Day 35
We could almost touch them !!!
See how beautiful they are?
What's most impressive is that we can talk to each other on a normal tone of voice
while standing as close to them as 15 ft!
No, No! This time we're not in a zoo. They're in their natural
habitat. They could simply leave if they wanted to. There are no fences.
We really enjoy watching them. Matter of fact, we think they actually like to pose...
We've been here over an hour and they show no sign of aggressivity. We are not bothering
them.
These pics were shot at Big Spring Campground, near Island Park.
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Big Spring , A wildlifes' paradise.
A river is born: 120 millions gallons of pure water burst from from the ground here.
Enough for one million people. This geological phenomenon brings a yearlong flow of water
at a constant temperature of 52 deg. F.
On a rocky river bed, it's the perfect environment for wildlife. |
Well, you've been very entertaining...A free, wildlife show...Thanks a lot...
But now, we want to go ride!!
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Some of the different types of roads we ride. Some wooded...
...Some not so wooded...
The variety of sceneries we see in a day...So far from a work days' routine. |
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Yes it's Marc (again) on the road (lower left).
From Island Park to Warm River Id., we follow an old railroad bed. Here, we go through
a 557 ft long tunnel, built in 1915! Very spectacular! Click here to learn more.
Polaris
Industries - Canada
Polaris Industries - USA
We also have to go over a few cattle guards.
As you can see, some are pretty steep...
We must say that, at first, we were pretty surprised to see all this loose cattle
grazing freely in a National Forest. We don't see those type of things in Québec. Here, I
think someone can rent space (get a permit) on a National Forest where he can let his
heard graze. So we see cattle everywhere, on the trail, the roads...Since the forests are
public lands, the cattle owners install these cattle guards which the animals won't cross
but which will provide access to other forest users.
Oh! NO !!! I lost the trailer !!!
Luckily, there's not too much damage. Only the wires for the trailer lights were
broken. You can see the harness in the following pic. Since the trailer tongue is
telescopic, it's held in place with a locking pin exactly like the ones that hold the ball
in the receiver of a cars' hitch. Most probably that pin got off when I crossed one of
those cattle guards. I remember hearing the trailer bottom hitting the guard once, a few
miles back...Here's the end result...
Hey! It could have been really worst! About 2 minutes later and we would have been
riding down highwat 47 at 45 or 50m/h, with quite a few cars around...Imagine that!
The tubing in which the tongue slides is intact (luckily the trail was kinda soft...)
and we have a spare pin (did I mention we tried to think of everything...). So, we just
slide that tongue back in place and, 5 minutes later we're on the road again...With no
lights on the trailer...That can wait...
 
Yeah ! Close encounter with
mooses!
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That should make our friends hunters drool. When I think that
they'll drive 12 or 13 hours from their home, sit in the forest for a week, sometimes only
to see moose tracks... |
| Bof... |
Trailer breakdown... |
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A couple of hours of fun coming to reconnect those wires... |
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After riding for a few hours in the valley...
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...We arrive at Tetonia Id. Don't have to look too far to figure out
where the name came from... |
...We are oh so close to the splendid Teton Mountains.
Here's the most spectacular of them: Grand Teton (French for: Big Tit). Seems it's a
French explorer who named them...Guess he must have been missing his girlfriend...
Judging by the huge ranches and very high dollar homes in the area, we understand it's
an highly sought after neighbourhood for it's beauty.
We've heard that the billionnaires from Jackson Hole Wyoming push the small millionnaires
this side of the mountains...
Is there really that many millionnaires???
Well, here we are in Swan Valley, Id. Our home for tonight.
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