Harrisburg

Last year, I came in from East, from Pittsburg, via a half dozen burgs. This time I approached Harrisburg from north, perpendicular to the Appalachian creases and following the Juniata River.  It created a new layer of Harrisburg in my memory. The two layers of Harrisburg had to be connected to make it a whole. Otherwise they'll remain separate and unrelated, like Madison. And the nexus between the two was the Susquehanna River. I walked to the river from the Capitol last year, and I crossed the river to the north of downtown this year.

I didn't leave Elyria until after 1 PM, and I got to State College at almost 6 PM. I plugged in the car first and then walked around Penn State. It was 7 PM, past dinner time, when I was done. I drove to Kimchi but it was closed. I drove back to College Ave and settled for a hole-in-the-wall place named The Koop and had bibimbap there. Then I finally crossed Susquehanna River to get to the Harrisburg supercharger after 9 PM. I plugged and slept there.

I drove back to the Susquehanna River in the morning. McDonald's was conveniently located on Front Street, at the north end of the city, for the morning coffee. I took the coffee to Fort Hunter Mansion Park north of it for breakfast. Then it was matter of following the river to the state capitol in the south where I was the last time, to connect today's Harrisburg with the last year's. Afterwards, I drove through Harrisburg downtown on the way to NJ. That done, I now can say that I understand Harrisburg.

Toledo to Elyria

I had no concrete plan and I was playing by the ears by now. I've been all over the Midwest last year and I was not going back to where I've been. Which meant I'm not going south to Columbus, or east to Cleveland. But I haven't been to Ohio's coastline between Toledo and Cleveland. So, I decided to sweep through the lakeshore towards Cleveland and then head to New Jersey from there.

There wasn't much on my plate this morning other than checking out the Toledo downtown and another place or two of interest.  I first drove to the Museum of Art, walked around a bit, took a picture and then went to the downtown along Maumee River. I parked the car on Summit Street and walked Monroe Street toward the river. I ended up at Cornings headquarters and walked its trails by the river and circle out back to Summit Street. I then walked along Summit for a while and then was back to the car.  And that was that for Toledo, a middling city in Ohio. 2 years ago, I didn't know anything about Ohio. Now I can say I've been to all the cities -- Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Cincinnati, Akron and now Toledo -- in Ohio.

Shortly after leaving Toledo, the tire pressure warning went off. I stopped to check, and it was visibly flat. I wasn't having a good luck with tires; it was the 3rd tire leak in 2 years. I stopped to pump the air at a Speedway station in Northwood. It took my $2.50 but didn't pump. They only gave me back $2. I drove across the road to another station, and the casher told me I could get a free air at a tire store on Navarre Ave. I ended up spending a good hour chasing air in Northwood, and then was finally off to Sandusky.

On the way was a series of beach towns. Port Clinton in particular appeared to be a working class resort town. I grabbed a sandwich from Wendy's and drove across the street to the waterfront for lunch. I walked to the lighthouse afterwards and then I was back on the road after 2PM. I stopped briefly at the beach to take a few photos. I then made an attempt to get to Catawba Island State Park, but I turned around. I no longer remember why; perhaps I was running out of fuel or I had to pay to get into the park. 

By the time I got to Elyria in the suburb of Cleveland, the tire was getting flat again. I had to pull over for more air. But it was going to keep losing air, and I had to get it fixed. I first stopped at Firestone, but they were closing in an hour and they couldn't look at it.  I then stopped at a few more tire stores, but none could deal with Tesla. Good thing they couldn't: it wasn't fixable anyway. When I got to Walmart, they told me that the tire cracked and needs to be replaced. They didn't the right tire, naturally, and I was stuck. It was getting late, and tire stores were closing. I called around and Mr. Tire in Northridge finally said they could get a pair the next day, so I placed order. I then drove to Mr. Tire store, pulled into the back of the building and slept there.

The next day, it was going to be several hours before the tires arrive. I wasn't comfortable with Cooper Tires, a brand that I'm not familiar with, either. So I placed more calls in the morning and found that Firestone, the first store that I stopped at, had tires available. I cancelled my order -- Mr. Tire folks not only let me out of the deal, but they also put more air on my gimpy tire so that I can limp along to the next store -- and drove to Firestone. They happened to have sale on QuietTrack, the top-rated tire for Tesla: if I buy 3 tires, they would get me the fourth for free. I only needed 2, but I figured I still break even with set of 4, given the 80k mile warranty on them. Eagle Touring that I had on my car had only 40k mile warranty and I used up half of it already. One was leaking and another was bold, on top of it. 

When it was all said and done, it was 1PM and I was out of $1,000.  But I was finally on my way to New Jersey. And it felt good not to be limping anymore.

Mackinaw to Saginaw: Tracing 2017 Route in Reverse

The bathroom is in the building by the water. The entrance to it faces the water. I was here at Presque Isle only once 5 years ago, and yet I remembered. The memory buried deep in the brain came gushing back as I approached the harbor on Grand Lake Road, and I started looking for the tackle shop and deli on the left of the road and the marina to the right. It was as if I was here just yesterday.

I was going take the freeway and go down the middle of the Lower Peninsula toward Lansing. Back in 2017, we drove up US-23 from Saginaw to Mackinaw, and I'd rather take the road not taken before. A few minutes into it, I changed my mind. Sweeping down the coastal for the second time, or anything for that matter, would be better than the boring inland freeway. I exited I-75 soon after I left Mackinaw and headed to Cheboygan. From there, I followed US-23 all the way to Bay City where the Tesla station was located.

As soon as I got to Cheboygan, I looked for the campground that we stayed overnight in 2017, but I couldn't find it. It turned out Robert's Landing Campground was halfway between Cheboygan and Mackinaw City. I missed it because I took detour through I-75. 

Huron Beach, Preque Isle, Tawas City. From Cheboygan, it was a walk down the memory lane. The road never looks the same in the opposite direction, but I managed to find most of the locations that we stopped in 2017. Some places changed. Boneyard BBQ, and its dancing pig sign, at Tawas City was gone and was replaced by another eatery. I stopped at Tawas State Park that we skipped in 2017 because the car didn't have enough range. And I'm glad I did. It was a vast sand bar stretching out into the lake encircling Tawas Bay. It was larger version of Sand Point Beach in Pictured Rock National Lakeshore.

I must have stopped at Bay City supercharger 2017: it was the last supercharger in the Lower Peninsula and the next one was in Luddington on the other side of the peninsula several hundred miles away. But I didn't remember the Telsa station there. The similar look of the charging stations must've turned my brain off; it's the wonderous new places that you remember, and Tesla stations isn't one of them. From there, I continued on US-23 to Toledo skirting Flint and Ann Arbor and bedded down at Red Roof Inn after recharging the car in Maumee.

 

Michigan Upper Peninsula

In 2017, we wanted to cross Mackinac Bridge and go north to follow RD drive #61, Upper Peninsula Drive. But there was no Tesla supercharger in the Michigan's Upper Peninsula. There wasn't too many in Lower Peninsula either, but we still managed to make it from Saginaw to Mackinaw by refueling at Tawas City where we had lunch and lounged at the beach, and then staying overnight in Cheboygan's RV park. For the Upper Peninsula, Sault St. Marie was the only place that had slower Tesla destination charger. We could've stayed there overnight to refuel, but the next charger was at Sheboygan WI, over 300 miles away. It wasn't logistically possible.

Since then, Tesla added numerous supercharger stations in Wisconsin and Michigan, almost a dozen just along the drive #61. They even added a station in Mackinaw, right by the ferry terminal where we took the boat to Mackinac Island. Now it was more than possible to make it through the Upper Peninsula.

I didn't bring my RD's Most Scenic Drive book. I only planned to do the northern shoreline from Marquette to Grand Marais, MI, and I had no idea that the route overlapped the drive #61. I was flying mostly blind, as far as the destinations went, and I had to do my research for destinations on the fly.   By the time I got to Munising, billboards and signs featuring Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore started to appear. I stopped at the tourist center there to find out what Pictured Rocks was all about. I then decided to check out a few destinations including Sand Point Beach, Upper Overlook, and Love's Leap. 

There is no road along Pictured Rocks lakeshore. The road runs a few miles inland and you must take spurs, a dirt road, to the lakeshore to get to the destinations. The spur road to Sand Point Beach was an exception that ran along the shore. But you still had to come back out to Munising and then take the main road to get to the other destinations. (These destinations, btw, would've been missed I relied on RD Scenic Drives).

Sand Point Beach was a stunner. The crystal-clear lake water lapped shallow sand bars and beaches stretching out a mile on either direction on the peninsula jutting into the lake. Beaches in Carribean or Great Barrier Reef, save the warmth, had nothing on it. 

On the way back from the Upper Overlook, I poked into Miner's Beach. There was a sign to it, and I couldn't pass on it. I could've walked from the Upper Overlook, and I started out walking, but rain started falling, so I returned to the car. It was a nice, wide beach with a stream emptying into it. After Sand Point Beach, it was just another beach. 

Lover's Leap required some walking. From Chapell Falls Trailhead, you hike towards Mosquito Beach. Just before you get to the beach, your veer off to the right and follow the shoreline with spectacular views of Lake and the cliffs over it. Hike another mile and then Lover's Leap comes into view. You can't hike to Lover's Leap itself as there is no path. You only can view it from 100 yards from it.

With Pictured Rocks done, I drove straight to Grand Marais. I made a half-hearted attempt at Log Slide on the way, but I couldn't find the path to the shore. I think I was imagining a log jam when it was sand dunes plunging into the water in reality, similar to Grand Sable Sand Dunes. I might have tried harder to get to the water if I knew it. I didn't stop at Grans Sable either, so I didn't get to see either one. Leave something for the next time, I suppose.

Grand Marais was another lakefront town with beaches and a marina. It wasn't a tourist town like Menominee, however; it seemed more like a working-class town.  I had a cold cereal for lunch in Bayshore Park behind Bayshore Market and then traversed the Upper Peninsula through the route 77 to Naubinway where they had a Tesla destination charger. The plan was to grab dinner there while refueling before continuing to Mackinaw. I plugged in the car at Adoba Inn and then walked to Moon Fries to grab a burger and ice cream. Then I finally got to Mackinaw well past 7 PM.

Milwaukee to Marquette

First business of the morning always is finding a coffee, preferably McDonalds; you can take care of the bathroom need and use 200MB Wi-Fi there. One was conveniently located on the way to Lake View Park about a mile south from the Tesla station in Oak Creek where I slept.  I took care of all morning businesses there, and then I was off to Lake View Park with a cup of coffee in my hand for the view of Lake Superior in the morning light.

I wasn't going to spend much time in Milwaukee. I never have in this trip in any of the cities. I'm sure it takes at least a few days to really get to know a city, and I probably would have if the city was a real destination. But I have a long way to go and these midwestern cities are more of novelty than a fancy. There are only two cities that I really care to spend time in: San Francisco and New York. A day suffices for other cities. I'll sweep from the south to north through downtown, and I'll be on my way to Marquette.

First on the way was the Historic Third Ward to Public Market under I-794. I parked the car near Catalano Square, walked Eerie Street to Water Street near the confluence of the rivers. A few row boats, complete with coxswains, passed by. Then the draw bridge went up to let a large boat pass. I took a few pics, came back to the car and drove to Broadway. I then walked through the Historic Third Ward to the Public Market. 

Seattle has Pikes Market, LA has Grand Central Market, NYC has Chelsea Market, and Philadelphia has Readings Market. Even Columbus has one. Every city has a public market and Milwaukee has one creatively named Public Market. At least they made a creative use of the lots under the interstate freeway. The market was closed. I walked the outside a bit and then drove to Pierhead Lighthouse on the lakeshore.

Memory has a strange way of mixing things up. It doesn't take much. It keys off something small like a water channel. This Pierhead was at the mouth of the Milwaukee River where it empties into Lake Michigan. The lighthouse at Charlevoix in Michigan was the same: it was at the end of the waterway between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. So, now I recall Charlevoix whenever I think of Milwaukee's Pierhead. 

From the Pierhead, I went to the downtown, walked a few blocks and visited Milwaukee Art Museum that looked like the new World Trade Center subway station in NYC. I was then on my way to Green Bay, stopping briefly at Schlitz Park and having a burrito lunch from a truck there. No, I didn't grab a beer there. Schlitz, or any American beer, never agreed with my palate.

I don't know what I was expecting in Green Bay. I no longer remember the image of Green Bay that I held. Probably the lake and the snow, much like Buffalo. Whatever it was, it is now replaced by my memory of it. It held my fascination for being a small city on the coast of the lake and being the host city of the Packers. So, the Packer Stadium was the first destination, naturally. 

The downtown of Milwaukee flanks the river. On one side is Broadway, the main shopping street. Across the river is Washington Street lined with low rise condos and mixed-use buildings. Meyer Theater was located on Washington Street. I followed more picturesque Broadway up north on my way out to Marinette. 

Menominee MI, which I thought was Marinette WI, was yet another town that reminded me Sausalito. The promenade along Lake Michigan, or Green Bay -- the actual bay, not the city -- to be more precise, was just like Sausalito's promenade, complete with a marina nestled behind row of restaurants and shops. How I got there, I'm not sure. I think I followed my way to Red Arrow Park jutting into the bay and then landed on 1st Street on my way to Escanaba. I remember walking in Red Arrow Park to the shoreline, and then turning back after attempting to get to Seagull Bar State Natural Area. The picturesque town of Menominee was an unexpected finding in the process.

I followed route 35 along the shore, looking for holes that I could poke to get to the waterline all along. I finally got off the highway and went into Baily County Park with its secluded beach with nobody around. I walked around for a while and then continued with the journey to Escanaba. It was 6PM already and the sun was getting mellow. Baily Park was the last stop that I made till I got to Escanaba at around 7PM. I still had the sunlight, so I went to check out Ludington Park on the shore. (It now got fused with Red Arrow Park in my memory). Then drove west on Ludington Street and came across Hong Kong Buffet. After dinner I drove all the way to Marquette and slept at the Tesla station there.

Minneapolis to Milwaukee

There is nothing much to say about The Twin Cities other than they were nice Midwest cities. It's hard to distinguish Minneapolis from, say, Columbus or Indianapolis: they are all nice Midwest cities without much character to tell them apart. I first spent time photographing downtown Minneapolis dominated by Target headquarters before checking out Mill City neighborhood and UMN campus. Then I went to St. Paul via Minnehana Park. I surveyed the Mississippi River there and then crossed it to get to St. Paul Cathedral. I was off to Milwaukee via Madison then.

It was same I-90 that we drove in the West-bound direction in 2017 to get to Madison from Chicago. I remember the sun-lit storm clouds over it as we drove on it near Rochester. This time I was driving in the opposite direction from Minneapolis on I-94 and then I-90 to Madison. It didn't look familiar -- it never does when you are moving in the opposite direction -- and I didn't realize I was on it till I got closer to Madison. 

I stopped at the Tesla charging station off I-90. It didn't look familiar either -- I must have charged the car at a different station in Madison the last time. After charging, I went across the street to Global Market for food. It was well past 7PM then.

I was in a different side of the town than the last time I was here in 2017, and I didn't revisit where we were the last time. The outcome was that it was a different version of Madison. Without retracing the route of the previous visit, they remained disjointed in my memory.

I drove to Oak Creek, the southern end of Milwaukee, plugged in the car and slept at the Tesla station there.

Duluth, Grand Portage, Ely, and Minneapolis

Barbara, the volunteer ranger at the trailhead of Titcomb Basin in Wyoming, said how she was not a big city girl because she was from Duluth. Well, Duluth was not a small town either.  The population of Duluth and the adjacent Superior added up to more than a hundred thousand. It's a major city by the Minnesota standard.

The first thing I noticed as I entered the city on I-35 was smokestacks and steel structures. It is an industrial town befitting the legend of Edmund Fitzgerald that sank while carrying the load of iron ore.  In the town was a maritime museum dedicated to the shipwreck. I didn't spend much time in the city. I had a long way to go and it was already late morning when I was done with charging the car. I got my car charged up in Holiday Inn parking garage where Tesla superchargers were located, drove around the downtown and then headed North along the shore. Highway 61 was now visited.

Two Harbors, Grand Marais, and Grand Portage were on the menu. But first, I had to get my lunch. I stopped at Two Harbors, plugged in the car -- It's almost 300 miles for the roundtrip to Grand Portage and there is no Tesla charging stations on the way; I had to pick up as much juice as possible on the way -- walked around for a while and then had a sandwich in downtown Tow Harbors. From there on was numerous stops for sightseeing all the way to Grand Portage.

With esplanade and shops along the lakefront, Grand Marais resembled Sausalito. You look down on it from Gunflint Trail and the view would be like looking down Sausalito from I-280 above the hill. Yes, I did attempt driving Gunflint Trail to Boundary Water, but I had to turn around because it was too far, and it was getting late in the afternoon. I still had a long way to go to Grand Marais. 

Grand Portage was closed when I got there past 7PM. I took a few pictures, which turned out to be similar to Eel Bay on Wellesley Island on St. Lawrence Waterway, and then turned around. I drove all the way back to Lutsen, plugged in the car at Arrow Electrics' J1772 charger and slept in the car.

I've never heard of Boundary Water Canoe Area; I only found out about it while searching and compiling a to-do list while I was already on my way through the North Shore. I'm sure it is a nice place if you are canoe packing. I obviously didn't plan for it. I still wanted to do a day of canoeing just so that I can say I canoed the land of ten thousand lakes. So I decided to go North to Ely, the gateway to BWCA. It was too windy for a day trip, the outfitter said. October is a better time anyway, maybe I could do a multi-day canoe-packing on the way back.  I went for a hiking through Blackstone Secret Loop instead. The trailwhich , loops through two lakes in figure 8 for about 5 miles, was beaufiful enough. But it was nothing special for someone who has been hiking through forests and lakes all over the west. I pretty much ran through it and then I was on my way back to Duluth.  I chareged on the car once again and then wen straight to Minneapolis, the cit that I meant to check out in previous trips but never did. I checked in to Quality Inn somewhere between Minneapolis and St. Paul in the evening.

Brainerd, MN

I pop out of the back of my car again, drive across the street

To Casey's for the restroom and coffee.

The 6 AM morning breeze before the humidity kicks up

By the Mississippi

Feels so good, I stand in it for a while.

The seemingly nice town

Has it's secrets. Smoke shops and pleasure stores

Lining the main thoroughfare reveals it. People need

Relief from their routine; They need their drugs to feel alive.

I've got mine.

I'm on my way to Duluth.

Maybe I'll pass by William Duffy's farm

Where you realize you've been walking through life half asleep.

But the farm is 200 miles to the south and I'm wide awake.

Even the stains on the windshield tickles me.

Clouds are now gathering over meticulously groomed Brittany

Of Olson Insurance Agency by Highway 210.

I'll soon be driving in summer rain in Minnesota.

Fair weather friends and politicians at home will have to wait; I'm only

A quarter way through the circle.

Badlands SD and Theodore Roosevelt ND

In 2017, we approached Badlands NP on I-90 from Kadoka where we stayed overnight on the way from Minnesota. We then hopped on the route 240, the scenic road, that took us to various overlooks in Badlands NP. It was a beautiful drive and I was in awe with the badland's landscape. I remember taking a photo of Big Horns crossing the white salt flat between multi-colored badland hills from one of those overlooks. Then we followed 240 to Wall instead of continuing on the scenic route. I remember wanting to go down further on that road. But the scenic route from that point on wasn't paved and the car was also running out of the charge. 

Badlands this time was a bust. Not only did I arrive in the late afternoon not leaving enough time to drive around the park, I also ended up taking route 40, a highway through interior, not the scenic drive, to get to East entrance. I had barely enough time to do Notch trail when I got to the East entrance, and then drive to Panorama point, well short of our route in 2017. Had I taken the scenic route from the west, I could've covered the section that we didn't in 2017. The upshot was that I ended up driving on not so interesting interior road and then only had 2 hours to do Notch Trail and retrace our steps.

Wyoming started turn green as I drove past The Great Divide basin. By the time I got to Casper, it was more Nebraska than Wyoming. In fact, the charging station there looked exactly like the one in Grand Island NE, complete with Sinclair gas station. From there, it was grasslands till you get to Badlands where the scenery over again turns western.

When we crossed the Missouri River in 2017 along I-90, the landscape turned western. It all fit. St. Louis on Missouri River, after all, is the gateway to the west. So I concluded SD was West. In reality though, SD is mostly green. It's only the south approaching Badlands that looks West. The rest of the state is grass lands and farm fields. In fact, the composition looks just like Nebraska whose west like, well, West, while the rest of the state is grass lands and farm fields.

North Dakota is even greener. In fact, I haven't seen anything that would qualify it as West. Even the badlands ere green in ND, the terrain around was green, and the oil field was green. The popular image of ND that of an oil state. And being an oil state would conjure up a landscape like Texas. Again, the imagination didn't agree with the reality when actually visited.

The light in Dickinson was mellow. It is in the far north of the country; the sun was less intense and lower on the horizon. I stayed in Dickinson and commuted to TRNP for 2 days. Medora would've been more convenient -- the picturesque town is right at the entrance to the park -- but the lodging there was naturally more expensive. 

I slept at Tesla station at Wall after doing Badlands NP, grabbed a coffee from a gas station there and left early for ND. I reserved a room at Red Roof Inn in Dickinson on the way, and I got there early enough to do TRNP on the same day. I got my car charged and then went for lunch at King Buffet, a Chinese buffet restaurant. I think I ate there every day while I was in Dickinson. Good Chinese restaurant were everywhere, it seemed. Cedar City in Utah has a good Chinese buffet too, as I found out on my way back to CA months later.

TRNP is a large park with three separate units, with north and south units separated by almost 2 hours of driving.  The south unit was off I-90, 30 minutes away from Dickinson. I had enough time to complete the loop. The loop was closed in the middle, so I had to come back out and do it in the other direction. In effect, I did the loop twice.

This is the best national park to see buffalos. YelloO Stone and others have them too, but not in the numbers that TRNP has. As I approached Boicourt overlook, buffalos were everywhere walking and lying next to the road. 

The North Section had even more buffalos. I walked down a trail that was supposed to lead me to Little Missouri River following a creek. Soon after, a I passed a prairie dog town. Then I came up on a huge herd of buffalos. I didn't see it as I approached; they were hidden behind a hill. They didn't mind me, however. They went about grazing the grass and chasing flies off their hide.

Caprock Coolie, located in the North Unit, was the main attraction of the second day. It is a loop trail that goes up north from the main road, loops back and cross the road, and then loops back to the starting potin with the view of Little Mo to the south. The first half of the loop through the wood was rather mundane. Then, as soon as you cross the road, you come to the view of Little Mo and spectacular River Bend Overlook. From there, the views are nothing but mundane.

I drove all the way to Oxbow Overlook after I was done with Caprock Coolie for the final view of the Little Mo River.

Rawlins, WY

I turned on the TV, and the first local station that pop was the Channel 31, Denver.  That sure made me feel at home. Rawlins is only 50 miles away from Colorado, equal distance away from Grand Junction and Denver. I can reach out and touch.

It's funny how Colorado feels like home. I've been there only once, and yet I know it like the back of my hand. You see, I crisscrossed it all over, starting at Grand Junction and ending in Denver, when I was there last year. I swept the state from west to east going North and south, from San Juan mountains to RMNP to Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I drove its interstate and backroads alike.

Enough about Colorado. I started out the day with Flaming Gorge in Utah, just 70 miles south of Rock Springs. Then I was back at Rock Springs to charge the car. I was going to sleep on Walmart parking lot there, but I had a long way to go to TRNP. I figured I'd drive another 100 miles and get to Rawlins at least before the night fall. And that's how I ended up at here Rawlins, equidistance away from Grand Junction and Denver.

Wyoming South of Wind River Range is not unlike Utah. The mountains turn into desert covered with sage grass soon after you get out of the dirt road that takes you out of Big Sandy. By the time you get to Flaming Gorge, it becomes bona fide Utah complete with red cliffs and beige rocks, the color of Bryce. The rocks and rivers don't care about boundaries. It is us that drew the line and gave different names to either side as if they are two different places. And our brain is programmed to think different names mean different places and gets surprised when it finds that they are the same.

 Before you get to Flaming Gorge though, you must pass Manila, a green oasis at the foot of Uinta mountains of Utah, a finger sticking out of Wasatch Mountains to the east, kind of like Wind River Range sticking out of Wyoming Rockies. The clouds must be blowing in from the north and dump its moisture before rising above Uinta Mountains.

The Green River originates deep in Wyoming mountains and flows down south, blocked by Wind River Range from flowing East. It then circles Uinta mountains to the east and flows into the vast Utah valley surrounded by Utah and Colorado mountains. There, it merges with the Colorado River in Canyonlands. I saw the confluence there last year. Now I saw it's beginning and journey through flaming gorge and Uinta Mountains. 

What a pleasant place Flaming Gorge was. The plateau above the gorge was populated with pines, firs and junipers. If I had more time, I would've camped at one of many boondocking sites there for a few days and explored the trails and the lake. I only have 12 days now however, to get to New York City. That may not be enough to make stop at TRMP, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I may have to cut something out.

Cirque of Towers

And to think that mosquitos could have chased me out of the mountains. I was going to hike back out to the trailhead, one day early -- the bugs at Shadow Lake were so bad, I couldn't stand another day. I've seen many lakes like it, and it wasn't worth enduring the mosquito swarm. Then I came over Texas Pass and saw the towers soaring above the basin between the two passes. I had to stop for one more night.

I pitched the tent just below Texas Pass away from the trail with full view of the towers and cliffs from inside my tent. It was possibly the best view site ever. People don't camp there; they usually camp at Shadow Lake, about 10 miles in from the trailhead, and then near Big Sandy Lake, another 10 miles from Shadow Lake. Texas Pass is only a couple of miles from Shadow Lake; it is too short a hike to call it a day. Me, I was going to hike from Shadow Lake all the way back to the trailhead, so stopping at Texas Pass shortened the hike I had to do the next day. 

I went over the ridge to the left after pitching the tent. Lo and behold, there was a snow-covered emerald lake below the ridge. From there it went down the valley for miles with more lakes. I could've day-hiked and explored the valley. But black cloud was coming over the towers and rain drops started to fall. Next time I'll skip Shadow Lake and just camp here, and then explore the valley. 

I came back and took bath in ice water and cold rain. Soon the rain turned into thunder shower. I went into tent and shivered in my sleeping back for 30 minutes and then woke up to the sound of babbling brook next to my tent. 

This is what I thrive in: solitude in nature. I had a similar feeling in Escalante, and now I had the Cirque of Towers all by myself. One was vast desert and the other in towering mountains. What's like to live in the mountains alone, not just for a day, but day after day? I'd like to find out.

Shadow Lake

The mosquitos are murders. You stop for 30 seconds to take a picture, you get bitten a dozen times. And that's with 40% DEET and head net; you'd be devoured alive without them. The mountains of Wyoming is swell, but I don't think I'll ever hike it again. 

At least the campsite is decent here.  I'm camped on the north side of Shadow Lake near the outlet, under the shade of trees on a level ground above the lake. It took me a little over 6 hours to get here. Not bad for 11 miles. I would've taken more time, but there was no place to escape mosquitos to rest. So I kept walking stopping only for the lunch break at 10:30 by the first lake. I left snacks in the bear canister, and I wasn't going to dig them out. But my Subway lunch was at the top of the pack, so I decided to have early lunch instead.

I braved the mosquitos, went down to the stream near the inlet and bathed. Now I'm no longer sticky. And the air is breezy and pleasant. I'm staying in tent for the rest of the evening, other than to brush teeth and pee.

The trailhead parking lot was almost full when I arrived yesterday evening. Yet I didn't see too many people on the trail. I guess they are spread out on the 25-mile trail. I slept at the trailhead and started out at 8AM. It wasn't unlike the trail to Seneca Lake: unremarkable till past Mam's Lake. Then the soaring peaks appeared and that made braving the mosquitos worthwhile. And Shadow Lake is right underneath the soaring cliffs.  I'm expecting even better view on Texas and Jackass Pass tomorrow.

Titcomb Basin, WY

The way out of the Teton and Jackson took me through US-191 along the Snake River, and then Hoback River. The river then veered to southwest at halfway point while the highway continued to southeast to Pinedale. In reality, the Hoback River originates in the southern half of the Teton Range, loops northward and then joins Snake River that flows west to Idaho. I was following the river upstream on US-191.

Pinedale was Stanley of Wyoming. It was not as scenic and no river ran through it. But it was the gateway town to Wind River Range as Stanley was to Sawtooth Mountains. The first thing that greeted me as I drove into it was a ranch set against the mountains just like Stanley.

It was too early for dinner when I got to Wind River Brewing Company where the Tesla charger was located. I wasn't going to eat there anyway. I saw Subway on the way and I was going to buy a foot long sub so that I could have the half of it for lunch the next day. I plugged the car, climbed into the back of my car and researched Wind River Range. Then I drove back to Subway, bought a Black Forest ham sandwich on flat bread and then was on my way to Elkhart Park, the trailhead to Seneca Lake. There were some spectacular views of Fremont Lake and The Wyoming sky along the way and the final vista point presented a full view of the Wind River Range. 

The only plan I had for Wind River Range was Cirque of Towers to the south of Pinedale. But I figured I should do another one while I was in the middle of Wind River Range. The search turned up Seneca Lake as the best hike in Pinedale. Titcomb Basin was on the list too, but it was too far. So, I decided on Seneca Lake, plus a shorter Sacred Rim trail.

I got to the trailhead parking lot and stopped at the visitor center, a small hut further up from the lot. Barbara, the old lady manning the hut, told me that Titcomb Basin past Seneca Lake is what people usually go for. But you need to be prepared for the snow, she said. I didn't know that Titcomb Basin was in the same direction as Seneca Lake. I figured I'll make it to Seneca Lake first and then decide. 

Camp by Seneca Lake

The trail to Seneca Lake wasn't all that exciting, at least till you get to the roaring creek about 2 miles south of it. It was rather claustrophobic, and mosquito infested.  Seneca Lake itself was nice, but nothing stunning. I've seen too many lakes by now to be impressed. I skirted the west side of the lake and found a campsite at the north end of the lake. After pitching the tent, I climbed down 40 feet to the water for bathing and got eaten alive by mosquitos. 5 miles further up was Titcomb Basin.

Titcomb Basin

Next day, I decided to make a daytrip to Titcomb basin. Barbara warned me about getting lost, but all I had to do was to follow the Indian Pass Trail to Island Lake and then switch to Titcomb Basin Trail all the way. She also warned me about creek crossing, but there hardly was any, certainly nothing like the Alice Lake Loop in the Sawtooth Mountains. It was instead galore of ethereal views, first Island Lake and then cascading lakes of Titcomb basin. Absolutely stunning even for someone who is used to alpine lakes all over the Sierra and Colorado.

The day after, I packed out and came back to Pinedale where I spent night at Baymont Hotel. I needed to clean up, rest and prepare for Cirque of Towers, the next destination.

Grand Teton

The first order of business was to find a campsite. I tried to get to the Shadow Mountain, the only dispersed campground in the Teton, as early as I could, but it was full at the valley level. I had to climb up the dirt road to see if any site was available. I went up quite a way, but all reachable sites were taken. Then I ran into the park employees on an ATV, and they told me one site was open down below. It was in the loop that I skipped on the way up because it appeared unreachable. I went down and went into the loop this time. One site was available indeed and I pitched my tent there. The entry into the campground was all dug up and getting in and out was tricky. But I was able to manage by driving on the edge and the habitat for a week was all set.

Someone, in Wyoming I think, told me that Delta Lake was the absolute best in the Grand Teton. Naturally, it became my first destination. I drove to Lupine Meadow trailhead in the morning, parked on the side of the road -- the parking lot was full -- and set out for 7.4 mile, 2200 feet gain trail to Delta Lake. 

I wasn't in a good shape for some reason. By the time I got to the last half a mile that required scrambling over rocks, I started to black out. It was familiar "heat stroke" except that it wasn't warm, and I wasn't carrying a heavy camera around my neck. It was sunny, however. So, it may be the light sensitivity more than anything else that triggers the "heat stroke". I had to take it slow; I didn't want to faint, fall off the rock and hit my head. I got to the lake at 1:45 PM.

I could see why someone who hadn't seen alpine lakes of the Sierra or Colorado would be so impressed by Delta Lake. But I have seen many of them and the murky water of Delta Lake did not impress me; I was sure this wasn't the best of the Grand Teton. I spent about 30 minutes for lunch and then was back at the trailhead around 4PM. Then I went back to Jackson. I had to get crampons and ice axe to tackle the Grand Teton Loop and the car was getting low on charge. One place that had the crampons wanted exorbitant sum, so I gave up on that. I bought some grocery instead while I was there and then got back to my campsite after 7PM.

After a day of rest, I set out to retrace our route in 2017 from Moran to Moose. Back then, we didn't go into the park; we stayed on Hwy 191 and followed the Reader's Digest Scenic Route from Signal Mountains to Moose. This time, I went up the highway, looped back into the park at Jackson Lake and then drove down to Moose via Jenny Lake. It was an all-day outing, a great photo trip. 

By now, I've been in Teton for 3 days and I'm yet to start the backpacking the Grand Teton Loop, and I was anxious to get that going. I stopped at the Moose Visitors Center to get the permit. The rangers were again adamant that I don't go unless I have crampons and ice axe. I decided to make a daytrip to Hurricane Pass instead.

There was some snow for sure. But it wasn't nearly as much as it was in Sawtooth Mountains. I could've continued on to Alaska Basin fine, except that I didn't bring my backpacking gear with me. I should have in retrospect. I could've come prepared and then turn around if it was impassible. Oh well, live and learn. The trail itself was stunning. It went up the Cascade Canyon following the creek almost all the way. Then it followed the North Fork when it forked at the junction to Paintbrush Canyon. Next time, I should camp at the junction and day-hike to Paintbrush Canyon. Then continue to Alaska Basin and Phelps Lake, making it a 4-day trip.

Near the beginning in the valley, I encountered a moose which for some reason I thought was a statue. I must've been thinking about the statues in Jackson on the roadside. I stopped only when I was within 10 yards of it. I took some photos and quietly move on.

I started the 24-mile trekking at 5AM, got to the Hurricane Pass around 1PM, and finished at 7PM. It was the longest day hike I've ever done to date.

The next day I went to Jackson again for lunch at Chinatown Restaurant, fill the water and fill the car. After a day of rest, I was on Death Canyon trail to Alaska basin this time. Death Canyon also followed a creek all the way to the Death Canyon Barn. Then it climbs up to the peak on the way to Alaska basin. The trail was exposed and rather boring at that point. So I came back to the Barn and continued on the death Canyon trail. It was shaded, and mosquito-ed, but wasn't that exciting either. After a few miles, I turned around and came back out. After that, I was out of the Tetons and on my way to Pineapple.

From Stanley To Grand Teton

I've seen the Grand Teton twice already. in 2017, we drove through the Route 191 from Yellowstone visiting vista points along the way. Then in 2019, we drove from West Yellowstone to Idaho looking at the backside of the Grand Teton on the way back from Banff. This time, I'm going there to climb the mountains.

The way out of Stanley to Grand Teton followed Salmon River to the south. I entered Stanley from east and now I was exiting to west. Up north on ID-75 was the route that I wanted to follow in 2019 but failed because of charging situation -- there was no Tesla charging station after Missoula. The situation was not much better this time around, but I could go up for a while to explore and then turn back. I had enough range left to get me to Sun Valley where I could plug in to slow chargers while having lunch.

I could've missed Lower Stanley if I went directly to Sun Valley. An absolute stunner of Salmon River with Sawtooth Mountains in the background, this is the town that are often pictured for Stanley.  I pulled over, positioned my car as the model and took pictures. Then I drove a few miles up Hwy 75 and turned around when I figured that it would be the continuation of the sameness, not unlike the route along Boise River.

Shortly after the turn-off to Tin Cup Trailhead was Sawtooth City. I pulled into Sawtooth Cafe on the roadside and had my lunch there. It was another beautiful town along 75 with full view of Sawtooth Mountains. 

I think I first went to Sun Valley Lodge when I got to Sun Valley. The chargers were either broken or too slow, I forget which, so I went on to Ore Museum which had free J1772 charger. I plugged in and climbed into the back of my car and planned for the next move. Twin Falls that I started at 10 days ago was just 80 miles to the south. But I wasn't going there. I was going to Idaho Falls on my way to Grand Teton where I had a date with the Grand Teton Loop. After planning, I went to Akins Market and bought some grocery. I was then on my way to Idaho Falls.

We've been to Idaho Falls, in 2019, when we made a grand loop through Banff and Glacier NP. I remember walking along the river taking pictures. I still wasn't able to walk well then -- we walked to the Broadway bridge and then turned around. I first went back to where we were and walked around for a while. Then I checked into Econo Lodge. Rodeway Inn by the river that we stayed in the last time was more expensive, thanks to lodging inflation of 2022. Econo Lodge, further away from the river, was cheaper.  In the morning on my way out of Idaho Falls, I stopped at Idaho Mountain Trading. The Sawyer filter was $50 there, $20 more than I paid for the one that I lost in Sawtooth Mountains. And they didn't have Be Free that I was looking for. I figured I'd get one at REI in Jackson. I then crossed the river to get to Walmart for groceries, and then exited Idaho Falls through downtown.

I'm not sure if I had lunch at Sundae Eats and Treats in Swan Valley just before the road climbed over the mountains to Jackson. It was lunch time, and I might have. Then again, I might have just had ice cream. It was a big one, I remember.

The Tesla station in Jackson was in the parking lot of Whole Foods. I'm sure we were here in 2017 when we passed through Grand Teton: tt's 180 miles to Logan from here and there was no charging station in between. I plugged in the car and climbed into the back of my car to rest. I'd come back here twice more while in Grand Teton, to charge the car and have lunch at Chinatown Restaurant. The restaurant had water faucet on the outside wall too, so I could fill up my water tank too.

After the fill-up, I went to REI and bought Be Free water filter. It was also $50, again about $20 more than I could've bought on sale. Ce la vie. Stop at the visitor center on the way for information on Teton Loop, and then I was on my way to Grand Teton.