July 10

Left Pocatello, Idaho late.  Tried to find an atlas / gazetteer of Idaho, but after the GPS lead us to two locations without a bookstore in sight and then to a used book store that didn’t have it (whose manager recommended we go to an Ace Hardware store because they sold outdoor stuff) we temporarily gave up and went to see the replica of Fort Hall.  The replica must have been inside the Federal Court House, since it wasn’t within several blocks of where the GPS sent us.  We suspected that the Craters of the Moon National Monument was still where the GPS could find it and weren’t disappointed.

The way we interpreted the diary, the Parcels took the Goodale Cutoff to save time getting to Boise.  This meant they went through the Craters of the Moon area.  The Park Rangers at the monument, having heard our story, agreed with our interpretation.  The trip from Fort Hall through the Craters of the Moon area was 45 miles to any water or grass for the animals.  But this is what they should have found after their all night travel through the desert.

One of the rangers told us we should find a wagon trail at this spot and we did.

The area west of this small paradise was more desert.  We continued onto Ketchum, ID which was not part of the Parcel adventure.