Mooney
Santa Barbara, Ca
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If you have time go into town in the evening, head over to buffalo Bills hotel and saloon. They put on a great street show with a whole host of characters from Buffalo Bill's time.
We also did the museum at Thermolpois, I swore that had to be the towns sole source of income. Not much out there.
Not sure where you are camping in Yellowstone, however we really enjoyed Norris, it seemed much quieter and had some really neat hiking trails from your site than many others.
Be sure to pick up your bear spray in Cody, it's MUCH cheaper than the park. There is a neat supply store just up the street from the museum.
Sounds like your having a great trip.
'08 Ford F550, Lariat, Link Air Suspension, Roll-A-Long Conversion, Twin Turbo 6.4, TorkLifts, SuperHitch, "Monster Duty Truckasaurus"
'09 Host Everest, Dual Pane, AM Solar, Link 1000,Prosine2.0,Tank Htrs,Honda EV4010,HD Motosat,Wave 6.
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skipbee
Glen Arm,Md. 21057 USA
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Joined: 10/29/2003
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In a coffee shop in Coty, WY. we spotted a cartoon by the cash register,of an ole cowboy, with his ten gallon hat.chaps,vest,boots,
holding a piece of rope saying," I can't remember if I lost my horse or found a piece of rope." It became our motto.
Last week we canceled our reservations in the State Park at Assateague Island as we discovered sagging floor boards in our kitchen required our attention. Our friends, Rick & Sally, were staying in H-15 across from H-16 which was to have been our spot, when lightning struck the Class A RV that had taken our spot, and was subject to extensive electrical damage in a severe thunder storm. The satellite dish was shattered, one of the leveling jacks was welded and frozen extended, fortunately no one was injured. Unexpected tornados were all around.
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skipbee
2004 F350 Diesel CC SRW 19.5" Rikson W/T 4WD
2005 Lance 1121 well found.
12' Porta-Bote alongside
All that glitters is not gold. All who wander are not lost. See us on YouTube" Living the Lance Life" 3 of 4.
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TwoMaineiacs
Near Freeport, Maine
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Joined: 04/08/2006
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Skipbee - someone was watching out for you and Linda. Glad you are okay.
Hard travel day today though we only did 170 miles. We left Cody only to find that the road into the east gate of Yellowstone was closed due to heavy snow. After calling the Wyoming DOT, we took the Chief Joseph Highway which is where we really wanted to go anyway. No way to post all the photos I'd like to of the snow in the mountains and the incredible views. the road is a corkscrew through ranch land, deep valleys, and very high mountains. We did make it into Yellowstone through the northeast gate and immediately had to stop for a herd of buffalo sauntering across the road. That was followed by sightings of elk, eagles, mule deer and lots of squirrels. (Hi Dick).
We stopped a long time at the Norris Geyser Basin and walked the boardwalks through the thermal vents, bubbling pools and spouting clouds of sulfur. Ranger told us that in the winter, the buffalo come to the vents to get warm and eat the grass that will grow because of the warmth. Piles of buffalo scat attest to that fact plus the deep footprints.
The rivers running through the portion of northern Yellowstone were raging with all the rain and snow. The huge forest fire of 1988 can still be seen with the tops of dead pines sticking out of all the new growth. No way to imagine how big that fire was until you drive through the remnants mile after mile.
Tired tonight. Lots of walking, tense driving through snow and ice, changes of plans on which way to go even within the park due to road closures. We go to the campsite and who did we see?
FlyFisher Dave!!! He's on his way to Alaska but stopped to visit and take a day (or two) fishing in Yellowstone. We picked his brain pretty hard on special places to go and see within the park. Drive Safe Dave and start posting your trip photos soon. We (Dave and I) are sitting up in the campground rec room talking on Mike T's RV chat room and catching up on email.
Tomorrow we tour more of the park especially the places Dave told us about near Canyon Village. Wish we had more of you here to share this very special place.
Anne and Joe
2011 Chalet Double Slide on a 2010 Ford F-350 Diesel DRW
On the Road Again from Rural Maine
Our travel blog with photos
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FarcticOx
NH or somewhere else
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Amazing! Glad to see Dave is safely on the road. Do you have pictures of the Chief Joseph Highway, Isn't that the road over Bear Tooth Pass?
FarcticOx
Run Silent, Run Deep
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2003 F350 Diesel DRW.
2005 Arctic Fox B1150 solar powered dry camper.
220 Watts Solar, 2 300AH 6 volt AGMs, Yamaha EF1000iS Generator
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LanceCamper845
Pocono Mountains, PA
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Great to see Dave with you guys. Cathy and I wish we could be there with you. When I wake up each morning, I look for your post from the night before first before I read others. Glad to see your having a great time.
Jim & Cathy
Pocono Mountains, PA
2008 Ford F-250 Crew-Cab w/ Camper Package
6.8L V-10 / 5 Speed TorqShift / 4.10 Rear
Ride- Rites / Stable- Loads / TorkLift Tie Downs / Fast Guns
2011 Lance 830
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petekerwien
Camano Island, WA
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Anne and Joe it is sure nice to be on this side of the trip. Waking up and looking to see where and what you have gotten into. Amazing to run into FlyFisher Dave. We are counting on him to give us good up to date info on the trip to Alaska. He is our trail blazer for that trip.
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TwoMaineiacs
Near Freeport, Maine
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Joined: 04/08/2006
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June 8th - Snow again with a mix of rain and sleet but another day in Yellowstone was worth wearing the winter parka. At least we had parkas with us and not just t-shirts and flip flops like a lot of folks we saw today.
Today was a water day and not just from the ski. We left West Yellowstone and travel led back into the park via the NorthWest entrance. Our goal today was to see some of the incredible waterfalls in the park. Everyone who has seen the park before has commented on how green and lush the flora is this year due to the rain. Usually this part of the park is not green and the rivers are much smaller and crystal clear rather than the raging torrents they are now.
We started at Canyon Village and went to the Upper and Lower Falls
which is a stretch known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
It's a bit of a hike to get to where you can see the falls especially
the long view but worth every wet and slippery step. I've never seen
the Grand Canyon (yet) but this will sure act as a preview. The canyon
walls are many vivid colors from the leaching of the chemicals through
the rocks. A lot of early American paint artists have done this scene
in famous paintings - but nothing matches seeing it for yourself.
We just missed a pack of wolves chasing an elk. The ranger said they
had crossed the road maybe five minutes before we got there. This was
a whole day of five minutes late as you will see later. Buffalo here
are as common as songbirds in Maine and are just about every where you
look. The rangers call the tourists looking at the bison "buffalo
jams" as people just come to a dead stop in the middle of the road to
take photos. At Canyon Village we had watched an introductory film
about the Park in which they showed what happened when you got too
close to a bison. Child got tossed about pretty good when she
approached a bull bison. Not killed but pretty ugly to see in film.
Funny were the pictures of an full antlered elk charging into stopped
cars. Bet that was fun to explain to an insurance company on how the
damage to the car got there.
There were a pair of yearling buffalo butting heads playing the I'm the Strongest game. Fun to watch.
We next stopped at the mud pots area to see bubbling fields of mud
spattering everywhere. These did not have the sulfur smell from the
steam vents yesterday but would be pretty torturous to any animal that
wandered in.
For lunch we stopped at Yellowstone Lake at a rest stop and raided the
fridge. Pretty good to travel with your own kitchen isn't it. Lake had
whitecaps on it today as, in addition the rain and snow, there was a
pretty stiff wind. We found a sheltered spot on a little path at West
Thumb. Nice to have a vehicle that will go just about anywhere.
Won't bore everyone with photos of Old Faithful. Beside we missed the
blow by five minutes and didn't want to hand around for another 2 +/-
hours to see it. Pretty cold driving rain then so we went over to the
Old Faithful Lodge to dry off and enjoy the old building. It really is
a marvel of early building engineering as it is at least four stories
tall with an inner lobby with open balconies built out of logs. Very
dark inside so no photos came out.
We stopped at the midway geyser basin and walked what seemed like
miles of boardwalks out into the basin. Buffalo scat is everywhere and
it was a balancing act to stay on the boardwalk and not slide through
the scat!
Finally back at the campground to spend the evening with FlyFisher. He
leaves tomorrow to head even further on his trip to Alaska. We shared
supper and he gave us some more tips on places within the park to go
tomorrow on our way down to the Tetons. We wish him great adventure on
his travels.
So tomorrow we head south towards the Tetons not even having scratched
a millimeter of what there is to see in Yellowstone. I know we will be
back for longer next time.
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The Mad Norsky
Yankton, South Dakota
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Joined: 04/14/2003
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Yellowstone is such an amazing place. You are so correct that you have seen so little. We spent four days there several years back, and know we missed so very much.
It took me a time to notice, but when I finally figured out and saw the rim walls, knowing that most of Yellowstone is the caldera or crater of a dormant volcano just floored me.
Amazing place.
The Mad Norsky, Doll, Logan, Korey & Rocky
2011 Ford F350 Power Stroke dually
RV'ing since 1991
We never know where we're going till we get there!
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Dome
Southwest Washington State
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TwoMaineiacs
Near Freeport, Maine
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Monday, June 9
Tonight we are in Victor, Idaho, a tiny little town set deep in a broad mountain valley. Very small campground but it has wi-fi and a laundry which we sorely needed. Getting here was an adventure as we went up the 10% grade of the Teton Pass on route 22 and down the other side. No way to explain how much we love tow haul and the ease of not having to stand on your brakes at all. First time on a 10% grade and it wasn't as hairy as we expected.
We bid a fond farewell to Flyfisher Dave last night as knew he would get an earlier start than we did. Heard his diesel fire up at 6AM so he's back on the road to Alaska. It was pretty special being able to spend time with a TC friend and we wish him well on his trip. Thanks Dave for fixing the kitchen cabinet door and the antenna tip. No telling how long that had been bent up or where it got caught.
We travelled through Yellowstone again today, stopping first at Firehole Canyon to see the falls. Dave and many others have told us that there is not usually this volumn of water in Yellowstone and it is pretty rare to see the rivers and streams so full. We were pleased
since the waterfalls have been roaring!
Next we drove the Fountain Flat Drive and spent quite a bit of time watching an osprey catch fish....hover, hover, hover, flutter, dive and up it would come with a fish. Fly away and a few minutes back, do it over again. This is a broad river valley with fat buffalo everywhere. Eight huge bison walking in a straight line like a group of schoolchildren on a rope passed by the TC right towards a group of fly fishermen. Neither group paid any attention to each other but just continued their own business. Didn't see anyone catch a fish except the osprey.
We passed back and forth over the Continental Divide quite a few times which was confusing as we thought we were driving in a straight line and the altitude didn't change much. Will have to research that.
Leaving Yellowstone we passed into Teton National Park with the Rockefeller loop in the middle. Instead of continuing on route 89 we went over into the interior Teton Park Road. Here there aren't buffalo jams but moose jams. Saw about a dozen, quite a few with calves. Going towards Jenny Lake, we stopped at the Visitor Center and went through the exhibit of Indian handwork and artifacts. Left fairly quickly as two buses of school kids were there and it was pretty hard to get anywhere close to an exhibit case. Kids were having a good time though.
The Tetons are much bigger mountains then in Yellowstone and wear a deeper and lower crown of snow. Unfortunately for us, it had gotten cloudly by the time we got to the Tetons. I can imagine how bright they would be in the sun.
We then passed through Moose, WY and noticed that the tallest building
was two stories. Many of the small western towns have escaped having large buildings and they feel friendlier that way.
We decided to pass up on going through Jackson Hole. I'm not a shopper and have heard that it is a real tourist town/trap, not what we came on this trip for. We did go through Jackson which had it's share of tourist stores but we got to see the antler arches made from shed antlers. The valley going into Jackson is broad, flat and the winter home for the elk herds living in the mountains. Didn't spot any elk as they are probably all off at summer camp already.
We wanted to set foot into as many western states as we could so decided to camp in Idaho tonight. Up and over (gulp) the Teton Pass and down to Victor. Picked up a local micro-brew called "Sweetgrass",
Jackson Hole's Original India Pale Ale from the Grand Teton Brewing Co. Wish I'd had that last night to share with Dave as it is some good.
3,424 miles travelled, $1398.19 spent on 307 gallons of diesel for an average mpg of 11.11 which is better than I thought since we are doing so much mountain driving. Is it worth it?
YES YES YES and a lot more to come....
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