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Day 11 (67,533)
I got started to day pretty late. It was 11:30 when I finally hit the road; it had been a long night with having to cook all the meat in the fridge and then cleaning up the mess I had made, but at least nothing went to waste.
As I was cooking breakfast, and drinking coffee I met the guy who was camped next door and after a little chitchat I discovered I could continue on up the dirt road the campground was on and it would come out in Springville Utah and was actually closer than going back to the highway, so off I went. The scenery was breathtaking as it wound its way up and over the pass, but the road really sucked. It started off good gravel and would up in a two-track rut for several miles before it got better on the far side of the mountains. I had almost thought I had made a serious mistake but the farther down the mountain I got the better the road got as it finally turned into pavement. I was truly relieved to get to the bottom.
Todd Frye, a former Diamondhead gunner lived there. I had spent some time with him and his family on my return trip from Hawaii afew years ago. They are truly first rate people. I had promised to stop by the next time I was in the area, so I made the attempt., but alas no one was home. I know they like to go up to Bear Lake when they get a chance and with this the upcoming Memorial Day weekend I assumed they had gone there for the holiday.
The journey continued on through Provo and into Provo Canyon as it wound its way back into Wyoming. Part way through the canyon is Bridal Veil Falls, a truly scenic waterfall
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Bridal Veil Falls
I made it on to Evanston Wyoming to stop for gas, and then discovered I had stumbled into the annual Evanston Motorcycle Rally. What a stroke of luck, I was tired from the almost two-weeks on the road, and it seemed as good a place as any to pull up and spend the weekend. That would allow me to miss the crowds in the National Parks, and who am I to pass up a world-class partyJ
Day 12 through 17Evanston's bike rally was what I expected it to be, but the unexpected also occurred. I was taking pictures of the event and wound up doing it for the local newspaper and
actually got paid to do it. It almost paid for the trip to date, and was more than a pleasant surprise. The rally was I expected it to be, a fun time. There were only three arrests during the week and all three were locals, which was kind of a shocker as most of the crowd estimated at 8,000 at any given point was from neighboring Utah and points farther west and north.
Camping was provided free of charge at the local fairgrounds, food and alcohol were more than plentiful, the music was impeccable, and the crowd was a diverse mix of young and old. All in all it was a good time for everyone. Next year I will come back and do it again over Memorial Day weekend. I had to stick around until Tuesday to get the pictures I had taken prepared for the Newspaper, then I would be off to Teton Park and the continuation of my journey.
Below are a few of the pictures I took over the weekend.
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Bike Rally Pictures
Day 18 67,742 (192 miles traveled)I finally got out of Evanston at 9:30 A.M. heading north to Jackson Wyoming and the gateway to Teton National Park. I had been there many times before, but every trip brings forth something different. This would be no different. As I cruised along the two lane highway, something seemed extremely odd. I stopped at all the /Forest Service campgrounds along the way to check them out, and to my surprise they were all empty, not even a host trailer. In my mind it said this year with the high gas prices people were staying home, or at least closer to home. As the highway wound in and out of Idaho and Utah on the way north, near the little town of Coffeeville, I was amused at the sign I found stating that the Testicle Festival was this upcoming weekend, with I chuckle I figured it had to be mountain oysters as it was a heavy ranching area. Then came the surprise of the day, right there in the middle of the highway came a covered wagon being pulled by horses four abreast, with yet another covered wagon with one horse pulling it in tow, I guess headed to the Testicle Festival.
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Horses and Covered Wagon
I finally arrived in Jackson around 5 P.M., and took a break for an ice cream cone and to take a couple of pictures of the elk horn arch at the city park. The antlers had been gathered from the nearby elk refuge and fashioned into the arches that lead into the park.
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Elk Antler Arch
I finally got camp set up near 7 P.M. at the same place I had camped the year before, and to my surprise John and Betty, the persons I had met there the previous year were camped in exactly the place. We visited for a bit and then I took off with my camera to find the mountain sheep and buffalo that frequent the area. Since it was evening, the light would be wrong for me to re photograph the cabin and Grand Teton in the background, so I would have to find something that required evening light. I did want to check on the old cabin, so I took the short drive over there to make sure it was still there, To my surprise the cabin was there, and so were the Buffalo so it made a new photo op of its own.
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Old Barn and Buffalo
After messing with the buffalo for an hour or so, I headed out the backside of the park where I had found the mountain goats the previous year, but nothing was there. The traffic was far to busy to see much, so as dusk began and the moon was rising it made for one incredible shot
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Slide Lake at Dusk
Day 19 traveled 192 miles inside park
I had planned to arise before dawn to take pictures of Grand Teton as the sun came up, but I overslept pretty badly so I spent the day grocery shopping, and going to the Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson. The museum is quite a deal and is really worth spending several hours browsing through the collection. None of it is photography, but is paintings and sculptors both in granite and bronze. No cameras were allowed so I have nothing to show you. Do take my word for it. If you are in Jackson, it is definitely worth the trip and the modest entry fee.
Day 20 traveled 196 milesToday I managed to wake up before dawn, made a quick cup of coffee, and I was on my way for the five-mile drive to my vantage point. I was in hopes some cirrus clouds would be present which would throw a pink cast on the mountains as the sun came up, but mother nature was no help on this day, but I would catch the soft early morning light.
