14 July 2012

 First stop Craters of the Moon National Monument, which is 18 miles west of Arco Idaho.  About 2200 years ago the last geologic forces caused by Great Rift, which is a volcanic fissure and covers over 750,000 acres.  There is no volcano in CMNM, however all the types of lava results are present.  This includes lava flows, splatter cones, lava tubes, caves, that have grown over the last 15,000 years due to a variety of eruptions.  It was fascinating to see the variety of plants from lichens to lumber pines.  Lichens are the first plant life to appear once the ground can support growth.

We drove through more irrigation.  The crop was green hay or grass that gets cut into large square bales, based on what we saw on 18 wheelers headed west.

 Next stop, Promontory Summit Utah at the Golden Spike National Historic Site.  In January 1863, Central Pacific railroad broke ground in Sacramento CA to start the trans-continental railroad.  Union Pacific started construction from Omaha NB in December 1863.  The two companies were taking advantage of Federal Land Grants to build their respective parts, to such an extent that the railroads actually run parallel for about 200 miles.  Congress had to declare a meeting place, Promontory Summit, in order to force the two companies to connect.  On May 10, 1869, Central Pacific’s Jupiter and Union Pacific’s No. 119, pulled up to the one-rail gap left in the track.  After a golden spike was symbolically tapped, a final iron spike as driven to connect the railroads.  Central Pacific had laid 690 mile of track across the Rockies and Union Pacific 1,086 across the central plains.

We got lucky and didn't get caught in too much rain, although it looked really ominous across the plains.  We’re spending the night in Ogden Utah.