Day 42, Sept 24, 2009: Day tripping.......

Guess what???!!! It was ANOTHER gorgeous day in here western Wyoming and eastern Idaho!!!! How many does that make?? Well, I am not about to go back and count the times I have written about this weather.......someone else want to do it??

After the morning rituals, my Fr. Roast coffee, and a bit of newspaper reading online, the 1st Lady and I decided to take a little drive up alongside the Palisade Lake to view the autumn leaves along the mountainsides. As we drove through Alpine....12 miles north of us, we noticed that there was still a great deal of smoke in the sky from yesterday....they were doing some planned burning of the dead wood in the national forest along the Greys River. And.....it affected all of the leaves on the trees...at least as far as the colors. Sooo, we did not stop very often to take any photos as it was soooo hazy from the smoke hanging around and over the mts.

After going past the dam....we decided to "tour" the campground below the dam.....and found it to be really nice with electricity and water available, right alonside the fast moving Snake River. By this time we were in Idaho.....only a few short miles outside of Alpine.....and we decided to go on north to the Swan Valley. After driving a few miles we stopped in the little place where a couple of weeks ago we had purchased "square" ice cream cones......dipped using a square utensil, and not a scooped one!

Then....another quick decision.....and we headed back east towards the Teton Mts. and Jackson Hole. WOW....the route soon became curvy and before too long we were going up the mts......on a 10% grade, which I soon realized was causing the truck to do a bit of automatic downshifting to run smoothly up this steep grade. This went on for about 8 or 9 miles......and soon.....we were up at the top of Teton Pass.

OMG....what a view!!!! We could right down into the "hole" where Jackson Hole is located....and now, it became very evident just why it is named Jackson "Hole"!! The town sits in a depressed area at the bottom of the mts. on both sides....and it does look somewhat like a hole where the town is located. We stopped at the pull-off parking area....and followed a couple of paths UP for a better viewing vantage point. The brush was all turning wonderful colors of red, orange, and burnt oranges.......just stunning in the clear sunlight!!!

And then??? Well, down the other side of the Teton Mts......on a 10% descent for almost 10 miles!!!!!!!!!! I downshifted a couple of different times....and finally turned on the modified exhaust brake to assist with the slowing of the truck without using the actual brakes. This was the steepest road we have driven on this year........and it brings back memories of the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and their steep road descents.....New Brunswick being the worst as we were at one time going down a short descent of 16%......I won't forget that one!!! Thank God, we were not towing at that time!!!!

We soon arrived in Jackson Hole....and decided to do some window shopping around the unique square in the center of town. Soooo, we spent a couple of hours just meandering through some shops and looking in the windows. You can find almost anything you might want here......sporting goods specialty shops, name brand boutiques, t-shirt and sweatshirt shops, junkie tourist crap, and LOTS of wonderful art galleries. However.....most of these galleries are filled with western art, which is not a favorite of either of us!

And all too soon, it was time to go back to Star Valley to prepare for dinner at the McDonald's home.....NOT the hamburger joint. On the way back down the Snake River Canyon, we did stop to take some photos of the beautiful foliage alongside the road and river. Just amazing colors mixed in with the greens of the forests and hillsides!!!

Dinner was great as Gail is an excellent cook of many wonderful and tasty dishes!!!!! And....her cherry pie is to die for!!! OOOHHHH SOOOOO GOOD!!!! Once again, we never lack for conversation topics......we have become sooooo intertwined as friends/families that there is always something or someone to discuss and learn about. Later, John and Revy came over and had some of the incredible cherry pie........WOW!!!!

Tonight....well, the damn internet is horrible...at it's very best!!!! Sooo, not sure if this will get posted, but I sure as hell hope it gets "saved" so I can post it tomorrow, if necessary. I do have some photos to post, but I will not even try to attempt it tonight!! We have one more day here in the spectacular Star Valley before we begin the 1425 mile journey back to F'town.....and as we drop out of the 6000-7000 elevations that we have been living in for seven weeks, it will be quite a change on our systems as we adjust to the lower levels....and the humidity that hangs around down there.....UGH.....DAMN!!!! However......as always.....

LIFE IS REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!