Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1445637
February 2022 31 The rig rumbled south out of McCall midweek, mid-morning, and there was li le traffic down to Banks as the rugged Sawtooth scenery con nued the mind mel ng magic. From Banks it was eastbound on ID17, and through Grimes Pass to Lowman along the banks of the South Branch Paye e River. From Lowman the route went east along ID21, a.k.a. the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route, all the way to Stanley for coffee and fuel. Every single inch is a calendar worthy picture, even with the forest fire smoke haze. Con nuing east from Stanley on ID75 I eventually ran up against the Lost River Range where I hooked south and pointed toward Wyoming. As dusk fell it was me to find someplace to bunk down and, on the advice of Greenvango.com, I landed at Craters of The Moon Na onal Monument Campground. Even rolling in at night the terrain seemed like a hallucina on. A er some jerky and water for dinner I started stacking Zs without any trouble. Slept pre y well, got up early and went for a short hike around the lava beds to let the joints creak, jumped in the truck, and hit the road southbound. Fun Fact – Craters of the Moon are actually "not so old" lava beds le over from 8 major erup ons between 15,000 to 2000 years ago. As plate tectonics adjust to release stresses a number of deep cracks opened in the earth's surface along a 52 mile "line" known as The Great Ri . To date these erup ons have created over 620 square miles of lava beds that could shred the most rugged knobby in a just few miles. Ac- cording to experts in such ma ers, it is overdue for another erup on. I am confident it is an event best observed from afar. Be advised. Day two travel began by backtracking east to Arco, ID and then south to Idaho Falls for a Truckstop shower and a long overdue haircut. Then on to Alpine, WY where the decision was made to follow WY89 along the Snake River to- ward Jackson Hole. Do I really have to tell you the scenery was gorgeous? About twenty-three miles before Jackson Hole, at Hoback Junc on, it was me to head south on WY 191 and to- ward Rock Springs where I'd pick up I80 to start the slog east to Loveland. The drive from Ho- back eventually tracked out of the mountains and into the foothills and then to the prairie. The views to either side of the road have changed very li le over the last 500 years, I suspect. Empty prairie un l it disappears over the horizon. There were a few bridges over the highway in the middle of nowhere with no ramps and no road to either side. Weird yet interes ng. We later learned these bridges are for wildlife and allow natural migra on to take place. Cool.