Idaho Roads

Leaving Craters of the Moon, lenticular clouds across the mountains to the east; the southern tip of the Lost River Range. The road passes through Butte City, then Atomic City. Somewhere on the plain, you suddenly cross the Big Lost River, which vanishes back into the dirt. Hwy. 20 turns south of these ranges, to avoid going over them when there is such empty and open flat plains to their south and east, then cuts north again to meet the Snake River.



Storm clouds building over the Pioneer Mountains and Lost River Ranges to the north.

The last 40 miles of driving, past Atomic City, were in full dark. A few headlights on the road, like stars. Overhead, clouds with gaps, and stars between them. A long flowing road across an almost level volcanic plain. In the near distance, in the dark, perfect volcanic cones sticking up from the plain. The tallest cinder cone with a weather station at its summit, a flashing point of light in the night. I drove fast and hard, tired, but feeling incredibly alert.