Four Days in Bancroft, ID

Just over a year ago, when we left the comfort and safety of southern Utah to venture into the topsy-turvy world again, one of our first stops was in Crawford, CO to reconnect with some long-time friends. As we traveled on after that, they began to look for a new home and settled in Bancroft, ID. That put them almost directly in our path again as we made our way between the Teton and Ruby mountain ranges.

Their new place is at the end of a long dirt road with BLM land beyond that. They’ve made a nice, level spot in back that accommodates RVs (ours isn’t the first!) and we were spoiled with water and electric hookups, not to mention full use of their laundry room and a separate bath. Hello, long hot showers!

As with their former place, they have already been amassing a new menagerie, and so far have four goats, laying and meat chicks, and two kittens, Snickers and Kit Kat.

The kitties are not allowed in the main house, but we have no such rule for our house! On the first morning, Tristan and I were enjoying our coffee, when she looked out and saw TBG toting the kitties into the RV from the barn.

Tristan & Lee had said they’d seen a moose occasionally in the area, and on our first evening, TBG sounded the alert that a big bull was trotting right across the middle of the open BLM field toward the spring area across the road from the house.

We had an unobstructed view and plenty of time to watch him before he made his way up and over the colorful hillside.

Lava Hot Springs is less than 10 miles from Bancroft, and our friend Brad had stopped both on his way to meet us in the Tetons and again on his return trip, and highly recommended their city-run natural hot pools. Tristan had been and also had high praise for them. Lee stayed home to mind the critters, and TBG dropped us gals off on his way in to Pocatello to pick up an RV part.

We had perfect weather, not quite hot out, and the facility is placed so prettily between the hills with the autumn colors surrounding it. Other than someone accidentally locking our locker when they confused which one they’d put their things in, and an older gentleman who fell asleep in one of the 105* pools and was still receiving assistance when we left, it was a truly splendid time.

Whenever Tristan and I get together, great food is bound to follow. She served us up her delectable lasagna one evening and fresh trout on another. We put our skills together on the third evening to make a pressure cooker beef stroganoff that we all declared was one of the best dishes we’d ever had. Being Idaho, we served ours over mashed potatoes rather than noodles. As if that wasn’t enough, Tristan also made us another green tomato cake, the first being such a hit during our Colorado visit with them.

Every day, L & T take the goats for a walk (or two!) sometimes down the BLM road, sometimes in the hills. We were happy to assist in the goat-walking, the kitties always playing caboose.

It was a whirlwind four days, full of all the best stuff. Thank you, Lee & Tristan, once again for the friendship and the memories.