It was cool this morning when we rolled out at 6:40 am. We stopped at the Bannack Cemetery, Polaris Post office, and the Grasshopper Inn. Joel had stopped there 2010 and 2014 and we were hoping to get a 2nd breakfast of eggs and hash browns. However, new owners took over last year and it is now a Bed & Breakfast with no restaurant service. The owners were super nice and made us bowls of fruit and granola.
Our route is on the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway which is paved but we needed to climb 1600 feet. It was my first mountain climb and decent and it was worth the effort. On this stretch of road we traded sage brush for pine forest and it is so beautiful. We stopped at the Lupine Rest area to soak in the view.
We are camping at the Pettengill Campground and we have a site under tall pines and next to the creek. Joel camped in the same site when he rode southbound in 2010. A jump in the creek was a must and now we are off to dinner in Wise River. It seemed luxurious to take our time today, stop and see all the sites.
