I had my first uncomfortable night with the dogs. Minnie hogged the cot and I slept in the driver's seat, cuddled in a fetal position to keep warm. I had parked in the back of a lodge parking lot off US26, right next to an automatic sprinkler that came on at 3am and woke me up. The dogs at least got to get up to pee in the dark before I resumed my pre-dawn drive...very slowly as I was too tired to feel energy and stopped a few times off the road for naps until it was light enough to see. I followed the camp host's suggestion to go toward the Palisades Dam, and in the daylight saw the dirt road he was talking about. And he was right, there was plenty of dispersed campsites here, and plenty of campers under large shade trees claiming their spot for the long weekend.
I was looking for a shaded place to hike. After yesterday's hike and the lousy sleep I had last night, though, I could feel my fatigue and the dogs didn't look any more energized than me, especially Minnie who seemed to be hurting again. I drove toward the Bear Creek trail signs 16 miles away, on a well-graded, wide gravel road that climbed up and offered expansive views of the Palisades Reservoir, which straddles both Idaho and Wyoming. People were flyfishing in the creeks; I waved back.
Bear Creek trail was a bit of a disappointment, as it was more high up rather than right next to the creek. What I did find interesting was that the trail was an old wagon trail from the pioneer days, and marked as "Idaho Great Western Trail." I was to see many more of these old wagon trails across Wyoming later. Mostly a single track, the trail at times broke out into a dual-track with tall grass in the middle. It was exposed and getting hot, so at the 1.2-mile mark I turned around. It would be enough for us in the morning, and a nice break after yesterday's long hike. I took a quick wash-up in the creek before resuming the drive east on US26 into Alpine, Wyoming and then US89 south.
More later
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