Soda Lake, Wyoming – 42.5206° N, 110.2753° W
At 9:45 PM last night, my phone lit up with a notification—“ISS flyover in 5 minutes.” I gathered myself up and found Gayla already outside. Together, we watched the International Space Station glide across the sky. It’s been quite a while since we last caught a flyover. The sky was clear, and the bright Waxing Gibbous moon lit up the lake so much that even by 10:15 PM, it still looked like dusk.
We were up sipping coffee by 7:30 AM. Across the lake, a few wild horses made their way down to the water. It was a brisk 41°, with the windchill dropping it to 38°, but it warmed up quickly with the sun.
Gayla had a morning video call, so I used the time to squeeze in a quick Parks on the Air activation. Managed 27 contacts in just about an hour, running 5 watts QRP. Always satisfying to see the little Xiegu G90 do its thing.
Afterward, I sat outside and read through the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal. There was a great article on Bad Pass near the Bighorn Mountains, and another piece by Phillip Covington reflecting on a year in the mountains and the Bear Lake Rendezvous of 1827–28. Fascinating stuff.
Once Gayla wrapped up her final client call, we packed up and made a run into Pinedale to pick up a part we had ordered. Swung by NAPA, grabbed what we needed, and headed back to camp for the install. Everything went smoother than I expected—always a bonus when repairs don’t turn into projects.
To celebrate, I cracked open a cold cream soda and just sat back to enjoy the view.
Miles driven today: 16
Trip total so far: 1,556.2 miles
