Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

After my previous road trips with two grandchildren another wanted to go, 10 year old David, the youngest yet. So, we did a two day overnighter to Great Basin National Park in Nevada and City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho.

We left Friday morning early and weren't far along when David pulled out his school work to do. His mother (my daughter) home schools him and her 5 others. So, he didn't miss any school on this trip.

He started with math and spelling then reading.

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Then he pulled out his sketch pad to draw a picture of Old Henry. He's pretty good.

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When we stopped in Delta to fill up for the long stretch ahead I spotted this gorgeous tree in the city park across the street:

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Then we headed out across the desert to Great Basin National Park. We got there just in time to take the tour through Lehman Cave that was a national monument until it was made part of the new Great Basin National Park. Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb1kN2BxTA0

The grade sign at the bottom of the road up the mountain. 8% grade was a breeze in second gear. It was the 10% grade on Pikes Peak that took me down to 15 mph in first gear.

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A shot of Wheeler Peak from Mather Overlook. Wheeler Peak is 13,187 feet tall.

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At the highest point of the road, 10,187 feet high. Wheeler Peak beyond.

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After coming back down the mountain we headed for Ely then Wendover where we stayed for the night.

The next morning we drove the causeway out to the Bonneville Salt Flats Speedway. Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhkth78ReIA

The sun was just coming up and the clouds were in a most interesting formation.

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Then we took a road I'd never been on before. 120 miles of dirt road straight north from Wendover along the pilot mountains to City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho.

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Eventually we arrived at City of Rocks National Reserve that I've covered on a previous road trip here: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137684 But here's a little video from this trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmyl2KXfqfo And a shot of the valley below the reserve that David took.

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The ruins of the old Circle Creek Rock House built in 1905 and inhabited until 1967 when it burned. Story here: http://www.nps.gov/ciro/learn/histor...use-1998-3.pdf

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David and Old Henry at Treasure Rock with the valley of rock formations beyond:

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Then we headed for home. As much fun as I had with David and as great a kid as he is, my favorite part of the whole trip was when he burned out and dove in the back seat to sleep an hour or two on the way home.

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We had some interesting mileage figures for the trip. When I pulled into the Motel 6 in Wendover for the night I calculated the mileage for the day and it was exactly 400 miles. Then when I pulled into the garage arriving at home I calculated exactly 750 miles for the whole trip (150 of that on dirt roads).

Never opened the tool box except to pull out a crescent wrench to strike one of David's rocks he collected to see if it was a "fire rock" (flint that would make a spark with steel to start a fire.) It wasn't.

Good time had by all.

Previous Trips:

Pike's Peak September 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...ht=peak&page=2

Uinta Mountain Range, Utah, August 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173539

Mount Rushmore and Devils Tower, July 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173539

Pony Express Trail in April 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166241

Mexico and around in February 2015: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162633

Ghost towns of Modena, UT and Pioche, NV in November 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155331

Million Dollar Highway, Durango to Montrose, Colorado in June 2014 https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142975

Transcontinental Railway Grade in May 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139471

City of Rocks, Idaho in April 2014:https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137684

Capitol Reef National Park in March 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133018

Grouse Creek and the AAA garage in February 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130966

Grand Canyon in January 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128820

Moab, UT in December 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127222

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument November 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123694

Across Nevada on US 50, "The Loneliest Road in the Country", October 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120098

Mount Evans (the highest paved road in North America) August 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115013

Canada in June 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109872

Monument Valley in March 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99523

Bryce Canyon in February 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97822

Milford, Utah in December 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93137

Nevada and Idaho in November 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89080

Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83966

Yellowstone National Park in May 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864

Death Valley in February 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62705

Pike's Peak in July 2011: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19141

Route 66 in April 2010: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57511

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Thanks for sharing your trip, and your grandson. Lovely !

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Look forward to later this eve when I can sit down and watch the vids.. Looks like another great trip..

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Henry,we have just done a short trip away in the 33 and caravan with four other couples,they were in new motor homes,we did 469 miles,all on back roads,one with a real steep hill the the 33 needed 1st gear for the last 50 feet to get over,but mostly flat roads
average fuel usage was 12.15 US mpg,15.76 Imp mpg or 17.74 litres /100.
used barely any oil ,no water.
We looked closer at the old wrecks we found in the long grass last time ,but after finding a death adder in one of the old abandoned houses we,well I did,t get to close,
The fuel usage was marginally better than the last trip (17.74 l/100 against 18.2 l/100)
I did a small timing change on the way and maybe this was what made the difference.
Lawrie

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Great pictures and story Professor! Thank you for sharing.

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Didn't drag the bits out of the bush then Lawrie..? Can't have been ford parts. : )
I know someone that got done by a death adder Mmmm best leave them alone..

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Love it, keep em coming.

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Thanks Professor,, I look forward to your trips. Have them marked on Google earth. I had an opportunity to travel through the back roads of Colorado with Paul Garagan back in 06, in his 34 roadster. What a world that is.

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Best way to get rid of one? Chop his tail off........right behind his neck! DD

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...eath_Adder.jpg

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Don't like snakes!!! Nice trip though.....Wish I could do that.

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

I always enjoy your road trip stories. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

Thanks for sharing another great road trip.

Re: Up Wheeler Peak and the City of Rocks
 

[QUOTE=V8COOPMAN;1178571]Best way to get rid of one? Chop his tail off........right behind his neck! DD

DD.. Correct !