1137 September 18, 2024 Tetons In The Clouds

Last evening it was chilly and rainy.  We had decided that we were just going to have eggs for dinner but then at 5pm, we decided that we needed to get out of the house!

We went to Bullwinkle’s, a moose themed restaurant with decent food.  I tried a huckleberry margarita which was pink and potent.  Tim had a brown ale called Moose Drool. 

After dinner, we walked in and out of a few shops.  

We took a dirt forest service road for a few miles but it was drizzling and muddy and we just saw lots of trees!

It rained most of the night and into this morning.  It was 39 degrees and raw and windy and I did not walk.  We got a notification that Route 212 to the East Entrance was closed because of winter weather as was the Beartooth Highway.  It is definitely time to head south!

We drove the RV through the Yellowstone West Entrance.  We saw a young elk by the roadside.

We saw a few bison and we also saw a coyote.

We had one last look at the geysers of Yellowstone.

We traveled past Old Faithful and toward the South Entrance. This was a portion of the park we had not yet seen.  This road closes from November until May.  We had a few glints of sunshine and blue sky but it was short-lived.

Lewis Lake was rough and blustery.  We could see snow in the higher elevations.

To the east was the Lewis River deep in the bottom of a gorge.  The views looked beautiful but there was nowhere for us to pull over and look.

We arrived at Grand Teton National Park.  There was no improvement in the weather conditions as we went.  We had steady rain.  There were thick clouds hanging on the mountaintops.  In addition, there were drifting and fast-moving clouds further obscuring the view.  The Tetons were elusive.  We would catch a glimpse and a moment later, the mountains were once again hidden.  It was such a tease.  We absolutely knew that there were tremendous mountains there!

We stopped for lunch but it was not a picnic kind of day.

We did see a low rainbow at the base of the mountain range.

The ride to Jackson.

We arrived at The Virginian Lodge and RV Park before noon.  We took naps and then drove out to the Whole Foods store for some groceries.  We explored the town a little bit.

We spent the rest of the day catching up on life and doing laundry.

After dinner, we took the Jeep into the town of Jackson or Jackson Hole…same place! We wandered and browsed.

We walked to Snake River Brew Pub. This place is owned by Ted, the son of a nurse that I used to work with at Johns Hopkins. Ted wasn’t there. We did enjoy the atmosphere and the drinks. It was a shame that we had already eaten because the food looked fabulous!

Jeeps around town!

I am so grateful that we are here for two nights.  We have another chance to see the Tetons tomorrow.  The forecast is for 64 degrees and sunny…we shall see…

1136 September 17, 2024 Rainy Scenic Ride

I returned to Bozeman last night. The Celebration of Life for Jorge Liatis in Atlanta was a beautiful service for a well loved man. I am so appreciative that I had the opportunity to be present.

I woke in the middle of the night and saw the almost full Harvest Moon, brilliant in the velvety sky.

This morning, I had a chance to walk in Bozeman. I did a large loop around the fairgrounds and then walked through the Cannery District. This area was the site of factory for canning peas. At peak season, 300,000 can of peas were produced every day. Now this is a high end shopping area.

I was back on the road with my favorite partner. We left Bozeman and traveled Route 191, a scenic byway. The rain started shortly after we left. It was chilly and cloudy. The road followed the whitewater of the Gallatin River. The treetops, mountain peaks, and tall cliffs were blanketed by a thick layer of fog.

We drove through the town of Big Sky, Montana, a ski resort. I am very grateful that it was not snowing!

It was still a nice ride though the slap of the windshield wipers made it difficult to take pictures!

The road curved slightly and took us through the northwestern portion of Yellowstone National Park. The skies cleared a little and we got hopeful! The autumn colors have definitely turned since we were here last week. The shrubs and grasses are more golden.

We arrived in West Yellowstone at around noon. We set up in the rain and rested awhile.

At 2pm, we went to the IMAX Cinema to watch “Yellowstone.” The music and cinematography were wonderful. The movie showed the history of the park and the interface between man, wilderness, and wildlife. One of the early explorers characterized Yellowstone as a place where nature decided to display all of its most peculiar aspects.

We had hoped to go into the park with our dinner this evening but the rain kept coming. The forecast changed and changed and changed again.

I did use this rainy day to get more mundane stuff done, so all was not lost.

1135 September 13, 2024 Bozeman, Montana

It was 39 degrees and there was frost this morning in Red Lodge. I put on lots of layers and drove into town for my walk. There were still Winter Weather Advisories. Beartooth Highway was closed today!

There is lots of statuary dedicated to “the proud and noble” Native Americans in this region.

Today we drove the RV and our tow to Bozeman, Montana.

We drove through big sky country. No picture will ever do the scenery justice; it is impossible to photograph the expansive views.

We drove over the Yellowstone River and to Interstate 90, all the way to Bozeman.

We arrived in early afternoon at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds RV Park. We settled and did errands and chores. I also packed. Tomorrow, I will fly to Atlanta so that I can be there for Dre’s father’s Celebration of Life. Tim is going to get me to the airport very early in the morning and then he is going to hang here with the RV until I get back late on Monday.

1134 September 12, 2024 Hellroaring

We had some wicked western weather during the night. There were strong storms with gusty winds, rain, and lightning.

I tried walking this morning but there were dark and foreboding clouds with sprinkles of rain and so I quit.

Morning treat!

Today, we left Cody behind.

We made the decision to drive the short distance to Red Lodge and camp at Perry’s RV Park. We were hopeful that because there was so much wind and rain, the haze on the Beartooth Highway might be dissipated.

We arrived at the campground at around 1pm. We quickly settled, packed a cooler and away we went.

We went south on the Beartooth Highway and Tim had the idea to try and find the canyon road. We began our adventure by taking Forest Road 2421 or Main Fork Rock Creek Road.

This was a lovely ride.

There was no snow on these mountains when we were here the other day!

As we were driving, we got a Winter Weather Advisory on our GPS.

At the end, there was a trailhead for Glacier Lake. According to GPS, it was 1.2 miles to the lake.

It was 39 degrees and chilly as we started and before long, it began to spit snow! We met a couple who had hiked this trail before. They told us that to get to the beautiful lake, we had to take 19 switchbacks for a total of about 3 miles and we would arrive. We were glad to meet these people! We did continue on for a short distance but we did not complete the hike. We did see a pretty waterfall and it was a great walk.

I was plenty warm in my new fleece vest but I was also happy to get back to the Jeep and turn the seat warmer on!

Such a pretty place.

We stopped by Rock Creek to take pictures and have a snack.

The weather was so very fickle. It was sunny, then raining, then sunny, then snowing. I had thought that somewhere there must be a rainbow. Tim spotted it first!

We found Hellroaring Plateau Road. This rocky and rough trail makes the same elevation gains as the highway in half the miles. We were excited to find it and eager to follow it to the top. It wasn’t even a mile before we had enough bouncing. Tim stopped and we admired the tremendous view.

We made our way back down and back to the RV. What a great way to spend this afternoon!

1133 September 11, 2024 Buffalo Bill Center Of The West

Last night, the winds howled, making our RV shudder.  This morning, it was still very gusty and quite cloudy.  I am glad we extended our stay another night and that we aren’t trying to explore or travel in this wind.

Another nice walk in the town of Cody.  Flags are at half-staff today as we remember 9/11.

Today we went to see the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.  We had heard that this was an outstanding museum, featuring artifacts of the American West.

Our first stop though, was to see the 1966 Corvette that is being raffled off to raise funds for the museum!

We began in the Draper Natural History Museum.  This wing focused on the ecology and biodiversity of the Yellowstone Area.  The displays were well done and informative. 

We visited the Plains Indians Museum next.  People have lived in this area for 11,000 years.  The Native Peoples lived here first.  The indigenous people had found a way to endure and survive in this harsh environment.

The exhibits focused a lot on sobering encounters of the Indian Peoples with the white men moving west.  The encounters that did encourage trade, but also brought disease and missionaries and battles and the loss of land and the destruction of the buffalo, as well as the development of reservations, and Indian schools. 

Native medicine.

We toured the Buffalo Bill Cody wing as well.  This American icon was quite the “character.”  He was raised in the west and he knew a lot about the people and customs of the region.  He was a rancher and a scout and a Pony Express rider.  He became somewhat of a caricature and from 1869, he became a legend in over 700 short stories and plays.  The edges between the man and the character became blurred and it became difficult to sort fact from fiction. 

Eventually, Buffalo Bill was convinced to play himself on stage and then, he later he produced his own version of “The Wild West.”

This man was ultimately heralded as an advocate for the rights of Indians as well as women.  His own Wild West show became a platform for diverse groups of people to perform together and to help to educate others about different cultures. 

Earliest RV…a shepherd’s wagon equipped with a wood burning stove and a bed.

The extensive collections, the carefully designed dioramas, and thoughtful presentation of the material made this museum experience very positive. 

I went into town this afternoon to a hair salon called Tangles where Monica did my hair…such a nice treat!

We made quinoa bowls for our dinner with grilled chicken.

After eating, we drove to town. We realized that it was almost 6pm and the Hotel Irma hosts a gunfight every evening at 6. We hurried to the venue. The MC was politically opinionated. We did enjoy the show.

Afterward, we walked the main street, browsing in stores and shopping in the outdoor store.

While we were in Atlanta, we had a photographer come to take family pictures…my heart!!!

1131 September 9, 2024 Scenic Ride Trifecta

I went for my morning walk in downtown Cody.

When I got back, we packed the Jeep and we were on our way.

As we drove through town, three bucks walked across Main Street at a crosswalk.

We stopped at Rawhide Coffee for a cuppa.

We took Route 296 to the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.  When we were at Yellowstone, at a pullout, we met a guy from Bozeman, Montana.  We chatted for a while.  We asked him what we should see while we were in this area.  He said the Chief Joseph Highway should be mandatory.  He went on to say that every American should drive this drive.  That is how we found ourselves here. 

We entered the Sunlight Basin.  This is supposedly Wyoming’s best kept secret.  The hills are rugged and the mountains jut skyward.  There are meandering creeks and valleys and gorges.  Free range cattle dot the countryside and graze along the guardrails.

There is extraordinary beauty around every twist, turn and switchback.

We stopped at Dead Indian Hill Summit.  It was here that we learned the story of Chief Joseph. 

Chief Joseph was a Nez Perce Indian Chief.  He led 600 people, mostly women and children, through the Rockies and was fleeing to Canada.  The United States government broke a treaty with his tribe over gold rich land.  The calvary pursued the band of Indians and many lives were lost in multiple skirmishes.  Chief Joseph continued to evade the calvary because he was well aware that the army intended to leave no survivors.  Chief Joseph finally surrendered just a short distance from the border.  He and his people were placed in prison camps.  AS he lay dying, Chief Joseph said “I will fight no more forever.”  To stand on the same path that these brave people walked and fought for their own survival is sobering.  I’m not sure if the man who told us to come here wanted us to see this beautiful place or to learn the history and remember the cost of settling the west. 

At the end of this highway, we turned left onto the Beartooth Highway, another national treasure.  Charles Kuralt called this “the most beautiful roadway in America.”

We continued on through Cooke City, “The Gateway to Yellowstone” and then, through Silver Gate. 

Tim had read about this little place called Wooka’s Wild Eats. He was intrigued by it and we were hoping it would be open but it wasn’t.

We took the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone National Park and traveled through Lamar Valley.

There were lots of people stopped along the roadside at steep cliffs.  They were watching sheep or goats but they were not visible to us with our binoculars.

Along the Lamar River, there were several buffalo herds.  A bull crossed the road and we could hear him snorting as he walked by.

A mama buffalo crossed in front of us and her calf followed.  They both lay down in a dusty depression and frolicked there.  The baby was trotting around and spinning in circles.  He seemed to be delighted!  It was so fun to watch the pair.

There were so many fishermen, flyfishing in the river.

We saw another large herd, hundreds of buffalo.

There was a single antelope, curled up and resting in the high grass.

We found a nice lunch spot.

More pretty…

We reached Tower Junction where they are constructing a new bridge.

We turned back and rode through the valley once again.  This is Soda Butte, a travertine mound.

It was afternoon and we began to think about where we could spend the night.  We had no cell reception.  We looked at an information kiosk for the Gallatin National Forest and it looked like we were not going to be able to camp in our tent at most of the campgrounds because of grizzly use.  In addition, many of the campgrounds had closed for the season on Sunday. 

We went back through Cooke City and still had no service.  We went to the Visitor Center and it was there that we found Pat.  Pat was old and grizzled and a little disheveled.  He was very calm and spoke very slowly but he was to the point and knowledgeable.  When Tim asked him about dispersed camping and Pat’s eyes lit up.  Lily Lake was where he sent us. 

We took Beartooth Highway north until we found the dirt road on the left.  We took that to the end and found the perfect site.  We had a partial view of the water.  We had tall pines surrounding us.  There were stone steps down to a lower terrace and there was a stone fire ring. 

We spent the early evening, sitting and listening.  We could hear the wind in the trees.  Occasionally, there were small birds or noisy ravens calling.  We could hear chipmunks and squirrels chittering.  The weather was mild and we were content to be there…in the moment…

We had omelets with grilled sourdough for our dinner.  We were warmed by a nice fire as the sun sank below the hill behind us.  The water was still, the wind had stopped, and we could hear some animal calling.  Tim saw an osprey flying low and then we heard a splash. 

We had a fabulous day!  Thank you, Pat!

1132 September 10, 2024 Beartooth Highway Part 2

It was so quiet here last night.  The stars were dazzling, tucked among the treetops.  We were a little chilly but it was way worth it!

We had our coffee by a morning fire.  We could hear squirrels working on some sort of construction project in the pine above.

The lake surface was absolutely still.

We packed our gear and headed out.  We were taking the Beartooth Highway north to Red Lodge.

Our first stop was at the Clarks Fork Overlook.  The surrounding mountains were all shrouded in a thick layer of smoke.   Our thoughts go out to those working to fight the wildfires and those whose livelihoods and homes are threatened.

We continued to climb in elevation, following the curling ribbon of road.

We took a gravel road to the Lookout Tower but we were forced to turn around at the gate.  We were at 9,400 feet.  We elected not to hike here!

Beartooth Ravine is the site of a bridge built to allow animals to pass beneath the highway.

There are tall snow poles along the roadsides.  We were told that we might encounter snow here in September.

Beartooth Falls.

Beartooth Lake was lovely with Beartooth Butte in the background.  This area was the site of an ancient sea.  The butte is composed of sedimentary rock and is full of fossils.

Near the Top of the World, we found Island Lake.

We took Forest Road 149 to Chain Lakes.

Continuing, the road was flanked by interesting rock formations all the way to the summit.  We were still climbing and the temperatures were dropping even as we were getting closer to the sun.  The road twisted and turned with multiple switchbacks. 

At Beartooth Pass, we were at 10,947 feet.  It was blustery but beautiful.  The persistent acrid and smoky air made visibility a challenge.  The scenery is stunning even with the significant haze.  On a clear day, I am sure that it is super stunning!

After the summit, we began our descent.  There were lots of lovely lakes.

There was a deep gorge with lakes nestled in the bottom.  The forces of nature that formed this amazing place are beyond my understanding.  The scenery here absolutely rivals that of any national park that we have seen.  Each is spectacular in its own way. 

We stopped at the Rock Creek Vista Point where we saw more awesome views.

Don’t plan a trip to Yellowstone without including the time to explore the Chief Joseph and the Beartooth Highways!

We stopped in the town of Red Lodge and took our dusty selves to lunch at the Kitchen Prerogative.  We enjoyed another fine meal!

I drove the 65 miles from Red Lodge to Cody.

We decided to stay here one more night and so we won’t leave here until Thursday morning.  We will see what we find to get into tomorrow.

1130 September 8, 2024 Normal Stuff

For me, the allure of walking in a new place is still a very powerful motivator. I was excited to get out and see what I could see.

Tim and I went to Walmart on a mega expensive shopping trip to resupply.

This afternoon, I found a nice place for a pedicure.

Afterward, I filled the car with gas and went to get some groceries. Today, we opted to do normal stuff. Tim spent the day watching NASCAR and football and I did house stuff and worked on the blog. It was nice to have a quieter day. Tomorrow, we plan to explore the scenic highways in this area. We are going to pack for an overnight Jeep adventure and we will see where the road takes us!

1129 September 7, 2024 The Road To Cody

I made a stop for a yummy, creamy, pumpkin spice latte on this crisp September morning.

We pulled out of town and as we left, we saw a raven sitting on top of a dumpster with a whole slice of pizza in his mouth. I wish that I had been able to take a picture…it would have been prizeworthy! We fueled the RV with diesel and drove through the West Entrance. At 9am, there was already a long line of vehicles waiting to get in to the park.

It is remarkable that we see any wildlife at all with all the traffic that goes through but there was a black bear on the opposite side of the Madison River, standing on hind legs, and foraging among the trees.

There was another traffic delay and rangers were out in the road and there was a tow truck and a dump truck as well. It looked like there was a large male buffalo, dead in the field a short distance from the road. It seemed that the crew had been dispatched to remove the carcass. I am quite sure that no one wanted wolves and bears so close to the road.

We made a right onto Grand Loop where there was another big buffalo strolling on the shoulder.

As we continued our ride, we saw a herd of about 100 buffalo grazing in a meadow. The steam geysers in the background made an interesting back drop for pictures.

We drove past all the geyser basin parking areas. There was nowhere to put our big rig towing!

Biscuit Basin remains closed. In July of this year, there was a hydrothermal explosion at the site. The area is closed for the remainder of the season as geologists and seismologists monitor activity.

We drove past Old Faithful and over the Continental Divide.

We took a break along Yellowstone Lake.

Another stretch break. Tim’s back is still tight and sore. I have given him Tylenol and fluids but there isn’t much else that I can do…

It was a glorious day for a paddle.

We continued up and then down the mountain and out of the park. We drove through the Shoshone National Forest. We found a beautiful lunch spot.

We traveled through Buffalo Bill State Park, past the reservoir and the dam.

We went through the three tunnels, over the Shoshone River and then we arrived in Cody.

The campground owners, mother and daughter, both graduated from Western Maryland College and so there was lots to talk about!

We rested in the afternoon and then got all dolled up to go to dinner. We went to Cassie’s Steakhouse. Back in the day, this was a bordello. We had excellent food. We haven’t had steak since Christmas. Tim does not, as a rule, eat red meat. We decided though that while we were in Wyoming, we would treat ourselves to a steak dinner. The steaks were prepared perfectly with delicious baked potatoes and fresh green beans. It was the best meal that we have had in a while!

We had two choices after dinner. There was a collegiate rodeo competition or a walk downtown. We were so full that we chose to walk.

We were browsing in a shop when Tim saw a guy wearing a Ravens shirt. It turns out that this man grew up in Glyndon and Tim knew his family. It is such a small world!

We saw lots of people coming down the sidewalk with ice cream. We stopped at the Big Chill. Tim had a caramel concoction and I had a bourbon, maple, pecan dish. We sat on a bench and watched the people go by.

We had a wonderful drive and a great evening!

1128 September 6, 2024 Hazy Tetons

I had another great walk through town on this chilly morning.

Tim felt great when he got up today but sometime during the course of his workout, his back seized up.  He tried to loosen it.  He used Voltarin and ice.  He took ibuprofen…but he was still hurting.  I mentioned that I had seen a PT office in town.  He drove there but they are closed on Friday.  He got back to the RV and I had found the Neck and Back Center just ½ mile away.  He drove there and the chiropractor was able to see him.  He came back moving a little better but still hurting.

We planned to take another drive but we weren’t sure we should.  Finally, Tim decided he could hurt here or he could hurt in the car and away we went.  Tim normally does 99% of the driving.  Today, I was the driver.  We took Route 20 south into Idaho and toward the Tetons.  Tim likes to look at maps.  He found a gravel road that looked like it led to the Tetons from the western side.  We had high expectations for this adventure. 

We left Route 20 and drove onto Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road.  The road took us through lots of large commercial farms.  There were lots of hay bales in large stacks. 

We continued along national forest service roads. 

Up on the ridge, we had our first views of the Tetons.  It was really hazy so all we could see were the jagged shadows.

We kept driving deeper into the forest, hoping to find a place at a higher elevation and with less haze. 

There were pretty meadows and streams and lots of trees. 

We never did find what we were looking for and we turned back.

We stopped for a snack by a large meadow.  Tim sat under a tree.

He drove for awhile until we reached pavement again and then I drove us back to West Yellowstone.

This afternoon, we did all kinds of chores and cleaning to get ready to move.  Tomorrow we will drive back through Yellowstone National Park and east to Cody.  We will do lots more exploring from there.