3-Day Ride to the Great Salt Lake, 2012

[Spud Rider]

The last week of August 2012, I decided to ride a 3-day loop to the Great Salt Lake, and back to Idaho. Traveling south down the Arbon Valley, I stopped to stretch my legs in the pretty little town of Holbrook, Idaho.



Continuing farther south, I reached the Utah State line just beyond Stone, Idaho.



After refueling in Snowville, Utah, I left the pavement and headed off road to the north shore of the Great Salt Lake.



As I continued southward, I could see the mountains in the distance beyond the Great Salt Lake.



Reaching the junction with the road to Kelton, Utah, I headed west toward Golden Spike National Historic Site, and the Promontory Mountains.



I reached the salt flats at Locomotive Springs, and stopped to take a few photographs.





Continuing westward, the Promontory Mountains came into view.



The Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met at Promontory Summit in 1869. The driving of the golden spike officially completed the Transcontinental Railroad.







After freshening up at the visitor’s center, I continued riding westward, closely following the route of the Central Pacific railbed.

Crossing a pass through the Promontory Mountains, I began to descend into the valley of the Great Salt Lake. The salt flats east of the Promontory Mountains came into view.



Reaching the bottom of the pass, I turned southward and rode along the east flank of the Promontory Mountains. After riding a while, I paused to look back northward, toward the ATK Thiokol Plant on the distant horizon. ATK Thiokol produced the solid rocket boosters for the U.S. Space Shuttle.



Here’s a photograph of the ATK Thiokol facilities I captured during a previous ride.



Looking westward, I saw the salt flats expanding toward the Wasatch Mountains north of Ogden.





Looking southward, I viewed the Promontory Mountains extending toward the north shore of the Great Salt Lake.



Continuing farther southward, the salt flats expanded, and the Wasatch Range drew nearer.





The early evening shadows began to lengthen as I approached Promontory Point, where the Promontory Mountains terminate at the north shore of the Great Salt Lake.





The sun began to set as I rode eastward alongside the solar evaporation ponds which were reflecting the Promontory Mountains.







As I rode eastward toward landfall, I noticed the Wasatch Range was also reflected in the water.





Reaching the east shore, I continued riding to Ogden, where I spent the night. The next day I would ride along Skyline Drive in the Wasatch Range.

Spud