Out There with Lea & Larry: Montana

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.