LOBAA47 - Falls Campground (USFS) on Snake River near Swan Valley, ID

7/2/08 Wed MDT
LOBAA47 - Falls Campground (USFS) on Snake River near Swan Valley, ID
Sally bike mileage/time 84.18 / 6:12:42
Sally Total 3352.79
Bill bike mileage/time 26.7 / 2:09:31
Bill Total 1076.2
Jim mileage 97.1
Jim total 7861.9

Sally:
Today was a fun break from our usual routine. We slept in, tried
anyway, I think we were up around 6:30. Bill and I rode into Jackson
and went out for breakfast! Very delicious. We then found an open bike
shop to get more advice on today's route, which turned out to be an
excellent choice as we did change our minds. I knew the way we had
planned had a tough climb, but didn't know about the equally steep
downhill (the bike shop fellow has gone 69 mph there---NO THANKS). He
said you can't slow as much as you want. So I took the other way out
of town and it was a gorgeous day of riding. We stayed on highway 26
through Alpine which follows the Snake River. Nice grade and beautiful
scenery all day. Didn't even start riding until 11 o'clock but made it
to camp by 5. Nice camp but once again the moose haven't shown
themselves. Will keep looking. The other thing we did this a.m. was
stop at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Unfortunately we were
there before it opened, but enjoyed all the bronze statues around the
outside. Life-sized elk, buffalo, bear, deer, turkeys, eagle and an
interesting rock building in the side of the hill. And lots of living
marmots.
Bill:
We crossed into our next to last state today, Idaho, and are off our
Adventure Cycling Maps. Sally and I were both amazed at the size of
the Palisades Reservoir which stretches on for miles above Palisades
dam on the Snake River. On the way back to camp from Jackson, a silly
poem started to form in my mind ... it sums up one part of today's
adventure.

The Missing Bear ...
I went to the mountains to see a bear,
A bear I did not see.
Instead I saw a marmot,
Looking up so happily.
But wait, what's that, have I spotted a bear?
What a magnificent sight to see.
But alas it's made of bronze,
Once again, the joke is on me.