First Jedediah Smith Trail 1822 — 1824

Day 30: September 14th, 2009 Idaho Falls (Lemhi Valley)

Map Idaho Falls to Lemhi Valley

Thanks to my ear plugs, I also sleep in today. It’s already eight in the morning, when I am finally awake. Around six I also woke up, because some idiot has dialed the wrong number. But due to my ear plugs the ringing was very quiet. These plugs are really good, because THIS telephone cannot be missed. If it starts, you usually fall out of bed with a pulse of 180…

I have breakfast again at Brady’s Family Restaurant. Also today the breakfast is very good and the service is perfect. Only the small slice of melon is missing today. This was most likely a Sunday special. At a quarter past ten I pay and get my car ready to leave. Oil will be filled up tomorrow. That should be still enough. Now I only need a gas station before I hit the road.

Interstate 15/Veterans Memorial Hwy, Idaho Falls, ID

Then I take I–15 first.

Interstate 15/Veterans Memorial Hwy, ID

At Blackfoot I leave the Interstate.

W Ferry Butte Rd, Snake River, ID

S 1100 W, ID

S 1700 W/Monument Rd, ID

Red-Tailed Hawk, W 600 N/Frontier Farms Rd, ID

W 600 N/Frontier Farms Rd, ID

N 2000 W/Section Rd, ID

Then I continue to the Snake and Blackfoot River confluence. There I have paused my trail two days ago. Now I am driving across the prairie in direction of Lemhi Valley.

Taber Rd, ID

On Taber Road I reach Atomic City in Idaho.

However, the planned route is blocked by some Research Lab area. There you would need a special permit to be allowed to pass through. Therefore I must turn around and circle around this area.

Highway 20/26/Medal of Honor Hwy, ID

Highway 33, ID

From Highway 20/26 I turn onto the smaller Highway 33.

Highway 33, Howe, ID

Highway 22, ID

At Howe I continue on Highway 22. In the village I see an all terrain vehicle with a giant antenna on his roof. This probably looks like one of the “real” storm chasers.

Highway 28, ID

Finally I turn onto Highway 28 which takes me into the Lemhi Valley.

Eightmile Canyon Rd, ID

Eightmile Canyon Rd, Birch Creek, ID

I miss the first exit to my backroads. Then there are again gates all the way. They have no signs of “No Trespassing”. But it also does not look like you are allowed to travel through. Therefore I don’t drive through.

Highway 28, ID

Then I take Pass Creek Road.

Pass Creek Rd, ID

But also there I am blocked by a gate, also at a second exit.

Birch Creek Valley, ID

Therefore I give up bugged out and drive back to the main highway.

Birch Creek Valley, ID

Finally I arrive at Birch Creek on Birch Creek Valley. However, the road would run through the river. This doesn’t look too deep on my side and there are also a lot of stones on the ground. But I am not able to see the depth on the other side. Therefore I don’t want to take any chances and follow the small gravel road along the river banks to the north. This one takes me along the river course and offers numerous places for camping — or even just a lunch break.

Finally, also this one ends and I should go back to Highway 28. But when I reach the turnaround point for my today’s trip, it is just past four in the afternoon. Because the day tomorrow will be very long I decide to continue a bit on my tomorrows planned trail. This might give me the chance to arrive at a reasonable time at Dillon — and I am even able to get up tomorrow at a reasonable time!

On the first forest road I am not able to reach my planned backroad. But it works out on the second one. First it starts a bit rocky. But then it runs quite well. Only at some spots are some deep washed out ruts and you must take care to not slide in.

Birch Creek Valley, ID

Charcoal Kilns, ID

FR533, ID

88 S10 Blazer, FR533, ID

FR533, ID

Finally I arrive at the ruins of some kilns, the Charcoal Kilns. I wasn’t aware, that they are around here. But because it’s slowly getting to half past five, I don’t spend to much time here and only quickly take some pictures. The video taping will be skipped this time.

But the forest road also has a little surprise for me. A small rivulet turns one side to a mud lane. I am still able to drive far enough to the side to have solid ground. But a huge puddle suddenly takes the whole road. There I must drive straight through.

Anyhow, the rivulet still continues and presents me an even longer puddle, which is only on the right side. I start driving on the far left, but I slide on the soft soil and arrive with the right side in the mud. Now I can only work through. The dirty water splashes up and covers the whole side. Therefore I stop and clean at least the windshield for my video camera.

Then I drive on, now on dry soil. There is a heavy tailwind, which presents me absolutely high temperatures for my engine. It is really time to get this fixed. For a short amount of time I even must turn on the heating! Eventually it cools down outside to only 70 degrees. Now the temperature starts to stabilize again. Finally I am able to vent regularly.

FR684, ID

FR296/Spring Mountain Rd, ID

Highway 28, ID

Slowly the clock shows six in the evening and I see that I am not far away from a good opportunity to get back to the main highway. There the distance is only two to three miles. Anyways, I would not be able to drive much further today. Also I am getting worried about my fuel. Due to driving in 4LO because of the high temperatures, I needed a lot of gas. Finally I arrive at the main highway at half past six.

Highway 28, ID

Now I am on my way back to Idaho Falls. But the wind from the approaching bad weather front is really hard. This will cost me an extra gallon, especially with the wind resistance from all my accessory.

Highway 33/E 1500 N, ID

At Mud Lake I continue on Highway 33.

Highway 33/E 1500 N, ID

Sunset Interstate 15/Veterans Memorial Hwy, ID

When I reach the Interstate, the gas gauge needle is already in the lower quarter, which means I can only travel further 30 miles. And approximately this distance is the way to my motel. I stay behind a truck, which travels around 60–65mph. This also saves some gas. The clouds are looking pretty wild. Especially on the left side it seems like it is building up a funnel. Is this the beginning of a tornado?

But I have heard nothing on the National Weather Service. So I assume, I am save. But also the clouds are looking great during the sunset. But unfortunately, I don’t have the time and possibility to stop for a picture.

Finally, I arrive around eight in the evening in Idaho Falls and drive to my motel. I put my stuff into the room, then I check again, where the Texas Roadhouse is located. Hopefully I will not run out of gas. When I depart, I am still positive. But I must travel through the whole city and I literally must stop at every traffic light! This really costs a lot of gas!

Halfway to the restaurant it is getting too risky and I stop at a well visited Exxon. There the gas is a little bit more expensive. But as I was able to get 17.5 gallons in my gas tank, it was more than necessary. At the next incline or if I would have to press the gas harder, I probably would have been stopped. If I remember correctly, I am only able to squeeze 18 gallons into my gas tank. Then it is completely full, even when the manual states 20 gallons.

Way more relaxed, I continue my drive to the Texas Roadhouse. Thanks to my little GPS, I am able to find it with only a little bit of searching around. If I think back how often I have searched the area in the past, then things are now way more comfortable. Here at the Texas Roadhouse is a completely different atmosphere than in the almost “dead” Outback Steakhouse. Now I remember, why I didn’t wanted to go the Outback last year. If you have tasted the easy going and familiar flair of a Texas Roadhouse, you don’t want something else anymore.

That’s why I am exceptionally ordering a filet, which is really good. Also the service is perfect and therefore I give a good tip. Then I drive back to my motel. Around ten I arrive there and slowly getting headaches. It’s either because of the weather change or because I have been on 7200ft today and I have been already acclimatized to the 4500ft of Idaho Falls. All in all, I immediately take an Ibuprofen. Then I put in a CD and write my diary. I already gave up the idea to somehow catch up with my video recordings. This will never work out. This time, I must do this back home and hopefully remember everything.

Only the pictures from my camera will be copied, then I am doing my bookkeeping and do my safety backup. But even so it is already almost midnight until I am in my bed. Well, I have been back from dinner around ten. Let’s see, how I will sleep in tomorrow. It doesn’t make sense to set up an alarm clock, because I would not hear it thanks to my ear plugs. But without I would not be able to sleep well…

The next day is in preparation…

Sights
Charcoal Kilns (Free)

General
Breakfast: Brady’s Family Restaurant, Idaho Falls
Dinner: Texas Roadhouse, Idaho Falls
Motel: Motel 6, Idaho Falls
Distance: 283 miles

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