So, off we were quite early on August 6, to Flathead Lake
but the campground host disappointed when he informed us that nothing was
available into which we could fit our rig. Upon his advice we headed further
south for a private campground not quite on the lake. We missed the turnoff and
decided to carry on to Missoula http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missoula,_Montana and
https://www.google.com/search?q=Missoula+MT&client=firefox-a&hs=Rmu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=iu_5U6uMIY6yyATgpYLADQ&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=622 along the scenic route and thus shorten the
next leg of the trip. We found an excellent full service site at Jellystone
Park, Missoula MT http://www.jellystonemt.com/ and spent two nights, utilizing a whole day
for housekeeping, communications and blog related work. Our neighbors in one of the attractive cabins
were Bob and his wife -- Harley Davison bikers from Uniontown, Washington, that
came out for a couple of days and were returning home via a scenic 200 mile
haul the day we were leaving. Not having much luggage space on their bike, we
benefitted in the form of Doritos chips and mustard that would otherwise gone
waste.
We were well placed for another attempt at finding a first
come first serve campsite, this time at Lake Como, a Public Lands venue http://publiclands.org/explore/site.php?id=2883 . The narrow access road suggested a lovely
location and before reaching the camp ground, we were directed to a turnoff,
where watercraft were inspected and we had to also complete an extensive
questionnaire about our boating endeavors. These folks are serious about
contamination of their lakes with plant and animal matter from elsewhere and we
were lectured on these, including a wide variety of miniscule snails, etc.
Finally, we could proceed and approaching the entrance, our faces really sagged
when seeing the notice: FULL. We had to enter in order to turn around and
passed the Campground Host site, where we stopped. Willem approached the lady
at her camper and asked advice as to where else we could look. She escorted us
to a beautiful site that had shortly before been vacated; she hadn’t yet
changed the sign at the entrance! We were comfortably settled before long and
hiked around the dam to the lake, where many day users were on the beach and
quite a few boats -- rowing and motorized -- were afloat.
Lake Como is a beautiful place https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+como+mt&client=firefox-a&hs=O7R&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=y636U7rFKZWAygTvzIAg&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=622 (careful with these; there are other Lake
Como’s in the world and some foreign images made it in here). It being a
weekend resulted in quite a crowd moving in on Saturday. With only 16 camp
sites, we saw numerous interested parties passing through disappointed,
though. The exception was a couple from
Missoula on Friday afternoon. We considered ourselves fortunate to get the only
vacant site that morning. But at about 2:00 pm the site opposite ours was
vacated and shortly after, John and Becky showed up and asked Willem what he
knew about the spot. Suggesting that it seems free, they immediately rushed to
complete the self-check-in process and so we acquired a fun-couple as
neighbors. They are professional people who’ve camped all over but never
relatively close to home at Como! On Saturday morning they had their inflatable
boat readied at their camp site and spent the better part of the day rowing
around the lake. Boat activity in general was significantly up and Willem, who
had wandered over to the launch area, was amazed at the variety in kind and
size that showed up. Some were clearly suitable for ocean faring but these
inland folks stopped at nothing!
Our planning depended on obtaining a first come first serve
campsite just outside of West Yellowstone for three days and our somewhat
flawed track record at this kind of thing had us in part reassess our travel
plan. Having learned about a relatively poor road condition toward Bannack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bannack,_Montana and https://www.google.com/search?q=Bannack+MT&client=firefox-a&hs=www&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=bUb7U7q3FNKfyASo9ICYDg&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=622
, and the fact that flood damage to
buildings had been incurred a year or so ago,
supported the decision to opt out of the historical route, also skipping
Virginia City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_City,_Montana and go for the scenic which would place us
much better for reaching West Yellowstone early in the morning. We thus
followed Route 93 south from Lake Como, switching to Route 43 East, I-15 North,
I-90 East via Butte and finally 287 South to Ennis, MT. This was an interesting
run through greatly varying countryside, which never stopped impressing us from
agriculturally developed and scenic points of view. The Big Hole and Wise
Rivers kept us company for much of the way and we never lost sight of
mountains, neither to the east nor the west. We stopped briefly at a Walmart in
Butte for supplies and getting gas for the last stretch. We could clearly see
the vast mining, including diamond, operations across I-90, http://www.mininghistoryassociation.org/Butte2.htm
, while Fickie also noticed and
photographed a huge sculpture on a distant mountain http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700045097/Our-Lady-of-the-Rockies-90-foot-statue-dedicated-to-workers-women-everywhere.html?pg=all
.
Ennis was a welcoming town
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ennis+MT&client=firefox-a&hs=hG8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Err6U5eJN46yyATgpYLADQ&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=622 and Ennis RV Village proved to be an
unexpected jewel among RV campgrounds http://www.ennisrv.com/ . On the edge of a sizable meadow was a herd of
cattle grazing before nightfall and a fellow camper had set up an impressive
photography assembly trailed at the distant mountains and awaiting the almost
full moon to rise. While having dinner there was a knock on the door and
neighbors alerted us to the moon rising above clouds that shielded the
mountains across the wide open fields. For us Ennis was a one-night thing,
having arrived late in the day and departed early the next morning, aiming for
Bakers Hole, MT outside of Yellowstone.
Not having unhooked, we were quickly off the mark from Ennis
to Bakers Hole
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gallatin/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=5573&actid=29 , along Route
287. For more than 20 miles we tracked Hebgen Lake and expected to camp on its
shore, should we succeed at securing a site. We got there shortly after 10 am
and laid claim to the only vacant electric site! It took a while to get our
water tank filled, not having had a suitable fitting for the spigot but were
soon comfortable and decided to take the rest of the day easy. Unfortunately
the water level of Hebgen Lake was way down and in the area of Bakers Hole, the
base was very gradually sloping, with the waterline perhaps a mile away in the
distance and it would take a vast rise to restore the shore close to camp. That
was not what we were there for; Yellowstone National Park was http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm .
Having learned that
the place could be really crowded in summer, it was by design that we wanted to
cover the northern part of the park by successive entries from West
Yellowstone, then move to Alpine, Wyoming, south of Jackson to explore that
area up to the Grand Teton Mountains and finally re-enter Yellowstone from the
south for two days in the only serviced RV campground inside the park, where we
had a reserved site for covering the lower ranges of the park.
Our campground host at Bakers Hole suggested we not join the
West Entrance line at 6 in the morning, which could reach right into town by 8;
just go after 9, which is what we did the next morning and simply entered the
park without delay, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park
We decided not to
head for Old Faithful but drive to Canyon Village without stopping at
sightseeing spots. Within a few miles into the park, we came across two bison
bulls right by the side of the road. These are impressive animals and we
thought the sight of a herd of hundreds of bison would certainly be something
to behold. We were not under-appreciating that which were in front of us at
that moment, though; buffalo bulls are solitary creatures and one would not
expect to see any together with a sizable herd of cows and calfs at this time
of the year. Hours later and miles
further along the way to Mammoth Hot Springs, we haven’t encountered any other
notable wild life, which contrasted sharply with experiences in African game
preserves. It dawned upon us that Yellowstone was not first and foremost a game
preserve, notwithstanding raised expectations to see elk, moose, bison by the
hundreds and smaller game in abundance. One should keep in mind that the
variety of African game and their presence in game preserves are an altogether
different ball game. This having been realized, we could appreciate Yellowstone
for what it really is; a very unique place essentially capping volcanic
understructures and venting such in various spectacular ways, unlike any other
place on earth. https://www.google.com/search?q=Yellowstone+National+Park&client=firefox-a&hs=81o&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=EIIEVPaYOYXLggTkxoK4BA&ved=0CHAQsAQ&biw=1358&bih=614
The upper and lower
falls in the Yellowstone River are readily observable from outlooks near Canyon
Village http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/maps.htm . Plenty of other outlooks along the way via
Tower Roosevelt and Mammoth Hot Springs, as shown in the last link, were quite
accessible, notwithstanding the many tourists that we were warned about. But
the going was slow and still consistent with advice previously obtained, heading
south from Mammoth Hot Springs, road construction underway wasn’t quite the
problem that it would have been earlier in the day. By the time we were back at
Madison and heading for West Yellowstone, we have witnessed an amazing array of
structures and colors to which no photograph can do justice. Much of what we
saw are quite well understood, for instance the spectrum of colors attributable
to the presence of differing micro-organisms flourishing in water of differing
composition and temperatures, peculiar to each organism. Their biochemistry to
cope with such high temperatures certainly raised questions that are sending us
to texts and even the internet for quick direction. If only the latter was as
quick and accessible in these parts as one would have liked! A bonus for the
day, before we reached the exit, was a group of elk grazing right by the road
side.
Our last western entry was later the next day and from
Madison we headed to Old Faithful , which presented a predictable display for
the sizable crowd that had gathered for the blow-out. The three geyser basins
on the return trip were also very much worthwhile to spend some time at and on
the way out our elk friends were there to remind us that there really are game
to appreciate in Yellowstone.
Failing to get the truck serviced in West Yellowstone (the
two service stations had one-week waiting lists) Willem had more success
calling a Jiffy Lube in Idaho Falls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_Falls
and scheduling service en route to
Alpine, WY. This changed our route a bit and we were at Jiffy Lube before 1:00
pm. We uncoupled the RV next to the service bay and stepped next door for a
hamburger lunch while the truck job was being done. Afterwards we drove by the falls https://www.google.com/search?q=Idaho+Falls&client=firefox-a&hs=bf&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=nJAEVJ7GEMTpggTz4YGICA&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1358&bih=614 and picked up supplies from Walmart before
hooking up the trailer and heading to Alpine, where we had a reserved campsite
for 3 nights http://publiclands.org/Get-Books-and-Maps.php?plicstate=ID
.
The campground host, Kent, at this Public Lands campground found our reservation after deciphering the
misspelling on his list and directed us to our campsite – one of only 13,
reservable. It was dry camping but the facility was really well kept with a
fresh water supply and lenient generator use hours. This was quite sufficient
for our needs because we didn’t plan to be spending much time in camp; the location
was really good for excursions from this home base. Still well-wedged,
following the lunch burgers, dinner came later and we had ample opportunity to
settle in. Alpine https://www.google.com/search?q=Alpine+Wy&client=firefox-a&hs=fo&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=zpIEVMiKDNGuggStqYDwDA&ved=0CEsQsAQ&biw=1358&bih=614 is a tiny village at the junction of routes
89 and 28, the latter winding along the Snake River to Jackson, 30 miles
away http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson,_Wyoming
. That is where we went the next
morning. For Willem and Susan it was probably the same route taken 40 years ago
but virtually nothing was recognizable except for the square in downtown
Jackson. Still graced by antler portals at the four corners, the park probably
hasn’t undergone much change over time https://www.google.com/search?q=Jackson,+Wy&client=firefox-a&hs=mq&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UZMEVNXwCo-8ggSMtYDIBw&ved=0CGEQsAQ&biw=1358&bih=614 and https://www.google.com/search?q=Jackson,+WY+Town+square&client=firefox-a&hs=7tV&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=I5kEVO32DZDxgwS_14GoDA&ved=0CDYQ7Ak&biw=1272&bih=614
. The surrounding buildings appeared well preserved, although probably put to
different use today. A tavern at one corner
http://www.townsquaretavern.com/
is most likely the same as that where
an excellent male vocalist on stage with a band entertained the packed audience
on, amongst others, the song: Tie a
Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree. When Willem and Susan pointed this out to
the receptionist, who, in addition to the manager in attendance, had not been
born at the time, they were fascinated and coffee was on the house!
We carried on to Teton Village https://www.google.com/search?q=Teton+Village&client=firefox-a&hs=zlq&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=LpwEVMv6L4K7ggS_j4LYCA&ved=0CD4QsAQ&biw=1272&bih=614 to the north and returned to Alpine via
Jackson. The next morning we headed north from Alpine along routes 26, 31 and
33 via Teton Pass https://www.google.com/search?q=Teton+Pass&client=firefox-a&hs=4SB&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=l5wEVOirC9K4ggTc1oLoAQ&ved=0CEgQsAQ&biw=1272&bih=614 to Jackson and north to spectacular Jackson
Lake http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Lake ,
https://www.google.com/search?q=Jackson+Lake&client=firefox-a&hs=AAW&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Bp0EVLHLBo7AggS7hoDYCg&ved=0CEIQsAQ&biw=1272&bih=614 and the Grand Teton Mountains https://www.google.com/search?q=Grand+Teton+Mountains&client=firefox-a&hs=eYB&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8Z0EVIXVNMSVgwSlrIKwBA&ved=0CD4QsAQ&biw=1272&bih=614 . And
it was along this route that we came across a huge herd of bison grazing in a
valley and spotted some trophy quality elk bulls close to the road. Although a
very rewarding day trip, it did not lead us by a moose, which remained an
elusive prize for Fickie’s camera lens. Back via Jackson to Alpine to get ready
for our southern entry of Yellowstone the next morning.
Once more we followed the Snake River via Jackson, past the
bison herd to the north and the Grand Tetons to the west. It is truly a scenic
drive, leading past Yellowstone Lake and yes, the trademarks of Yellowstone -- various forms of bubbling-ups -- were in evidence along the way to Fishing
Bridge http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/camping.htm#Camping%20-%20Yellowstone%20National%20Park
, where we had a site reserved for our 5th
wheel for two nights. We had quite a
lovely spot (http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishingbridge.htm
) although it took some doing to get the 5th wheel backed into the assigned site. Neighboring
campers were sympathetically amused; they have seen this before! The camping area was huge and our location
quite some distance from where the showers were located. In addition, it was a
particularly dark night but we’ve grown accustomed to simply wander around
without using flash lights. Such was again the case when Fickie and Stella set
out to utilize the shower facilities. On
their way back, though, a guy was seriously shining around with his flashlight,
remarking that a bison had been observed in the campground. It dawned upon the
Fick’s that it explained the large dark figure they’ve passed rather closely on
their way to the bath house! Never a dull moment! But Fishing Bridge certainly facilitated
exploring the West Thumb and Craig Pass area toward Old Faithfull. This brought
to an end our Yellowstone visit and we left without having seen a moose!
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