rocky Mountain NP - all in Colorado.
Miles travelled this month: 2,790
Accumulative miles: 54,210
Interesting Hyperlinks :
Craters of the Moon National Park
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