New tire and Craters of the Moon

Before I left Jackpot, NV on Wednesday morning, I checked my oil and tire pressure and noticed that my rear tire was wearing down a lot faster than I had anticipated and it was getting close to not having much tread on it.  I knew at this point that I would have to replace the tire before I made it to Bismarck, ND. 

When I arrived in Twin Falls, ID, I stopped at a Starbucks and got online to find a Yamaha dealer.  I found 1 in Twin Falls and 1 in Idaho Falls. Both had a tire in stock but told me the soonest they could get to me would be in 2 or 3 days, which wasn’t going to work.  I called a Yamaha place in Jackson, WY and they told me they would take care of me at whatever time I arrived. But before Jackson, WY, I had a stop planned for Craters of the Moon.

My hotel in Jackpot,NV

Snake River outside of Twin Falls ID

Snake River outside of Twin Falls ID

 

 

 

 

Snake River outside of Twin Falls ID

 

 Craters of the Moon

I arrived at Craters of the Moon National Monument around 2 PM Wednesday and found a nice campsite overlooking the lava fields and set up camp.  I then drove around the area to do some site seeing and was completely blown away by how unreal this area was.  It looked like the surface of another planet.  I did some hiking and explored some lava tube caves.  It was pretty warm outside, bordering on being hot but when you went about 10 feet underground in these lava tube caves, the temperature dropped and soon ice began to appear. The caves are not lighted or have any sort of hand rails or designated trails. Its just a sign at the entrance to the cave saying which cave it is. From there, you are on your own and you need a flashlight. I would recommend a headlamp or at least a really bright flashlight. The little flash light I had was marginally effective at best and I did a lot of slipping on ice, banging into things in the very dim light, and a few times stepped into freezing pools of water that went up past my ankles.  The caves were by far the coolest thing I did at the Craters of the Moon.

 

 

I slept like crap again that night, just as I have every time I have slept on the ground.  I woke up early Thursday morning, loaded up and took off for Jackson, WY.  

Water being released from the damn

Old volcano

Snake River

Snake River

Snake River

I arrived around 1 PM in Jackson and found the Yamaha dealer and dropped off my bike and went to a local coffee house and had a coffee while waiting.  $420.00 later, I left Jackson, WY with a new rear tire and a fresh oil change.  Motorcycles sure are expensive to maintain.

Next stop, Colters Bay in the Grand Teton National park.

Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die; and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life and the duty of life. Both life and death are parts of the same great adventure ~ Theodore Roosevelt