Stuck in Traffic
While in Burley we drove south towards Utah and visited City of Rocks National Preserve. This is operated by the National Park System by the federal government. City of Rocks National Preserve was the very first National Preserve and although operated by the National Parks, allows for things, (like hunting) that would not be allowed in the National Park. The City of Rocks was noted by the pioneers on the California Trail (south of the Oregon Trail) as a stopping point and the emigrants noted the rock formations. They described it as a silent city. The views here are dramatic and much to the joy of rock climbers, the City of Rocks is full of granite formations.
We drove south to the City of Rocks via the tiny towns of Connor, Elba, and Almo. Almost no one has heard of these towns and tiny is the operable word. There are a few people that live in Almo. Connor and Elba are just intersections. Almo has an elementary school, one general store. There are two churches one south of Elba and one in Almo — that is it. Ranches dot the surrounding area. After driving through the City of Rocks toward the west, we took the back way north to Burley, and the first town on this route is Oakley. Oakley marks the division between the Farms (irrigation) and Ranches (cattle).
Some of you may be wondering why I am not getting directly to the point — I’m trying to build the suspense.
Traffic
Well, we got stuck in traffic on the way back to Burley and the traffic jam was in the middle of nowhere and it was thick. They didn’t seem to want to move at all. It was done the old fashioned way. Too many distracted decision-makers and the traffic directors, who were not comfortable, because they had been working too long were trying to get things moving.
The traffic was more difficult at this location because this was a water stop and everyone wanted to stop, they had been moving, evidence shows, from around sunrise, southbound, for more than 10 miles. Progress was made at about two miles per hour by the fastest group, way out front. The slower didn’t want to move at all, or so it seemed.
Only Car
We were the only vehicle, other than a truck at the very back in the whole mess. The older ones knew the drill but the younger ones were would stop, for no reason right in the middle of the road.
My guess is there were about 500 over a two-mile stretch of otherwise empty road. They were all going to their summer home. How do we know they started at sunrise? Well, that is a guess based on tradition. If you are going to drive cattle to the summer pasture and want to get it done all in one day, you better start early. How do we know they had moved over ten miles when we found them all bunched up at the water stop? The tracks, left behind on the trail, were at least ten miles long. These tracks are commonly called cow patties and we had to drive through about ten miles of tracks on the way to Oakley. Love it. Yes, a car wash was required.
Here is a link to the google map for the area.
Link to our 2018 Route.
Link to our route Salt Lake to Boise
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Aha! Now I understand!!
No kidding. Take some video.
Are the steelheads spawning up the Snake River? You should wet a line.
Wow. This is a scene from out of the past. Herding cattle.
At least they had cowboys. The sheep of Valley of Fire were on their own.
to Dave: I told you, we are in the sticks.