Different Trails

LAVA HOT SPRINGS (Day 1 - part 1)

It would be a 9 hour drive from Boulder (Colorado) up to Lava Hot Springs (Idaho). We were in no rush.

The Colorado-Wyoming border bison, perched high on a hill

Appropriate place for a wind farm!

Passing the Lincoln Memorial on Interstate 80 ... and a small herd of pronghorn

Hotshot crews work on the hottest part of wildfires. Nationwide, there are over 100 interagency crews, each consisting of around 20 specially trained firefighters.

The Idaho City Hotshots were established in 2001. In an average season, the crew travels over 20,000 miles responding to incidents throughout the country.

Miles upon miles of sturdy, protective snow fences

The Sinclair Refinery, which opened in 1924, refines 85,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The Continental Divide acts as a dividing line for water flow: rain and snowfall that lands on the west side of the mountains flows into the Pacfic, while moisture on the east side flows into the Atlantic. Here, we get to cross it twice within the space of 50 miles. This is because there is essentially a large 'hole' in this section of the mountain chain. Known as the Great Divide Basin, it was once a large lake (Lake Gosiute) in the Greater Green River Basin that dried up millions of years ago.

Apparently there was a severe shortage of truck drivers, since nearly every semi we passed had some kind of hiring ad on the back.

Uncle Sam looks serious!

Hmmm. This guy looks quite scary! I think I prefer Uncle Sam from above.

Entering the Green River area

The Hampton Inn (right photo)

We stopped in Little America for some lunch.

Along with the usual ketchup and mustard, one could also get ... liquid cheese.

We then entered a large section of land that was covered with dozens upon dozens of these set-ups. Apparently fracking for natural gas in this basin was well-established.