Day-40 Western Wyoming [snow+] * Idaho

Thank You! Veterans, for your service.  Jim & Carol went up for the ceremony at the Avenue of Flags.

It was held at one of the highest points in Thermopolis.

Before that, they awoke at oh dark thirty with me and fed me and had coffee ready.  After hugs, I left.
Took it easy going down the Wind River Canyon and out onto the flats heading towards Shoshoni.  Drove through Riverton and headed West..    Sun was just coming up, caught an interesting image :

Sun was shining on the Owl Creek Mountains.   I should've noticed those foreboding clouds.
It was lightly snowing.

I returned to the car and continued West on Hwy.26, towards Dubois.   For .. 95-miles  drove on packed snow!  Oh Boy! .. what a ride!  Another [Kansas] white knuckle drive!  I stopped at a rest stop :

a sign at this stop :

I averaged 35-40 mph and took it real easy.   It was snowing lightly and clouds were low.   I could make out most of the prominent features of the landscape.    Finally made it to Dubois, took a pic :

elevation : 6,940 feet  !!     What's a sea level loving 2-wheel drive Rav4 and it's flip-flopped driver doing here ?   I filled up my tank and nervously continued on.   I started this epic trip with new tires and traction was still good.    I was getting concerned because I saw these signs everywhere :

AND .. it felt like I was still going UP !!    The clouds were breaking up and the sun came out.  Yay!!

Then I saw this :

and this :      both of these pic's show parts of the ABSAROKA Range

AND .. a sign that said I was at ... 9,658 feet !!  the Continental Divide!!  YIKES!  I'm a city boy!

Finally, I started going down thankfully to the Pacific drainage side.   A couple of bends later, the Tetons !! :

Continued to ease my way down on dry pavement, finally :

Tetons are  S P E C T A C U L A R  !!!

Drove into beautiful Jackson but didn't have a lot of time to gawk since I was way behind.   Headed West to the Idaho border and Swan Valley, following the Snake River, just like the Indians and pioneers years ago.   The Snake dumped into the alpine-looking large Palisades Reservoir.   Gorgeous !    Drove into Idaho Falls and found I-15 and set my cruise control for .. 80 mph!   Yikes!   I saw a sign for the Idaho Potato Museum !!!     but ... it was CLOSED!    doggone it !

Found some signs on  I-86 and I-84 ..

Another white knuckled exciting day!     I think I'll have a more relaxing drive on I-84 to Portland.   Not sure where my wanderlust will take me.     I need to get back by 5:30 for a Haiti meeting.

today's exciting mileage :    554
accumulated trip mileage :  8000   !!            prev= 7446 + 554    whoa !!   1-more day to go ..