GTP/YNP

7/29

This morning we got up pretty early, after a full nights rest, and headed up through Grand TetonNP  to Yellowstone. Yellowstone is everything you ever heard it was, everything you ever gained it to be, and more. Such a remarkable variety of landscapes in such a small area. A  truly remarkable national treasure.

I was wrong to generalize Wyoming as a big brown state; Yellowstone proves that is not the case. 

The vastness of the park is breathtaking. I sound like some kind of nature video.

I think we took about a 800 pictures between the three of us; another fresh panorama opens up at every bend in the road.

Muriel is silly.

Despite many signs that warned against walking on geothermally active areas, you'd be surprised how many tourists just walked about anywhere. There was even one "hot spring" that had the bones of a young bison that fell through the earth's surface and died. 

Firehole Lake Spring, I think.

Muriel cutting up at Mammoth Hot Spring.

We headed further north.

The weather was dramatically changeable.

A Yellowstone tour bus at a spot where the road undercuts a stone cliff.

This was the tallest stand of Lodgepole pines we saw- apparently untouched by fire in recent times.

Bison do wander onto the road; he came back onto the road after a park ranger scooted him off a few minutes before with his SUV.

On the way home; an amazing day.

Picture of the day:

7/28

Day 6 - if it's yellow, be mellow

Grand Teton NP & Yellowstone

Diverse day for sites, sounds, experiences and weather (between 10am and 4pm temps varied yo-yo like between 68 and 47)

Tips for surviving and enjoying Yellowstone:

1: start early...seriously folks, by lunchtime it is terrifying how crowded it is along the west side from Old Faithful to Mammoth Springs. If you like to camp, most of the sites are on the west side and are full by lunchtime, earliest you can get a site is 10am.

2: slow down

3: The park is HUGE, budget your time and pace yourselves....and respect the altitude...bring and drink water...lots of it!

4: slow down! Really!

5: Be observant for wildlife to suddenly do unexpected things (and I am not talking about the resident 4-leggers.

6: Obviously you are not understanding what we mean when we say SLOW DOWN!

7: Take the road less traveled, the little side jags that RVs and Buses are not allowed on, they are SO WORTH IT! Firehole canyon (bring your bathing suit for the swimming home), Black Tail, Dragon Cauldron, Firelake....

8: Heed the posted speed limits! speed limit in the park ranges from 15 to 45 for all ~200 miles of the loop...there are many excellent reasons for these speeds, the views, the wildlife, not all travelers are in motorized vehicles...SLOW DOWN!

9: The east side of Yellowstone is incredible! most if the hot springs are along the west side, but the east side is absolutely breathtaking, we think we found an extension of Fangorn Forest along the Blacktail trail (not the hiking one)..in fact take the extra time and do the east side on it's very own day. (The moisture collects along this edge and the result are amazing meadows of wildflowers and rainforest like conditions.

10: slow down! Be safe and respectful.

Day 5 - "it is not as it appears"

Awoke with the sun this morning with Earl laying on the ground....the air had gone out of his thermorest during the night and the ground was rather chilly :-(

Getting ourselves packed and fed we trundled out of the campground  with Merlin's advice still ringing in our ears....the price goes up eXponentially as you approach Yellowstone and then multiplied by a factor of importance tempered by need....needless to say, we found all our provisions for the next few days with the exception of Butane for our camp stove...thought we had enough to be comfortable, but need (2) more to get us back....even ventured into a walmart (shudder) where they sold a similar stove to ours but they did not sell the fuel....now that's big box store planning...jeesh.

We would like to let anyone who may venture through Riverton WY on their way somewhere and are in need of a cuppa joe, they have no fewer than 6 coffee joints including (2) strictly drive thru...damn they are serious about their java!

Not too many twists and turns today as we started on 26 and the evening campsite was just 3 hours down the same highway.  Lovely scenery especially west of Burris, lots of great sights and pictures....campground....not so great...infact on cusp of intolerable except we get to listen to cranes again in the evening....maybe they go hand in hand with Mosquitos because they are numerous and do not get repelled by Deep Woods Off.

Dinner tonight consisted of pasta and homemade fresh baked bread done in the Dutch oven....yum.

Time to prop my feet up and read until the sun goes down.

Day 4 - 3 R's

Awoke this morning to a brisk mid 40's and Muriel was promptly set upon by rabbits.

Noshing our way through the yummies we picked up from the bakery we dried out the tents and headed off to Mount Rushmore as the sun was just taking the chill off everything.

Between Custer and Mount Rushmore you get to see from the Hwy the sculpture taking shape of Crazy Horse, all overlooking the George S. Mickelson Trail for bike/walk/horse (currently at 110 miles and currently being extended further!). Certainly a place to come back for the riding opportunities!

Heading back down to Hot Springs and turning west we ventured over the edge of the world and into Wyoming...thought Nebraska was big sky country but I was obviously naive....the high plains of Wyoming are BIG SKY and it looks like you can see the ends of the earth as the road takes you into the horizon.

Hitting the interstate somewhere near Douglas (the home of the Jackalope) we rolled along to Evansville Wyoming and hopped onto 26 where we made our way  to the Owl Creek Kampground outside Riverton where we met the proprietors Dee and Merlin.

Before turning in for the night we had a great chat with Merlin about "sightstenations".  It was good to share great rides and vistas that another person has enjoyed as well...route 100 through Vermont, chasing spring north, the Winding Stair parkway from Talahina to the Queen Wilhomenia Lodge, Gunnison Pass, coming up into Durango from New Mexico through the Kit Carson NF, snow storms and good places to eat.... Good reminisces.

7/27. Rushmore and Wyoming

Nearly froze to death last night (not really!) out of the campground, and off to Rushmore. Super awesome, breathtaking, words really don't do it justice. Go.

Then we headed for Wyoming. Wyoming is a big brown state.

Rugged western beauty. Checked into Owl Creek Kampground before 4:30 this afternoon, having made good time trucking over here.

It's a cool little campground, used to be a KOA a long time ago. Dee and Merlin run the place and are super.

A great place to stay. Clean restrooms.

Day 3 - making up time

The rabbits saw us off on our way from the campsite and across the damn to head out, find a way around the road work (bridge out ahead) and get up onto interstate 80 where we could extend our wings and pick up or wheels for a bit. (Passed a packaged sail plane making its pilgrimage to somewhere)

Yes, Mycroft does like to RUN even when loaded for a camping trip...and run well he does, very happy with performance and gas mileage, and handling on the roads at high speed (not certain if I can call it highway speed ;-) )

Heading along the criss-cross of dirt roads we got a chance to see more of where folks live or migrated to.  Houses perched around water holes, some partially sunken to take advantage of insulation and relief from the blowing winds.

2 hours after leaving Gallagher we finally reached Ogallala and lake McConaghey, our original destination for the prior evening.

Taking 26 north and west from Ogallala we visited Carhenge (neet go to spot)

and then north on 385 towards Chadron.  For a while we found ourselves on US20 and saw portions of old US20.  When my parents married in 1948, my father had promised a trip to the Grand Canyon, they instead went out west eventually to the pacific via  route 5 and US20 from Boston Ma to Yellowstone, then on to the coast. Parts of US 20 were still gravel when they went in their 3cyl Renault pulling a travel trailer almost the same size as the car.  I snicker as I look around how we have packed ourselves and what we think we need to enjoy a road trip....I think they taught me well.

Near Chadron we took a "detour" to see the Toadstool National Monument which is a cool off the beaten path destination. Also has about six campsites and a lot of interesting sights and hiking trails... Must bring own water!!!!! You are over 20 miles from anything and incredible arrid.

Exiting back onto toadstool road and NE71 we wound our way through the badlands and into South Dakota, where we immediately went through a town that looked as though everyone just disappeared or picked up and left leaving behind all their belongings...what calamity would cause an entire town to leave?

Before long the terrain greened up and became forested with huge outcropping a of stone and evidence of wild fires (went past the Hot Shot training facility) and a bazillion prairie dogs!!!Aieeeee

We rolled into Custer hoping to eat at the Black Hills  burger and Bun Co but they were closed due to an oven failure...so we ate pizza and lasagna at a local pizza shop before settling in at the Custer KOA where warm showers awaited us and a laundry facility.

💤