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SLC Roadtrip - Part 3
Driving Back Home

Mark D Larsen

November 13, 2025

Our very short visit to the area in Part 2 had come to an end, so Part 3 describes our journey back home:

NOTE: You can click on the following photos to enlarge them.

After all the driving up and down the canyons the previous day, we arrived at the same chargers at Sam's Club with a range guesstimate of only 86 miles and 32% in the battery, with an efficiency rating of 3.8 miles-per-kWh.

We had plugged into a 350 kW charger, but I was surprised that it was only feeding 128 kW into the battery, with a predicted wait time of 19 minutes.

With 1% to go to reach 80%, the rate was a pitiful 94%. It's not as if it was cold, so I cannot explain the low rate unless the charger was faulty.

We now had 217 guessed miles of range.

I set the navigation to take us back to Scipio.

The display predicted that we'd arrive with only 17% in the battery after about an hour and a half of driving.

As we departed, I took this photo of the peaks above Snowbird, which had a bit of snow on them.

There was also bit of snow on the northern side of Mount Nebo.

I've always been intrigued by this tectonic plate on the highway to Scipio that had lifted up only slightly.

Here we are approaching Scipio, but could feel large gusts hitting the car from a very strong headwind.

Indeed, the flag at the chargers was stretched out horizontally from that headwind.

Once again, Rocinante was the only EV plugged in at Scipio.

Despite the headwind, we'd arrived with 23% instead of the predicted 17% in the battery, but our efficiency took a toll, dropping to 2.6 miles-per-kWh.

The good news is that the 350 kW charger was putting out a high rate of 223 kW, and the wait time would be 14 minutes.

The rate had subsequently dropped to an impressive 158 kW when we unplugged.

The guess-o-meter now projected that we had 210 miles of range.

I set the navigation to take us back to Beaver. The display estimated an hour of driving and 34% upon arrival there.

I swear that Moxie was looking forward to spotting her mortal enemy cows again.

En route I was intrigued to see these lava boulders in the middle of a large, flat plain, far from any mountain or volcano cone. When and how did they get there?

There were two EVs already plugged in when we arrived in Beaver, so we occupied the first stall with a lower 150 kW charger.

Rather than 34%, we arrived with 41% and 89 miles left in the battery, with only 2.5 miles-per-kWh of efficiency. The headwind was really taking its toll.

The charger started up at a 173 kW rate.

After 14 minutes, it had dropped to 133 kW with 1% remaining to reach 80%.

Because of the headwind, the guess-o-meter now predicted only 187 miles of range.

I set the navigation to take us home, and it estimated that we'd arrive with 25% remaining after driving 114 miles in 1 hour and 42 minutes.

The sun was touching the horizon when we drove past Cedar City.

Wouldn't you know that a CyberCuck would go ripping past us well above the speed limit. Ugh.

A few isolated clouds reflected the setting sun.

Here we could see the cliffs near Kolob Canyons as we started to drop down the canyon to St. George.

We actually arrived with 41% instead of 25%, and an efficiency of 3.7 miles-per-kWh, likely boosted by the regenerative braking.

This wasn’t a long roadtrip, although I enjoyed showing Tamara the canyons to the east of Salt Lake City where in my youth I would ski, snowshoe, and ride my Kawasaki 120cc motorcycle. She was deeply impressed with their rugged beauty and noticeable differences.
We know we’ll have to drive there again before too long, to follow up on the treatment that Tamara’s doctor described to her at the medical center. However, we anticipate that we might have to take another roadtrip to California before that happens. The reason is that, shortly after returning home, we learned the tragic news that Tamara’s 90-year-old Mom had died. Consequently, she and her sister Lisa are now planning a memorial service to bury the ashes of both their parents in their family plot in Berkeley. Suffice it to say that 2025 has proven to be a very hard, sad, discouraging year. We can only hope at this point that the future will provide a modicum of comfort and normality —for us, and the entire country.

After all the driving up and down the canyons the previous day, we arrived at the same chargers at Sam's Club with a range guesstimate of only 86 miles and 32% in the battery, with an efficiency rating of 3.8 miles-per-kWh.	We had plugged into a 350 kW charger, but I was surprised that it was only feeding 128 kW into the battery, with a predicted wait time of 19 minutes.
With 1% to go to reach 80%, the rate was a pitiful 94%. It's not as if it was cold, so I cannot explain the low rate unless the charger was faulty.	We now had 217 guessed miles of range.
I set the navigation to take us back to Scipio.	The display predicted that we'd arrive with only 17% in the battery after about an hour and a half of driving.
As we departed, I took this photo of the peaks above Snowbird, which had a bit of snow on them.	There was also bit of snow on the northern side of Mount Nebo.
I've always been intrigued by this tectonic plate on the highway to Scipio that had lifted up only slightly.	Here we are approaching Scipio, but could feel large gusts hitting the car from a very strong headwind.
Indeed, the flag at the chargers was stretched out horizontally from that headwind.	Once again, Rocinante was the only EV plugged in at Scipio.
Despite the headwind, we'd arrived with 23% instead of the predicted 17% in the battery, but our efficiency took a toll, dropping to 2.6 miles-per-kWh.	The good news is that the 350 kW charger was putting out a high rate of 223 kW, and the wait time would be 14 minutes.
The rate had subsequently dropped to an impressive 158 kW when we unplugged.	The guess-o-meter now projected that we had 210 miles of range.
I set the navigation to take us back to Beaver. The display estimated an hour of driving and 34% upon arrival there.	I swear that Moxie was looking forward to spotting her mortal enemy cows again.
En route I was intrigued to see these lava boulders in the middle of a large, flat plain, far from any mountain or volcano cone. When and how did they get there?	There were two EVs already plugged in when we arrived in Beaver, so we occupied the first stall with a lower 150 kW charger.
Rather than 34%, we arrived with 41% and 89 miles left in the battery, with only 2.5 miles-per-kWh of efficiency. The headwind was really taking its toll.	The charger started up at a 173 kW rate.
After 14 minutes, it had dropped to 133 kW with 1% remaining to reach 80%.	Because of the headwind, the guess-o-meter now predicted only 187 miles of range.
I set the navigation to take us home, and it estimated that we'd arrive with 25% remaining after driving 114 miles in 1 hour and 42 minutes.	The sun was touching the horizon when we drove past Cedar City.
Wouldn't you know that a CyberCuck would go ripping past us well above the speed limit. Ugh.	A few isolated clouds reflected the setting sun.
Here we could see the cliffs near Kolob Canyons as we started to drop down the canyon to St. George.	We actually arrived with 41% instead of 25%, and an efficiency of 3.7 miles-per-kWh, likely boosted by the regenerative braking.