Friday, I headed back to Jackson, WY, west into Idaho, and then north to Henrys Lake State Park, not too far south of West Yellowstone, where we would have exited Yellowstone, had we taken our original route. Russ, taking his sister’s advice, only went as far as Jackson the first day.

And just as well, because immediately west of Jackson, you climb Teton Pass: very steep on the eastern side, with abrupt switchbacks descending the western slope. Once again, the Subaru made it, though there were a few tense moments, with the road climbing over 10% grade in spots. Then it was into the broad valleys between the mountain ranges of eastern Idaho.

On the way, I turned off the main road to see Upper Mesa Falls. The scenic side road winds through a thickly forested area with multiple campgrounds. A short, steep gravel road led me down to the impressive falls, and a welcome chance for the dogs to stretch their legs.

On the main roads, the wind really hits you, now from the side rather than head-on. Every passing big rig felt like it would blow the camper right over. Fortunately, Henrys Lake was not too far from Mesa Falls, and it is well worth the drive. It sits in a bowl, completely surrounded by mountains. The mountain passes do funnel the winds across the lake, however, so boaters need to watch out, especially in the afternoons, for high winds.

It was obvious from Russ’s slower pace that two nights would not be enough time for him to catch up to me, so I extended my stay for another three days, and he did get here Monday afternoon. In the meantime, I did quite a bit of birdwatching on the small ponds immediately below the campground, and I got to do some kayaking Sunday morning (you can reserve a kayak for free!). Finally, I had an excuse for carrying my paddle and life vest (but not my kayak) across the country.

Sunday afternoon turned cooler and blustery, with passing showers. By Monday morning, the temperature had dropped into the thirties, and although the sun comes and goes, it hasn’t gotten above 42, with a wind chill of 37, all day. Tomorrow is not supposed to be much better.

Not that it matters much, because Moe is now sick with the same cough that Scooby has (I guess it is kennel cough), and Scooby doesn’t seem better after 4 days of antibiotics. Walking them has turned into a gauntlet of a) concern or b) stink eye from my fellow campers. At least twice, I’ve called out ”I took them to a vet!” in response to judgemental looks. I was feeling overwhelmed early this morning, listening to hacking and gagging in stereo from the dogs. Thank goodness my sister was home when I called in tears. She calmed me down, and we even managed to joke about it before I got back to finding a vet. Tuesday will be another long drive to another vet, this time in St. Anthony, ID. I’m just grateful to find someone who will see them right away.