The overnight temperature in Stanley was not record-setting. But it was a bit jarring. Forty-something. In mid-June. Brrrr.

Time to hunt for warmth.

Turns out we find it, only four miles out of town, as we head east on Idaho Highway 75, which follows the Salmon River.

We find our warm-up at Botox Hot Springs, a wooden tub along the Salmon River.

OK, it’s early. I mis-read the sign.

It’s not Botox Hot Springs. It’s Boat Box Hot Springs. Close enough.

Either way, you can still feel rejuvenated, with whatever Botox-free wrinkles you bring into the tub.

The name, Boat Box, stems from an old wooden box tub that once sat in the same place as the current one. It was a popular spot for rafters, but river flooding swept it away.

Now, cables hold the Boat Box Hot Springs tub in place so anyone can enjoy its waters. A pipe delivering steaming hot water comes from the hillside above the boat box and does not have an adjustable faucet. You simply fill the “box” with the pipe or set it off to the side. The water is incredibly hot, so be careful when you get into the tub. There is a plastic bucket that allows you to regulate the temperature by dumping cold river water into the pool.

The tub only fits about three to four people, so it’s very cozy and can get crowded during peak season. It’s a perfect size for me, Dave, and Jim. Best to visit early morning or early evening, when crowds typically die down. You’ll see it just off the road, on the right-hand side.

***

We continue east, as the road winds its way through the Sawtooth Mountains, toward Challis, 55 miles away.

There’s little along the way, other than trees, mountains and endless beauty. We’re in the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

The forest, with more than 4.2 million acres, is one of the largest national forests in the lower 48 states. It has most of the land area of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, the largest wilderness area south of Alaska.

The Sawtooth Mountain Range, which we’re now in, has a unique look. The mountains are named for their easily recognizable jagged peaks, you know, like a saw.

The Sawtooths (Sawteeth?) cover 678 square miles. There are 57 peaks over 10,000 feet in the Sawtooth Range, about the same number of peaks in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet.

A mile short of Challis, we turn away from the Salmon River, and head south on US Highway 93.

The town of Arco is our next stop, 80 miles away.

Halfway to Arco, on our left, we see Borah Peak, Idaho’s highest mountain. The 12,662-foot mountain is named for William Borah, a US Senator from Idaho who served from 1907 until his death in 1940. Last year, the US Geological Survey officially recognized Mount Borah as Idaho’s only active glacier.

Climbing Mount Borah is a 5,262-vertical-foot slog from the trailhead to the summit, in just over 3.5 miles. It’s just a strenuous hike, until you reach a point just before the main summit crest called “Chickenout Ridge.” Here, many climbers abort the attempt once they see the hazards up close. There are no shortcuts to avoid Chickenout Ridge.

If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.

***

We arrive in Arco around 1 pm. 

Arco, population 1,000, was the first community in the world ever to be lit by electricity generated solely by nuclear power. This happened for about an hour on July 17, 1955. The town was powered by Argonne National Laboratory’s BORAX-III reactor at the nearby National Reactor Testing Station.

Six years later, the facility gained additional fame when a reactor was destroyed through an operator maintenance error. The ensuing steam explosion killed three people. It was the world’s first fatal nuclear reactor accident, and the only one in the US. So far.

In Arco, you’ll find another relic of the nuclear age: a “sail” from a nuclear submarine, the USS Hawkbill. It’s part of a roadside park in Arco. The Hawkbill was sometimes called the “Devil Boat,” because of her hull number, 666. The “Devil Boat” name is prompted by a quote from Revelations, Chapter 13: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea … Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is 666.”

The Hawkbill was decommissioned in 2000, the last of the “short-hull” Sturgeon-class attack submarines to exit its service life. It’s now part of the roadside Idaho Science Center, honoring Arco’s long association with the US Navy, and the nuclear fleet, in particular.

***

In Arco, it’s time to fuel up and hydrate, before pushing on toward Idaho Falls – about 65 miles east.

With a population of around 62,000, Idaho Falls is about 10 times as large as Carbondale.

Idaho Falls, in my memory, will always be “Idiot Flats,” as that’s what one of my college roommates called it. He was from Idaho Falls, and must have known what he was talking about.

Maybe things have changed since then. In 2019, livability.com put Idaho Falls on its list of top 100 affordable places to live, with a “liv” score of 617. The quintessential meal in Idaho Falls, according to livability.com: “A big heaping pile of potato pancakes topped with applesauce from Smitty’s Pancake & Steak House.” That, and other attributes, was enough to push Idaho Falls to number 47 on the list.

Mormons make up about 60 percent of the population here. Idaho has a greater percentage of Mormons than any other state, except Utah.

Idaho has six Mormon Temples. The first one was built here in Idaho Falls. There are 282 temples worldwide. You won’t be able to get into any of them without a “temple recommend.” To get the magic slip of paper, you have to successfully answer a series of questions, most of which are baffling to me.

I can honestly say I ace one of the questions: “Do you strive to be honest in all that you do?”

Yes, I do.

The rest of the test … meh.

***

Leaving Idaho Falls, we follow US Highway 26 for the next 43 miles, leading us to Swan Valley.

The last 10 miles are along the South Fork of the Snake River.

Swan Valley is said to be one of the premier tail water dry-fly trout fisheries in North America. Tail water? According to Orvis, tailwater fisheries are those that exist solely due to the influence of a dam at the head of the river, or section of the river, that regulates flow and temperature. In short, tailwater fisheries are there because there’s a dam above them.

The dam here is the 20-mile-long Palisades Reservoir. Palisades Dam has a maximum height of 260 feet above the stream bed; it is one of the largest embankment dams ever built by the Bureau of Reclamation. It took more than 13.5 million yards of earthen dirt, rock, and gravel to build it.

From Swan Valley, it’s just 20 miles to tonight’s destination, Victor.

To get there, we ride on Idaho Highway 31, known locally as Pine Creek Road. It takes us through rolling hills, and along Pine Creek. We cross Pine Creek Pass, elevation 6,778 feet, and begin the descent into Victor.

Victor was named in honor of George Victor Sherwood, the mail carrier between the south end of Teton Valley, and Jackson, near the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. With mail on his back, Sherwood walked, skied or rode his horse over Teton Pass to make his delivery to Jackson Hole – 34 miles away.

Victor, population 2,000, is the largest city in Teton County. It’s become a bedroom community for the resort towns of Jackson and Jackson Hole – whose housing prices have become prohibitively expensive.

We can afford a room at the Teton Valley Motel, for one night anyway. $244, with tax, for a King Studio.

See you in the morning.

***

To view today’s route in Google Maps, click here.

My number today: 3 or 4 (number of months before the effects of Botox fade away; you’re better off at Boat Box Hot Springs)

What’s your number?