the Black Hills

Saturday, July 29, 2017

In camp at Hill City, SD

Although we’ve been here several times before, this is still a favorite place to visit.

We explored the Iron Mountain highway which has several small one lane tunnels. Peter Norbeck designed this highway and the Needles Highway specifically to have “the grandest views and to engage the senses with the scenery”. The park keeps the trees trimmed so there is a view of Mount Rushmore from the tunnel. Very clever!

We then turned onto the wildlife drive of Custer State Park where we found a herd of pronghorns. Buffalo, burros, and prairie dogs were also part of the fun.

We headed home over the Needles Highway and through this narrow cleft in the rocks. Had to pull the truck mirrors in! The tourists on the other side were not a welcoming committee nor betting whether we would get stuck…at least we don’t think so!

While Luci shopped for groceries, I found a tourist train leaving Hill City in the rain.

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

into South Dakota

Friday, July 28, 2017

Sheridan WY to Hill City, SD

We hopped on I-90 headed east across the high plains of eastern Wyoming. The morning was bright and sunny after last nights rain.

The landscape varied from irrigated circles of crops

to open range with cattle.

After we crossed into South Dakota we passed the Crazy Horse Memorial. We did not go in, but it didn’t look any different than it did the last time we were here in 2004.

We set up camp at Sheridan Lake Campground in the Black Hills National Forest. It was a perfect road trip day. Felix liked that it ended with him chasing his red ball into the lake.

240 miles today

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

over the mountains

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Mammoth Hot Springs, WY to Sheridan, WY

We began the trip home today and what a beginning! We started in the shadow of the travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs and travelled through the lush and wild Lamar Valley to the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. All those little brown dots are bison.

Then we followed the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway from Cooke City to Cody, WY.

We crossed over Dead Indian Pass at 8000’ where Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tricked the Army and escaped down the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. The modern road up wiggles below us.

A wounded warrior was left at the pass by the Nez Perce to convince the Army of the deception. The Army fell for the deception and killed him. His spirit lives on at the pass.

Then from Cody to Greybull, where we crossed the Bighorn River at an elevation of 3800’.

Then up Shell canyon and over the Big Horn Mountains at Granite Pass at an elevation of 9,000’.

The plateau at the top of Granite Pass was partly grazed and partly National Forest including lovely wilderness camp grounds.

Then back down we went to Dayton and the Tongue River to an elevation of about 3900’.

We camped for the night in Sheridan, WY. Shortly after we arrived we had a terrific thunderstorm with dime sized hail pounding the roof of the camper. Fortunately, we had no damage but, wow, did the wind ever rock the camper! The storm blew over and we went out for dinner at the Wyoming Rib and Chop House, a spinoff of the original in Livingston, Montana.

277 miles today

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

It continues in Hill City S D

Sent from Rory’s iPhone

Three surveyors and one other guy

This never gets old

Sent from Rory’s iPhone

Day 2 & 3 Yellowstone

Tuesday, July 25, 2017 and Wednesday, July 26, 2017

In camp at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

We spent two wonderful days exploring the park especially parts that we had not seen before.

This is our campsite at Monmouth Hot Springs.

Tower Falls just above where Tower Creek empties into the Yellowstone River.

Dorothy took a picture of Luci and me in this same area in 1998.

More wildflowers!. We never get tired of them. Two years ago the park was so much drier but the drought appears to be over! Yellowstone Lake, the rivers and streams are all at full bank.

The bubbling hot spots and vents are fascinating.

Roaring Mountain – There is a bit of a Sulphur smell as the vents here puff away. It’s bigger than the photo suggests! For all the belching, only a small stream outlets here.

Along with Acadia, Yellowstone is our favorite national park, endlessly fascinating, endlessly beautiful.

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Yellowstone Day 1

Monday, July 24, 2017

Livingston, MT to Mammoth Hot Springs, WY

When our friends left us to head east yesterday, we decided to end this amazing adventure by visiting three of our favorite places. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the Black Hills in South Dakota, and Clayton, NY. We drove the 50 miles south up Paradise Valley to the north entrance to Yellowstone at Gardiner, Mt. Five miles further on we were in line at 9AM to score one of the first come first served campsites at Mammoth Hot Springs. We have a lovely site facing east and looking out at the ridge on the other side of the valley. We set up camp, visited with our neighbors, and set off to see a little of the park.

Mammoth Hot Springs are a series of cascading geothermal features rather than geysers.

We found this little spitter on a side road near the top of the formations.

The Gallatin Range is on the northwest side of the park.

An impromptu lunch spot. There was petite silver lupin everywhere!

A beautiful little hot pool near the Norris Geyser Basin. We may not take Felix on any of the trails; dogs are allowed only in parking and developed areas. It was too warm to leave him in the truck!

Felix is fishing just above the Virginia Cascades. He tried to catch a few sticks.

Much to our delight the wildflowers are still putting on quite a show.

We drove up the side road to the shoulder of Mt. Washburn and watched a thundershower pass by to the north. The trees in the foreground are all fire killed.

About 60 miles to the campsite then about 100 miles within the park

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Back in the USA!

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Radium Hot Springs, B.C. to Three Forks, MT

Today was a long travel day. We got up early and left the little town of Radium Hot Springs behind. Giant log yard on the right, and gorgeous mountains in the early morning light. The first 10 minutes of getting up early are tough, then it is the best time of day!

Soon we were following Jim and Barbara through US customs into Eureka, Montana. No eggs, no peppers, no lemons or limes…no issues!

We scurried down the west side of Flathead Lake, the largest fresh water US lake west of the Mississippi River to I-90 at Missoula. Then we headed east on I-90 to a nice campground at Three Forks we stayed at two years ago. There was a family of baby Western Kingbirds at our campsite. The landscape sure has changed since we left Alaska!

510 miles today

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Three Forks, MT to Livingston, MT.

We had Jim’s famous blueberry pancakes for breakfast and then said “Good Bye” to Jim and Barbara, as they were headed east.

The Corn Palace is on their “must-do” list!

We headed east to Bozeman for groceries, oil change, and laundry. After lunch, we stopped at the Paradise Valley KOA about 10 miles south of Livingston, MT. It was quite hot (91 degrees) and Felix swam in the very fast-moving Yellowstone River twice. We had baby Robins still in the nest right next to the trailer.

75 miles today

(Jim and Barbara had 579 miles to Rapid City, SD!)

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Jasper

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Robson Provincial Park, B.C. to Jasper, Alberta

We drove east on Route 16 and over Yellowhead Pass into Jasper, Alberta and the Mountain Time Zone. With no reservations, we considered ourselves lucky to get into the overflow parking area at Wapiti Campground in Jasper National Park. It was better than a lot of the “campgrounds” we stayed in this trip. It was paved, but with electricity and a nearby brand new bathroom with hot showers we were happy after several days of being off the grid! Also, the elk went out of their way to entertain us!

Across the way, the Athabasca River flowed. Very pretty scenery, but hazy from forest fire smoke.

And it had a herd of Wapiti (elk) right outside our window. Felix was wary but they ignored each other.

Jasper was as beautiful as we remembered from two years ago but very smoky. During the afternoon, we watched a helicopter with a large bucket dropping water on a small fire just over the ridge from town. We ate dinner out at the Jasper Brewing Company Pub and watched trains on the Canadian National mainline. Both the VIA transcontinental train, and the Rocky Mountaineer, an excursion train, came into town while we ate. The VIA train was a very long train complete with sleepers, dining cars, dome cars, and a rounded end observation car very much reminiscent of the 50s and 60s. The Rocky Mountaineer was a modern high-level train with big observation windows like the current trains in the west.

This elk keeps in touch with the rangers! Note the radio collar.

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Kootenay National Park

Friday, July 21, 2017

In camp at Redstreak Campground, Kootenay National Park, Radium Hot Springs, B.C.

We left camp and retraced yesterday’s path along Route 93 through the Kootenay River Valley. The river was too fast for Felix to swim although the man in the left of the picture did take a quick dip. Later some of the 6 children with him also went in the chilly water. We watched in amazement as the family of 8 piled out of the relatively small RV! Blue sky for the moment but a chilly day, temp in upper 50’s.

Marble Canyon is a beautiful glacial fed stream running into the Vermillion River. There are bridges and boardwalks as the cleft in the rock gets more narrow and deep. The new growth is overtaking the scars of the fire that consumed this area in 2003.

Tragically at the top of the canyon a sad story unfolds. In 2003 two young girls were hiking with their parents when a freak wind storm came up and toppled a 60 foot tall spruce onto the girls killing them. We found this stone two years ago and Luci remembered and went right to the spot. The two park rangers at the foot of the trail had no idea of its existence.

Fireweed is still in abundance. Depending on elevation, in some places it is starting to go by.

On the way back to the campground these male Big Horned Sheep were showstoppers right in the middle of the road!

Two years ago, this boys’ club of sheep were atop the bank, eyes nearly closed in the afternoon sun in Zen-like serenity.

We did not see the mamas and babies this time.

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/