Northwest
Atchee ruins: what was it?
On the way up Baxter Pass, right before you start climbing in earnest, is a place called Atchee. Nothing's there but the ruins of what looks like a concrete-construction church. There's not enough water to support a town there.
What was it? Was it a church? Who used it? Why is there graffiti all over the ruins? Who cares enough to go to this remote place to spray-paint graffiti?
I'd like to know more about Atchee.
Duchesne River: Mouth to source
From the bottom of Baxter Pass I found my way to Bonanza, Utah. There's nothing there but a Gilsonite plant. Then a dirt road (or several of them) took me to Ouray (O-ray), which is on the Ute reservation. Ouray is where the White River flows into the Green River, and not far from where the Duchesne joins the Green. I followed the Duchesne north to Fort Duchesne, Roosevelt, Duchesne, and then up through many small towns to its source, near Wolf Creek Pass. It was all beautiful agricultural country, but with signs of oil and gas activity all around also.
Duane Erickson
Just as I was setting up camp at 9500 feet up on top of Wolf Creek Pass, Duane Erickson came by and immediately drew a map to show me where his place is in Evanston and to invite me home. Talk about instant generosity! I'm at his place for two nights giving the legs some much needed rest (I'm beat.)
Duane is one of those unique people of multiple interests that you meet along the way. He's an ex-Mormon, but fanatical student of the Book of Mormon. He's an inventor of canoes and drying racks, an organizer, and a student of all kinds of theories about ancient cultures. His websites at bmsf.net and domehabitat.com tell it all. Lots of interesting things going on!
Two Rivers: Duchesne and Bear
I spent much of the last week going up one river and then down the other. I'd never heard of either one before, but since they're worth a week's touring, they're worth a mention.
The Duchesne River runs into the Green right where I met the Green at Ouray, Utah. I followed it up, up, and up through Fort Duchesne, Roosevelt, Duchesne, Tabioma, and right up to Wolf Creek Pass. Then I crossed over the top of the mountain there to the Provo River watershed and crossed up over another pass, but when I came out of the Uinta mountains, it was following the Bear River downn, down, down. Down to Evanston, down to Bear Lake, which straddles Utah and Idaho, and finally down all the way to Montpelier and Soda Springs, Idaho, where it finally veers to the south, to flow into the Great Salt Lake. (That's a 700-mile journey to get 90 miles from its headwaters!)
The Bear River part (downhill) has been pretty nice. The Duchesne and Provo River parts were pretty tough!
Quiet Roads vs. Having People Around
It's awfully nice to ride on dirt roads with no cars blasting by you all the time, and camp in quiet places with no trains blasting and no trucks blowing by.
As a solo biker, though, you sometimes get lonely on those dirt roads and want to find your way back to where there's a cafe for breakfast and conversation. Or to an established campground where somebody will come over to chat.
It's kind of a tradeoff - I go back and forth. I've been on the paved roads a few days and am kind of thinking about those rough dirt roads in Central Idaho.... But I don't know whether there's any place to resupply up there, so have to find out more information.
All-night Fishermen
Last night I was camped at a picnic ground on a small lake near the highway and a very busy rail line. I knew it was going to be loud, so I put in the earplugs.
But what was it I heard when I woke up about 2am? Slosh, Slosh? Could it be some big animal wading in the lake? What kind? Slosh, Slosh. Semiconscious, I tried not to worry about it. But of course I never really got back to sleep because I kept hearing the slosh, slosh.
Finally, I pulled myself out of the tent to take a look. It was several Spanish-speaking fishermen, using flashlights. I'm quite sure they were fishing from 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning until after I left at 7:30 or so. And when I asked them (in Spanish) if they were getting anything, they said no! All-night fishermen!
People-watching at a rest stop
Normally at a highway rest stop you're like everybody else. You stop and walk around and go to the bathroom and then drive off. Sometime, you should bring a chair (or a tarp and a pad and a book) and sit and watch people for awhile.
I met the usual families coming and going from Yellowstone.
Then there was the carload of four Shoshone Indians returning home to their Fort Hall Reservation home after a trip Northwest to catch huge salmon with their traditional wooden poles (strapped to the top and nearly as long as their 1968 Ford sedan).
(Just a few people kind of glared at me, wondering what I was up to, sitting at the rest stop)
And personable Idaho native Leroy Lewis sat and talked with me for a really long time about the route I'm planning north through Idaho.
Interesting to be a watcher at a rest stop...
Bike touring and "balance"
Many of you know that Nancy and I are planning our "Big Trip" for June of 2006. We want to start at the top of Alaska and ride our bikes clear to the bottom of South America. It's something like 20,000 miles and we figure it will take us about 2 1/2 years.
Probably the biggest obstacle to a big trip like that (other than getting organized for it in the first place) is achieving balance while on the road. It takes care to avoid getting physically depleted, then emotionally exhausted, depressed, and then giving up the idea. So we're paying attention on each of our trips to what it takes to retain our physical, mental, and emotional balance on a trip. Of course we need a rest day from time to time. Probably at least every week.
One thing I've started to believe in, though: I need to get a shower whenever I can. I seem to get to feeling worse when I go a few days without a shower, and perk right up when I get one. So I've started stopping at RV parks and the like to get a shower when I have the chance. An RV park usually charges about $5.00, and a motel may charge up to $10.00.
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Craters of the Moon is a huge landscape of lava. Everything is covered with lava (of several types) and on the older stuff, vegetation has started to grow.
According to the geologists, the most recent eruption here was about 2100 years ago, and before that 4000, 6000, 7000, 8000, and 10,000 years ago. It would seem we're due :-)
The landscape is stark and yet beautiful, with all kinds of plants trying to re-establish more than 2000 years since they were completely wiped out.
This whole part of Idaho (Thousands of square miles) is basically lava flows. You can see the lava at most creek beds and highway cuts. But there's topsoil on a lot of it - those flows are earlier than the stark, new flows here at Craters.
Wood River Valley
The Wood River Valley is second home to some very famous names, including John Kerry and Arnold Schwartzenegger. It's Sun Valley and Ketchum.
I thought it would be too glitzy, but found it very pleasant and even spent a rest day there. The bike trail system is incredible. There's trail all the way up the valley, and bike lanes elsewhere. But the most amazing thing: When I was trying to cross the main highway in Hailey (2 lanes each way, both full of traffic), I was just waiting at a corner with no light, thinking that I should have gone to a corner with a light. And lo and behold, all 4 lanes of traffic just stopped for me to cross! That's pretty nice!
