Driving past a forest fire

Hello Everyone, 

I'm currently in Hailey, Idaho. When I first set out on this adventure, there were some places I knew I wanted to get to, places that are well established outdoorsy meccas, and I knew there would be places I would unexpectedly enjoy. I just didn't think Idaho would be one of the latter.

I'm here for two reasons. The first is that I met someone on the trails in Bozeman who recommended the area. The second is that the other parts of Montana are on fire. 

The guy at the bike shop who recommended I go to Emerald Lake also said I should check out the area near West Yellowstone. Unfortunately, in driving there, I started to get emergency notices on my phone about wildfires. They were mostly about where to take your horses, but given that the visibility had noticeably deteriorated, I was feeling a little uneasy. Then when I actually drove past a wildfire, off in the distance to my right, I figured mountain biking was off the menu for this area. 

For the overnight, I had picked out a free campsite next to a lake so that Arthur could go for a swim, but when I got there, signs saying there was toxic algae in the water meant we couldn't even do that. It was a big let down, so I figured I would head to Idaho first thing in the morning. 

It was not an auspicious start then either. Most of the drive was through a flat desert plain, all yellow and brown. Visibility was better, but still not 100 percent. I was starting to think I had been given some bad advice. 

But I got here and started to research the trails, and I think it's going to work out. I'm a few miles south of Sun Valley, which is a good biking spot, and the higher elevation means there's actually trees and shade to be found. 

So I'm withholding judgment on Idaho for the moment. It's got more potential than I would have thought at first. If I find some good trails and a swimming hole, it might be a surprise highlight. 

Wes

Photos 

The first two are of the forest fire we drove past. You can't see the flames, but there's a lot of smoke billowing up from the hills. 

The third is of Arthur standing at a lookout spot at Moon Crater national preserve. It's an area of volcanic rock that looks like the moon as very little grows there. Nice enough to get out and take a picture, but it got old fast.