We are now on the west side of Utah in the town of Beaver. We were ready to head north, but on a whim decided west was more interesting. Mel spent most of the day downshifting as we climbed to higher elevation. We climbed from 5,300 feet and topped out about 8,000 feet. The last 8 miles on I-70 stirred up a long forgotten memory of the last time I crossed this road. It was the spring of a year long forgotten and I was pulling a 48 foot trailer out of Denver. I left in the morning and it was a beautiful spring day, hit Green River mid-afternoon and temperatures were in the mid-70's, as I closed in on the last summit eastbound truckers began warning of ice on the top of the hill. I reached the top, stopped and started over the top in first gear. For the next mile and a half the tachometer never went above idle as the wheels were spinning freely with no traction. A look in the mirrors confirmed that the trailer was making an attempt to beat me down the hill. From this point on it was a juggling act. Apply the trailer brake and pick up a gear in an attempt to keep ahead of the trailer. At one point the trailer was at a right angle to the tractor and we were hightailing it in 8th gear. All of a sudden halfway down the mountain the wheels finally caught and the trailer got back to where it belonged in my rear view mirror. One interesting ride was over.
This morning we started the day with a museum visit and it was an interesting one. It was dedicated to the man who originally explored the Green and Colorado rivers, here is some of what I learned.
They claim watermelon as their claim to fame.
The museum entrance.
An interesting mural in the concrete wall.
The town is positioned to be crossroads to the west.
Where "Old Brigham used to stand with the Green River in the foreground.
Tomorrow I have pictures from inside the museum for you. Learning history is another way to enjoy the good life.
