Bear Lake to Jackson

 We traveled from Bear Lake's flank in Utah around to the Idaho north end of the lake and to the Bear Lake Hotsprings. The lake was brilliant blue and following that it was bluesy gray when a squall came through... Amazing and beautiful changes in a very brief time.
We spoke to some drinking men and one was Cherokee and a guide. He told about the original springs and we learned about the Shoshone and their relocation. 'Guess the white folks didn't want to share the lake. The treaty lasted seven years before the people were sent to the Wind River area of Wyoming. Another trail of tears..
It was really quite amazing to see the ostentatious homes on this remote lake. Almost all are vacation homes.. lived in by white ghosts of an economy I can't even begin to fathom.

 We tootled on up the 89 corridor to a reservoir where we stopped for the night, still in Idaho--photo below. As we crossed into Wyoming and headed down into the Salt River basin the land became less desert and more diverse and we also started seeing pine beetle damage.... really inspiring to be able to see the changes in the environment within a 20 mile span of highway but a good reminder why California should not be clear-cutting its way through the forests--where we don't have the infestation, yet... there is so much destruction here. Intact forests are really endangered.

 And then... then we were in Jackson, Wyoming. Did I mention ostentatious wealth in regards to homes around Bear Lake? Well, you'd have to see the stores in this town... nothing too expensive for these shoppers. We did our own little consumer loop-- the mountaineering and water sports stores, the health food store, propane.... then headed out before nightfall since the running lights aren't working.

 We parked on the north end of what is called an elk reserve.. an elk slaughter ground is more like it. I'm glad we weren't here for that part of the year. No sign of elk and well may they be in their high country in the Gros Ventre. This was the view out the VV hatch this morning. The rosy fingered dawn toying with the Tetons. (Click on it for the big WOW.)