After three weeks in the hospital getting his flywheel resurfaced, clutch plate, pressure plate, U-joint, front drive shaft bearing, race, and seal, oil pressure gauge, three tires, and fuel pump hose replaced and transmission rebuilt Old Henry was crying to get back on the road again. So we went . . . to City of Rocks National Reserve in southern Idaho where we'd tried to get three times in the previous two months without success (too snowy, too muddy, too much vibration in the drive line.) Here's the story:
This is the video without music as some have requested they wanted to just hear the car going:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZG1TlGMRrE
The City of Rocks is over 14,000 acres of unique granite formations, some over 2 billion years old and towering as high as 600 feet. The California Trail that cut off from the Oregon Trail for 52,000 emigrants to go to the Gold Rush in 1852 went right through the City of Rocks. Emigrant diaries described the rocks in vivid detail as “a city of tall spires,” “steeple rocks”, "the silent city" and a display of “all manner of fantastic shapes.”
Wagons on the California Trail:
Later John Halley's stage route connected the railroad at Kelton, Utah with Idaho's mining hub of Boise, Idaho, and supplied the early economic development of Idaho, which won statehood in 1890. The Kelton stage route passed through the City of Rocks, with a stage station set up near the junction of the old California Trail and Salt Lake Alternate.
The Kelton stage station with the Twin Sisters rocks (seen in the video) in the background:
After leaving I-84 at the Sublet exit we drove through Malta, Elba, and Almo then hit dirt road to the reserve.
Looking back at the valley we came through from Almo to get to the reserve:
We shortly came upon this old rock farm house that was built in 1904 - 1905 by Aaron McBride, a rock mason, and William E. Tracy, a rock layer and house builder. Eighteen inch thick rock walls were installed to provide excellent insulation, keeping the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The Tracy family lived in the rock house for five years. More here:
http://www.nps.gov/ciro/historycultu...use-1998-3.pdf
Early picture of the house:
What we saw (approaching from the right side of the above picture):
Same angle of view of the old picture.
Then we pretty much just drove around the reserve looking at the different rock formations and scenery.
There are two big rocks upon which many emigrants recorded their names as they passed along the trail, usually with axle grease. One called Register Rock and the other Camp Rock (seen in the video).
Here emigrants are stopped to record their names at Camp Rock:
How that same rock looked to us with some faint names still visible. One is even my family name. That was cool to see:
After leaving the reserve to the west we continued on dirt road almost to Oakley. That night we made it to Burley, Idaho to stay at the same old Bass Motel where Pepe and I had to be towed away from just two months ago.
Then, on the way home, we stopped at Farr West, Utah to get a Subway Sandwich. When we came out the front left tire was flat. I got the jack and tools out to change it when AnnaRae gets out, comes around, and says, "Why don't you just pump it back up?" Duh, that was sure a better idea than changing the tire. So I did.
Then drove to the nearest Big O where they fixed the flat for free. Look close and you can see the mechanic laying on the inner tube to get the air out to get it back in the tire.
What punctured the tire? Nothing! It was a "pinch" in the crappy radial inner tube I got from Coker tire. Don't use those. Always get the 550/600/650-16 tubes from the local tire store.
That's it. 448 miles over the two days. No mechanical problems other than the flat tire.
Previous trips:
To Capitol Reef National Park in March 2014: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133018
To Grouse Creek and the AAA garage in February 2014: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130966
To Grand Canyon in January 2014: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128820
To Moab, UT in December 2013: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127222
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument November 2013: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123694
Across Nevada on US 50, "The Loneliest Road in the Country", October 2013: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120098
Mount Evans (the highest paved road in North America) August 2013: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115013
Canada in June 2013: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109872
Monument Valley in March 2013: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99523
Bryce Canyon in February 2013: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97822
Milford, Utah in December 2012: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93137
Nevada and Idaho in November 2012: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89080
Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2012: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83966
Yellowstone National Park in May 2012: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864
Death Valley in February 2012: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62705
Pike's Peak in July 2011: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19141
Route 66 in April 2010: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57511