26th May - Jackson Wyoming

From Salmon, I headed south for the Sawtooth national park. Idaho has the best roads so far with winding roads following fast flowing rivers taking you from open plains into the mountains. The Sawtooth range did not disappoint. Great scenery passed as I navigated rock strewn hairpins whilst trying to spot red-winging blackbirds & golden crowned sparrows (had to stop in the end).

This area originally attracted white settlers for the fur then the gold then the land. Given the ruggedness of the terrain making home here was always going to be a challenge. East of the Sawtooth range is no easier. It leads into a lava field called "The Craters of the Moon" which, I read, played havoc with waggons and horses. No such problems for me but as I headed further east beyond the lava fields a new peril emerged. The endless desert highway. This was the first time I had ridden east properly and the landscape changes again. No trees, no bushes, no bends in the road, no animals, no people - just road. After a hundred miles or so, I was reducing to singing Stray Cats songs (Rumble in Brighton) & refusing to do anything that could jeopardise my best ever MPG score (which currently stands at 52).

Thankfully I was saved (once again) by the mountains as I started to climb up into the Grand Teton range. In the background to the north is Yellowstone where I'm heading tomorrow.

   

Must go. Need to do my washing. Sounds hasty but it is week three and you can only wear clothes inside out for so long. Here's a bike shot for good measure.