Rain and Connection - Driggs, ID Convergence
If you had told me on the first day of the Salida convergence that I would be this excited to go to another one of these, I wouldn’t have believed you. To the surprise of everyone involved, however, we were looking forward to this event, especially as it formed a bright spot in our late-summer travels. Once we got through the miles and repairs in Wyoming we could finally make it into Idaho to see old friends and make new ones, then we’re going right from this rally to Henrys Lake and Yellowstone for two weeks, making this area the capstone destination for our 2021 travel season.
Activities at this Convergence were more our speed than Salida as well. The family events were community-organized due to the family coordinator having to cancel at the last minute, but it came together. We knew what to expect intensity- and volume-wise. We had a lot of advantages!
The challenge this time was the weather, which was only good on the first and last days there - everything in between was smoky, cloudy, rainy, or all of the above. We stayed in a “no generators” solar section, but everyone had to run them for hours because it was so cloudy. As ever though, the community made the best of it, bringing out tents and hanging out under cover. The COVID risk was at its lowest since most folk were vaccinated and spread rates were declining. This meant more freedom to visit other people’s RVs, particularly during the lot crawl.
I’m still in the boot at this event, so I was a designated driver for kayaking on Sunday, which wasn’t too bad given what a beautiful spot this is. I did get to do most of the other interesting stuff, including a tour of the nearby Teton distillery and a trip up the chairlifts at Grand Targhee ski area, offering incredible views of the Tetons and surrounding area. Also this summer I changed roles at work, and now have a lot more schedule flexibility, which at an event like this is tremendously important.
Driggs overall feels like a well-kept secret with year-round activities and lots of scenery. We really enjoyed the area and the rally itself too. These events always have a bit of a summer camp for grown-ups kind of vibe, and it’s always sad to leave them.
