Time to change plans again...

I've been told by multiple people that I really need to go North into Idaho to take rt 12 into Montana. I've been told that this may be the single prettiest drive in the country. We'll see. So, I am going to head north from Enterprise, Or into Id, from there into Montana, and then south again back into Idaho - a lot of driving. I have no idea where I will stop for the night. Probably another rest stop night. Anyway, this should put me getting into Jackson, Wy sometime tomorrow.

Anyway, now that that's out of the way... I've been to one amazing part of Hell's Canyon area. The drive out to Hat Point is both difficult and oh-so-worth-it. Combine the best and worst parts of that dirt road in UP Mi and the GttSR in GNP. 24 unpaved miles of switch-backs, no shoulders, and amazing scenery. But it gets you out to the Hat Point Look Out, which looks into Hells Canyon. (As close to the canyon as I'm going to get on this trip, alas.) Hells Canyon is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon. There's a fire-tower at the top of Hat Point, in case the mountain's not high enough for you. But, since the point is at 7000 feet high, bring oxygen, or plan on taking longer than you might otherwise... (Yup, once again I'm blaming the altitude, not my lack of excercise.) In the morning, I got the chance to drive above the clouds. Now, I've driven through them and hiked above them, but never driven above them. So cool.

Gotta get back on the road before I get to complacent in this coffee shop / brew pub / restaurant in Joseph, Or. (If I lived near by, I'd never leave!)