GTV First Loop: Onward to Yellowstone

Both of us here. We awoke at Sockeye campground on Redfish Lake feeling peckish, so headed into Stanley in search of something of higher quality than the greasy diner joint from the other day. On the advice of a fellow small RV traveler, we checked out the tiny and busy Stanley Bakery. I had biscuits and gravy (made with more kinds of meat than I could count—yum), Melissa had French toast and a side of bacon, because apparently she’s decided that every meal on the road should involve bacon. Seriously good.

Sated, we headed up the Salmon River Scenic Byway due east and, as it seems want to do in Idaho, the landscape quickly dried out. A few notable sites along the way included a bald eagle chilling on a fencepost, and a hand-painted that read “Pigs 4 Sale ‘Oink’ ‘Oink’.”

Ever-intrigued by the ghost towns, we had been passing, we detoured to Bayhorse, a former silver mine.

Pretty cool: 

Our big doing for the day was a stop at Goldbug Hot Springs, which was recommended by Bob from Jerry Johnson hot springs (see Day 11, Northern Idaho). Our hot springs book described a two mile steep hike up a valley; the walk did not disappoint, and neither did this gem of a hot springs (cascading pools connected by waterfalls, each a bit cooler than the one above, as the springs joined with a river)

Flowering sage: 

Day’s lesson:  When I cool stranger who clearly knows his hot springs gives you advice about where to soak, take it. Also, wipe is the new rinse.