Picto Diary - 10-18 October 2020 - Duc, Dubois, WY
Note: No images for 11, 12, and 16 October. There is no image for 15 October, but, under that date is a description of my ride, round trip, between Park City, UT and Dubois, WY. Assume for the no pic days, an early morning participation, with twenty to thirty others, at an LSDM Zoom speaker presentation, breakfast at Wasatch Bagel, a three to five mile walk/hike round trip from Wasatch Bagel with TWO3 and/or KAT, updating LSDM speaker notes, picto-diary, book reports and email, lunch with TIMDT, reading or excursion with TIMDT, dinner 50% out and 50% in, and some Amazon Prime or Netflix series before bed.
Above: Mechanical spider? Thaynes Canyon. Park City, UT. 10 October 2020.
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Deux Magots Walkers (10 October 2020)
Spider like high reaching machine for tree work, Christmas lights etc. German manufactured. Owner claims it to be the only device of its kind in Utah.
Retract spider legs and the device can go indoors. Owner claims that device was used to change lights in 70 foot atrium of SLC Library.
"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau
— at Thaynes Canyon Park City, UT.
Above: Roy baptism. Salt Lake City, UT. 10 October 2020
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Baptism
(Image by not Mwah (sic)) But we were there! Bishop led directed the hymn.
"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Above: Pilot Butte. Sweetwater County, Wyoming. 13 October 2020.
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Out and about on the Duc
So many times on this road and never as much atmospheric clarity as today. Most days I've ridden by here, Pilot Butte, 25 miles away from this point, is barely visible.
"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries" Jean-Jacques Rousseau
— at Pilot Butte.
Above: Duc and Digger Hauler. Maverick. Lander, WY. 13 October 2020
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Out and about on the Duc
Where's Peterbilt when you need him?
"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson
— at Maverik Adventure's First Stop (135 East Main Street, Lander, WY).
Above: US 26/287 Northbound. Dubois, WY. 14 October 2020.
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Out and about on the Duc
In 42 degree temperatures and thirty mile an hour headwinds (gusts forty miles an hour) the newly paved highway rolls through rock scenery shadowed in stark relief by oblique afternoon sun rays. The total effect... ten by ten visibility, scenery, buffeting winds, and comforting purr of the duck at 70 mph, is stunning.
"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contempo… See More
— in Dubois, Wyoming
Above: Peaks of Absaroka Range. Image from Lookout, Dubois, WY, looking NNE. 14 October 2020.
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Out and about on the Duc.
Ever since organizing and running a high displacement dual sport motorcycle event (Big Cat) here in 2006, Dubois has been one of my favorite motorcycle destinations. I try to get up here when I can... at least once every coupla (sic) years. At one time or another I have ridden most of the dirt roads and viable single track within a 25 mile radius of this point. Apart from the four mile round trip to the Overlook, however, I won't be riding any dirt roads this trip.
The snow on the Absarokas is new... last night, early morning in fact. At least as far as this area is concerned, it is getting close to time to put the motorcycles away for the winter.
Rene Suoa is the owner of the Stage Coach Inn motel, the headquarters of our 2006 ride, and the place where I stay on my periodic revisits to Dubois. Rene says things are going well in some ways ie. volume of guests has been up. But, it is harder than ever to get and retain reliable employees. Rene is hit with the double whammy of government coronavirus payments dis incentivizing potential employees, and a mad rush of wealthy California refugees buying property "like crazy," thereby increasing the cost of housing for locals.
The deus ex machina of coronavirus will revector lives everywhere in ways yet to be discovered.
Above: Higgens Boat. National Museum of Military Vehicles, Dubois, WY. 14 October 2020.
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Out and about on the Duc.
Higgens boat... one that actually landed at Normandy. Check again the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, which is filmed in one of these boats as it approaches the Normandy landing.
What is it with Wyoming and world class museums? Add to the Buffalo Bill Center in Cody, the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois.
The Dubois museum has been open for only two months. The owner and creator, a military buff retired in Dubois, bought a Sherman WWII tank in 2011 to ride in the Dubois Fourth of July parade. He caught some kind of bug and ended up with four hundred military vehicles... tanks, half tracks, self propelled guns, and even the 1919 Dodge sedan used by George Patton to chase down Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1919.
The quality of the building, the display, the curation, and the display are off the charts. I joined a tour led by curator Douglas R. Cubbison which was expertly and passionately delivered. Cubbison noted that the goal of the owner was to achieve a Smithsonian quality museum. It is that and more.
There is a gun collection which includes the flintlock that fired the first shot at the battle of Bunker Hill, Wyatt Earp's six shooter, and the world's largest collection of Winchester repeating rifles. All of this is housed in a world class gun vault with an eleven thousand pound safe door that, on its own, would be worth the visit to Dubois. Note: There is an image of a Heckler and Koch sub-machine gun housed in a brief case shown in the comments of this post.
If you are interested in military history... this place is a must. Like Buffalo Bill in Cody, I will return!
"The land is the appointed remedy for whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson
15 October 2020 - Ride Summary (no image)
Ride back from Dubois to Park City started at noon, in 35 degree temperature. The weather was sunny. I rode 70 miles to Lander, had lunch, and resumed the ride. The temperature reduced to 32 degrees at South Pass. Thereafter, the temperature averaged 45 degrees until Evanston, when it started to warm a bit. the total round trip was 700 miles. Fifteen minute pit stop at the Kemmerer Maverick.
Each ride is memorable in its own way. Call this one the "Cold Atmospheric Clarity" ride.
I rode with five layers over my core. A t-shirt, a fleece, a heavy fleece zip up, a down liner, and my Klim armoured riding jacket. I wore a full faced Arai helmet, and light deerskin gloves. Nothing but jeans and high topped sneakers below. The Duc heated grips provide exponential warmth, keeping not only the hands warm, but also the psyche. I've worn heated clothing over the years but, I guess, I'm too lazy to keep it up. On a ride like today's, I'm chilled at the end, but, not close to hypothermia.... my core remains warm.
I have never witnessed such atmospheric clarity on both of my longer riding days, the 13th and the 15th of October. On the return, from the Pilot Butte lookout pull over on WY SR 28, I could see with clarity the Uintas to the south, the Wyomings to the west, and turning my head around, the Wind Rivers to the northeast. I was stunned by the scope of the visibility and exhilarated by the chill in the air. It was an unforgettable ride.
Above: Witches Rocks. Echo, Summit County, UT. 17 October 2020
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Daily Three Miler.
Evening sun puts Witches Rocks in sharp relief.
"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
— at Witches Rocks.
Above: Old US 189. Rockport State Park. Summit County, UT. 18 October 2020
In Search of Authenticity Tour
Walking history.
"The Land is the appointed remedy to whatever is false and fantastic in our culture." Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Addendum:
Hello Steve,
Enjoyed the Glenwood Spring photos. Have wonderful memories of taking the train with my grandparents from Denver to Glenwood Springs (circa 1972--2nd grade) for winter break. Up to that point my travel experience had been via car to about 3 counties in Colorado (which are now burning up). It was a grand adventure--to experience both a train and hotel for the first time.
Please give our best to Margaret. Glad you are both well and embracing these times with flexibility and verve. We miss you.
Jennie
Park City, UT
Manila pal from Aspen is right on.
Academy,
Salt Lake City, UT
Dear Steve,
What an amazing travelogue. For some reason, I am always guided to read some of the best that comes into my inbox. I always go through all your travelogues. Some I glance through. But some like this journey are so impacting. I like the name “In search of authenticity tour” and the quotes by Emerson and Rousseau that you use so often in your writings.
Your writings are such an honest reflection of your experiences. It feels like I am myself undertaking those journeys and living those experiences. Loved the bit about using personal stash of alcohol. When we were younger (students) we used to sneak in our own stash and mix it either with Coke or Fruit juice and consume. But the smell of the Rum that we drank (Old Monk) was so potent that neighbours would normally know what we were upto. And you know that in India there are very few trains that had private coupey and we could never afford it as students.
BTW, have you read Yuval Noah Harari’s books or watched his videos?? He wrote 3 books. Sapiens, Homo Deus and 21 lessons for the 21st Century. Listen to some of his videos on YT. Since you are such an avid reader, I thought this may interest you. I could be totally wrong.
On another note, I do receive your invites for the virtual sessions, but I am hardly able to attend any of them. But again I do read your speaker notes. And here again I seem to be lucky to get into some of the more interesting speakers. But I must confess, off late I have not read the speaker notes. I have been busy with a lot of things that are going on.
The good news here is that the number of cases has been going down for the last couple of weeks now. From a peak of 97 K cases in a day, today it has dropped down to 46 K. Below half. Our recovery rates have been very high and also death rates have halved in the last several weeks.
But it could be early days to cheer about it as we enter the festival period of Dusserah, Diwali etc. This would be the real test. If we pass this then I think may be in for better times, with regards to the Virus. Provided there is no backlash of the crowding during festivals or a 2nd wave as we are entering the cooler weather across India particularly the North.
I am sending out an update in the next day or two. It will give some insight into the current situation in India.
How is the Sprinter Van remodelling coming up. Would love to see the pictures once it is ready.
Our best wishes to Margaret, you and the entire family.
Regards
Mohan,
Gurgaon, India
Great trip—wish we could have been with you. Loved your account of the trip.
The Monk,
Gooseberry, UT