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Heading back to Texas: Idaho and Wyoming

I was now officially on the way back to Texas, heading east into Idaho to see the Sawtooths. I reached Boise, restocked groceries and got the oil changed, spent the night and arrived in Ketchum midday of the following day. I stopped at the Sawtooth NRA visitor center and got info on free camping just down the road. I spent a week here as it was close to hiking trails, and right on the water. It even had a dump station, fresh water and garbage bins. I even bought a pr of solar eclipse glasses at the visitor center. It was nice to stay in one place for that long, but eventually, as always, I get restless to see more, so finally I headed north to see more new vistas. There is no shortage of free camping in the Sawtooths and I spent a few nights here and there, most nights somewhere on the Salmon River. The hiking was off the charts here, and I hiked almost a dozen trails while in the area and had made up my mind I'd stay for the eclipse. I met great people on the trails, always on my way out, and even had a gal invite me to meet her to kayak in her boat. Unfortunately it rained so it didn't work out. Seeing the eclipse there didn't work out either.
Hike to Baker Lake in a regenerating burn over



Sawtooth Lake


My campsite for a week in the Sawtooth NRA

There were several wildfires burning around the area and finally the air quality deteriorated so much that I decided to continue east back to Wyoming and find a spot in the Wind River Range. I spent the first night at Kendall Warms Springs, but knew I didn't want to be there for the eclipse. I'd decided that after the weekend passed I'd scout another site. As luck would have it a ranger stopped by and we talked and he gave me some great info on getting away from everyone that was expected to hit the area in a week. Based on his info I found a great spot right on the Green river where I spent 10 days enjoying the peace and tranquility of the area, only broken occasionally by a fisherman coming around the river bend, but they were soon out of sight. It was now August and the river was dropping a little everyday. I hiked out cross country on game trails or followed the FS roads everyday, morning and evening. I saw my first Greater Sage Grouse here.  I met an older couple that owned a summer home who were also birders and invited me to bird on their land.
That tiny white speck is the van
Most afternoons it would cloud up but rarely rained, unfortunate as it was monsoon season.

Campsite on the Green River

Once the eclipse was over I made my way south, retracing my route to Rock Springs. The next morning I bought groceries, did laundry and hit the library then made my way to the Medicine Bow NF on the border of WY and CO where I had an amazing campsite with a view to kill.

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