We woke with the birds this morning. They were probably chirping madly to get warm! It was cold. There was frost on my bike cover. I’ll check the calendar but I was sure we were in July.

Our camp was struck quickly and made our way into Ketchum, home of the Sun Valley film festival. Starbucks, wifi, coffee. Outfitters.Socks and long underwear.

We rode through Craters of the Moon National Monument. Wow! It’s a massive ancient lava flow that goes on for miles and miles in all directions. Basalt rock, pillars, and dozens of butes, the former cones of volcanoes once active in the area. A spectacular geological phenomenon that is just so beautiful. The black rock is such a contrast to everything that came before it. The lava flow dominates the landscape, taking top billing from otherwise beautiful mountains. We stopped many times to take pics and just take in the landscape.

On the road again, south through Idaho. Past potato fields, wheat, corn, and alfalfa. His is where Idaho earns its potato reputation. Loads of long straight stretches in flat lands after coming down from the mountains and Craters. The state becomes a prairie. Had to travel I-15 for about an hour from Blackfoot to Arimo. We left the Interstate for the UT-91 and more sane travel. Rode through Preston and on into Utah and a city called Logan. Went up into the mountains from there along the US-89 to Bear Lake. What a special ride. Narrow winding mountain road climbing alongside a river tumbling its way down past us. The jewel in the ride was cresting the summit to view Bear Lake for the first time. It’s a massive sapphire blue body of water that commands your attention. Almost to the point where I forgot I was riding. The ride down to the lake twists and turns giving you so many tantalizing opportunities to look down. Best keep looking at the rode.

We went to Laketown at the south end of the lake. I know nothing of the secrets of the men of Laketown but there is some nice camping along the east side past the town. We camped at Cisco campground hanging in some juniper trees. It was a wonderful place to camp

Done for the day.

DES out.