9th June
Today I’m going to ride over to Boise, Idaho, to visit Jay (Sasquatch) who I met at Lake Tahoe a few weeks ago. The weather is clear when I pack the bike although there’s the threat of rain later. Being the eternal optimist, I don’t put on my Gore-Tex trousers, but keep wearing my armoured jeans.
I intend to take in a couple of sights that Jay has recommended, so start towards Fort Hall, before turning left at Blackfoot towards Arco. I’ve been to Arco once before. Now there's a sentence most people don't want to write…
On the way, I’m intrigued by a sign advertising the ‘EBR-1’.
EBR 1 was, apparently, the first nuclear power plant. It’s now open to the public as an exhibit…
…and, along with a couple of Heat Transfer Experimental Reactors, is a National Monument. I took the pictures from outside. When it comes to containment of nuclear material, I have a guideline that newer is better. Actually, it’s more of a rule than a guideline. Actually it’s an absolute rule.
I carry on a couple of miles until I get to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
…which is a large area (75 sq miles) of lava flows – not from a single volcano, but rather from large rents in the earth…
…which leaves the landscape looking either like a recently dug-over garden…
…or like a sea of black sand – this dune had a light dusting of spring flowers.
To be honest – it’s all a bit underwhelming. Maybe I’ve been spoilt at Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon, but, frankly, when you’ve seen one lava flow, you’ve seen them all…
I ride on…
…past the Snake River at Hagerman, searching in vain for an area called 1000 springs. Eventually I give up and, passing a horse with probably the most striking markings I’ve ever seen…
...as the threatened rain appears on the horizon…
...I stop for one last time at Bruneau Dunes State Park…
…which has some very large, erm, dunes.
Unbeknown to me at the time, I accidentally return my sheepskin seat cover to the wild. It’s probably for the best, before it got completely domesticated. Can you see where it is yet?
I set towards Boise on the Freeway. I make best speed, running ahead of the storm, arriving at Jay & Kimberly’s beautiful house at about 1645. I like their front doormat…
Unfortunately (for them), I’m clean out of vintage wine. Jay supplies me with a brown ale, brewed in Montana, called Moose Drool We have some splendid steaks and, Jay’s invention, Cauliflower mash – apparently it’s part of the Atkin’s diet – he can’t eat spuds, so has this instead – it’s great!
We spend a calm, relaxed evening planning a route for me over the next couple of days, whilst my laundry gets done and I’m investigated by Portia and Mocha, the two, very friendly, house cats. I retire early (I’m in bed by 2200 and go straight to sleep). Tomorrow we have an early start…
Today I’m going to ride over to Boise, Idaho, to visit Jay (Sasquatch) who I met at Lake Tahoe a few weeks ago. The weather is clear when I pack the bike although there’s the threat of rain later. Being the eternal optimist, I don’t put on my Gore-Tex trousers, but keep wearing my armoured jeans.
I intend to take in a couple of sights that Jay has recommended, so start towards Fort Hall, before turning left at Blackfoot towards Arco. I’ve been to Arco once before. Now there's a sentence most people don't want to write…
On the way, I’m intrigued by a sign advertising the ‘EBR-1’.
EBR 1 was, apparently, the first nuclear power plant. It’s now open to the public as an exhibit…
…and, along with a couple of Heat Transfer Experimental Reactors, is a National Monument. I took the pictures from outside. When it comes to containment of nuclear material, I have a guideline that newer is better. Actually, it’s more of a rule than a guideline. Actually it’s an absolute rule.
I carry on a couple of miles until I get to Craters of the Moon National Monument.
…which is a large area (75 sq miles) of lava flows – not from a single volcano, but rather from large rents in the earth…
…which leaves the landscape looking either like a recently dug-over garden…
…or like a sea of black sand – this dune had a light dusting of spring flowers.
To be honest – it’s all a bit underwhelming. Maybe I’ve been spoilt at Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon, but, frankly, when you’ve seen one lava flow, you’ve seen them all…
I ride on…
…past the Snake River at Hagerman, searching in vain for an area called 1000 springs. Eventually I give up and, passing a horse with probably the most striking markings I’ve ever seen…
...as the threatened rain appears on the horizon…
...I stop for one last time at Bruneau Dunes State Park…
…which has some very large, erm, dunes.
Unbeknown to me at the time, I accidentally return my sheepskin seat cover to the wild. It’s probably for the best, before it got completely domesticated. Can you see where it is yet?
I set towards Boise on the Freeway. I make best speed, running ahead of the storm, arriving at Jay & Kimberly’s beautiful house at about 1645. I like their front doormat…
Unfortunately (for them), I’m clean out of vintage wine. Jay supplies me with a brown ale, brewed in Montana, called Moose Drool
We have some splendid steaks and, Jay’s invention, Cauliflower mash – apparently it’s part of the Atkin’s diet – he can’t eat spuds, so has this instead – it’s great!We spend a calm, relaxed evening planning a route for me over the next couple of days, whilst my laundry gets done and I’m investigated by Portia and Mocha, the two, very friendly, house cats. I retire early (I’m in bed by 2200 and go straight to sleep). Tomorrow we have an early start…
