36) Utah - Homestead Crater:
Dan and Kathy are quite happy running their tiny dive shop-in-a-crater. Dan is a retired police officer who "decided to chase my passions rather than my paycheck." Those words hit me like frosting on a cake. Wasn’t that what I was doing?

37) Idaho - Ririe Reservoir:
We "tied up" to a cliffside rock and descended the underwater cliff. The three of us began finding things immediately. Keith pulled up several unopened beer bottles and a nice knife. I found sunglasses and coins. After this dive, we visited a popular dock where Keith figured boaters lost things . Here we found three rings, one with a diamond, a watch, a necklace, and a dollar bill. Overall, we were quite pleased with our booty.

38) Wyoming - Yellowstone Lake:
We found a series of tree-like objects that looked like stone, yet displayed unusual characteristics. Vic told me later scientists believe they’re made up of the plate-like shells of diatoms, microscopic plants with hard silica shells or exoskeletons. In a region of supernatural wonders, could this be yet another oddity of nature?

39) Montana - Lake Hebgen:
By the time I put my wetsuit on, the lightning had begun. So had the thunder. The wind, at this point, was only a minor distraction; I was more concerned about the churned-up visibility. Eileen worried about the flashing sky. "You can’t dive in a lighting storm!" she exclaimed.

40) North Dakota - Lake Sakakawea spillway:
The drill was simple: drop close to the river bottom, get neutrally buoyant, and "go with the flow" as if we had any choice. With a five to six knot current, this head first speed-dive was like an underwater bobsled run. Having only two to three feet of visibility, the emergence of boulders and sunken trees became a distinct hazard. On this day, the flow was fast and the vis was low. The governor complained he was giving too much water to South Dakota.

41) South Dakota - Lake Oahe spillway (Missouri River):
Going from three to ten foot visibility made me suddenly feel like I was in Cozumel. Visibility is relative. We shot past numerous rocks formations, hardpan clay, gravel beds, river grasses, and occasional animal bones. I spotted some bottles, but picking up anything required lighting reflexes. We were really moving.

42) Nebraska - Lake McConaughhy:
The lake lies just outside the town of Ogallala, Nebraska’s "cowboy capital." In the 1880’s this town was the chief gateway to the northern plains. It also had a remarkably high death rate. The local graveyard is none other than "Boot Hill."

43) Colorado - Carter Lake:
When I got to High Plains Scuba, I discovered the boat was broken, but Jim found a local diver who’d dive Carter with me. That was a good thing since I discovered solo diving is illegal in Colorado. I didn’t know this beforehand, so when Preston Gillis showed up, I was thrilled.