Craters of the Moon/Jackpot, NV/Shoshone Falls

This weekend was a little nuts.  Saturday we went to work til noon and then left for Craters of the Moon about an hour from work.  This place is an old lava flow area that has some crazy looking landscape.  Black glassy silvery rock everywhere and caves made out of lava tubes, some of them collapsed.  We spent about 3 hours or so here going through some of the caves and driving around the open half of the loop.  There were a few hikes, but we didn't do them this time.  Maybe if Vanessa and I go back.  http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

After Craters of the Moon, we drove to Twin Falls and ate a really good dinner at Jaker's.  We left and headed for Jackpot, NV.  The place is small, two of the four casinos are about the size of my house, the other two were respectable, but still pretty small (I was just in Vegas two weeks ago, so that's my reference point.)  I played some Blackjack, went up and then went down, as usual lost some money, but it was fun.

We stayed at Barton's Club 93 (creepy as shit hotel rooms).  Won't be going back there...

The next day, we went to Shoshone Falls back in Twin Falls, ID.  That was awesome.  Pretty big falls in a big gorge.  Saw my first double rainbow! I'll probably head back at some point to do the hikes there.

1st Group Ride with the SRMBC

Below is a video of the first ride I went on with the SRMBC around the FIsh Creek Loop in the Kelly Canyon area east of town.  I only fell over the handlebars once.

I didn't get any pictures, but I'm in the video below a few times.  I'm wearing red shorts, a black and grey shirt and a blue Camelbak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ezsschwnCk

This link is to the GPS route info from my Garmin watch.  It was quite a workout.  About an hour actual riding time, climbed over 1000 feet and burned 800+ calories.  Not bad.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100989324

Afterwards, we made it to the Heise Pizza Shop at the lodge of the Kelly Canyon ski resort.  Good pizza and they had Fat Tire on tap!

One Last Post for the Night

Actually Lifted.  Took like 15 minutes and I'm dead.


Then went for a ride around the Green Belt and had a sunset behind my hotel when I got back.

Untitled by jmc567 at Garmin Connect - Details

New Bike

I joined the SRMBC today (Snake River Mountain Bike Club).  Waiting to find out when I'm going riding again.

Hour Long Drive to Work

Today is a short one.  I took some pictures on my way back from work today.  I'll try to get some more of the sunrises, which are awesome most the time.  There are mountains in the background, I have no idea what they are called.  They are N/NW of the site.  The 3 buttes are labeled below.

View Larger Map

Big Southern Butte

Big Southern Butte 2

Middle and East Butte (Far)

Middle Butte

East Butte

Kelly Canyon MTB and Ririe Reservoir

Click to enlarge and see the cows.

Sunday July 17 - Today I got up, packed up all of my gear and headed for Kelly Canyon MTB trails.  My bike rack from Walmart held up good enough.  Made me nervous though.  I drove about 30 minutes, 70 miles an hour out of town to Kelly Canyon ski resort NE of town.  When I got there, I drove up the mountain until I hit some gravel roads.  Found the parking lot and hopped on my new bike (see below).  I rode 1 mile all uphill until I was dead.  I stopped to breathe again and happened upon the trail across from where I was panting to death.  I took the trail about a mile and a half until I turned a corner and thought I saw a black bear.  Turns out it was a damn cow.  With 15 other cows.  One was staring at me.  One was mooing sort of aggressively and then the staring one took a few steps in my direction.  There were 2 other cows on the trail itself with no way around.  I don't know cows and didn't want to get stampeded (brand new bike).  So I turner around back the way I came.  When I got to the car, I looked at the maps and I'm not positive yet, but I think that was the wrong way anyhow. So that may have worked in my favor.

Check out my tracks here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100181912.

When I left Kelly Canyon, I drove to the Ririe Reservoir.  It's a pretty good sized body of water with campsites and fishing.  Tons of boats were docked and cruising around the water.  Pretty nice area being so close to town.  I took some pictures and went home to do laundry.  End scene.

Day 1-5 Recap

Tuesday July 12 - Flew out Tuesday at 11am from NN, VA. Got on the plane in Atlanta headed for SLC at 1:30. Couldn't leave the runway bc of lightning. Couldn't leave the gate bc an electrical bus was not working. Waited for maintenance to fix the plane. 3 hours later we got to the runway, sat there for another hour and then the pilot said we didn't have enough fuel...  So we went back the to gate.  Made us get off plane and then the crew wanted to change.  Waited another 3 hours and then finally left at 830.  Got to SLC 10 min before my plane left for Idaho Falls.  Being towards the back of the plane, when I got to the gate they had shut the plane door 3 minutes earlier.  Bitched at the desk guy.  Got a hotel room, shuttle, and 2 free meal tickets.  Took the shuttle to Hotel 1, FULL.  Took shuttle to Hotel 2, creepy.  Got a room finally, could see through the front window, which was the whole wall.  Couldn't shut the blinds, had to sit in the dark so no people couldn't stare at you from outside.  Went to Denny's, got to bed at 1 or 2am.

Wednesday July 13 - Got up, got to the airport and used my free meal tickets.  $6 each!  Paid $17 for 2 sandwiches and a bottle of water and waited for my plane to show up.  Left 20 min late again.  Got to Idaho Falls airport and met Walt.  Had lunch, went to the site which is 1 hour outside of town through absolutely nothing.  Desert.  Bushes, rattlesnakes and buttes.  Mountains are awesome to look at though, can see for miles and miles on the way to work.  The site is a sight.  Trailer with bars on windows in the middle of the desert.  Kind of cool.  Came home, went to eat, drank all night and went to bed.

Thursday July 14 - Got up feeling groggy at 4am.  Went  to work, went to eat, drink and bed.

Friday July 15 - Work, got an uncooked pizza and cooked it at the hotel.  Checked out a new bike at Idaho Mountain Trading, went to Wally world, drove out Sunnyside to the windmill farm (awesome view of town all the way to the buttes) and then to bed.

Saturday July 16 - Work, came home and bought bike.  Cannondale Trail SL2 29er.  Awesome.  Rode around the Idaho Falls Greenbelt ate some Jimmy Johns (Club Lulu) and went to bed.