A Day Ride to Jackson -Alpine to Freedom

After the great ride along the river you arrive at Alpine, WY. Here you decide to turn left and take US 89 south of turn right and take US 26 west. US 26 winds along the shore-line of Palisades Reservoir which straddles the Wyoming/Idaho line. It's a great ride with esses and twisties galore. Also carries a lot of summer traffic headed for Jackson and Yellowstone. You decide to turn left onto US 89 south.

Two roads diverged in a wood and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost

Alpine Junction Web Cam


US 89 south leads you into the Star Valley of Wyoming. Beautiful cattle country, lots of dairies, bounded on both sides by mountains. The highway roughly parallels the course of the Salt River, passing through small towns along the way. Not a challenging road but the scenery is great. Some summer traffic. Star Valley web cam


Through Star Valley you travel with mountain views like this to your left. You are traveling through the Bridger-Teton National Forest.


Eventualy you arrive at the turnoff for Freedom. At the Turnoff you pass Freedom Arms Company , manufacturers of some of the finest handguns in the world. Some of the most powerful too. Like their .475 Linebaugh.



The road leads down into Freedom (below), a small town with an interesting history.the town sits exactly on the border and some parts are in Idaho, some in Wyoming. Allegedly, this border straddle allowed law-breakers (polygamist Mormons, outlaws of various ilk)to simply cross the street to escape representatives of whatever jurisdiction was seeking them.


Continued