Montana - Big Sky Country

First Weeks in Montana

Day One - We arrived at Yellowstone Holiday RV Resort & Marina (YHR) 13 miles from West Yellowstone, Montana on Sunday, May 12th, 2013 and were greeted by Albert & Sarah.   Managers, Jim (J.C.) and Margie, arrived shortly thereafter and with them were Les and Becky.  They had made a supply run to Bozeman, Montana - some 90 miles from West Yellowstone - something we will be doing during our 4 month adventure here.  We will later be joined by Tom and Margaret to complete the season's team. 
      

Our campsite is one of four specially situated spots for workampers only - complete with our own reserved parking place, fire pit, and gorgeous views of Lake Hebgen and the snow-capped mountains. Along the lake's edge a herd of bison were lazily grazing near the park's dog-run and campsites.  We were told that earlier in the day, they were seen swimming across the lake to check out the grass flavors across the water.
  

We leveled the rig, hooked up power and water, rolled out the slides, and put out lawn chairs on our patio.   Inside, I hung my Adler calendar, put out my favorite family photos, and set the TV to scan for channels.   Everything else is already in order for comfortable living. We grabbed the camera and took off across the park for an up-close look at the bison.  There were easily 20 or more including several little ones.   The babies, surprisingly, look just like a baby cow.  They are red in color and J.C. says they are called "Red-Dogs."
 

The park is beautiful and well-maintained. There are 36 RV sites and 24 camping cabins, a community room called The Beaver Den and a marina where small boats, canoes, kayaks and paddle boats can be rented.   The cozy office/store is stocked with basic supplies (marshmallows for s'mores), fishing poles and worms.   It is warm and inviting with its library of books to exchange over steaming cups of cappuccino, coffee, and various teas.
 

Day two - We set out early - lunch packed - to make our first trip into Yellowstone National Park using Larry's newly acquired lifetime Park Pass. Once inside the park it was only a few miles until we crossed from Montana into Wyoming.   As we made our way toward Old Faithful, it was easy to be sidetracked by the many beautiful things to see on the way!  We saw Fountain Paint Pots, the Midway Geyser Basin and the amazing Grand Prismatic Spring. Bison walked along the roadway and sometimes blocked the vehicles. Wildlife viewing at its best!
 

We located the Education Center and just beyond it had our first view of Old Faithful puffing steam - promising a grand show. We enjoyed our lunch on a well-worn fallen pine and subtly people-watched. All, or most, had cameras and/or binoculars; smiling, pointing, corralling children, munching snacks - making memories.  We went inside the Center to learn about Yellowstone geology, wildlife, and history.   A few facts: established 1872 - world's first National Park, 2.2 million acres, 5 entrances, Elevation - highest 11,358 ft. at Eagle Peak's summit - black and grizzly bears, wolves, bison, moose, & elk in residence. We then found the right postcard for Adler and noted the next eruption time for this phenomenon - 1:13 p.m.   Shortly after the posted time, Old Faithful burbled its first spray and then staged higher and higher plumes of beautiful white spray.   I was torn between trying to watch and take photos/video!  There was a roaring sound that reminded me of wind over a microphone but it was not as loud as I had expected. What a wonderful experience!

We then located friends from our Austin Lonestar Campground days, Liz and Randy. They are hosting in the beautiful Madison Campground inside Yellowstone Park this year.   What a pleasure it was catching up with them and their travels. Randy shared his beautiful photography work from this area and they both provided much-needed information about West Yellowstone.
 

The next few days were spent in training and readying the RV park for the busy opening Memorial Day weekend.   We really like the people, the family ownership, and the care they have for YHR.
 

We took drives around the area.   Just below Lake Hebgen is Earthquake Lake (Quake Lake) - in 1959, a 7.5 Richter scale earthquake caused a landslide into the canyon and blocked the water of the Madison River and created Quake Lake.   The information for the area indicates that the earth's crust had dropped 19 feet - the land under Hebgen Lake tipped upward and cabins and roadways were lost as huge waves crested over the dam. 28 people perished in the disaster and hundreds were trapped. The area is now studied and is of great scientific interest.  The Visitor Center for the area is being remodeled and is not yet open. It was near this area that we saw our first eagle - sorry, fumble-fingers couldn't get the camera in time.
 

Memorial Day Weekend - work at the park was fun - meeting the wonderful guests and watching them enjoy the lake. The weather here has been beautiful. Temps right now seem to range from the low 30's at night to 50 & 60 degree days. The last few have been cooler and wet but the moisture is needed and we love the humidity-free days.  The mountains still have snow and we can see them no matter which way we turn.
 

Tuesday - Day Off and another trip! Breakfast at Campfire Lodge - met owner, Wendy, and her uncle.   We enjoyed the Tuesday Special:  One Giant Strawberry Hotcake (larger than the plate), thick sliced bacon and an over-medium egg.   Our table was on the enclosed porch and overlooked the moss covered riverbank and its frothy rapids.  I loved the saturated cool green colors caused by the slow-falling rain and overcast day.   We drove through part of Yellowstone Park on our way to the Grand Teton National Park and Jackson, Wyoming, some 150 miles away.  YHR is approximately 6,700 ft. in elevation so we did a bit of climbing.   We crossed the Continental Divide three times, reaching elevations around 8,000-8,500 ft. and snow is still present beneath the evergreens - snack crackers and Pepsi helped with the ear popping.  We saw a portion of Yellowstone Lake near West Thumb and Grant Village as well as Lewis Lake - can't wait to explore these lakes further on another outing.  

We stopped at the entrance of Grand Teton Park and a very nice man from Australia took our photo in front of the sign.  He said "You have such a beautiful country!"  I felt an overwhelming pride!   Larry “allowed” me to drive and did his coaching-thing on how to take the 10% grade down the mountain with no braking!   Yikes, I was terrified!  But the truck performed (he said) as it is supposed to, downshifting, etc.   I finally loosened up and enjoyed letting him have the freedom to see the sights without the burden of driving.  Seeing a bottleneck of traffic quickly warned us that there was something along the road to see.  Sure enough, a mother black bear and her two cubs were quickly making their way through the trees over the hill. 
  

We enjoyed our picnic lunch in the truck overlooking the switch-back roads below us from the highest point traveled so far.   One word... amazing!  We moved on into Jackson Hole and Jackson - contacting Larry’s nephew, Bryan for the name of the resort where he and wife had honeymooned and looked for it in town.   It was such a busy area and parking was jammed - I think we saw it (The White Buffalo) but no photos - sorry, Bryan and Erin.  It is a lovely area and I hope we can return later in the season.   As we left the high elevations and traveled into Idaho for an easy return trip, we in no way lost beautiful scenery.   The rolling hills were green with newly planted grains and such.   I loved the patchwork designs of the fields and think the farmers plant them like that on purpose for travelers to enjoy.   We saw beautiful lakes and often pulled into the turn-outs to enjoy them. I love the mountains all around - even when they are shrouded in mist.
 

Next? Who knows? But, hey... thanks for hanging out there with Lea and Larry. 

 

 

Views from our campground on Hebgen Lake

View back toward our camp-site from boat slips

View of cabins and office at campground

Full moon over our campground at Lake Hebgen

Mama & baby bison

Bison that swam the lake

 Bison have the right-of-way!

YNP



Snow outside Education Center, YNP

 



Old Faithful

 

 Old Faithful Video

 

Excelsior

Grand Prismatic Spring

 

Mammoth Spring

 



Quake Lake - cabins that fell into water

Quake Lake

 



Slide Area - Quake Lake

 



Grand Teton

 



View from the top - Grand Teton 

Idaho

Enjoying our last beautiful day along the banks of the Reservoir at Willow Bay RV Park just below the dam in American Falls, Idaho.  We decided to spend a few extra days here to rest and explore.   American Falls is where my Grandparents lived (Mother's side) and where we, as young children, traveled by Greyhound bus to stay with them for short periods of time.  I tried to conjure up memories of the area and the best I can come up with are vague memories of Grandpa taking us out to the dam to fish.  I remember Grandma always requiring us to take our shoes off as we entered their house.  Us kids just thought how ridiculous this was.  Why at our house, Dad was known to bring a horse into the house - shoes and all!  I do recall a Halloween here in Idaho and store-bought costumes.  I remember Grandma being very loving.  Gramps, I think, was more serious and quiet.   Maybe he just tolerated us kids.  I know you can never really "go back" into your childhood, but I'm seeking some visuals to go along with my vague memories. And Larry, patient - and better with directions - is helping me re-discover...

Our first day here, we set up camp and hurried to find the street where Gram & Gramps had lived. Much phone discussion was had between my brother, Fred; sister, Jessie Ann; and my cousin, Debbie concerning the actual house number.  Was it on the corner?  Not a two-story....??  Left side or right side of the street? We did find the street and the general area.  A visit to the courthouse and its back-room with all the big ledgers, hanging plot maps and micro-fiche machines yielded the correct lot and block as well as the address.  Unfortunately, the house is no longer there and mobile homes take up the lots. Debbie says Grandma always pointed out with pride that the home was along the Oregon Trail and indeed, American Falls is part of that early trek.  After finding the old home-site, we set out to locate the cemetery where Grandma is buried.  Again, thanks to cousin, we were able to find Falls View Cemetery and the marker. Her date of birth was 5 August 1917 and date of death was 18 November 1985.  Grandpa's info. was also on the marker - DOB: 31 August 1916 and DOD: 28 December 1988 however, cousin says she doesn't believe he's actually buried there. He married again (Lois) and probably was buried where she wished or maybe he was cremated.  We speculate that someone in our family completed the dates on Grandpa's side of the headstone for future genealogists.  We also located the marker for Debbie's brother who was one of a set of twins that died at birth. Floyd: 25 July 1958.  Later in the week, we took beautiful spring flowers to both graves. Standing at Grandma's final resting place brought a wave of emotion; a sense of closeness and peace.

We met a lovely couple who had memories of my grandparents.  We swapped contact information and I expect we'll be keeping in touch. 

Between looking for old family history, we traveled the area and learned about it's history.

American Falls is located along the Snake River and was named after a group of American trappers whose boat went over the falls.  It is the first US town to be totally relocated.  Large equipment was brought in to move entire homes and buildings.  The town was moved for the construction of the new dam in 1925.  There is still a tall grain bin visible in the reservoir where the old town was situated.  Locals tell us that late in the summer, the water level reverts back to nearly its original banks as the water is pulled from the reservoir for irrigation, etc.  and then you can see the streets of the old town.    We visited the dam and fish hatchery, the local parks, and restaurants - I had my first piece of oatmeal pie which is just like pecan only with oats instead.  There are beautiful farms in this very fertile valley surrounded by mountains - crops are potatoes (of course), beets, and grain.  We took day trips to visit Fort Hall, Massacre Rocks, Register Rock, Blackfoot, and Idaho Falls.  We went to Indian Springs Resort and looked for another old home-site.  We visited the Potato Museum and enjoyed hash browns made from dehydrated potatoes.  We attended the high school drama production - "Agatha Christie Made Me Do It."  We also enjoyed our campground with its beautiful views and the neighbors next door from Florida.  I can't articulate what a wonderful experience being here again has been.  Let's just say it was time well spent...  I have lots of new memories and new friends too!



American Falls Dam Area



American Falls Dam Area

American Falls Courthouse

Garfield Street

Falls View Cemetery

Falls View Cemetery

Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls Functional Art

Idaho Falls at "The Circle"

Idaho Falls

Massacre Rock State Park

Massacre Rock State Park

Register Rock

Final Night - Campground View Amer. Falls

   

Utah

Catching up the Blog - we passed into Utah near Salt Lake City on May 6th. Much of the population is in the capital city area as quite a bit of the state is open and uninhabited - the Great Salt Lake Desert and Great Salt Lake take up much of the state. We didn't spend much time in Utah as we entered from Wyoming, made a little sweep through, and traveled on into Idaho. The guide books picked up from the visitor center featured the beautiful rock formations and canyons that we would love to visit, but they, unfortunately, are located in other parts of the state. Next time, though...

Wyoming - Travel Day

May 5, 2013 - travel day. As we prepared to leave Loveland, Colorado, we noticed that we nearly drove off with our small slide out still out. Then, in town, a pickup turned in front of us and lost a propane tank in the middle of the 4-lane. We had to try to avoid it as it bounced and rolled to the side, miraculously missing all traffic. And, as if that weren't enough excitement, we found ourselves on the highway behind this truck!

　

　

So, let's get back to crossing Wyoming - the state on the last page in our giant road atlas. Officially it is known as "The Equality State" (first state to grant women's voting rights) and unofficially as "The Cowboy State” (because of the cowboy/bucking horse state emblem).  We stopped in at the beautiful new Visitor's Center as we entered the state near the Capital city of Cheyenne. Great abstract art triangles marked the path to the building entrance along with new plantings of the state tree, the plains cottonwood. My favorite exhibit inside was a giant mammoth elephant bone sculpture that was very realistic and made to seem like it had been "discovered" in an archaeological dig. After gathering maps and travel guides, we got back on I-80 and headed West. I-80 - Lincoln Highway will mark it's 100th anniversary this year and is the first transcontinental highway. I snapped a photo of the Abraham Lincoln bronze sculpture that looks down on the highway. It is 13.5 feet tall and it is said that if it swiveled at the top that Abe could see the wonders of Wyoming in every direction. I could have used a swiveling head to see everything myself!

We crossed the Continental Divide with the Rockies and other mountain ranges in and out of our views. I snapped dozens of photos trying to capture the beautiful vistas and sheer vastness of our least populated state but I don't think they'll do it justice. I commented to Larry that the wide open spaces, mountains, giant rock formations, and a sky that seemed to go on forever made me aware of just how small we are in the grand scheme of things. I am constantly delighted by what I see and sometimes feel like a little kid!

Larry is napping as I write this post. We were on the road nearly 9 hours today with him doing all of the driving - he didn't protest when I insisted on him resting. We nearly completely crossed the state, east to west, traveling from Cheyenne to Evanston where we are comfortably set up in small RV Park for the night. It will be a sandwich and banana for dinner and we'll be back "out there" on the road tomorrow to cross into Utah and Idaho.

Colorado, The Centennial State

Yesterday, we settled in comfortably for a 2-night stay in the beautiful Riverview RV Park along the Big Thompson River just outside Loveland, Colorado. Snow-covered Rockies and Devils Backbone were in view as we looked around the area.  Today, we set out from Loveland through Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park where we had a delicious brunch at "The Egg and I" cafe.  With full tummies, we entered Roosevelt National Forest and the Rocky Mountain National Park where Larry bought his lifetime park pass. Immediately upon entering the park, it was like someone "turned on" the beauty! The snow was so pristine under the Douglas firs, pines, and dense groves of aspen. The great meadows were only broken by flowing streams and beautiful ponds - frozen in some areas. We saw deer, elk, wild turkey, sheep, ducks and a black long-tailed bird we couldn't identify. The roads were winding with sheer rock cliffs on one side and meadows or beautiful drop-offs on the other. We ranged in elevation (according to the GPS) from approximately 6,000 to a majestic 9,424 feet. Simply breathtaking views of the peaks and valleys had us craning our necks on the drive or standing with our mouths open when stopped. We hiked in the snow at beautiful Sprague Lake where a bride was being photographed on the foot bridge. And, we played in the snow - hopping through it's deep, soft drifts and laughing when our shoes and socks got wet! Then, we made our way to Bear Lake and drove the loop past Aspenglen, Fall River, West Horseshoe Park, Deer Ridge, and Beaver Meadows. Highway 34 was not open yet all the way through the park but giant snowplows were busy making way for the full summer season to open around the Memorial Day Holiday.   On the drive back to the RV Park we saw  "The Colorado Cherry Company" and stopped in for a tasting!  We left smacking our lips and packing a bag filled with jarred jellies including cherry butter! 

A day to remember -