June 17 Grand Canyon and Monument Valley

June 17 - North Rim of Grand Canyon and Monument Valley

Up early to head for the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Our instinct was to skip the south rim and the crowds and glad we did. The road into the north rim is over 40 miles long and vast stretches of it still show thousands of acres of forest fire damage. This was a fire in 2000 and parts of the forest look like it happened yesterday. We saw one memorial to a firefighter who died. I also kept wondering how
many animals died in that blaze. The undergrowth is slowly coming back unlike the Yellowstone fire damage of 1988 where the new trees are thick and probably 10 feet tall.



Very few people at north rim when we got there. Parked the TC next to an Earthroamer but never caught up with the owners. Those things are massive and I can only imagine the fuel cost. Our Host truck camper looked dwarfed.

Knew we were not going to walk down a long trail into the canyon as it was already hot and we are just not agile enough anymore to come back up. Down I could probably do. Up I doubted so didn't try. Make these trips when you are YOUNG folks. Since we thought we were going to take a short hike, didn't take the pack with water, etc. Really dumb, BAD move as we ended up walking a couple of miles and were quite
dehydrated and hot when we got back to the TC. We walked out to Bright Angel Point and spent about two hours in all on that short, steep trail just in awe of the canyon. I kept thinking of the pioneers who had crossed the great plains, pulled wagons over mountains and probably thought they were home free for getting west. Wrong! Here suddenly is this massive canyon in the way that they had to go around.



No way to describe the light, the depth or the sheer size of the Grand Canyon. It is truly awesome. After drinking about a gallon of water each and cooling down some, we walked back to the Lodge, had another drink and sat out on a stone veranda and just looked at the canyon.



Finally on towards Monument Valley to see if John Wayne was still riding around making movies.

But??? what is that noise? We didn't like a transmission noise so called our Ford dealer in Maine. After describing the noise, he basically said it was okay but to stop at a local dealer if we wanted and have them do a courtesy inspection. Of course we wanted since we get back into some pretty remote areas. Basically it sounds
like it is going into overdrive beyond tow haul and has to be kicked out to get the whining noise to stop. We think it is totally associated with tow haul since no noise ever when not using tow haul. It has now happened three times, mostly after a very steep, long grade in hot temps at 6,500 to 8,000 feet altitude. No warning lights or error messages come on. Detoured to Page, AZ to a dealer but they couldn't take a look for days. We'll call ahead to an Albuquerque Ford place and make an appointment for a look see plus an oil change. 2005 F-350,3.0 Powerstroke engine if anyone has a clue. Did stop at Glen Canyon Dam in Page while there so not a wasted stop.

From Page, took 98 to 160 to 163 in Monument Valley. The sight distances are vast.





Tonight we are in a Navajo campground which blessedly has electricity for air conditioning. It was 97 in the TC when we opened her up. Got to get a MaxAir vent cover but it was so hot today, doubt the vent while driving would really help any. It's now down to 80 in the TC so we will be able to sleep. Tomorrow we are thinking of taking a jeep tour with a guide out into the valley - this time with hats, water,
sun screen, etc. etc.

June 16 - Zion Kolob Canyons and Zion National Park

June 16 - Zion Kolob Canyons and Zion National Park

The western heat hit with a vengeance today, at least for these thick blooded northeastern bodies. We're not used to 100 degrees, low humidity and the type of weather than just sucks all the moisture out of your body. Really enjoyed reading Silversands narrative of the cool and fog at Recompense in Maine.

Started the day tow-hauling up the passes of Zion's Kolob Canyon south of Cedar City. We started down the Timber Creek Overlook trail but quickly returned to the TC as it was way too steep for our level of hiking.



Down I-15, to 17 to 9. We stopped at Colpits Wash and walked a ways in to see Grafton, a ghost town. Couple coming out said not to keep going as there wasn't much left to see! On to the Zion Canyon entrance and then into South Campground as there were spaces available. Figured it would be full if we didn't take a space early morning. Took a long time to pick out one that had some shade, was relatively level and felt like it might get a breeze. There were a suprising number of sites available at that time. Very picturesque place to camp with tall peaks all around.



Walked to the Visitor Center with Joe carrying the waist pack full of water, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. etc. Boarded the free shuttle bus and started up the road to the top of Zion that can be reached by road. At each shuttle stop we got out and walked at least part of the hike paths - until we got to the one that went straight up. Teenage boys were RUNNING up it. Ah - youth! No way were we going to try that one. By this time the temperature was hovering around 98-101F and we were wilting fast. At each stop we would refill our big water bottles but there wasn't really a way to keep up with the sweat output. On the way down, stopped at Zion Lodge and enjoyed seeing the old buildings and photos - plus two huge ice teas.



By the time we had ridden the shuttle down, walked to the campground and found the Truck Camper was 99F inside, we were just plain wiped out. We had not enjoyed Zion as we have all the other parks we have been to. It was just too crowded, hot and hot. Yes we could have run the generator for two hours in the evening for some AC but everyone around us were in tents and it didn't seem fair. We decided to push 0n to somewhere we could either run the generator longer or get power. The campground was full when we left and some lucky person benefited by our leaving.



The tunnel going out the east side of Zion is an real engineering work especially since it was built in the early '30s. Trucks, RVs etc are restricted in height and have to be let through in a line one way down the middle of the tunnel. $15 gets you two trips through in a week. We lucked out and were atvthe end of the line so after we were through, could drive slowly since no one was behind us. They close the tunnel to one side at a time. The East end of Zion (for us) was much more interesting than the main part of the park. Great folds of rock that looked like running water, swirls of waves and just fields of folded lava - and no crowds.





A camper in SD had told us if we were ever in Kanab, UT to go to Houston's Trail's End Restaurant. They are the ones who have mobile kitchens to serve meals to the army of firefighters when a big fire is fought. The waitress had on a gun belt with holsters for order pads. Too hot to be hungry but we split a very spicy order of nachos and a piece of homemade chocolate cream pie - and about another quart of water apiece. Recommend a stop there if you are nearby.

We're in a tiny campground called the RV Corral in Kanab. We're probably not true TCers or we would be back sweating at Zion. AC has been running for an hour and it is 82F inside and 92F outside. What a blessed 10 degree difference!

Next to us is a beautiful brand new Arctic Fox, Silver Fox Edition that the couple has just taken delivery of. They are headed back to AZ where it is 112F at their home. Invited them up to New England to get cool. They gave us great local info on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Monument Valley and a brand new RV park at a casino in Sky City, NM. We've never been to a western casino so just might stop there.

Tomorrow North Rim and the start of our turn eastward. After the crowds at Zion, we're skipping the south rim. Lots of campers have told us if you go to the north, you can bypass the south. Might regret it but we'll see.

Bryce Canyon and Cedar Break Parks

June 15 - Bryce National Park and Cedar Break National Monument

Today was a rock day - pink, red, white, blue, cracked, whole, crumbling, covered in some snow, tall, short and solid. We're still on East Coast body time so were the first people in the door at Bryce Canyon National Park Visitor Center this morning. Got good ranger advice as always on the best way to see the park since we weren't
spending a week there.

First stop was jaw dropping even after all the geology we've seen. We walked the rim trail from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point to Inspiration Point to Bryce Point about a two mile hike in all. This is the rim of the Bryce Amphitheater and probably the most dramatic views in the park. Took the park shuttle bus back to Sunrise and the TC as we were really tired. Sunrise Point is the introduction to the Hoo Doo rock
formations that stick up like sharp fingers in a azillion colors but mostly red. This is all at an elevation of about 7,200 - 7,500 feet and these sea level lungs took a beating. Joe carried the pack with water, sunscreen, dry socks, etc. etc. and we used them all.







We then drove the main park road to Rainbow Point, about 18 miles one way stopping at every view point along the way. I kept thinking of Farctic Ox and Cheryl who hike DOWN into the canyon. Power to you Ted! Glad we got going earlier since it was a bit cooler but the later in the day it got the more tour buses showed up and this isn't even high tourist season yet. We are seeing few TCs in the last couple of days but are seeing more and more of the rental C size RVs.

As we left the park, we could see a huge smoke cloud coming from what looked like the Dixie Forest east of us where we had passed the day before. Long lines of fire trucks, pickups filled with men and tanker trucks passed as we went west. Hope it is small and put out quickly. We learned a lot about the role that fire plays in these huge forests and for the most part it is beneficial but really ugly to view plus
the loss of wildlife.

Route 12 out of Bryce, down 89, over to a road we wanted to take called Fish Hatchery Road but it was closed due to a bridge being out. We took Route 14 up to Cedar Brakes National Monument, climbing and climbing and finally getting there and being at 10,300 feet. Crystal clear, beautiful scenery in a small park. Eight years ago the cedars were devastated by a borer beetle and vast stands are dead standing
timber. I shudder to think what a fire through there would look like.



Made a lot of people mad going downhill to Cedar City since we were in tow haul and not pushing the speed limit. Out west there are a lot of places to pull over for faster traffic and we used them as often as possible. Ford performed well, TC is a great home to be carrying around with you. We needed to reprovision so we are in the parking lot at Cedar city Walmart tonight with maybe 20 other RVs, using wi-fi
that's just out there. Tomorrow we head for Zion National Park and will try to camp there overnight.

It's hot, we're both tired, altitude got me a bit today but the TC is comfortable and we want to keep going on this trip. North Rim of the Grand Canyon calls! We understand from some of the RVs around us that it is snow clear and open. We'll see.

June 13 - Canyonlands and Natural Bridges

June 13 - Canyonlands National Park to Hanksville, UT

No bad luck today on a Friday the 13th. Clear, sunny, about 75F degrees most of the day with only a bit of low 80s. Sure can tell the difference in dry climate in the west as we went through a lot of water and iced tea today, much more than in New England at the same temps. No wonder all the warning signs at trailheads say to take a gallon of water a person per day.

From Moab we went north to Canyonlands National Park and glad we did. I figured you seen one canyon you seen them all. Not! This is a wild, unforgiving land and reading the information signs on how the early ranchers survived was interesting. The Indians colonized and abandoned this land many times over thousands of years as the climate changed. We almost had this park to ourselves as most people go over to Arches and never see Canyonlands. We hiked some of the trails around Shafer Canyon Viewpoint and Buck Canyon overlook. From Shafer you could see part of a 110 mile jeep trail that our truck camper friends who Jeep must live for.







We also listened to a Ranger at the Green River overlook talk about how the canyons were formed and why they are still eroding. You know, when you don't have to learn this stuff for tests, it's pretty interesting.

Backtracked through Moab to dump the tanks and take on a bit of water. Then south from Moab headed down Route 191 again, a scenic byway in Utah. Towns are very few and very far between on 191 so decided to diesel up. $5.09 a gallon in Blanding, UT but they do have to get it there and it really is the middle of just about nowhere. Near Blanding we cut over onto Route 95, again a scenic byway and went to Natural
Bridges National Monument. This is a very small park and showcases three rock Bridges carved out by river activity. I skipped going down to the one where you had to climb down ladders at three different levels. Just about got run over by an 82 year old woman hiking along - you go girl! Made it to the other two and one of them was a painful hike but worth it.



Unfortunately both the campground for Natural Bridges and the BLM site nearby were full. We tried to talk the ranger into just letting us park but he said no as the BLM site was being harmed with too many people. So on we went north, through miles and miles of incredible bright red rock canyons in Glen Canyon. Every time you turned a corner the landscape changed and looked just like all those western movies we watched as kids.



This is open stock range land but never saw any cattle, only a lot of jackrabbits. We crossed the Dirty Devil River right where it and the Colorado River empty into Lake Powell. Got passed a lot by pickups hauling Skidoos and pulling huge power boats headed for the lake.

Sort of dumb not to just stop somewhere on open range land for the night but if you haven't been out west, it's hard to explain the feeling of being alone on the range. We're used to forests and trees and a more closed in feeling. Decided to come up to Hanksville, UT closer to Capital Reef National Park which we are going to tour
tomorrow. There are a lot of petroglyphs there, plus more info on geology and early man in this part of the west. $10 campground with clean hot showers next to a restaurant where Joe had a really good broiled trout for supper.

Tomorrow - on to Capital Reef and towards Bryce.

June 14 - Capital Reef, Anasazi Village, Escalante

June 14, 2008 - Hanksville, UT to Cannonville, UT
Capital Reef National Park, Anasazi Village, Escalante Steeps

I wonder which state has the most scenic byways? If Utah isn't the top of the list it has got to be close. Every turn, the land changes, there are federal, state parks and little jewels of towns everywhere.

Left Hanksville, UT headed down I-24 towards Capital Reef National Park. This park is in a narrow valley with the Fremont River running through it. It's been home to many settlements of Puebloan people, early western settlers, Mormons and other folk. These civilizations have come and gone with the climate and how much water is in the
river. Enough comes in now to have fruit orchards and cottonwood trees along the river. We wanted to come to this park to see the petroglyphs(carved or pecked into the rock, not painted) and other remnants of the Freemont culture from 700 to 1300 AD.



The visitor center was very good even having pots from the period. One thing the National Park Service does right is visitor center personnel and information. A ranger told us not to miss the Grand Wash Trail off of the Scenic Drive Road. Most people don't attempt it except serious hikers) as it looks too rough to drive in. But we are Truck Camper people right? Any other type of RV would have had a hard time turning at the end or on the Grand Wash Trail. We finally got to see the real Utah wild canyons, eagles and hiking trails. Did we fully walk the trail marked "extreme" into the Butch Cassidy Arch all the way to the end? No but we started it and sweated about a quart of water each. Magnificent scenery - no way do descriptions or pictures do it justice. Trailhead started at N38 15.82 W111 12.97. Echo Cliff was just that with the crows calling and echoing like a chorus.





Continued on to the end of the Scenic Drive, across many areas that get flash floods when it rains in the hills. Dry, hot and about 85 degrees today but you could see what would happen when it rained. This road is about 8 miles long and covers about every type of rock in Utah. Both of these drives/hikes are musts if you are anywhere nearby.

At Torrey, Route 12 heads south towards Dixie National Forest, Escalante National Monument and Bryce Canyon. Route 12 is among the best scenic byways we've been on. The road rises through five different life zones from high desert to coniferous forests at 7,800 feet. MANY 14% grades with jackknife turns keep you on your tow-haul
toes. I pity anyone with an RV without tow-haul and good brakes up on this road.

On the downside of Escalante is Boulder, UT, a small, very neat town with the We wandered the exhibits including the dig of an actual village. Didn't spend as much time as we wanted to because a huge bus full of screaming teenagers pulled in and overran the place. Onward!

Quite the drive through more of the Dixie National Forest to Cannonville. At one place the road had about 3 feet on each side until a sheer drop off into canyons on both sides. Would not be a fun winter road.



We chose to stop at a commercial campground tonight to do laundry, catch up on family emails and (of course!) RV.NET. Need to spend some time shaking out the dust and road debris and ready ourselves for Bryce, Zion and the north rim of the Grand Canyon. A couple we talked to today had major snow on the north rim just a few days ago. Thought the strong sewer smell was from our camper and that we had a leak
problem until we heard the horses neighing in the pasture next to us

It's 87 degrees, dry as a bone and we're going to take advantage of the 30 amp power and turn on the AC tonight to at least cool down the camper. Stiff breeze so it should cool off later. Bryce is supposed to be 100F tomorrow but Grand Canyon is supposed to be in the high 80s later this week. Keep thinking about our truck camper friend FlyFisher Dave and his trip to Alaska and wondering if he has his parka on yet.

Along the Colorado River and Arches National Park

June 12 - Along the Colorado River and Arches National Park

Tonight we are on BLM land along the Colorado River. Thought it would be pretty rowdy
when a whole pack of bicylists rolled in but once their tents were set up - they crashed!

Finally - a hot, dry, sunny day with not a taste of snow. After pouring over possible ways to get to Arches National Park from Green River, UT, we chose to go across I-70 to Cisco and take Route 128 south along the Colorado River. We try to find Scenic Byways if we can and this one was particularly scenic. The land along
I-70 has that blasted look of desert with almost no greenery, lots of sage brush,
rabbits and probably a lot of snakes but I wasn't going looking for them. A sign on the highway said "Eagles in Highway". They must pick up the road kill but we didn't see any - eagles or road kill.

We sort of looked at each other when we turned down Route 128 because it was a small road leading off forever. On we drove and suddenly you turn a corner and there in the distance is a low, long line of red. Not sure what it is until you get closer and see that it is a wall of red rock, buttes, boulders, and finally greenery in a string along the Colorado River.





This is part of the west we came looking for. We stopped over and over to stand awestruck in front of a wall or canyon of red rock. We walked a ways into a canyon but didn't lose sight of the road. Figured it would be pretty embarrassing to get rescued as "Two tourists from Maine who were too dumb to find the road again". We watched the rafters put in on the river and saw some ride over the rapids. The river rides are a huge business in this part of the country. About every other shop we saw in Moab had something to do with rafting, pack trips, canyon trips, Jeep excursions or "rent a Hummer excursions".



The National Park Service visitor center at Arches National Park did a very good job on explaining the geology of what you would see up in Arches. School is out in the west and there were a lot more people around than we had anticipated. The campground at the top of Arches was already full. We took the main road and all the side roads up to the top of Arches National Park and just could not believe our eyes. No way to explain how vast this land is and how red the earth is, with arches, spires, knobs, and canyons. We walked up to some of the arches but didn't do as many as we wanted due to the heat and altitude.





A ranger took quite a bit of time with us and helped us plot our course from Arches to Canyonland top and bottom to Natural Bridge to Capitol Reef to Bryce to Zion to north rim of the Grand Canyon to south rim. He asked if were planning on a two week trip to do this!! Hopefully we will be able to camp in some of the national parks in Utah but since we don't' know where we will be when, hard to make reservations. Tonight we are on BLM lands on the Colorado River just north of Moab. We were going into Moab to a recommended restaurant for authentic Mexican food but too nice to just sit by the river and eat left over steak and salad.

4163 miles $1,692.49 in diesel, 370 gallons for overall 11.25 miles per gallon. Not that horrible considering all the mountain driving we have been doing plus the stopping constantly.

Tomorrow we head off to Canyonlands National Park. Weather is supposed to be high 80s and sunny.

June 11 - Manila, UT to Green River, Utah

June 11 - Manila, UT to Green River, Utah

Today started with (what else) snow and freezing rain in Manila, Utah. We dieseled up for $4.72 and headed down Route 44 to Forest Road 218 which is known as Sheep Creek Road. This road is through part of the Ashley National Forest and is a real treasure of geology.



At every turn the rock formations change, in both form and color. We took a very leisurely drive never seeing another vehicle or person. Lots of rabbits, cattle, deer and raptors but only one small ranch but no one around. This is less than a 15 mile drive around the loop but took us over an hour and a half as we kept stopping to climb a bit and take pictures.



We next stopped at the Red Canyon Visitor Center which hangs over the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The weather was just perfect by then, bright sun, clear sky, up to 36F degrees but no wind. You could see forever. We walked the trails around the rim, keeping carefully back from about a 1700 foot drop to the rocks and water below.



Followed on to the dam at the base of the reservoir but the walkway to the backside to see the dam was closed for renovation. Interesting posters gave the history of how the dam was built. Backtracked up the grade from the dam and continued on Route 191. There is 7 miles of 8% grade with ten switchbacks going up and over a mountain range. Interesting driving especially pulling into the turnouts so the locals could fly by.



We passed phosphate mine operations and about a bazillion cattle ranches way back in the mountains. The houses had no electric poles to them so they either run off of solar or generator. Would hate to be back in there in the winter.

Made a stop at the Red Fleet State Park to see three big red rock formations that look like ships under sail. Then on to Vernal to the Utah Museum of Natural History. Had to make a decision to get a bit of rest off the road or push on a bit closer to Arches and Canyonland National Parks. LONG drive down Route 6 which is the fastest road we've been on in the west. It's flat, 70 mile an hour posted and interesting seeing the buttes and sand dunes on the east side of the road. Not too many people in the west go the speed limit and I don't mean slow. We made it to Green River to a small campground. Tomorrow we start our Grand Circle of the National Parks.

Getting close to time for a rest and relax day with no driving. We'll try to find a space within one of the parks and just relax and enjoy the west.

Victor, Idaho to Flaming Gorge Reservoir

Tuesday, June 10

Today ended our second week on the road. Doesn't seem that long and in another way it seems forever. We fought the wind and weather all day today in addition to walking a LOT at 7,000+ feet so we are a bit tired tonight. As a treat, we baked potatoes and grilled a steak in the TC convection oven, the first time we'd tried that. Worked great until the smoke alarm went off.

We left Victor,Idaho in thick snow and travel led up through the Targhee National Forest Reserve into what can only be described as wilderness. The Reserve is split by a level, fertile valley called Swan Valley, filled with herds of horses and cattle. Many outfitters take pack trains out of the valley and up into the wilderness for both scenic rides and for hunting. There were also row after row of snowmobiles for rent. Asked the young clerk at a diesel stop how much snow they got last winter and he said over 18'.

From Alpine, WY south, Tiny town after town are spread out down Route 89 with nothing in between but prairie and distant snow covered mountains. This is what Route 89 looks like.



It is a stark land with almost no cattle, wildlife or houses. Took us a long time to figure out that the big storage tanks inside of chair link fences were not part of an oil pipe line but were natural gas. Looks empty but wealthy underneath.

Across the main street of Afton, WY is an elk antler arch with two fighting elk on top. Raining too hard to get out and examine it a bit closer but sure catches your eye!



We switched over to Route 30 and headed for Fossil Butte National Monument just past Sage, WY. Both of us have a high interest in geology and paleontology. The education center is in a beautiful wooden building nestled into the side of a hill and heated/run with solar. Why nestled? because of the almost constant fierce wind. This area was once an inland sea/lake and the fish and other life was preserved in very thin layers that will break apart in thin sheets. Really amazing to seethe actual preparation of a fish for exhibit. We drove a long, dirt road up to the top of one of the buttes to picnic and then walked up the rest of the road to see the view. We chickened out on taking the TC up a 17% grade but walked part of it. Ouch!




Tonight we are camped at the end of Anvil Draw Road in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. There is no sight of any human habitation or structure, only a long dirt road, fiercely howling wind and three pronghorns who just walked by. I've never in my life been in such a remote place. The TC is working perfectly, generator to run the oven to cook a steak for supper as it is too windy to even think about cooking outside. Finally broke down and got an air card and it worked here so can upload tonight. Pitch black dark outside, raining and windy. You got to love a TC. This is what it looked like when we set up with legs firmly down to keep from rocking in the wind.



Tomorrow we head to the southern end of Flaming Gorge Reservoir to see the story of how it was created and to see the dam. Then back roads to Arches National Park and Canyonland to start our Great Circle route of the National Parks in UT, AZ and CO.

The Tetons - and getting there

Monday, June 9

Tonight we are in Victor, Idaho, a tiny little town set deep in a broad mountain valley. Very small campground but it has wi-fi and a laundry which we sorely needed. Getting here was an adventure as we went up the 10% grade of the Teton Pass on route 22 and down the other side. No way to explain how much we love tow haul and the ease of not having to stand on your brakes at all. First time on a 10% grade and it wasn't as hairy as we expected.



We bid a fond farewell to Flyfisher Dave last night as knew he would get an earlier start than we did. Heard his diesel fire up at 6AM so he's back on the road to Alaska. It was pretty special being able to spend time with a TC friend and we wish him well on his trip. Thanks Dave for fixing the kitchen cabinet door and the antenna tip. No telling how long that had been bent up or where it got caught.

We travelled through Yellowstone again today, stopping first at Firehole Canyon to see the falls. Dave and many others have told us that there is not usually this volumn of water in Yellowstone and it is pretty rare to see the rivers and streams so full. We were pleased since the waterfalls have been roaring!

Next we drove the Fountain Flat Drive and spent quite a bit of time watching an osprey catch fish....hover, hover, hover, flutter, dive and up it would come with a fish. Fly away and a few minutes back, do it over again. This is a broad river valley with fat buffalo everywhere. Eight huge bison walking in a straight line like a group of schoolchildren on a rope passed by the TC right towards a group of fly fishermen. Neither group paid any attention to each other but just continued their own business. Didn't see anyone catch a fish except the osprey.



We passed back and forth over the Continental Divide quite a few times which was confusing as we thought we were driving in a straight line.



Leaving Yellowstone we passed into Teton National Park with the Rockefeller loop in the middle. Instead of continuing on route 89 we went over into the interior Teton Park Road. Here there aren't buffalo jams but moose jams. Saw about a dozen, quite a few with calves. Going towards Jenny Lake, we stopped at the Visitor Center and went through the exhibit of Indian handwork and artifacts. Left fairly quickly as two buses of school kids were there and it was pretty hard to get anywhere close to an exhibit case. Kids were having a good time though.

The Tetons are much bigger mountains then in Yellowstone and wear a deeper and lower crown of snow. Unfortunately for us, it had gotten cloudly by the time we got to the Tetons. I can imagine how bright they would be in the sun.



We then passed through Moose, WY and noticed that the tallest building was two stories. Many of the small western towns have escaped having large buildings and they feel friendlier that way.

We decided to pass up on going through Jackson Hole. I'm not a shopper and have heard that it is a real tourist town/trap, not what we came on this trip for. We did go through Jackson which had it's share of tourist stores but we got to see the antler arches made from shed antlers. The valley going into Jackson is broad, flat and the winter home for the elk herds living in the mountains. Didn't spot any elk as
they are probably all off at summer camp already.



We wanted to set foot into as many western states as we could so decided to camp in Idaho tonight. Up and over (gulp) the Teton Pass and down to Victor. Picked up a local micro-brew called "Sweetgrass", Jackson Hole's Original India Pale Ale from the Grand Teton Brewing Co. Wish I'd had that last night to share with Dave as it is some good.

3,424 miles travelled, $1398.19 spent on 307 gallons of diesel for an average mpg of 11.11 which is better than I thought since we are doing so much mountain driving. Is it worth it?

YES YES YES and a lot more to come....

June 8 - Yellowstone

June 8th - Snow again with a mix of rain and sleet but another day in Yellowstone was worth wearing the winter parka. At least we had parkas with us and not just t-shirts and flip flops like a lot of folks we saw today.

Today was a water day and not just from the ski. We left West Yellowstone and travel led back into the park via the NorthWest entrance. Our goal today was to see some of the incredible waterfalls in the park. Everyone who has seen the park before has commented on how green and lush the flora is this year due to the rain. Usually this part of the park is not green and the rivers are much smaller and crystal clear rather than the raging torrents they are now.

We started at Canyon Village and went to the Upper and Lower Falls which is a stretch known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.








It's a bit of a hike to get to where you can see the falls especially the long view but worth every wet and slippery step. I've never seen the Grand Canyon (yet) but this will sure act as a preview. The canyon walls are many vivid colors from the leaching of the chemicals through the rocks. A lot of early American paint artists have done this scene in famous paintings - but nothing matches seeing it for yourself.

We just missed a pack of wolves chasing an elk. The ranger said they had crossed the road maybe five minutes before we got there. This was a whole day of five minutes late as you will see later. Buffalo here are as common as songbirds in Maine and are just about every where you look. The rangers call the tourists looking at the bison "buffalo jams" as people just come to a dead stop in the middle of the road to
take photos. At Canyon Village we had watched an introductory film about the Park in which they showed what happened when you got too close to a bison. Child got tossed about pretty good when she approached a bull bison. Not killed but pretty ugly to see in film. Funny were the pictures of an full antlered elk charging into stopped cars. Bet that was fun to explain to an insurance company on how the damage to the car got there.

We next stopped at the mud pots area to see bubbling fields of mud spattering everywhere. These did not have the sulfur smell from the steam vents yesterday but would be pretty torturous to any animal that wandered in.



For lunch we stopped at Yellowstone Lake at a rest stop and raided the fridge. Pretty good to travel with your own kitchen isn't it. Lake had whitecaps on it today as, in addition the rain and snow, there was a pretty stiff wind. We found a sheltered spot on a little path at West Thumb. Nice to have a vehicle that will go just about anywhere.



Won't bore everyone with photos of Old Faithful. Beside we missed the blow by five minutes and didn't want to hand around for another 2 +/- hours to see it. Pretty cold driving rain then so we went over to the Old Faithful Lodge to dry off and enjoy the old building. It really is a marvel of early building engineering as it is at least four stories tall with an inner lobby with open balconies built out of logs. Very dark inside so no photos came out.

We stopped at the midway geyser basin and walked what seemed like miles of boardwalks out into the basin. Buffalo scat is everywhere and it was a balancing act to stay on the boardwalk and not slide through the scat!

Finally back at the campground to spend the evening with FlyFisher. He leaves tomorrow to head even further on his trip to Alaska. We shared supper and he gave us some more tips on places within the park to go tomorrow on our way down to the Tetons. We wish him great adventure on his travels.

So tomorrow we head south towards the Tetons not even having scratched a millimeter of what there is to see in Yellowstone. I know we will be back for longer next time.

June 7th - Snow in Yellowstone

6/7 Saturday - SNOW!!!

After checking the web and talking to the campground folk, we decided to not go on the Chief Joseph Highway to Yellowstone but to take Route 14 through Wapiti which is a lower route. Much to our suprise, this road was posted closed 50 miles ahead at Yellowstone. Called the Wyoming DOT and was told the CJH was dry and clear. Go figure ! This was one of the roads we wanted to drive the most on our trip so we lucked out.



It was astonishingly beautiful with very high mountain peaks, deep valleys, vast plains filled with cattle, elk and many hawks. This is a true corkscrew road and thankfully tow haul handled it well. Almost no traffic and what there was, we were able to let by us as we were going slow and enjoying the views. This road crosses over into Cooke City, MT and then dives back down into WY. There were many snowmobiles being used in MT as the snow is still deep. Looked like they were the prime way for some people to get into town.

We passed back into Wyoming and into Yellowstone at the northeast gate. One of the best birthday presents I ever gave Joe was his senior pass into national parks. Nice payback to get into these parks for $00 but he paid his due in the armed services. We had planned on taking the Grand Loop Road at Tower Junction and head down to cross the park at the Norris Canyon road. Wrong! About three miles in, the road was
closed due to snow and heavy ice. Back we went to the Grand Loop Road and on to Mammoth Hot Springs. Walked the wooded walkways up into the hot springs but it was very crowded and we didn't go far.



We continued down 89 to the Norris Geyser Basin and Museum after stopping along the way to see many buffalo, elk, mule deer and big fat squirrels who seemed to want to wait to cross until you got right next to them. Fortunately, nothing went squish. At Norris Geyser there was no one else walking the boardwalks and we had a super time talking with the ranger and learning a lot about hot springs. No geyser went off while we were there and the ranger said they were getting more and more erratic since the last earthquake. We stopped at several other hot pots and thermal vents some of which had strong sulfur vapor clouds. We stopped at Gibbon Falls but didn't walk down to the bottom of the canyon because it would have been a very long way back up!

Had a great suprise when we arrived at the campground. Who was parked next to our space but Flyfisher Dave! He is on his way to Alaska and caught up with us. We shared our supper and picked his knowledge of places not to miss in Yellowstone. He's been here many times and fishes a lot of the way back country. Tomorrow we'll tour, he'll fish and we'll get together in the evening. We'll go to the Lodge, Old
Faithful, yellowstone Lake, the mud volcano and several places up in Canyon Village Dave said not to miss.