To Victor, Idaho and Helena, Montana
June 21, 2021,
we left Vernal (the air quality had gone bad due to the wildfires) and headed north toward Idaho and eventually to Montana’s capital, Helena.
Our first stop was Red Canyon Overlook at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (which straddles the border of Utah and Wyoming). It is not hard to understand how it got that name!
Next, we drove on the 13 mile long Sheep Creek Scenic Geological Byway.
From there, we drove to the Star Valley, farm country in Wyoming, where we witnessed a cattle drive with real cowboys, and on to Alpine, Wyoming via US 189 and US 89. From Alpine, we detoured a bit and drove along the Snake River to Jackson. We had a view of the Teton Range from the south.
Our friends took a different route and visited the National Park. We circled back around to Teton Pass and drove west to Victor, Idaho, located in the Teton Valley, where we reunited with our friends and spent the night.
The view from Teton Pass near the border of Wyoming and Idaho.
The map shows our route from Vernal through Flaming Gorge and Teton Pass to Victor, Idaho.
On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, we left Victor and drove north on the Teton Scenic Byway. The sun angle wasn’t great but here are the Tetons from the west.
Next we followed the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, stopping at Upper Mesa Falls. It offered a nice walk on boardwalks.
From the Falls, we drove to West Yellowstone though an area dedicated to fly fishing along the Snake and Teton Rivers. By mid-morning, we arrived at the Wolf and Grizzly Discovery Center.
Here are several Gray Wolves.
After picking up supplies and eating a picnic lunch, we visited the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, where we watched a fascinating, short video and learned about the devastating earthquake of 1959 and how Earthquake Lake was formed. Dead trees from the quake are in the lower left of the photo.
From there, we drove on to Montana’s capital city of Helena via US 287, MT69 and a small stretch of I-15. Most of the route was sparsely populated, with a few ranches and farms. We spent the next two nights near Helena’s red brick dominated downtown.
The next day, Wednesday, June 23, 2021, we toured Reeder’s Alley as well Helena’s historic downtown with its old buildings, and later the attractive Cathedral. The downtown area had some nice murals and a pedestrian section among the old buildings that made a nice walking tour.
Reeder’s Alley on the left and Main Street on the right.
After lunch, we drove about an hour over remote Flesher Pass to Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture in the Wild, located near the town of Lincoln.
Below is one of the art installations at Blackfoot Pathways. We spent an hour or so viewing the sculptures meant to meld with the natural environment and use local materials.
We returned to Helena and had dinner in a local brewpub with our friends, who did not accompany us to Blackfoot Pathways. Tomorrow, we all will head to Glacier National Park.
