| |||||||
| Fall | 1976 | ||||||
|
Signed on to be a teaching assistant for the 76-77 school year at New Mexico Tech, under Les Fallon.  I on Workman |
Started classes at New Mexico Tech in August, taking: Practicum in Assembly Language, Introduction to Systems Programming, Introduction to Systems Programming Lab, Electronics III, Quantum Mechanics, and Racketball/Volleyball.  Location of our grad student offices  |
 Julie on Workman roof | |||||
| Summer | 1976 | ||||||
|
After completing school year, and teaching job at U of I. Biked from Iowa City on a rambling bike trip from Iowa City to Evanston Wyoming; 1960 miles over 30 days. Sometime during this trip, probably at the beginning, mom came up, collected my '59 Kencraft trailer and took it to Mineral Wells TX, where she got a Barrier Corp employee to fix up the trailer with carpeting and shelving. On May 18th(day 1), Dana & Jef departed Iowa City and for some reason took a zig zag route to the vicinity of Fairview IA, where we spent the nite in some park with no tent. We rode about 57 miles this day.  Dana standing by radio observatory we passed just after leaving Iowa City  Dana in one of many Iowa cornfields On the 19th(day 2) biked 67 miles, camping somewhere in/around Backbone State Park.  Jef at Backbone  Dana at Backbone On the 20th(day 3), we biked 49 miles, camping around Waverly IA - we toured the college campus while there. On the 21st(day 4), biked 75 miles or so, tried camping at park by Clear Lake IA, but were rousted out by rangers with dogs, and biked a few miles, settling on camping in some farmer's front yard. On the 22nd(day 5), biked 114 miles to Milford IA in the rain. We talked the minister in letting us spend the nite at a church there, as it was still raining. On the 23rd(day 6), we only biked about 5 miles and spent the nite at a campgroung at Lake Okoboji.  Dana standing out in Lake Okoboji  Jef at edge of Okoboji  me at Lake Okoboji, Iowa On the 24th(day 7), we biked 105 miles arriving in Sioux Falls SD, where a fellow biker offered to let us stay in his basement. On the 25th(day 8), we biked 72 miles to Mitchell SD, where we spent the nite in a private campground (Doll House Campground) On the 26th(day 9), we biked 70 miles and stayed on the Missouri River in a campground by Chamberlain SD. On the 27th(day 10), we biked 72 miles against a strong headwind and camped near Murdo SD. On the 28th(day 11), we biked 97 miles, camping in Wall SD at the Red Arrow Campground  Jef biking thru badlands  Dana biking thru badlands  Posing for next presidential face???  Dana on piano  Jef playing live at Mt. Rushmore  Viewing scenery On the 29th(day 12), biked 82 miles, stopped in Rapid City, so Jef could buy his 3rd tire. Raining when we reached Mt. Rushmore, and no nearby campsides, so found a pullout, and not too steep slope on nearby hillside and camped under a tarp in the rain - not a pleasant nite. On the 30th(day 13), biked 32 miles, camping at Comanche Campground near the Crazy Horse Monument.  Dana by campfire  Dana at our campsite |
On the 31st(day 14), biked 50 miles, camping at the Pactola Reservoir, after detouring to visit Jewel Cave, backtracking to Custer, and heading north.  Inside Jewell Cave  Dana on road On June 1st(day 15), biked 80 miles thru Deadwood SD & a beautiful ride down Spearfish Canyon, before camping in Beulah, WY - our original camp by the river had too many skeeters, so asked to camp in someone's front yard. On June 2nd(day 16), biked 108 miles, passing by Devil's Tower Natl. Monument, camping at a campground in Gillette WY with backed up facilities. On June 3rd(day 17), biked 70 miles, going thru an area with no facilities for 62 miles, arriving in Buffalo WY, where we camped at a great campground in the city of Buffalo. On June 4th(day 18), biked 62 miles, traversing the Bighorn Mountains, with the highest pass, Power River Pass, at elevation 9666', and campged on the other side of the mountains at Tensleep WY. On June 5th(day 19), biked 86 miles and camped at the campground in Meeteetse WY. On June 6th(day 20), biked 83 miles and camped at Pahaska Teepees near Shoshone WY. On June 7th(day 21), biked 59 miles into Yellowstone NP, camping near Norris.  These images were obtained from fading photos in this album  Possibly Golden Gate Falls On June 8th(day 22), biked 42 miles, thru Mammoth and camping near Tower Falls. We met 2 girls who invited us to a spaghetti dinner at their camp next to ours.  Jef at Mammoth waving arms in front of stalagmite shaped feature   Dana at Mammoth  Passed by this waterfall on the way to Tower Falls - Jef didn't dive in On June 9th(day 23), biked 50 miles, camping near Madison, sharing spot with a Louisiana trailer.  Passed over Dunraven Pass heading towards Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone  Yellowstone Falls  Jef slipping into Yellowstone Grand Canyon  Dana at Norris Geyser Basin     Jef also didn't dive in here, either |
 At the entrance to the Midway Geyser Basin, Dana didn't dive into the river here either  Jef at Grand Prismatic Spring area  Dana didn't fall in On June 10th(day 24), biked 18 miles and stayed in a cabin at the Old Faithful Inn.  Dana and Jef at a southernmost Yellowstone pass  Hiking trail near Old Faithful  Dana biking by erupting Old Faithful Geyser  Jef at Old Faithful On June 11th(day 25), biked 46 miles, going out of Yellowstone and camping in Lewis Canyon in the Shoshone Natl. Forest  Last time we crossed Continental Divide  Jef at Yellowstone Lake On June 12th(day 26), biked 52 miles, and stayed at the Wagon Motel in Jackson WY as it started snowing.  Jef going by Jenny Lake  Dana with Grand Tetons - Dana at far left On June 13th(day 27), went to nearby church in Jackson and they let us an other ne'er do wells stay in their gym overnite, as it continued to snow. On June 14th(day 28), biked 134 miles - maybe 20 with Dana, as we split up just south of Jackson, camping about 25 miles from Kemmerer WY in the wilderness.  Splitting up south of Jackson Hole: I to Socorro, Dana to Seattle  Last time I saw Dana. Looked him up on the net and found he had just retired as a professor at a college in Spokane WA in 2024 & sent an email to his college email account, but as he retired, probably never saw it On June 15th(day 29), biked 75 miles, running over some rubble on the Evanstan offramp of the freeway and breaking a couple spokes, making my bile unrideable. Stayed at a motel. On June 16th(day 30), tried finding spokes in town, but none were to be found, so called Julie in New Mexico, who called mom. Got in touch with mom, who was in Jackson, and she said she would pick me up in Evanston, rendezvousing at the Simms Hotel. We drove south over the next couple of days, stopping in Colorado to pick up '67 Mustang abandoned there by Elsa, and I drove that back to Socorro, where we met Julie.  Jef's tire was still incapacitated when mom & Don Lynch drove him thru Colorado, going over this high pass I think we spent the beginning of summer in Socorro. Played softball and frisbee and pool with Julie and her college buddies at this time. It was a blast. I think Julie still did summer work in Borrego at Clark Lake and I did, as well - staying at a mobile home in the Silver Dons (now Santiago Estates).
Not sure, but either shortly after arriving in NM on June 19 with mom & Don or at the end of the summer, Julie & I traveled to Mineral Wells to visit mom. I believe it was this time that mom was fixing up my Kencraft trailer with new shelving. She bought a used mobile home for Julie and arranged to ship it to Socorro with a local Mineral Wells trucker (Ed? Manning). Mom probably drove my trailer there at the same time. Julie & I had driven to TX in her car, so we drove back in it. Somehow Julie managed to sell the old trailer she had been living in for 4 years to make space for the mobilehome.  Stopped by lava fields (Carrizo) in NM on way back to Socorro. This is Julie Both trailers were set up side-by-side at space 36 & 37 at the Lear Trailer Park at the easter edge of Socorro NM. Pansy Johnston was the landlord, and this park, shaded with very large cottonwoods, was a great place to stay. We had several great potlucks there every year.  Lear Trailer Park aerial view - Ken Barbier took us up for a tour in 1977 Julie was in #36 I was in #37  Ray shooting pool | |||||
| Spring | 1976 | ||||||
|
Two of my favourite students came to say goodbye, as I was leaving Iowa for good next month.  Jennifer and Michelle  View from my office looking W |
While teaching classes at the University of Iowa, I also took a few, including Astronomy. Sometimes we'd go to the roof of the Physics building and fool around with the 16".  View from my office, looking SW |
 Jef by the 16"  Fellow students - Dana at left | |||||
| Winter | 1976 | ||||||
|
|
| | |||||
|
|