Summary of today’s events? I left camp a bit later than normal and drove. At the EBR-1 Atomic Museum, I stopped only to find out it’s closed for the season. At Craters of the Moon National Monument, the excitement of the lady at the visitors centre was out of proportion to the wonder of the park.

I drove around the park and walked a bit, but it is a relic of fantastical events that happened thousands of years ago, which dulls the excitement for me. It is unique, don’t get me wrong, but at the end of the day, it is a collection of some hills and a whole lot of black rock, scattered across the landscape. Even the caves didn’t really enthuse me.

After lunch in the car park, I sat to peruse the photos I’d taken of a book in the visitors centre locating a bunch of public hot springs in Idaho that I wanted to visit. I discovered that the photos had disappeared, even though I’m sure I took them of multiple pages of the book, I was left with nothing. No service so I couldn’t research what I’d found online and when I did come into range, the websites I found only brought up paid-for options.

Following that, I drove some more. I missed a turn so took a bit of a long way around near Shoshone, but I’d seen ice caves marked in my Atlas on this route so I thought maybe this was fate – I should go to the ice caves. Once there, I discovered they were also closed for the season.

Thankfully I finished my audiobook, which was terrible, I think because of the reader. She spoke in the same, slow tone no matter what and her character impressions were lacking. Towards the end, there was a moment of huge tension and build up and I almost missed it because she spoke in the same manner. I realise I sound like a snob, but I just feel that I’d invested so much time (even though it was driving time) listening to the book, hoping for a twist that would make it all worthwhile and being utterly disappointed. From that point on, I stuck to podcasts about Formula 1.

After stopping in at three visitors centres to discover they were all closed (one closed for the season, the second only open on weekdays, and the third no reason at all), I aimed for one hot spring I’d managed to find on a website that could be free to access. As I approached it I realised my hope had been futile, there were log cabins and a store. So I gave up on that idea. A bit down the road I found Baker Creek which is on BLM land. I drove a couple of miles down a very rutted dirt road to campsite #2, not that #1 was occupied, but because I wanted to consider my options. I drove down a small driveway to a clearing that is right by the river with a view of snow capped mountains to the east and to the west. Yes, this would do.

There was a fire ring so I decided I would have a fire. I collected some wood, but didn’t go too far as I didn’t want to be too optimistic. It was hard to find dry wood. I managed to sustain flame for a few minutes, but in the end all I got was a smoke machine, the wood was just too wet. So long to that idea. It was pretty early by the time it got dark, barely 5:30pm, so I set up in the van and watched a TV series while I scanned some documents. After dinner I did more of the same. It’s now nearly 8pm and I’m couped up in bed typing. I’ll be interested to see what the temperature is tomorrow morning. Right now, a jumper and downie on top and one pair of thermals on the bottom is not enough, things are colding up!

There are two things I’m pondering tonight (since I have a lot of time to myself to think). First, last night’s camp was ok, but I didn’t feel safe wandering too far from the van, I suppose I was a bit uneasy. Tonight’s camp, I feel perfectly safe and would wander far. Both nights the moon has been nearly full and so the night is hardly dark, but I’m thinking that the noise of a babbling brook nearby settles me. Not only because of the soothing sound that water makes as it crashes over rocks, but because it drowns out all the other noises of the night. The noises that make you look out and wonder what is there. Am I scared of the dark? Maybe.

Second, maybe my recent bad fortune are all omens to tell me I shouldn’t be trying to get to Glacier National Park. I keep hearing Derek’s voice in my head, telling me to stick to Arizona, Utah and Colorado, where all the fun is, but I really want to see if I can get there. I’m starting to think that disappointment awaits my arrival, but how else can I know? I have just under four weeks until I’m in Germany and I worry that I will get fed up with the cold very quickly. It is a daunting thing to know that I won’t be solidly warm for an extended amount of time. It’s not like Germany will be any relief!

I will soldier on. There is no such thing as too cold, only underdressed.