After our damp camp at the end of the rainbow and just after the airstrip visit that Lars' documented earlier, we stopped to circle the wagons and take a few group pictures.
First the Broncos:
In reviewing the vehicles it's interesting (at least to this car-crazy engineer) to note the similarities: late model 5.0 fuel injected engines, 35" tires, aftermarket suspensions with gas-charged mono tube dampers, power steering, 4 wheel disc brakes with hydroboost assist, heavy duty axles, Atlas transfer cases, transmission conversions (2 of the 3 having an overdrive), roll cages, and various amounts of "expedition/overlanding" gear in them.
And the Toyotas:
Again, it was neat that we had 3 different generations of Toyota pickups represented. Each of them was well outfitted for our travels as well.
I found the small town of Jarbidge to be quite interesting - from a historical standpoint, visual appearance, and just the overall vibe of the place. Lars had not been certain of the fuel situation during planning so we had extra fuel along but thankfully the pumps in town were working so we filled up.
By now, rain gear, tarps, and muddy roads were a constant for us.
Our fearless leader, Lars, in happy hour repose at that night's campsite:
A map of the territory ahead, which curiously didn't mention anything about mud.
At some point in the slog, we came upon a two hole outhouse perched on a plain. Of course Roger and I had to sit down and spend some quality time together.
Late in the day, we stopped for a break to decide where to find a place to camp for the night. We had been traveling on a long, high plain at this point for what seemed like many hours. The sun was sinking lower and the temps were dropping. My co-driver Terry snapped this photo of me as we were beginning to wonder where we would lay our heads that night.
And as Lars noted earlier, an old cowboy camp suddenly presented itself as the perfect spot for the night. It had a certain eeriness to it for me. The remains of a dead cow in the bushes as we entered the camp, the decaying trailer, and an outhouse off in the bushes that rocked when you used it all combined to conjure up images of Krakauer's "Into the Wild" for me. Thankfully, Lars' LED light decorations on the trailer, great food and great company around the fire pushed those thoughts to the recesses of my brain for the night and I slept well as the snow fell.
Breakfast and sunlight the next morning warmed our bodies and our spirits as we tramped around camp.
During our travels the next day, we happened upon these hot springs. Evan couldn't resist and jumped in for warm soak while the rest of us, on about day 5 or 6 without showers at this point, gazed wistfully at the warm waters but resisted the urge.
Our last night's camp was apparently teeming with wildlife. One of our party flushed a huge buck out of some underbrush while on a short hike and Evan pulled this beauty out of the creek running alongside our camping site.
All in all, a wonderful trip.
Todd Z.