Last night we charged the X at the club, so we didn't have to stop at the charger in Jackson. We were the only electric car so we left it plugged in all night. They have a slow charger but it really didn't matter.
Had a final stop at Persephone, which is down the road from the Teton Club, for a little breakfast as we started our trip to Provo, Utah.
The key lime and the almond croissant are a new favorite this trip. I have found a recipe for the almond croissants that I think I would like to try, but I still need to research one for the key lime one.
We took a different route from Jackson, Wyoming to Provo, Utah.
Leaving Jackson
We drove through some pretty national forests. The temps are in the high 50's. Spring must finally be on its way.
Many huge cattle ranches along the way.
Reminds me just a little of the style of the T.A. Moulton Barn within the Mormon Row Historical District.
The wind and snow must come howling through this wide open area in winter.
Passed by only one sheep and one goat ranch.
Afton is home to the world's largest arch made of elk antlers. Spanning 75 feet (23 m) across the four lanes of U.S. Highway 89, the arch consists of 3,011elk antlers and weighs 15 tons.
The first settlement at Afton was made in 1885. The community takes its name from the River Afton, in Ayrshire, Scotland.
A periodic spring is Afton's main water supply, which cycles on and off during the summer, fall, and winter at 12 to 18 minute intervals. During the spring the flow never stops due to increased water supply from the melting snowpack. At full flow, the Intermittent Spring discharges up to 285 gallons per second. It is located five miles east of Afton, a short hike from the end of Swift Creek Road.
"Afton is also home to cutter/chariot racing. Chariot, or cutter, racing in its modern form, has deep roots in Wyoming. Although chariot racing has probably been around since the early Olympics, circa 700 BC1 (think Ben Hur), its current form springs from the small town of Thayne, Wyoming. Afton is approximately 15 miles from Thayne. The sport is an outgrowth of the speed competitions that gave rise to the Quarter Horse breed; the distinctly rural characteristic of creating excuses to gather with neighbors; and the long winters of the inter-mountain west.
The American Quarter Horse has been formally recognized as a distinct breed since the formation of its registry in 1940. American Quarter Horses are known for their speed in the 440 yard, or quarter mile, race. In fact, the minutes of the first meeting of the AQHA defined the breed as “… must be able to run a quarter of a mile in 23 seconds, or show that they are capable of Quarter Horse performance under ranch conditions.”
While probably a common pastime in rural Wyoming and other northern Rocky Mountain states, cutter racing got an official definition when the All-American Cutter Racing Association was formed in Thayne, Wyoming in 1948. The modern sport of cutter racing, as recognized by the All-American Cutter Racing Association, consists of two Quarter Horses pulling a “chariot” over a quarter mile track. Chariots weigh less than 70 pounds and have bicycle type wheels. The “cutter” races were technically races with the horses pulling a sled with runners on packed snow. Today, you will often hear the terms used interchangeably. The Afton cutter sleds are raced down the main street of the town."
The first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple in Wyoming is in Afton. The temple now stands 39 feet tall and with the spire and golden Angel Moroni is 123 feet tall. Its design has references to the Wyoming State Capital, the Afton Tabernacle, and other Mormon pioneer structures.
Can't imagine how deep the snow gets in this area if the snow poles are this tall.
More cattle ranches
More open land
The trains are sooooooo long
Different power lines than what I have seen.
Many ranchers were rounding up cattle today.
Wondering if this is a controlled burn.
Scenery along Interstate 80
The exit to Park City, Utah. Park City lies east of Salt Lake City. Framed by the craggy Wasatch Range, it’s bordered by the Deer Valley Resort and the huge Park City Mountain Resort, both known for their ski slopes. Utah Olympic Park, to the north, hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and is now predominantly a training facility.
Storm clouds moving in. Snow coming down in the higher elevations.
We are staying this evening at the Residence Inn in Provo. Pretty flowers around the building.
The competition for pollinators is intense evolving in a habitat where numerous other species of flowering plants are blooming at the same time. Irises have developed a highly specialized flower. The blossoms are very large and colorful.
"The sepals (sometimes called “falls”) are recurved in such a manner to provide a landing pad for bumblebees. The petals (sometimes called “standards”) are upright and colorful, adding to the overall attractiveness of the flower to bumblebees. The striking and colorful veining on the sepals directs bumblebees down into a tight space between the sepal and style arm."
"The style arm is a highly modified pistil that connects the stigmatic lip to the ovary. While crawling down toward the nectar glands, pollen rubs off the back of the pollinator and attaches to the sticky stigmatic lip. Moving ever forward, the bumblebees’ backs come in contact with the pollen-producing anthers on the stamen where they pick up additional pollen. Botanists believe that this relatively large and colorful modified pistil adds to the overall attractiveness of the blossom to bumblebees."
This is the last entry for the trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons.
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