Boise, ID Bogus Basin Recreation Area

     It is cooler today, only 101.  There are no appointments available anywhere to get our RV air conditioning looked at.  We will just have to hope that we find cooler weather on the way home.  At least we  have had a break the past few days and have gotten a few nights of cool sleep.
     We had another nice long breakfast and then drove out of town to the top of Bogus Basin where we went skiing on our first ski trip in 1970.  I remember how unhappy my family was when I left after lunch on Christmas Day to drive across country with Rick in his little Volkswagon Bug.  At one point we thought we would drive straight through by changing drivers and sleeping while the other one drove.  Ha!  Even when I was young I was not able to sleep in a cold, noisy, tiny car as we slipped and slid around the mountain roads.  I remember that we ended up staying overnight in West Yellowstone which was amazingly beautiful in the winter with huge piles of snow.  I could use some snow and cold just now.
    The drive up to Bogus is 15 miles of switchbacks and climbs 2500'.  The view of Boise from the top was spoiled by a heavy haze and smog.  There are several forest fires burning nearby which adds to the smog.  Just like the town, the ski area is much larger than it was in 1970, but we could remember the chalet.  I also remember the long drive back down the mountain in wet jeans after a day of wet skiing.  That VW had a heater that only really worked when we were driving fast, not crawling down the mountain behind hundreds of other skiers.  We saw some eagles and hawks soaring in the updrafts from the heat.  I have gotten pretty accustomed to the eagles after seeing so many in Alaska.
    I was really tired today so I took a short nap before heading out to the grocery store to buy fresh food for our trip back home.  We had a picnic lunch back in our room and then worked on scheduling the next few campground stops.  The weather report is for cooler weather as we get to Jackson, WY. I sure hope so.
     We had another cool and relaxing time in the pool.  Beth and I talked a lot about our summers at Fort Snelling and the fun we had together putting on swim shows for the end of the summer party.  Beth wants to have another reunion next summer so I will have some planning to do when I get home.
     We had a good dinner at an Italian restaurant and then went to bed early.  Rick is still coughing and seems to be depressed.  He isn't talking much and doesn't have much interest in doing anything.  We need to get back on the road.  Maybe going back to our skiing days at Jackson Hole will revive his spirits.