July 21, 2014

July 21, 2014

After topping off our propane and gas tanks, we left Brigham City, UT headed northwest through arid rolling ranchlands. After crossing into Idaho we leave the interstate and follow the California Trail. After watching the old western movie about it, Aimee can’t believe what a difficult time those pioneers had.

After an hour, we come to a trail landmark the pioneers would stop and marvel at, the City of Rocks. Now a combination National Reserve and state park, with some imagination, it does resemble an old abandoned stone city. It surely is an oddity in the middle of ranch country.

After stopping at the Visitor Center to get oriented, we drive slowly up a very rutted gravel road to the Bath Rock trailhead. We are in need of exercise and this is a perfect spot to stretch our legs. The area is full of massive granite monoliths that we can scramble atop and hike around. We run into several parties of rock climbers scaling the rock faces. Somehow in the maze of rocks we get disoriented and lose the trail we were following and reach a trailhead in the opposite direction of our intended travel. So we follow the road back to our home.

We scout out the camping possibilities and find an awesome site atop a section of slickrock overlooking the valley below. It is spectacular. Our enjoyment is soon ended with the arrival of a big thunderstorm that pelts our “tin can” with a thunderous roar of hail. We survive and are rewarded with a beautiful rainbow.