To Ogden, Utah.
Today was the long drive from Fruita to Ogden, about 300 miles, although at this point 300 miles doesn’t seem too bad, and certainly doesn’t phase me. So, most of the day was driving, but again a lovely drive along interstate 70, and then swinging north of route 6 into Spanish Fork and Provo in Utah, and then to interstate 15 north through Salt Lake to Ogden, about 40 miles north.
The day was uneventful, staring to see the Utah landscape as I headed west and then north-west, and those canyon style cliffs dominating the highway.
At some point, I finally saw an opportunity to get some photos of one of these loooong freight trains you only seem to see in the southwest and west. I spotted the railroad track running parallel to the long highway, which stretches into the distance, in between the mountains behind it and the river flowing alongside, and figured I might be lucky enough to see and actually photograph one of these iconic diesel locomotives coming around the bend pulling its load. The classic locomotive photo.
And then I saw it, a long, very long, very very long, set of coal cars trundling along the tracks to the side of and below the highway. It was so long, that it not had two diesel locomotives in the front pulling and two more in the rear pushing, but also had two diesels in the middle of the many, many freight cars carrying coal. No kidding, this train must have been close to or more than a mile long. In fact, freight trains out this way are often 2 miles or longer, and the longest in the U.S., is over 3½ miles long. Phew.
I raced to get ahead of the train, looking for pull in spots that gave a decent view of the track below, and several times stopped to wait for the train to catch up to me so I could get a shot. After several stops, I got a few decent shots, although wish I could have been closer.
After that, the most exciting bit of action along the drive, I just sat back and drove the remainder of the trip, reminded once again that fall is just around the corner, with autumn foliage starting to show along the mountainside, reaching Ogden around 4:30.
I met Dave for dinner at a very nice Mexican joint, that advertises itself as being voted the best Mexican restaurant in Utah (that’s quite a statement to make), and it was good to see him. We haven’t seen one another for probably six years, I guess.
Bev met Dave when we visited in 2014, and also met Michelle, who Dave and I are going to meet tomorrow afternoon for either an early dinner or just to hang out, also in 2014 when, along with DeLynn and Maggie, we visited Bryce and Zion. Also on that trip was our friend Nicki, who passed several years ago. The photo below is a sad reminder that two of the six people in the photo are no longer with us, just ten years later.
Dave and I spoke deeply, as we often have over the years, about our relationships, and about our losses. Dave’s son died from an overdose 14 years ago, a reality and loss he feels deeply, each day.
Then, back to the hotel, write this probably shortest blog entry to date, and go to bed.