Idaho wasn’t really part of the plan, but I veered off once again and instead of continuing West, I decided to turn South - I had read at some point that the road between Sun Valley, Stanley and Boise was worth the detour, so I felt I had to go and check for myself. Even if it was a 1,000-mile detour (just a detail when already 19,000 miles into this road trip) and even if my now totally irrelevant itinerary had me go back to LA on 9/17... which is clearly not happening.
And it was indeed worth it. A driver’s heaven of mountain roads and rivers, of picturesque villages in altitude, and all the remote, dirt road accessible National Forest campsites I’ve been dreaming of. And a bit of sun too (didn’t last unfortunately), and also a first with some frost on (and in) my tent one morning: nights are getting quite cold in high-ish elevation and campfires, which were mostly a fun camp activity until now, are slowly becoming a necessity to stay warm before retreating into my little elevated nest.
Aside from falling for this state, not a lot to report beside driving a whole lot and camping, and the fact that it’s starting to look like fall over here: I love to see the colors change in nature and realize how good it is to be outside so much, even for the most mundane things like brushing my teeth or do my dishes. Every. Single. Day.
But with more solitude and time to think and reflect, there are also and still the inevitable “wtf am I doing?” moments, and I’m actively working on not letting those take over.
My legs start to itch again and as I’m finally making my way to the Pacific Northwest I’m hoping I can get some backcountry permits to hike for a few days and get out of my head... should the weather finally give me a break.
#myepicamericanroadtrip