LES RENFORCEMENTS SONT ARRIVÉS

Those younglings were up late with their campsite shenanigans. They did not keep me up too late. It is still shocking to me the amount of energy that young children possess. These screaming youngsters were my morning alarm. I was not enerved about it in the slightest, it just made me miss being childish and carefree. Per usual, I packed up my gear and hit the road. Not too far down Highway 20, I found a rest station. 

This was a perfect spot to refill my water containers. Admittedly, I slurped up a monster as well. I quickly reached the first town of Picabo. The store there was superb. It had a cafe, a restaurant, and gear shopping. It was travelers' heaven! First order of business was to get an espresso. It was delicious, and I was shocked. The flavor was balanced and beautiful. It still fails to crepes because the crema was nonexistent. This might be the best of the trip though. In the store area, I got several gifts, bug spray, a new baseball hat, and a tiny backpack. I needed something small to use when I venture around the campsites. The kitchen provided me with a yummy BLT, side of fries, and an IPA. This small town store was impressive and the last thing I expected. After eating and relaxing for a bit, it was back on the road. 

My next stop was at a natural hot spring just right off Highway 20. It was packed with people and not as warm as my past experiences. The company made up for it. I met a man from the homeland! A fellow Iowan was sharing a soak with me. His group had just been in the Yellowstone area and updated me on the lowdown. Another group was from Acro, a town I plan on passing through here soon. They too relayed important information about the land and surrounding areas. It was a relaxing and knowledgeable soak. 

After another fifteen or so miles on the highway, I arrived at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. You know it is legit when it is a monument and a preserve. Anyways, I talked to a ranger, and he gave me a wilderness camping permit allowing me to do primitive camping off the wilderness trail. This saved me fifteen bucks and added some more adventure to my evening. After getting lost for a bit, I found the trail that I was permitted to camp near. The ranger neglected to tell me that this trail was restricted to bicycles. As usual, I said fuck it.

There was a valid reason that this trail forbade bikes because it was a dried-up lava pit. There was erosion, cracks, drops, climbs, and everything else in between. It was a full-body workout lugging that bike to my preferred location. After setting up camp, it was time to nourish my body. My evening meal was a tuna fish sandwich with the same fixings as last night and a snickers bar. Thanks again, Pine ladies! Reception in this area is quite spotty, but I managed to work on a few items. After my desk job tasks, I did some wilderness things. I built a primitive fire pit with broken lava rocks and gathered some firewood. 

My reinforcement had arrived, so I made my way back to the parking lot to retrieve Kaitlynn. She drove straight through from Iowa City, with a few naps here and there. Light was leaving quickly, so we trekked to the campsite. She had brought dinner which included a burger, fries, and an IPA. The food was cold but still satisfactory. Kaiyltnn and I caught up for a bit, but we were both exhausted. Sleep was simple to surrender to. If you are seeking the route, here you go.