Miles Driven: 224.1 - September 14th Yellowstone, WY to Craters of the Moon, ID
Total Miles: 3191.7
Enterance Fees: $8 (covered by the America the Beautiful Pass)
Camping Fees: $10
I was in Montana for all of 10 minutes before entering into the state of Idaho where craters of the moon, my next destination was located. The drive was great, the sun was out, and the temperature was great around 85 degrees. Drove on roads where I was the only car most of the time if not all of the time. Between the little towns, and by towns I mean four or five houses and maybe a gas station there was nothing. Did not see any agriculture of any kind. Stopping to take a photograph where I stood in the middle of the road. Not a car insight.
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Road ID
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Now, I have to comment on the fact that this was not the first time I was on roads where I was the only car and would not be the last. The first time I was in a situation like this you start to think of all the possible ways of what could go wrong. First you check the cell reception. No signal. Then you check your gas level, half a tank, good for another 100 miles of so if the road is flat longer. Check you have water to drink and food to eat. Check, check. Then you start to wonder, what if the brakes down. What if you drive off the road. What if you hit an animal. And so many, many more what ifs keep coming. Since this was not the first time I just enjoyed the sights.
Arriving at Craters of the Moon around 4pm I parked at the visitor center, watched the movie, and chatted with the park ranger about what to see and do while I was in the park. She suggested a hike on the rim of the crater and some caves, lava tubes. There is a one way road around the lava beds. I drove to the crater and walked around the ------- In llllllll there was still snow at the bottom even after the 100 degree days of summer. Then hiked up to the crater and walked around the rim. I lost my cap and had to chase after it. The wind was really blowing.
After the crater hike a wanted to explore the lava tubes. There were several to chose from and they were all located in the same place. To get to the lava tubes you have to hike on a path through the lava beds. The wind was not as bad as it was on the crater and the sun had come out from behind the clouds. The temperature soared to 98 degrees and it was very dry. I actually got sun burnt on the backs of my legs walking out to the lava tubes. 800 meters long and 30 wide and 30 in height. It get to the bottom of the tube you have to go down a metal ladder part of the way and the rest is on lava. You make your own way through the tube up and over and around lava. It was so much fun. Did not really need a flash light except for one really dark stop, which happened to be the flattest part. Not that there was any real flat part, but the less of the ups and downs to cliff over.
To get out of the tube you have to climb up into a small hole and end up on the lava beds. The only way you know how to get back to the path is the lava posts with wood sticking out of them. Following them for about 500 yards and you are back to where you started from. Although navigated the lava beds is not an easy task. The heat radiating from the lava is incredible. Should have put on sunscreen.
Further down the path, actually the end of the paved path is the lava tube called Beauty Cave. This cave is described as enclosed and a flash light is a must. The cave is 400 long, 200 wide and 20 high. I walked into the cave about 20 feet. Could not see a thing. The little flash light I had was not doing a great job. Now, I considered myself a strong, fearless, independent, even courageous woman at times, but being in a lava tube, not able to see your fingers even though you have put them up to your face I felt a little, how should I say this, scared. Yes, I’ll admit it, I was scared. But not for the reasons you are thinking. If you know me, you know I can be a little accident prone. While I was hiking into the dark lava tube a couple of scenarios starting to form in my mind. What if fell and dropped the flash light. I would not be able to find it in the pitch blackness. What if I fell and really hurt myself. No one know I was down here. It was late in the afternoon and I was probably the last person to hike into the lava beds. My car was the only car in the parking lot when I pulled in. The lava tube was so much cooler than the surface, I’d get hypothermia and go into a coma. And on and on, so I decided to do the smart thing and back track and get the hell out of the pitch black lava tube. Now that’s what I call a very smart decision from a very independent, courageous women.
Heading back to my car the sun was beginning to set and I had not yet thought about where I was sleeping that night. It just so happens there was a camping site in craters of the moon. Pulling up to the board I noticed there were only a few places left. Getting out of my car a men who was brushing this teeth commented on my Virginia license plate. He said there was I place next to where he was camped. He started to tell me but I told him to get in the car and show me.
Bob was camping with two other guys, John and Sykes. They invited me over for a beer. I went over after I had set up my tent and paid for the camp site. We chatted for several hours until it was to cold to be out in shorts. And yes it was the coldest night thus far in the tent. The low was 39 degrees.
