May 7, 2013 -

We walked around the camping loop in Antelope Island before leaving early morning. Only one fellow in a tent here and we wondered how he fared in the heavy rain last night. On our walk we saw many jack rabbits who run quite fast, several large hawks, what we think were grouse and a lot of ground squirrels. No bison nearby which was probably a good thing. Took 127 back over the causeway to Route I-15 and then thirty miles north to Perry where we got back on route 89. Up we went through the Wasatch-Cache NF to Logan and then some very steep climbs and gorgeous scenery. We got up to 7600 feet at 36F degrees with some light snow but no trouble on the roadways. The F450 seems to like the challenge of a load going up those mountains.

This route was deserted and sometimes we went for 20 miles without seeing another vehicle. Most of the other traffic is dual wheel pickups all hauling some type of animal carrier. Lots of cattle on free range and lots of areas that had warnings about snowmobile crossings. Going through this area of many National Forests let us know just how much land is still wilderness. 

Some of what we travelled was the Oregon Trail. I cannot even imagine how they got wagons up and across the mountains even the lower passes

We continued on into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and crossed over into Idaho then back into Wyoming and into the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Each little town you go through as something interesting. This was in Afton, WY.

We finally got to see the Grand Teton Mountain peaks in the sunshine as they towered over the lower clouds.

The elk who spend the winter in a refuge outside of Jackson, WY had gone back up into the mountains so didn't get to see them. We thought it would be fun to walk around in Jackson this evening, maybe have an elk dinner so stopped at an in town campground. HA! $68.50 for electricity and water We had planned on staying at the just opened Gros Ventre CG in Teton NP so continued to there. $8.50 for boondock by the river with piles of elk droppings all around us.

This is the view on our evening walk - bison against the Tetons.

The rangers said the elk and moose were very active coming through the camp so hope to see some. Very disappointed to find that the south road into Yellowstone has been closed again. Now we will have to spend some time figuring out which direction we want to head but it will probably be west into Idaho.