June 22, 2022
There Is a Paradise
And it is in the northeast corner of Idaho.
But first ....
Woke up to a wet tent, but the fly did its job.
Another chilly morning - maybe 38F.
Bright sunshine, so I laid out the fly to dry.
Then walked over to the c-store for breakfast.
Coffee and a sausage & egg biscuit.
Probaby as good as McDonalds
I was drawn back to the little downtown.
A couple of the shuttered buildings have missing windows.
Which means they won't be around much longer.
Especially in Idaho weather.
I stopped by the Forest Service ranger station.
The receptionist was the most helpful I have ever encountered.
Her grandfather had lived in Kilgore -
So, she shared stories with me.
And I left town in a bright mood looking forward to adventure.
Adventure comes in many forms.
This one started with about 1400 feet of climbing.
The Kilgore Road - County Rd. A2 - was virtually carless.
There was, however, the occasional cattle truck -
bringing cows up to their summer pasture.
And the grass this year is magnificent!
As far as the eye can see.
Dropping into the Antelope Valley was breathtaking -
and not just because I was huffing and puffing after the climb.
The meadows were ablaze in color - wildflowers everywhere.
Camas lilies, balsamroot, dandelions -
Hawk and blue herons swooping above the wetlands.
| Heart | 4 | Comment | 1 | Link |
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/wyethia_helianthoides.shtml
Blue in background might be camas, but not enough photographic detail to be sure.
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/camassia_quamash.shtml
1 year ago
The owners of the little Kilgore General Store were resupplying.
They are up there in years and I offered to help carry stuff.
But the said liability made it impossible to accept.
I snuck a few crackers to Sister the black lab.
Had a PB&J sandwich and a couple of sodas.
The store's water was out so I had to buy some extra bottles.
Then I met three Hispanic guys doing some fencing nearby.
The word for 'an orange' in Puerto Rican Spanish is 'una china'.
But "una chinga" means something entirely different.
We laughed until we cried.
Off again. Yes, I knew this next section wasn't paved.
But sandy with big chunks of grave is another thing altogether.
Any speed I once had was gobble up as I fishtailed along.
Had to keep my eyes glued to the road so as not to spin out.
But I did have time to stop and smell the flowers.
| Heart | 8 | Comment | 1 | Link |
https://buffaloroamtours.com/wildflowers-in-grand-teton-and-yellowstone-parks/
1 year ago
| Heart | 3 | Comment | 0 | Link |
When pavement finally returned, the road still was empty.
And there were trees! Trees!! First trees in Idaho.
It made for a peaceful wrap to the day's riding.
Was worried that I wouldn't find a camping spot.
Anywhere close to Yellowstone is mobbed.
But I got in at 4:45 and found a campsite.
Got the ten up quickly to dry everything out from the night before.
And then did absolutely nothing.
Today's ride: 58 miles (93 km)
Total: 826 miles (1,329 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 9 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 3 |
https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/noflats/day-fifteen-dubois-idaho-to-west-yellowstone-montana/
I'm glad to see that it's still in business.
Sounded like you had a great day!
Jeff
1 year ago
1 year ago