I rushed the last four posts and therefore probably left some things out. I hope you are able to enjoy my stories anyways (and and please forgive my misspellings and grammatical errors). What I may have left out, you may deduct from my photos (since this is how we know water formed the badlands).
I have taken photos for several panoramic combinations. However, because I do not have Photoshop, these will have to wait. When I am able to complete these, I'll present them in a new post.
Thanks again for reading!
7.30.2011
Wyoming, Round 2
Welcome to the last post for today. The entrance into Wyoming via the Beartooth Highway (which winds back and forth between Montana and Wyoming) did mark a new state. Still at 20. But this will be changing today with the fabulous...drum roll, please...Nebraska!
Yellowstone National Park
Like Glacier, you've heard many of my thoughts on Yellowstone. And like Glacier, they were in the off-season, compared to now, the height of tourist season. I returned to Yellowstone for two reasons: 1) I wanted to go back to Glacier and it was on the way, and 2) I wanted to give Grand Teton National Park a fair chance (I had driven through twice but never stopped). My purpose in Yellowstone this time was to get down to the Geyser Basin (which I missed earlier this summer) and try to get some good photos.
I arrived early to fight for a campsite. I was twice recommended Tower Falls, and when I got there I couldn't believe it - it competes with the worst sites I've stayed at so far. I still have no idea why it was recommended. It was wide open - no privacy - small, hilly and without a view. But it was a site in the park.
So I set up camp and headed for the geyser basin. I don't have any one photo to pull out for you. I liked many of those I took here.
As far as tourism goes, it was packed; but at least this time I expected it. I called it A Wednesday Wal-Mart Crowd (band name?). Here's my favorite person. Oh, and probably my favorite photo from one of the boardwalks.
Where I distinguish visitors from tourists is mostly in the concept of following rules, be it stopping next to a Don't Stop For The Next 1/2 Mile sign, approaching wildlife, driving 20 mph in a 45 mph zone and not pulling off at a turnout. Those are the obvious ones, but my favorite was the woman at my campsite. She used the toilet (i.e. four stone walls, a door and a pit) and walked outside. Now, I fault Yellowstone for putting a water pump near the bathroom, but here's her story.
A woman leaves the toilet room at Tower Falls campground. She noticed the hand sanitizer on the wall, but purposefully bypassed it because of the funny way the alcohol feels on her dry hands. She sees a faucet! Wow, she thinks. She approaches the faucet and reads the sign. The sign reads, Please do not use faucet for dish washing, bathing or brushing teeth. Thank You. She thinks, Hmmm, I'm not sure washing hands is technically "bathing." She looks around. She washes her hands. She leaves. Five minutes later she returns with a spoon and washes it under the faucet
On the drive back to camp that day, I saw a grizzly bear running around in a field. He was far away, but I liked the photo and enjoyed watching him for a bit. I also saw a bunch of buffalo, both in the Hayden Valley and the Lamar Valley. But while these herds dwarfed those in Theodore Roosevelt NP, there was no way I'd beat the backdrop of the bad lands (unless the buffalo were to be hanging around the hot springs, which they weren't), so I didn't take many photos. On the other hand, people would stop in the middle of the road to view one buffalo. I would think to myself, I bet if once you make this turn up ahead, you'll see hundreds more. It was always the case.
Again I skipped Old Faithful. You've got to see it one day. But once you've seen it once, you've seen it. And once you've taken a photo of it with your $10 camera, you've got your photo (unless some wildlife happen to be hanging around).
Grand Teton National Park
The plan for Day 13 was to drive back through Yellowstone and visit Grand Teton NP. Since I was in the northeast corner of the gigantic park, I knew I had a healthy drive in front of me. I got going around 9 a.m. This turned out to be a good time to leave.
I turned out of the campground and was immediately slowed by a van going 20 mph below the speed limit. Already frustrated, I passed the van. The stretch of road between Tower and Canyon are beautiful, and this week they displayed a vast landscape of wildflowers - gorgeous! I wasn't going to stop, but decided I should simply to be able to supplement my telling of the beauty to you with a photo (a photo that really doesn't do it justice). For some reason I decided to take out my zoom lens and take a few more photos. I didn't need it and I don't know why I took it out. When I got back in the car, I thought, I should put the regular lens back on for my photos of the lake on the way out. Well, maybe I'll see some wildlife, so I'll leave it on for now.
A few miles later I see a ranger's truck up ahead with its lights on. Immediately thought, Why am I going to get stopped this t-
My thought was interrupted by a grizzly bear passing in front of the ranger's truck (I like the 100 feet measurement), not 100 feet from my car. The bear then went up the hill, and turned and walked on the hill in the direction of my car. I rolled my window down and shot some photos, all the while thinking, Please don't smell my food and come running in here. Here he is. That made my day! Had I done anything different, I would have missed him. Fortunately, I didn't notice this earlier, but when I was reviewing my photos last night I noticed the grizzly was wearing something around its neck. This shows up in every photo except that first one, and I'm glad I have one good one! I'm guessing the rangers had captured the bear and put this device on him to track him, letting him go just before I approached. In any respect, wildlife is wildlife and I saw a grizzly up close!
I continued on the road, intuition working subconsciously in my favor. I passed hundreds of buffalo and thought I should at least get one good photo for my wonderful girlfriend, who loves buffalo second only to penguins. As I was turning to get back into my car I saw something move on a far off hill. Deer? Maybe. Zoom lens was still ready so I took a look. Coyote! But he disappeared. So I moved onto the next pullout.
Several people were at this pullout off to the right photographing ducks or something (that's cool). I kept looking to the left, hoping I'd see him. Sure enough, I found him sitting on the hillside. Then he began to move down the hill and in front of a lake, where he would stick his nose in the ground, looking for something, and then come up chewing.
What great timing on all of this. In other wildlife news, I spotted a hippie circle.
Finally, I entered Grand Teton NP. I feel bad (maybe not the right emotion) that GTNP is located where it is. It is figuratively dwarfed by Yellowstone and therefore really only serves as a drive-through park. If it were located anywhere else (not bordering a major park or city), it would certainly be a destination park and would probably also be much less crowded. It's truly fascinating. It's similar to Glacier except much taller. There is a huge valley through which the main road runs around 6,000 feet in elevation and then BOOM, mountains 13,000+ feet tall out of nowhere! But it somehow doesn't compare to Glacier. Maybe it's the valley is too large and without much vegetation, maybe it's the limitation of really only one viewpoint of the mountain, maybe it's that the road doesn't go through the mountain, or maybe it's that the hikes are on the mountains instead of in between the mountains. Whatever it is, it doesn't compare.
I set up camp and did a hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. This hike is 6 miles total and it too was filled with tourists! Most people set out for this six mile hike with their 1) tennis shoes, 2) plastic, disposable, 20-ounce Dasani water bottle and 3) handheld camera. One 8-year-old boy actually started the walk and said, "Mom, mom, mom, I forgot my phone in the car."Me? I was ready to go again. Five liters of water, some food, tripod and bag that disguises me as a real photographer. Oh yes, bear bell and bear spray.
In this book I've talked about (10 Best), there is a section on Best Places To Say "I Do" Or "I Will." One of these was Inspiration Point in GTNP.
Inspiration Point sucks. Hey, look how high I am and that really flat land and those foothills. I bet the mountain behind me is beautiful, though. Hidden Falls was cool, but the extra mile to climb up to that point is worthless. Aside from the hundred other people standing around you, who in their right mind would propose there (clarification to one reader)? It was great to get out and get the legs moving for three hours, but hiking in the Tetons isn't that great because you're hiking where you want to be looking while you're hiking.
On my walk back I saw a 14-year-old girl by herself. I said, "Hi." Oh, this reminds me. Saying "Hi" to people on the trail is funny. When you're in the backcountry, everyone greets everyone else excitedly. In these tourist spots, hardly anyone talks to people outside their group. I passed two teenage boys on the trail. I said "Hey guys." One of them responded, "Grmph" (or however you spell a grunt).
So I greet this girl and she responds with a smile. Then I see this guy jogging up my way. He says, "Have you seen a little girl up here?" I said, "Sure, she's back there sitting on a rock." He then explains to me (after yelling at the girl) that he just saw a black bear about four feet tall (when on all fours). He said the bear came out of the woods and turned on the trail in my direction. I never saw this bear because it was beyond a blind corner for me, but I am convinced the bear moved back into the woods because he heard my bell! I just think what would have happened it someone else would have been walking that corner and not making noise.
I reported the sighting to the ranger later. He said, "Yeah, we've had reports of a bear in that area earlier this morning," nonchalantly.
Day 14
The next day I drove to Jenny Lake to get a good panoramic with the sun in its right spot. Just as I was pulling over, this guy, out of his truck, says, "There's a bear right here!" I look over and there is a black bear literally on the other side of his truck! Why he was out of his truck, I have no idea. This time, though, I didn't have the zoom lens ready and never got a photo of him before he went back into the woods.
8 Bears in Leg 2.
I left the park that day and headed to where I am now. US-287 was a beautiful drive and will surely compete for the Top 10 list. Another short post and then I'll see you all in a couple weeks. I am planning to stay at a KOA in the Las Vegas area at that time.
Wyoming Album
Yellowstone National Park
Like Glacier, you've heard many of my thoughts on Yellowstone. And like Glacier, they were in the off-season, compared to now, the height of tourist season. I returned to Yellowstone for two reasons: 1) I wanted to go back to Glacier and it was on the way, and 2) I wanted to give Grand Teton National Park a fair chance (I had driven through twice but never stopped). My purpose in Yellowstone this time was to get down to the Geyser Basin (which I missed earlier this summer) and try to get some good photos.
I arrived early to fight for a campsite. I was twice recommended Tower Falls, and when I got there I couldn't believe it - it competes with the worst sites I've stayed at so far. I still have no idea why it was recommended. It was wide open - no privacy - small, hilly and without a view. But it was a site in the park.
So I set up camp and headed for the geyser basin. I don't have any one photo to pull out for you. I liked many of those I took here.As far as tourism goes, it was packed; but at least this time I expected it. I called it A Wednesday Wal-Mart Crowd (band name?). Here's my favorite person. Oh, and probably my favorite photo from one of the boardwalks.
Where I distinguish visitors from tourists is mostly in the concept of following rules, be it stopping next to a Don't Stop For The Next 1/2 Mile sign, approaching wildlife, driving 20 mph in a 45 mph zone and not pulling off at a turnout. Those are the obvious ones, but my favorite was the woman at my campsite. She used the toilet (i.e. four stone walls, a door and a pit) and walked outside. Now, I fault Yellowstone for putting a water pump near the bathroom, but here's her story.
A woman leaves the toilet room at Tower Falls campground. She noticed the hand sanitizer on the wall, but purposefully bypassed it because of the funny way the alcohol feels on her dry hands. She sees a faucet! Wow, she thinks. She approaches the faucet and reads the sign. The sign reads, Please do not use faucet for dish washing, bathing or brushing teeth. Thank You. She thinks, Hmmm, I'm not sure washing hands is technically "bathing." She looks around. She washes her hands. She leaves. Five minutes later she returns with a spoon and washes it under the faucet
On the drive back to camp that day, I saw a grizzly bear running around in a field. He was far away, but I liked the photo and enjoyed watching him for a bit. I also saw a bunch of buffalo, both in the Hayden Valley and the Lamar Valley. But while these herds dwarfed those in Theodore Roosevelt NP, there was no way I'd beat the backdrop of the bad lands (unless the buffalo were to be hanging around the hot springs, which they weren't), so I didn't take many photos. On the other hand, people would stop in the middle of the road to view one buffalo. I would think to myself, I bet if once you make this turn up ahead, you'll see hundreds more. It was always the case.
Again I skipped Old Faithful. You've got to see it one day. But once you've seen it once, you've seen it. And once you've taken a photo of it with your $10 camera, you've got your photo (unless some wildlife happen to be hanging around).Grand Teton National Park
The plan for Day 13 was to drive back through Yellowstone and visit Grand Teton NP. Since I was in the northeast corner of the gigantic park, I knew I had a healthy drive in front of me. I got going around 9 a.m. This turned out to be a good time to leave.
I turned out of the campground and was immediately slowed by a van going 20 mph below the speed limit. Already frustrated, I passed the van. The stretch of road between Tower and Canyon are beautiful, and this week they displayed a vast landscape of wildflowers - gorgeous! I wasn't going to stop, but decided I should simply to be able to supplement my telling of the beauty to you with a photo (a photo that really doesn't do it justice). For some reason I decided to take out my zoom lens and take a few more photos. I didn't need it and I don't know why I took it out. When I got back in the car, I thought, I should put the regular lens back on for my photos of the lake on the way out. Well, maybe I'll see some wildlife, so I'll leave it on for now.
A few miles later I see a ranger's truck up ahead with its lights on. Immediately thought, Why am I going to get stopped this t-
My thought was interrupted by a grizzly bear passing in front of the ranger's truck (I like the 100 feet measurement), not 100 feet from my car. The bear then went up the hill, and turned and walked on the hill in the direction of my car. I rolled my window down and shot some photos, all the while thinking, Please don't smell my food and come running in here. Here he is. That made my day! Had I done anything different, I would have missed him. Fortunately, I didn't notice this earlier, but when I was reviewing my photos last night I noticed the grizzly was wearing something around its neck. This shows up in every photo except that first one, and I'm glad I have one good one! I'm guessing the rangers had captured the bear and put this device on him to track him, letting him go just before I approached. In any respect, wildlife is wildlife and I saw a grizzly up close!I continued on the road, intuition working subconsciously in my favor. I passed hundreds of buffalo and thought I should at least get one good photo for my wonderful girlfriend, who loves buffalo second only to penguins. As I was turning to get back into my car I saw something move on a far off hill. Deer? Maybe. Zoom lens was still ready so I took a look. Coyote! But he disappeared. So I moved onto the next pullout.
Several people were at this pullout off to the right photographing ducks or something (that's cool). I kept looking to the left, hoping I'd see him. Sure enough, I found him sitting on the hillside. Then he began to move down the hill and in front of a lake, where he would stick his nose in the ground, looking for something, and then come up chewing.
What great timing on all of this. In other wildlife news, I spotted a hippie circle.
Finally, I entered Grand Teton NP. I feel bad (maybe not the right emotion) that GTNP is located where it is. It is figuratively dwarfed by Yellowstone and therefore really only serves as a drive-through park. If it were located anywhere else (not bordering a major park or city), it would certainly be a destination park and would probably also be much less crowded. It's truly fascinating. It's similar to Glacier except much taller. There is a huge valley through which the main road runs around 6,000 feet in elevation and then BOOM, mountains 13,000+ feet tall out of nowhere! But it somehow doesn't compare to Glacier. Maybe it's the valley is too large and without much vegetation, maybe it's the limitation of really only one viewpoint of the mountain, maybe it's that the road doesn't go through the mountain, or maybe it's that the hikes are on the mountains instead of in between the mountains. Whatever it is, it doesn't compare.
I set up camp and did a hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. This hike is 6 miles total and it too was filled with tourists! Most people set out for this six mile hike with their 1) tennis shoes, 2) plastic, disposable, 20-ounce Dasani water bottle and 3) handheld camera. One 8-year-old boy actually started the walk and said, "Mom, mom, mom, I forgot my phone in the car."Me? I was ready to go again. Five liters of water, some food, tripod and bag that disguises me as a real photographer. Oh yes, bear bell and bear spray.In this book I've talked about (10 Best), there is a section on Best Places To Say "I Do" Or "I Will." One of these was Inspiration Point in GTNP.
Inspiration Point sucks. Hey, look how high I am and that really flat land and those foothills. I bet the mountain behind me is beautiful, though. Hidden Falls was cool, but the extra mile to climb up to that point is worthless. Aside from the hundred other people standing around you, who in their right mind would propose there (clarification to one reader)? It was great to get out and get the legs moving for three hours, but hiking in the Tetons isn't that great because you're hiking where you want to be looking while you're hiking.
On my walk back I saw a 14-year-old girl by herself. I said, "Hi." Oh, this reminds me. Saying "Hi" to people on the trail is funny. When you're in the backcountry, everyone greets everyone else excitedly. In these tourist spots, hardly anyone talks to people outside their group. I passed two teenage boys on the trail. I said "Hey guys." One of them responded, "Grmph" (or however you spell a grunt).
So I greet this girl and she responds with a smile. Then I see this guy jogging up my way. He says, "Have you seen a little girl up here?" I said, "Sure, she's back there sitting on a rock." He then explains to me (after yelling at the girl) that he just saw a black bear about four feet tall (when on all fours). He said the bear came out of the woods and turned on the trail in my direction. I never saw this bear because it was beyond a blind corner for me, but I am convinced the bear moved back into the woods because he heard my bell! I just think what would have happened it someone else would have been walking that corner and not making noise.
I reported the sighting to the ranger later. He said, "Yeah, we've had reports of a bear in that area earlier this morning," nonchalantly.
Day 14
The next day I drove to Jenny Lake to get a good panoramic with the sun in its right spot. Just as I was pulling over, this guy, out of his truck, says, "There's a bear right here!" I look over and there is a black bear literally on the other side of his truck! Why he was out of his truck, I have no idea. This time, though, I didn't have the zoom lens ready and never got a photo of him before he went back into the woods.
8 Bears in Leg 2.
I left the park that day and headed to where I am now. US-287 was a beautiful drive and will surely compete for the Top 10 list. Another short post and then I'll see you all in a couple weeks. I am planning to stay at a KOA in the Las Vegas area at that time.
Wyoming Album
Montana, Round 2
Day 8 was a long day as I headed toward Glacier for the second time this summer. I've shared many of my thoughts of Glacier and Montana in the post earlier this summer. I'll only focus on what was different.
The Drive
The drive was certainly different. Instead of driving between mountains most of the way, I was in the rolling hills. And yes, the sky is gigantic.
The drive into the park is no less amazing when you know what to expect. It's still a shock, and it's still phenomenal. I would definitely recommend entering from the east side, for the views seem much more sudden.
The Tourists
I find there to be a great difference between park visitors and park tourists. I was going to spend a whole post on this. Instead of being negative, I decided I'll just share my funny tourist stories with you.
Tourists were a big difference this time around. The park was packed! I arrived around 6 p.m. on Saturday and there were no camping spots left. You're probably thinking, Well, it's Saturday, duh! Sure, but last time, we arrived on a Saturday at 7 p.m., when there were fewer campgrounds open, and we walked right in. I found a place on the east side of the park. I also later found out, if you're in jeopardy of not getting a spot in the park, you probably want to enter from the west side, which is way more touristy (the east side is an Indian Reservation).
Day 9
The next day I got up early and grabbed a campsite at Rising Sun. I then drove out of the park and up to Many Glacier, where I did a hike around the lake. Beforehand I got me a bear bell and some bear spray for the reasonable price of $58.85. As one Nashville hiker may say, "Well, meh, it's a $50 life insurance policy."
The trail was nice, beautiful in fact. Although you'll find photos from the hike in the album, I wasn't pleased with any of them. This time around I really wanted to experience the Going-To-The-Sun Road and try to get some different photos. These didn't feel different to me.
Nevertheless, the day was gorgeous and the hike extremely fun. On the way out I saw a black bear and its three cubs. I italicize "saw" because I really could only see the female. I bought a 300mm zoom lens; but they were so far away, I really couldn't make out the cubs. Maybe you can? Anyways, that's 4 bears!
Day 10
I saved the Going-To-The-Sun Road for the day I had more time. And just to my luck, it was overcast that morning! So I decided to drive the road most of the way and then work my way back slowly, hoping the weather may break. I found a nice little spot on Lake McDonald to play guitar and mess around with the camera.
Of course, it started raining, so I left and moved back east. And I'm not kidding you, five minutes after I left that spot there wasn't a cloud in the sky. So I went back and got a few good pictures.
On the way back I stopped to hike the Hidden Lake Nature Trail, because my bible told me it was a good idea. This is where I really started to get frustrated with tourists. This trail was 3 miles total, half of it uphill, and it was littered with tourists! From this photo you can see how it goes up and winds around the mountain. The whole time I was wondering why there were so many people. I later read the trail is a boardwalk all the way to the top. We just couldn't see it because of the snow. I, of course, was prepared with my synthetic pants, day pack, 5 liters of water, bear bell and bear spray. Not everyone was so much so. Most had shorts and tennis shoes on. Look for the girl in this photo. And check out this guy in his camo gear.
Even with all the people, the hike was rewarding. There was a small lake near the top (not Hidden Lake) along with a bunch of mountain goats. I took a lot of photos of the goats, and many of them turned out well, so I included most of them in the album.
Day 11
I left the park the next day and headed toward Yellowstone. I went back through the Going-To-The-Sun Road and left from the west side. This was a huge mistake. Not only was it cloudy, but taking adding the US-93 route (dotted on the map, but not worth it) added an extra 3+ hours to the trip.
The good story I have from this is I was in a cloud. My friend (I'll call her Heather) will be jealous!
A Note On Lists
I mentioned the 10 Best book in my last post. This got me thinking about making my own lists, for this book is just one collective opinion. I've decided I am going to close this blog at the end of my trip with some lists (similar to what I did after Leg 1). One such list will be Best Drives. The Going-To-The-Sun Road will most likely make this list.
The Beartooth Highway
I was speaking with my father about this list idea on Day 11 and he insisted I go out of my way to enter Yellowstone via the Beartooth Highway. As a result, I camped at the beginning of the highway in Custer National Forest to drive the highway in the morning.
The morning of Day 12 I drove this road. Before doing so, I spoke with the camp hosts about the drive. They said a couple from Austria visited them last summer and called the road The most beautiful road they had ever driven on, and apparently they had been all over the world. They road certainly is spectacular, and it's worth a trip. But I will save my judgements until summer's end.
The Montana Album
Next Post: Wyoming
The Drive
The drive was certainly different. Instead of driving between mountains most of the way, I was in the rolling hills. And yes, the sky is gigantic.
The drive into the park is no less amazing when you know what to expect. It's still a shock, and it's still phenomenal. I would definitely recommend entering from the east side, for the views seem much more sudden. The Tourists
I find there to be a great difference between park visitors and park tourists. I was going to spend a whole post on this. Instead of being negative, I decided I'll just share my funny tourist stories with you.
Tourists were a big difference this time around. The park was packed! I arrived around 6 p.m. on Saturday and there were no camping spots left. You're probably thinking, Well, it's Saturday, duh! Sure, but last time, we arrived on a Saturday at 7 p.m., when there were fewer campgrounds open, and we walked right in. I found a place on the east side of the park. I also later found out, if you're in jeopardy of not getting a spot in the park, you probably want to enter from the west side, which is way more touristy (the east side is an Indian Reservation).
Day 9
The next day I got up early and grabbed a campsite at Rising Sun. I then drove out of the park and up to Many Glacier, where I did a hike around the lake. Beforehand I got me a bear bell and some bear spray for the reasonable price of $58.85. As one Nashville hiker may say, "Well, meh, it's a $50 life insurance policy."The trail was nice, beautiful in fact. Although you'll find photos from the hike in the album, I wasn't pleased with any of them. This time around I really wanted to experience the Going-To-The-Sun Road and try to get some different photos. These didn't feel different to me.
Nevertheless, the day was gorgeous and the hike extremely fun. On the way out I saw a black bear and its three cubs. I italicize "saw" because I really could only see the female. I bought a 300mm zoom lens; but they were so far away, I really couldn't make out the cubs. Maybe you can? Anyways, that's 4 bears!
Day 10
I saved the Going-To-The-Sun Road for the day I had more time. And just to my luck, it was overcast that morning! So I decided to drive the road most of the way and then work my way back slowly, hoping the weather may break. I found a nice little spot on Lake McDonald to play guitar and mess around with the camera.
Of course, it started raining, so I left and moved back east. And I'm not kidding you, five minutes after I left that spot there wasn't a cloud in the sky. So I went back and got a few good pictures.On the way back I stopped to hike the Hidden Lake Nature Trail, because my bible told me it was a good idea. This is where I really started to get frustrated with tourists. This trail was 3 miles total, half of it uphill, and it was littered with tourists! From this photo you can see how it goes up and winds around the mountain. The whole time I was wondering why there were so many people. I later read the trail is a boardwalk all the way to the top. We just couldn't see it because of the snow. I, of course, was prepared with my synthetic pants, day pack, 5 liters of water, bear bell and bear spray. Not everyone was so much so. Most had shorts and tennis shoes on. Look for the girl in this photo. And check out this guy in his camo gear.
Even with all the people, the hike was rewarding. There was a small lake near the top (not Hidden Lake) along with a bunch of mountain goats. I took a lot of photos of the goats, and many of them turned out well, so I included most of them in the album.
Day 11
I left the park the next day and headed toward Yellowstone. I went back through the Going-To-The-Sun Road and left from the west side. This was a huge mistake. Not only was it cloudy, but taking adding the US-93 route (dotted on the map, but not worth it) added an extra 3+ hours to the trip.
The good story I have from this is I was in a cloud. My friend (I'll call her Heather) will be jealous!
A Note On Lists
I mentioned the 10 Best book in my last post. This got me thinking about making my own lists, for this book is just one collective opinion. I've decided I am going to close this blog at the end of my trip with some lists (similar to what I did after Leg 1). One such list will be Best Drives. The Going-To-The-Sun Road will most likely make this list.
The Beartooth Highway
I was speaking with my father about this list idea on Day 11 and he insisted I go out of my way to enter Yellowstone via the Beartooth Highway. As a result, I camped at the beginning of the highway in Custer National Forest to drive the highway in the morning.
The morning of Day 12 I drove this road. Before doing so, I spoke with the camp hosts about the drive. They said a couple from Austria visited them last summer and called the road The most beautiful road they had ever driven on, and apparently they had been all over the world. They road certainly is spectacular, and it's worth a trip. But I will save my judgements until summer's end.The Montana Album
Next Post: Wyoming
North Dakota
North Dakota's female highway workers are good-looking.
If you've been following my route or if your geographical and interstate knowledge is to par, you'd assume I went through Fargo just as I entered my 20th state this summer. Unfortunately, I can't find a "clean" clip from the movie with the same name. But I can tell you a funny story.
A few years back I worked with a fellow who was raised 30 miles outside of Brainerd (the main town in Fargo). He told me, as I suspected, the accents are greatly exaggerated for comic effect. I did stop in Fargo and heard no such accent. However, I did stop 30 miles or so into Wisconsin on my way to Minneapolis and everyone I heard had that exact accent!
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Did you know this park existed? I didn't before I had researched the parks for my trip. Most of the other parks are named either after a feature they display or the area of the country in which they are located. I had no idea what to expect with this park, and for that reason I was pleasantly surprised.
I had left Minnesota. The thermometer in the car wasn't moving down fast enough. It was a long day of boring driving. And after having so much fun in Minneapolis, my spirit was beginning to drain. My original plan was to stop somewhere east of the South Unit of the park (the park is actually broken up into two parks, a North and South Unit), and drive through only the South Unit on my way back to Glacier NP. But as I got close I though, What the heck, I'll see if they have any camping available. Well, they did.
Some Background
Before I get into my stories too much I want to share my thoughts on the park and also bring a new book into play. My wonderful mother purchased T fhe 10 Best of Everything National Parks for me. This hasn't acted as my go-to reference, but it's been fun to look up what list each park makes. After hearing my story, you shouldn't be surprised to learn the campground I stayed at was in the top 10 campgrounds in the country. The funny thing is I had no idea - I hadn't checked prior to being in the park.
Frankly, I didn't expect to be in the park more than two hours. I hadn't heard anything about it and didn't expect much. But when I got to camp in the park, not only did I drive through the South Unit the next day, but I decided to stay two more nights! Yes, it's that cool.
I wasn't sure what I was looking for in this trip (aside from those items I mentioned in the original post). But I think Theodore Roosevelt NP embodied whatever that was. It was quiet, there was sufficient wildlife and no too many visitors.
National Parks are usually packed in the summer - why not this one? Well, first off, nobody in their right minds makes North Dakota a vacation destination. Thus is acts as a pass-through state. But it's not just a pass-through state; it's a pass-through state in the middle of nowhere. And the park isn't close to anything. So for those people on I-94, they're usually looking to get somewhere else and don't want to spend the time here (as my family did on our 1998 trip). And for that reason, the North Unit, which is 50 miles from I-94, is very secluded. Rangers have said a visitor could be the only visitor in that part of the park during the off-season.
Day 6
By the time I awoke on Day 6, I had already decided to stay two more nights. So I went to the check-in board to pay my fee. But I couldn't get there because two horses were blocking the board. There was a child nearby and I assumed he was watching the horses for his dad, but was wondering why he was letting them stand in the middle of the road. And when I drove around later, they were gone. I thought, That's weird, they don't even have saddles on and they aren't tied to anything (this is where a co-worker of mine inserts the correct equine terminology). Then I took off to explore the South Unit.
The South Unit is a 36-mile loop, and it's known for it's wildlife. Just as I began the loop, I came across a Prairie Dog Town. These things are loud! They have this really cool method of communicating to one another to warn of a predator; but they are loud! I could hear them from the campsite at night. I continued on the road and came to this guy, just chillin'.
This park honors Theodore Roosevelt because of the proximity to his ranch as well as his famous phrase, "I would have never been president if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota." He loved the rugged, bad land, ranching life. But if you don't know much about the park, it's geographical features are that of the North Dakota Bad Lands. These are lands believed (more on this later) to have been carved out from the Great Plains by the forces of water. Thus, driving west of I-94 is fascinating because, unlike the mountains, you don't see the bad lands coming. Your in the plains, then your in the bad lands. More on this later. The park also puts much emphasis on Theo's contribution to the cattle industry in the area. Here's a picture of the bad lands with some wild horses in the foreground.
I had climbed out of the car to take this nature trail. It climbed up a hill from where I took the last photo. When I saw these horses it suddenly dawned on me, The horses in the campground were wild horses! Cool! I continued driving and saw this wild horse at two different spots.
I walked the Coal Vein Nature Trail. Now for a short rant. I find geology absolutely fascinating, but never do I accept it as truth, instead a profound theory. There are certain things we know to be true, and others we believe (there's that word again) to be true. One of my biggest problems with the park system is that we meld theory and fact into fact alone. For example, on this nature trail a plaque read since the hills are made of coal, lightening can strike and set the hills on fire. In fact, one of the hills in the park burned from 1951-1977! Visitors came and roasted marshmallows where the hill was burning! And you can see the line today. But it's the sentences like 50 million years ago water began carving out these lands you see today. Maybe they write to save space. I'm wordy though. I would have written it like On July 21, 49,997,89 BCE, water began carving out these bad lands you see today. It doesn't fit - the word believe is important so children understand the difference. Rant over.
Later, I walked the Jones Creek Trail for just a bit. I climbed this rock because it seemed like a good idea. I was to mile 35 when I decided I wasn't going to see a herd of buffalo (that's all I really wanted that day). Then, at the very end of the loop, I saw them; and I stayed around for a few minutes as they decided to cross the Little Missouri River.
The night before, I met two fits-the-stereotype, liberally-medicated, California hippies. One of them had a few great lines while on the cell phone. My two favorite were Buffalo are the elephants of America and No I'm not going to take a photo of a sleep-walking buffalo. But the second night, they were gone, so I provided the music. I went down to the river bank, set up my chair and finger-picked away. I got into one such tune and wasn't paying attention to what was happening around me. When I stopped, I looked up and, not 100 feet away from me, a horse was staring me in the eye. I thought, Well this is awesome, assuming I don't get killed. He was protecting his friend who was taking a drink from the river. I walked up the hill, put the guitar down, and came back to watch. But as I sat down, the horse approached me and, well, I went back up the hill.
So wildlife makes this campground awesome. As I was talking with my father on the phone on afternoon, two horses came running again, not 100 feet behind me. Right through the campground. Unfortunately, I missed the buffalo who walked through the campground again, not 100 feet from my tent, at 3 a.m. both the first and second night.
Day 7
Yes, that all happened in one day. The second day I went up to the North Unit. This unit is a smaller, 14 mile road that dead ends into an overlook. It is not known for its wildlife but instead for its more vivid colors and deeper valleys. These were all true. I saw a herd of longhorn cattle and one buffalo.
I stopped at a few overlooks. The road dead ends into one such overlook called Oxbow Bend. I found a way to climb down a bit from the overlook, thus out of view of visitors, and played the guitar for a couple hours. Here I also saw my favorite informational sign so far. It reads:
In the spring of 1886 thieves stole Theodore Roosevelt's boat from his Elkhorn Ranch, 25 miles south of here. Roosevelt pursued the thieves past this point and captured them at the mouth of the Cherry Creek about 24 miles downstream. He then marched the thieves overland to Dickinson where they were tried and convicted.
I talked earlier about how the bad lands appear out of nowhere. I wanted to show this as best I could. So here's a photo looking one direction and another looking the other.
I wrapped up in the North Unit and headed back to the South Unit to camp. As I was getting close I decided I had time to do the south loop again, quickly. I did. I saw a pronghorn and near the end, a herd of buffalo blocked my car for about 30 minutes!
If you noticed the sky being dark in that photo, it wasn't because it was late, it was because it was going to storm. Knowing the layout of the land, I figure it was moving south of me. What I didn't realize was the storm was moving north almost as fast as it was moving east. When I got back to camp, may tent had blown away. I left all my sleeping equipment in the tent and it was, therefore, completely soaked (but only the tent was covered in mud). I sat in my car for an hour or so until the worst part of the storm let up. Then, while still raining, I went out and collected my muddy belongings and threw them in the car. The site, originally dirt, was now a mud pool (my canopy was somewhere near the bottom).
Before I left on my trip, my lovely girlfriend said to me, "Now, you may have to sleep in your car for a night or two, but don't worry about that - it's all an adventure." At the time I rolled my eyes and muttered something underneath my breath.
I slept in my car that night in Theo. When I was running around trying to gather my items, I was frustrated. But, by the time I got to my car, I couldn't help but laugh. I thought at the time (seriously), This is one of those stories I'm going to tell for a long time. I still think the highlight was me emptying the water out of my cooler in the pouring rain. I'm positive it had less water in it when I placed it back in the car.
This made me think of another song.
Day 8
That's my Theodore Roosevelt Story. Oh, you're still wondering about the highway workers? Well, on my way to the North Unit, there was much construction. And yes, there were at least 10 in-shape, non-smoking women working (not just holding the slow sign). No, it wasn't Take Your Daughter To Work Day. They were clearly in their mid-twenties and operating heavy machinery.
I was sad to leave the park, but I had to get going. I caught this photo on the way out.
The entire album
Next Post: Montana, Round 2
If you've been following my route or if your geographical and interstate knowledge is to par, you'd assume I went through Fargo just as I entered my 20th state this summer. Unfortunately, I can't find a "clean" clip from the movie with the same name. But I can tell you a funny story.
A few years back I worked with a fellow who was raised 30 miles outside of Brainerd (the main town in Fargo). He told me, as I suspected, the accents are greatly exaggerated for comic effect. I did stop in Fargo and heard no such accent. However, I did stop 30 miles or so into Wisconsin on my way to Minneapolis and everyone I heard had that exact accent!
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Did you know this park existed? I didn't before I had researched the parks for my trip. Most of the other parks are named either after a feature they display or the area of the country in which they are located. I had no idea what to expect with this park, and for that reason I was pleasantly surprised.I had left Minnesota. The thermometer in the car wasn't moving down fast enough. It was a long day of boring driving. And after having so much fun in Minneapolis, my spirit was beginning to drain. My original plan was to stop somewhere east of the South Unit of the park (the park is actually broken up into two parks, a North and South Unit), and drive through only the South Unit on my way back to Glacier NP. But as I got close I though, What the heck, I'll see if they have any camping available. Well, they did.
Some Background
Before I get into my stories too much I want to share my thoughts on the park and also bring a new book into play. My wonderful mother purchased T fhe 10 Best of Everything National Parks for me. This hasn't acted as my go-to reference, but it's been fun to look up what list each park makes. After hearing my story, you shouldn't be surprised to learn the campground I stayed at was in the top 10 campgrounds in the country. The funny thing is I had no idea - I hadn't checked prior to being in the park.
Frankly, I didn't expect to be in the park more than two hours. I hadn't heard anything about it and didn't expect much. But when I got to camp in the park, not only did I drive through the South Unit the next day, but I decided to stay two more nights! Yes, it's that cool.
I wasn't sure what I was looking for in this trip (aside from those items I mentioned in the original post). But I think Theodore Roosevelt NP embodied whatever that was. It was quiet, there was sufficient wildlife and no too many visitors.
National Parks are usually packed in the summer - why not this one? Well, first off, nobody in their right minds makes North Dakota a vacation destination. Thus is acts as a pass-through state. But it's not just a pass-through state; it's a pass-through state in the middle of nowhere. And the park isn't close to anything. So for those people on I-94, they're usually looking to get somewhere else and don't want to spend the time here (as my family did on our 1998 trip). And for that reason, the North Unit, which is 50 miles from I-94, is very secluded. Rangers have said a visitor could be the only visitor in that part of the park during the off-season.
Day 6
By the time I awoke on Day 6, I had already decided to stay two more nights. So I went to the check-in board to pay my fee. But I couldn't get there because two horses were blocking the board. There was a child nearby and I assumed he was watching the horses for his dad, but was wondering why he was letting them stand in the middle of the road. And when I drove around later, they were gone. I thought, That's weird, they don't even have saddles on and they aren't tied to anything (this is where a co-worker of mine inserts the correct equine terminology). Then I took off to explore the South Unit.
The South Unit is a 36-mile loop, and it's known for it's wildlife. Just as I began the loop, I came across a Prairie Dog Town. These things are loud! They have this really cool method of communicating to one another to warn of a predator; but they are loud! I could hear them from the campsite at night. I continued on the road and came to this guy, just chillin'.This park honors Theodore Roosevelt because of the proximity to his ranch as well as his famous phrase, "I would have never been president if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota." He loved the rugged, bad land, ranching life. But if you don't know much about the park, it's geographical features are that of the North Dakota Bad Lands. These are lands believed (more on this later) to have been carved out from the Great Plains by the forces of water. Thus, driving west of I-94 is fascinating because, unlike the mountains, you don't see the bad lands coming. Your in the plains, then your in the bad lands. More on this later. The park also puts much emphasis on Theo's contribution to the cattle industry in the area. Here's a picture of the bad lands with some wild horses in the foreground.
I had climbed out of the car to take this nature trail. It climbed up a hill from where I took the last photo. When I saw these horses it suddenly dawned on me, The horses in the campground were wild horses! Cool! I continued driving and saw this wild horse at two different spots.
I walked the Coal Vein Nature Trail. Now for a short rant. I find geology absolutely fascinating, but never do I accept it as truth, instead a profound theory. There are certain things we know to be true, and others we believe (there's that word again) to be true. One of my biggest problems with the park system is that we meld theory and fact into fact alone. For example, on this nature trail a plaque read since the hills are made of coal, lightening can strike and set the hills on fire. In fact, one of the hills in the park burned from 1951-1977! Visitors came and roasted marshmallows where the hill was burning! And you can see the line today. But it's the sentences like 50 million years ago water began carving out these lands you see today. Maybe they write to save space. I'm wordy though. I would have written it like On July 21, 49,997,89 BCE, water began carving out these bad lands you see today. It doesn't fit - the word believe is important so children understand the difference. Rant over.Later, I walked the Jones Creek Trail for just a bit. I climbed this rock because it seemed like a good idea. I was to mile 35 when I decided I wasn't going to see a herd of buffalo (that's all I really wanted that day). Then, at the very end of the loop, I saw them; and I stayed around for a few minutes as they decided to cross the Little Missouri River.
The night before, I met two fits-the-stereotype, liberally-medicated, California hippies. One of them had a few great lines while on the cell phone. My two favorite were Buffalo are the elephants of America and No I'm not going to take a photo of a sleep-walking buffalo. But the second night, they were gone, so I provided the music. I went down to the river bank, set up my chair and finger-picked away. I got into one such tune and wasn't paying attention to what was happening around me. When I stopped, I looked up and, not 100 feet away from me, a horse was staring me in the eye. I thought, Well this is awesome, assuming I don't get killed. He was protecting his friend who was taking a drink from the river. I walked up the hill, put the guitar down, and came back to watch. But as I sat down, the horse approached me and, well, I went back up the hill.
So wildlife makes this campground awesome. As I was talking with my father on the phone on afternoon, two horses came running again, not 100 feet behind me. Right through the campground. Unfortunately, I missed the buffalo who walked through the campground again, not 100 feet from my tent, at 3 a.m. both the first and second night.
Day 7
Yes, that all happened in one day. The second day I went up to the North Unit. This unit is a smaller, 14 mile road that dead ends into an overlook. It is not known for its wildlife but instead for its more vivid colors and deeper valleys. These were all true. I saw a herd of longhorn cattle and one buffalo.
I stopped at a few overlooks. The road dead ends into one such overlook called Oxbow Bend. I found a way to climb down a bit from the overlook, thus out of view of visitors, and played the guitar for a couple hours. Here I also saw my favorite informational sign so far. It reads:In the spring of 1886 thieves stole Theodore Roosevelt's boat from his Elkhorn Ranch, 25 miles south of here. Roosevelt pursued the thieves past this point and captured them at the mouth of the Cherry Creek about 24 miles downstream. He then marched the thieves overland to Dickinson where they were tried and convicted.
I talked earlier about how the bad lands appear out of nowhere. I wanted to show this as best I could. So here's a photo looking one direction and another looking the other.
I wrapped up in the North Unit and headed back to the South Unit to camp. As I was getting close I decided I had time to do the south loop again, quickly. I did. I saw a pronghorn and near the end, a herd of buffalo blocked my car for about 30 minutes!If you noticed the sky being dark in that photo, it wasn't because it was late, it was because it was going to storm. Knowing the layout of the land, I figure it was moving south of me. What I didn't realize was the storm was moving north almost as fast as it was moving east. When I got back to camp, may tent had blown away. I left all my sleeping equipment in the tent and it was, therefore, completely soaked (but only the tent was covered in mud). I sat in my car for an hour or so until the worst part of the storm let up. Then, while still raining, I went out and collected my muddy belongings and threw them in the car. The site, originally dirt, was now a mud pool (my canopy was somewhere near the bottom).
Before I left on my trip, my lovely girlfriend said to me, "Now, you may have to sleep in your car for a night or two, but don't worry about that - it's all an adventure." At the time I rolled my eyes and muttered something underneath my breath.
I slept in my car that night in Theo. When I was running around trying to gather my items, I was frustrated. But, by the time I got to my car, I couldn't help but laugh. I thought at the time (seriously), This is one of those stories I'm going to tell for a long time. I still think the highlight was me emptying the water out of my cooler in the pouring rain. I'm positive it had less water in it when I placed it back in the car.
This made me think of another song.
Day 8
That's my Theodore Roosevelt Story. Oh, you're still wondering about the highway workers? Well, on my way to the North Unit, there was much construction. And yes, there were at least 10 in-shape, non-smoking women working (not just holding the slow sign). No, it wasn't Take Your Daughter To Work Day. They were clearly in their mid-twenties and operating heavy machinery.
I was sad to leave the park, but I had to get going. I caught this photo on the way out.
The entire album
Next Post: Montana, Round 2
An Update (Containing Guilt Resolution)
Greetings from Douglas, Wyoming, the 72nd of the 100 greatest small towns in America! It's been 12 nights on the ground and 2 on a couch; and I'm still alive, even haven "seen" 8 bears in the last week.
I'm sitting here at the KOA in Douglas (with free wifi!) at 5:42 a.m., awoken by a crying baby. I'm attempting to update you on North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming before I am kicked out of here in five hours. If I don't succeed, expect to hear from me soon enough.
Before I move on, I felt it was necessary to apologize to Michigan. It's not Michigan's fault it was 200 degrees and 300% humidity; and it's not the landscape's fault the city of Ann Arbor exists. I send my apology in the form of a song, a song that I have no idea of its intended meaning (which reigns true for many of this group's pieces). But the imagery is fun.
Finally, the link to my location (in the top of the right column) should be more dynamic and accurate now. Sprint's coverage in the northwest is not very good, and thus I was out of range for most of the last week.
I'm sitting here at the KOA in Douglas (with free wifi!) at 5:42 a.m., awoken by a crying baby. I'm attempting to update you on North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming before I am kicked out of here in five hours. If I don't succeed, expect to hear from me soon enough.
Before I move on, I felt it was necessary to apologize to Michigan. It's not Michigan's fault it was 200 degrees and 300% humidity; and it's not the landscape's fault the city of Ann Arbor exists. I send my apology in the form of a song, a song that I have no idea of its intended meaning (which reigns true for many of this group's pieces). But the imagery is fun.
Finally, the link to my location (in the top of the right column) should be more dynamic and accurate now. Sprint's coverage in the northwest is not very good, and thus I was out of range for most of the last week.
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