Parked in Pocatello

Well we arrived in Pocatello today after a grueling four day drive. Taking a large truck across the country is not high on my list of fun things to do anymore, especially with no one else in the cab. The noise is loud, the truck radio was broken and the traffic was heavy, even brutal at times. I have a new-born respect for professional drivers now.

Staying in the Motel 6 in Cheyenne, WY was a big disappointment, but it was cheap. We ended up getting away later than anticipated every morning because of equipment maintenance and it was difficult to shake off the effects of the day before. Climbing out of Cheyenne I knew we were going to be hitting some mountains but had no idea we were topping out at 9000 feet until the altitude began having its way with me. I am really susceptible to altitude sickness and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The morning started with me waking at 4:30 with a giant brain stem headache, which I promptly misdiagnosed as a caffeine withdrawal. It was simply my body reacting to the elevation of Cheyenne. As we climbed out of Cheyenne we went over a range of mountains that were deceiving in terms of height - we sort of snuck up on them as the plateau slanted up, until we crested the ridge. During the last few miles I was beset with rapid heartbeat, a bit of anxiety, and felt a little dizzy. It was then I realized that I was dealing with hypoxia.

Thankfully the downgrade solved the altitude problem for the moment but I began forcing myself to drink lots of water to raise my tolerance artificially, since I knew there would be the crossing of the Rockies to come. This of course resulted in my needing to make water frequently and took its toll on our progress. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do!

The rest of the day ended up being fairly uneventful but was filled with the high winds and stunning scenery of Wyoming. What a desolate place! The topography is a combination of Utah and Colorado, high desert and rocky buttes, alternating with settlements that seem to appear out of nowhere. Thank goodness for the trucking industry - with out it there would be few places to stop and rest.

The road into Idaho turned out to be a two lane US highway 30 and it is gorgeous. The highest passes we encountered were only 7000 feet or so, so there was no more problem with getting sick. The truck actually had a far worse time of it in WV, where there are many more steep climbs. Seeing the setting sun with the mountain backdrop as we made our way northwest through Idaho to Pocatello was spectacular. We arrived right at dusk at a hotel to rest for the night before we unpack.

Today: the unpacking saga begins. How will the five of us get that darned wood stove off the truck?