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Published: September 4th 2015
Wells, NV to Rock Springs, WY
I knew it was going to be another long driving day and I woke up ready to go. The sun rose earlier here, we're further east but the time hasn't changed yet to mountain time. So by 7:30 it was bright, clear and starting to warm up. The elevation was 5,233 ft, still in the high desert, so the night cools quickly. There was an occasional train last night but it wasn't bad, rather enjoyed the sound of the whistle.
We were out of there by 8:30 am, almost a new record for me, gassed up and got on 80 E and soon hit 70 mph. The speed limit was 75 but I'm not comfortable going that fast. It was calm and beautiful, the sun had risen enough that even though I was going east it wasn't directly in my eyes. The terrain started getting greener, a tree here and there until there was almost a forest. The mountains increased in height and so did the wind. I dropped my speed to 65 to be able to keep the van on the road. As the day went along it got worse,
there was even an electric sign warning of wind up to 35 mph. It was a side wind too, the worse kind for the van.
I came to the top of a hill and looked out and there was a white expanse I'd never seen before. It was the salt flats before the Great Salt Lake. Picture. Right at this spot is the border of NV and Utah, I was now in Utah. At the bottom of the hill the speed limit was 80 and if I was in a low profile vehicle I would have loved to do that. As it was sometimes 65 was too fast, even the truckers who do this all the time were having a hard time keeping within the lines. A motorcyclist went past me and when he pulled in front of me it looked like he was going around a corner he was leaning so much. That's what he had to do to keep the bike on the road.
There was a rest stop at the start of the flats so I went in to get a better picture and found some interesting information. This was the Bonneville Salt Flats where
the world land speed record was set. I have enclosed a picture of the sign, read it it's really interesting. Note who donated the sign. You can click on the picture to enlarge it. While there I talked to a couple who talked about how hard it must have been for the pioneers to cross this and endure the hardships they had to. I thought I was the only one envisioning the pioneers plight! You have to go there and experience the heat, the dry air and the incessent wind to really appreciate what those poor people went through.
The sign at the rest stop said that the actual course was 6 miles from the spot I was so I trained my telephoto lens and snapped a shot and got 3 tractor trailers and 3 cars out there, they must have been running something.
I checked the speedometer and it was 36 miles from the start of the salt flats to the salt lake itself. 36 miles of salt.
There was a state park on the map that I was determined to find and get a closer look at the lake. I found it just fine and
it is the same place we stopped as kids when we were going to Idaho in the 50's. Remember Mary El ? I parked the van so it provided shade and after a little walk Oscar and I sat in the shade and looked out at the lake and had lunch.
Some people were walking out to the water but it was at least a mile from shore so I wasn't doing it in that heat.
Onward I drove through Salt Lake City, much bigger than I remember from just a few years ago, then into the mountains by way of a pass formed by a river. It was a terrific climb but we made it just fine and out on the other side was Provo, Kat's familiar territory. It is a very prosperous looking community, popular with skiers and much greener all over. Looks like horse country.
I've enclosed pictures of the mountains, some stark looking others bright red and others tan. We never did go down much, still in the high desert area. Now at 6,237 ft.
I stopped at Rock Creek, WY for the night 100 miles short of my goal, I just
couldn't do it. The wind wore me out. I drove 365 miles in 8 hrs. but there were several stops. I am going to see my niece and her husband in Ft Collins, CO tomorrow afternoon so I wanted a shorter ride for tomorrow but not to be. I'll get an earlier start. Right!
We are staying in a KOA here, very nice park and it is quiet already.
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judith bazler
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Wow I am sitting in my cool breezeway having a flash back. My second husband and I drove through that desert in a pickup truck without air conditioning in the summer. The temperature was around 108. My declaration was yeah it is dry heat but it is HOT! Oh my god. Need to take a drink of my coffee now.