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.
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!!!
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.
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.
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!
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 ant 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 form 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.
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.
1127 September 5, 2024 Another Day In The Life Of A Wanderer
The sign at the bank said that it was 32 degrees as I set out for my morning walk. I was wearing layers and the sun was bright and warm and it felt good to be moving. Today, I walked through town. I passed businesses called Bullwinkle’s and Slippery Otter and Dancing Moose. There is a nature theme here in West Yellowstone!
I found a hardware store and went in to get a few things.
Tim wanted to take a ride on a nearby scenic highway. We packed the Jeep and started on Route 191N through Gallatin National Forest and over the Madison River.
We seldom camp in a town but we really like it here and even tried to stay longer! We like our little corner site.
We turned onto 287 or Hegben Lake Road. We stopped right at the water’s edge.
We saw a marker for a historical sign and we stopped to read. We had stumbled upon the Earthquake Lake Geological Area. On August 17, 1959, a big earthquake, 7.5 on the Richter scale, shook this area. There was a huge landslide and the landscape was permanently altered as a result. 28 people lost their lives. Looking around, you would never expect that something so awful could occur here. The scenery is peaceful and beautiful.
The landslide that occurred, stopped the flow of the Madison River. Earthquake Lake began to form as the water backed up to fill the canyon. The water rose 9 feet each day. The lake was up to 190 feet deep. The trees that had been living in the bottom, were flooded. The ghosts of those trees still stand today.
If you look at the mountainside, you can see where the mountain collapsed.
There was a campground near the river’s edge. Many people staying there were buried underneath the rocks and mud.
We walked the path to the Memorial Boulder. This 3,000 ton rock came across the road and stopped to rest at the site of this memorial. We took some time to be quiet here. The Earth’s forces are so very powerful
No bears today.
The river beyond Earthquake Lake.
We traveled on and turned onto Route 87. We saw an antelope cross the road. A second later, Tim saw a dirt road that looked interesting to him and he made the turn onto what was coincidentally called Antelope Basin Road. We rode over meadows and streams and among hilltops and mountains. This is our favorite kind of wandering. We did not know where we were going and we had no particular destination in mind…just follow the road and see where it leads. We had a full tank of gas, plenty of water, lunch and nothing but time! It was kind of nice to be off of the conveyor belt of ants that is the national park road. For most of the 7 miles, it was just us.
We found a nice picnic spot and sat in our chairs admiring the stellar vista. The sky was so blue and the air smelled sweet.
We debated whether or not we should continue on our quest to find the other end of the road and we decided to keep going.
Tim stopped to ask number 748 if she could kindly give us directions. She stared at us blankly as cows will often do. She wasn’t very helpful.
We were more than a little disappointed when the road ended abruptly at a gate.
We turned around and went back. We passed a truck hauling horses in a trailer. Two cowboys rode in the front and a dog rode in the back of the pickup.
Roadblock.
We passed some guys setting up what looked to be a hunting camp.
Then, we were back on the pavement and on the road to West Yellowstone. We had the very best day! As Ollie would say “PopPop has all the best ideas!”
I walked this morning around the perimeter of the town. It was 40 degrees and crisp and cool and perfect for walking. While I walked, I talked with my mom, a good friend, and Kyle who had Wade Wednesday today.
At 9, we drove the Jeep back through the West Entrance to Yellowstone. Our mission today was to see the Northern Loop.
As we entered the park, the traffic slowed to a crawl. A traffic jam. It is ironic that we had to sit in traffic in order to go and see the wilderness and the wildlife. The slow traffic was caused by a buffalo walking in the middle of the road. Then, a short distance after, there were a couple of elk on the steep incline along the road.
There was steam rising everywhere. The morning air was still chilly and that served to highlight the pockets of steam rising from the earth.
We saw men erecting long orange snow poles on the shoulders of the road. Winter is coming!
We stopped to reflect on how amazing this visit has been. The rangers and park employees do an incredible job of making things run smoothly. Over 4,000,000 people come here every year. The roads are in great condition. All of the facilities are clean and well maintained. There is NO TRASH! The service is top notch. The General Store was beautiful and the water is crystal clear. Americans are lucky to have this place preserved for the generations to come.
We walked a short boardwalk to the Frying Pan Spring.
Roaring Mountain was a sight to behold. Multiple fumaroles allow the release of gasses from beneath the surface. It looks like the whole mountain is cooking.
We stopped at a moose exhibit in a moose habitat but there were no moose today.
Sheepeater Cliff is named for the Shoshone Indians whose survival was dependent on bighorn sheep. The cliff is composed of basalt lava columns.
The Gallatin Range is in the distance and a lake in the foreground. We saw some grazing bison and a pair of swans.
Such a pretty ride.
Mammoth Springs Terraces are travertine. This is a type of limestone that builds up and changes shape rapidly. The sculptured rocks were otherworldly.
Undine Falls were the prettiest we have seen here.
We continue to be amazed by the diversity of the landscape and terrain.
We saw antelope grazing on a high prairie.
We took a gravel road, the Blacktail Plateau Drive. We found a lunch spot with outstanding scenery.
The aspens are beginning to color at higher elevations.
The fireweed is at the end of its season.
Calcite Springs was another lovely place. Here, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is visible. The Yellowstone River carved this path eons ago.
A cool rock overhang.
Our pictures are just snippets. This park is unbelievable and our brains and eyes can scarcely take it all in. I hope that these pictures inspire you to make this trip. It is well worth seeing!
