Volcanic dust or maximising a National park pass

When Murray go back to New Zeland I washed his Icebreaker top and even after several rinses there was still grit in the sink. This came from the next section of his trip. After leaving Devil's Tower he camped in the Big Horn Mountains - these are a very ancient formation - Precambrian. The next day he travelled to Yellowstone National Park. Murray mostly freedom camped in national forests but here due to grizzlies also sharing the forest he chose to camp in the official site. He explored part of Yellowstone early before the crowds built up saw Steamboat geyser one of the world' largest turn on a minor display. The evening was spent camping at Palisades reservoir after driving through the Tetons. Murray was just thinking how alludes it was when a thunderstorm arrived. He managed to get tea between storms.

The next day was to be seeing Craters of the Moon and Sawtooth but the best laid plans... Instead it was EBR1, Craters of the Moon plus Palisades dam and roadworks. The last was a half hour delay. EBR1 was the first nuclear reactor to generate electricity in 1951. The whole place has been decontaiminated and he could walk aroud. Outside were two reactors built to develop a nuclear engine for a long range bomber. The idea was for it to fly non-stop for 5 days - there were even menus planned for the crew. The plane was never built.

Craters of the Moon are in Idaho. The lava caves were particularly interesting with ice in the bottom - a huge contrast from the heat outside. A torch is needed but thanks to Merewyn, Murray had his. Idaho itself is quite different from Wyoming. Much of the State is volcanic. In next few days as Murray attempted to move westwards he also made good use of his National Park pass he visited an interpretative centre for the Oregon Trail. John Day Fossil Bed Monument,Newberry Volcanic Monument and Crater Lake. He continued to camp - mostly free except in Ontario, Oregon where he stayed in a cheap motel. The only cooking device was a microwave which was of limited use with metal billies so he boiled some vegetables in the plastic bowl and fried meat, onions and mushrooms with the camp stove on the table - this probably would have pleased the owners as much as it would have pleased the camp controllers in the former Stalinistic Youth camp we stayed in, in Hungry - fortunately in both cases they didn't know and so everyone was happy.