This is the last entry. when I got up in John Day, OR, it was 50 degrees, so I dressed appropriately. Fifty miles later, I went over a piney-woods mountain pass on Rt 395 and as I descended into the valley it got cold (38F). I pulled over in front of a general store in Seneca to put on warmer stuff. Across the street, the elementary school kids were at recess in shorts and shirtsleves. So much for my macho biker image. This part of Oregon is either high desert (Scrub brush and rolling hills), grassy plains, irrigated farmland, or alpine [View Full Entry]

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I miss Carol on this part of the trip. Boise is miles of development, but when I finally got out of town on Rt 93, it looked like the golden hills of California. It pretty much stays that way with areas of irrigation and cattle ranches here and there, especially along the Weiser River. It's a pleaasant ride up to 71 which goes to the Oxbow Reservoir, then along it to the Oxbow dam. Apparently Hell's Canyon is the deepest canyon in North America. (I'd like to see the deeper ones.) Hell's Canyon is 7,913 feet from the mountain peaks to [View Full Entry]

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I'm up to about 2,600 miles, now. This was a good run at 463 miles. The ride out of Yellowstone to the west was typical Yellowstone, with lodge pole pines and mountains all around. Route 20 through Montana and down to Rexburg, Idaho, gradually turned into farmland. No picture oppurtunities, yet, as this is all old hat by now. At Rexburg I took Rt 33 west. It gradually changed to scrub brush and then prairie until I hooked up with rt 93 in Arco. 93 is long valley between the lost River Range and the Pioneer mountains. there is nothing here [View Full Entry]

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Today we did our laundry, got some gifts, watched Old Faithful, again, and wandered around the vents (on the path). MORE PICS... Carol is going to go straight home from here. she has to get back. I am going to explore the Sawtooth range in Idaho and wander through Oregon and come home through Lassen Volcanic State Park, in good old California. TTFN. [View Full Entry]

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It was 28 degrees F this morning, but it soon warmed up to the high 70's. We took a ride up to Mammoth Hot Springs and around the loop. The Yellowstone caldera has numerous other hot spots including Mammouth Hot Sptings, Norris Basin, and West Thumb. There are boiling hot spots in the Yellowstone river and along the banks of Lake yellowstone. the Norris basin is a couple of square miles of bubbling, steaming fields of hot, white silica, chugging fumeroles, clear, aquamarine springs, feeding brown and gold-colored streams, bubbling mud pots, and little spurting mini-geyesers. there is a seri [View Full Entry]

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Leaving Jackson you parallel the Tetons and then more prairie. We passed a herd of buffalo. I've never seen buffalo before. Wow! Just like in the movies. Entering Yellowstone at the south entrance, it is mostly alpine woods. Turn left near West Thumb and you're in the caldera. But it's about 20 more miles and over the contintental divide twice before descending into the area around Old Faithful. The Geyeser goes off (faithfully) every 91 minutes or so. The tourists gather, maybe a couple of hundred or so at a time, to watch. There are few kids here, but the park [View Full Entry]

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I know, it's been a while since We posted. We were lazy about posting in Jackson, and there is no internet service in Yellowstone Park. I'm writing up the Thursday through Sunday entries on Sunday while waiting for the laundry to finish. I'm going to post each day separately. Stand by... The ride from Rock Springs to Jackson was initially about 80 miles of Wyoming's golden prairie. Later it goes up into the mountains, along the Hoback River, and into the Jackson area. Jackson, Wyoming, is charming, but overrun with tourists. Of course I'M a tourist, so I can't complain too [View Full Entry]

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THURSDAY: Rock Springs to Jackson 9/10/09 I know, it's been a while since We posted. We were lazy about posting in Jackson, and there is no internet service in Yellowstone Park. I'm writing up the Thursday through Sunday entries on Sunday while waiting for the laundry to finish. I'm going to post each day separately. Stand by... The ride from Rock Springs to Jackson was initially about 80 miles of Wyoming's golden prairie. Later it goes up into the mountains, along the Hoback River, and into the Jackson area. Jackson, Wyoming, is charming, but overrun with tourists. Of course I'M a [View Full Entry]

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Greetings from Rock Springs Wyoming! We left Grand Junction via Rt 139, which is really beautiful country. Our route took us up to Dinosaur, Colorado (no kidding). Just east of there on Rt 40 is the Dinosaur National Monument, which is in a nice Gorge, but not significantly better than a hundred others we've seen. Am I turning into a gorge snob? Weirdly, the only nod to dinosaurs in Dinosaur is a horrid little statue with gills (?) and no tail. Vernal, 33 miles west, is a nicer looking town and has a whole museum devoted to the subject with skeletons [View Full Entry]

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I should point out that 1600 miles is the approximate total distance so far, not the distance from Montrose to Grand Junction. (Although I suppose it could be if you went by way of Salt Lake City.) That's it. Carol says Hi! [View Full Entry]

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