The Great American Road

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: javelina, mule deer, desert grassland whiptail lizard, white-tailed antelope squirrels, jackrabbit, juvenile Chuckwalla, Great Basin collared lizard, bats, llamas, Utah prairie dogs, chipmunks, coyote, yellow-bellied marmot, moose, beaver, elk, pronghorn, river otters, bison (buffalo), wolves, grizzly bear
*Birds we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: white-wing dove, ravens, Gamble’s quail, western tanager, roadrunner, violet-green swallow, California condor, great blue heron, mountain bluebird, wild turkey, black-chinned hummingbird, juniper titmouse, magpie, osprey, Canada geese, bank swallow, common mergansers, American white pelican, Great blue heron, red-tailed hawk, bald eagles
*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2010 trip so far: 24
*State Parks visited on 2010 trip so far: 4
*Total number of Jr. Ranger badges so far: 19

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After 2 weeks of drycamping at Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton National Park, we headed 156 miles north to our next stop in Gardiner, MT. Gardiner is just outside the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park (http://www.nps.gov/yell/), and our site at Rocky Mountain RV Park (http://www.rockymountaincampground.com/) had a nice view overlooking the town of Gardiner with the mountains in the background. Although the sites in the campground were tight, the full-hookup site gave us an opportunity to recharge our batteries and even allowed for us to once again equalize our battery bank. We also had a view from our campsite of the Roosevelt Arch that was built in 1903 to honor President Teddy Roosevelt and is an icon to the Yellowstone north entrance.

After spending a week at this campground, we moved 5 miles south into the park for a 2 week stay at Mammoth Campground. We arrived at this first-come, non-reservation, no hook-up park at 8am and were lucky enough to snag a great site offering shade in the afternoon, satellite reception, and a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. This campground is located along the switchbacks leading up to the town of Mammoth Hot Springs and only a couple miles drive to the beautiful Travertine Terrace area. On many days it was not unusual to see elk roaming the campground, and though at times we noticed some road noise as it is not located far off the main north entrance road, it was a great home base for our 2 week stay in Yellowstone. Our batteries again performed as designed with our generator running about 5 hours throughout the day. Generator use was only allowed from 8am – 8pm, and each morning promptly at 8, it started up, ran for about an hour, and then every few hours would restart for a short time to keep the batteries charged. At 6pm it generally kicked on and ran till 8pm as it topped off the battery bank in anticipation of 12 hours of quiet time.

We also had the opportunity to meet campground volunteer hosts, Jim and Kay, who do a great job in making sure each camper has an enjoyable stay while there. We were so impressed with how they handled their daily chores that we spent time talking to them about volunteering at a national park. Mammoth Campground, in our opinion, would be the perfect place to volunteer. The area is not only beautiful, teaming with wildlife and thermal activity; it also has internet and satellite service as well as a reasonable commute to stock up the fridge. We are definitely going to investigate a volunteer position for next year.

For those of you who may not remember Charles Kuralt, he was a CBS correspondent, and beginning in 1967 was host of a segment called “On the Road”. Over the next 20 years, he and his crew visited every state in the country in a motorhome, logging more than a million miles. Avoiding the interstates, he preferred to take the back roads in search of America. He used to say, "Interstate highways allow you to drive coast to coast, without seeing anything". We had mentioned him earlier in our travels as you can read by following this link: (2007TimetoReflect).

One of the areas he reported on was the Beartooth Highway which he called “the most beautiful drive in America”. This drive originates outside the northeast entrance of Yellowstone and follows Rt. 212 into Montana and back into Wyoming. Along the way you travel through the Gallatin National Forest, Shoshone National Forest, Custer National Forest, through the small towns of Silver Gate, Cooke City, and Top of the World, over the Beartooth Pass, and down into Red Lodge, MT. We decided to take the 170-mile roundtrip drive to Beartooth Pass, and on Wed. morning loaded the dogs into the car and headed out. We left with great expectations and in returning 7 hours later, we were not disappointed. We have traveled many scenic and historic roads over the last 3 years, and while each was unique and beautiful in its own right, the Beartooth Highway was definitely the best.

From the northeast entrance to the Beartooth Pass was 37 miles of amazing scenery with an elevation change of 3,582 ft. to a height of 10,947 ft. The temperature at the northeast entrance was 78 degrees, and as a storm rolled through while at the top of the pass, the temperature dropped to 48 degrees with a little bit of sleet. Time and again we pulled to the side of the road to take in the views. There are 20 peaks soaring over 12,000 feet along the route. In the distance not far to the west Pilot Peak at 11,708 ft. and Index Peak at 11,313 ft. were most impressive. At times we were looking down at glaciers along the mountain sides. Glacial lakes and the round boulders associated with the glaciers of long ago were abundant. Standing there and taking in all the beauty we seemed to be lost in time in trying to imagine what this area looked like millions of years ago.

On our way back to the campground, we stopped at a waterfall located just off the road, not far outside the park entrance, and climbed the adjacent trail a short distance to get a closer look. The force and power of the water was amazing.

Did you know that Yellowstone National Park encompasses 2.2 million acres and has quite a diverse landscape? Most people only think of Old Faithful when they think of Yellowstone, but it is so much more...mountains, valleys, canyons, waterfalls, hot springs, bubbling mudpots, and wildlife. On another day we traveled over 20 miles to the Norris Geyser Basin and then another 12 to the Canyon Village area. Norris Geyser Basin is one of the most active and hottest geyser basins in the park because it is situated on the intersection of 3 major faults. When you really think about the fact that in some areas just 3 to 8 miles below the surface is molten rock (magma), it boggles the mind! We walked the Porcelain Basin trail passing steam vents, hot springs, fumaroles, and small geysers. The colors created by the thermopiles (heat-loving microorganisms) are spectacular. On the other side at the Back Basin trail we watched the eruption of Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser. Though it can shoot 300 ft. into the air during a major eruption, more commonly it only erupts about 10 – 40 ft. which was the case during our visit. (The last major eruption was in 2005.)

In the Canyon Village area we drove the north and south rim loops of the “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone”. Carved by the Yellowstone River, this canyon is approximately 20 miles long, more than 1,000 feet deep, and up to 4,000 feet in width. There are two waterfalls – the Upper Falls dropping 109 feet and the Lower Falls plunging 308 feet - that afford many photo opportunities with Artist Point offering the most spectacular view of the Lower Falls (photo at left). Since we had visited this area last year, we didn’t get out at every overlook, but Artist Point is well worth visiting every time. (For more info and pictures on the park, you can click on this link to last year’s visit - 2009Yellowstone).

During our stay we discovered that just up the road in Gardiner was the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center, and free tours are given to the public by appointment on Tues. and Thurs. The HRC is a storage facility that houses over 5.3 million items of the park’s archives, rare books, original artwork, museum pieces, fossils, a herbarium, and a research library that is open to the public. The tour lasted a little more than an hour, and it was quite interesting to learn about the facility and see such things as an original letter written by Teddy Roosevelt in 1894 before he was President, a book inscribed by conservationist John Muir in 1903, skulls of cougars, bears, and wolves, and the original watercolor sketches of Thomas Moran.

While in Yellowstone I earned my 19th Junior Ranger badge, or more technically a patch. For some reason this park no longer issues the replica ranger badges, instead favoring a couple different patches. When given a choice, I generally opt for the patch, but since Russ prefers the badges to wear on his hat, he decided to skip this program. When we were here last year, we didn't know that as adults we could become Jr. Rangers. How fitting that the last one I earn is from the first national park ever created.

A couple miles from the campground is an area where the Gardner River meets the Boiling River, a location of the largest discharge of thermal water in Yellowstone. It is one of only a couple of safe places within the park where visitors can actually soak in the warm waters. After walking along a ½ mile trail, you arrive at the spot where the 140 degree Fahrenheit underground discharge from Mammoth Hot Springs joins the cold river water creating a nice warm, soaking temperature. The area is quite rocky so not good for swimming and water shoes are recommended because the rocks are slippery from the algae. While sitting in the river, at times we’d feel a rush of hot water on our backs followed by a rush of cold…quite a memorable experience! In the words of Charles Kuralt, “America is a great story and there is a river on every page of it.”

Abundant Wildlife

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: javelina, mule deer, desert grassland whiptail lizard, white-tailed antelope squirrels, jackrabbit, juvenile Chuckwalla, Great Basin collared lizard, bats, llamas, Utah prairie dogs, chipmunks, coyote, yellow-bellied marmot, moose, beaver, elk, pronghorn, river otters, bison (buffalo), wolf, grizzly bear
*Birds we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: white-wing dove, ravens, Gamble’s quail, western tanager, roadrunner, violet-green swallow, California condor, great blue heron, mountain bluebird, wild turkey, black-chinned hummingbird, juniper titmouse, magpie, osprey, Canada geese, bank swallow, common mergansers, American white pelicans, Great blue heron, red-tailed hawk, bald eagles
*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2010 trip so far: 23
*State Parks visited on 2010 trip so far: 4
*Total number of Jr. Ranger badges so far: 18

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Last year we spent a week in Grand Teton National Park (www.nps.gov/grte), and enjoyed it so much that we decided to return for two weeks this year. Our last trip we stayed at a campground in the northern section of the park with full hookups, but this time we stayed at Gros Ventre (pronounced grow vahnt) Campground with no hookups at the far southern end. Everything went fine with the batteries and converter, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. (For more info and pictures on the park, click on this link to last year’s visit: July2009GrandTeton.)

Our site was nestled under a tree with a beautiful view of the hills and mountains in the distance including the snow-capped peak of Grand Teton itself out our front window. The campground is located alongside the Gros Ventre River, and after getting settled, we took the dogs for a walk to the river's edge. Of course, both of them had to get their feet wet and take a drink!









As you can see by our critters and birds lists, the wildlife was abundant! (In fact, Russ commented that he almost forgot the mountains were even there.) On 5 out of 6 separate occasions we saw moose on the opposite bank of the river…...


a cow (female) and her calf twice, and 3 different bulls (males).



On several days a bison herd grazed in the fields near the campground. Every time you’d try to drive down the road, cars were stopped taking pictures and also because bison would decide to cross the road (which they did quite often). Personally I think they’re just messing with the tourists…tee hee. Park literature states that wildlife has the right of way, and if you saw the size of one of these creatures in person, you’d definitely give it the right of way! We truly enjoyed watching them meander back and forth, and marveled at how protective they are of their young and each other.

One thing we learned last year was that if you see a group of people stopped along the road with cameras and binoculars, they’re probably watching bison. If you see a ranger with them, it’s probably a bear, and this theory has generally proven correct. This grizzly was foraging for roots and plants about 100 yards from the roadside. How do you tell the difference between a grizz and a black bear? Not by the color since black bears can also be brown, but a hint is that if the hump (behind their head) is bigger than the rump, it’s a grizzly...another great tidbit!

Our favorite spot last year was at Oxbow Bend, not the turnout but a spot right on the Snake River. Very early one morning we loaded the dogs into the car with the outdoor temperature still at 35 degrees (it gradually warmed up), and stayed several hours watching ducks, pelicans, geese, osprey, and bald eagles. Though the drive was much longer this year due to our location, we returned to this lovely, serene area on a few more occasions and were never disappointed. We always took our chairs, food, and drink, and the dogs even dined al fresco on the riverbank one day. Once they got over their initial excitement of the new sights and smells, they’d lie on the ground also enjoying the view. Besides all the birds, we also watched the antics of 6 river otters as they playfully made their way down the river to the opposite bank, and a young deer swim across to the island in the middle. One of the neatest and most unusual things we saw was a bald eagle dive into the water to catch a fish, but it must have been too heavy to lift and fly. Instead he appeared to be hopping across the water till he got to the edge and was able to climb on the riverbank to enjoy his catch (sorry the picture isn’t clearer but be sure to double-click to open for a better look!)

Venturing to places we hadn’t been last year was part of our goal. One day we visited the Murie Ranch (http://www.muriecenter.org/) and had the opportunity to walk through the one story log cabin of Olaus and Mardy Murie. Set among the trees, it seems to be preserved in time and was once a gathering spot for The Wilderness Society. Today the cabin is still used by biologists and conservation groups. After Olaus’ death in 1962, Mardy continued her husband’s conservation work and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On the mantel is a framed photo of Mardy with John Denver (one of my favorites), with whom she was very close. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 101, and the following quote attached to the mantle seems fitting and true for us all: "The wonder of the world, the beauty and the power, the shapes of things, their colours, lights, and shades; these I saw. Look ye also while life lasts."

Early one evening we discovered a gravel road that wound its way down to the Snake River to an area called Schwabacher Landing, and the next afternoon we returned to hike the trail. The footpath seemed to end after a mile or so, but we continued along the side creek into the dense forested area. Along the way we had hoped to see some wildlife, but instead stumbled across some “remains” including pieces of vertebrae! Not sure what type of animal these belonged to but it was obviously large as you can see by the partial bone next to Russ’ foot. The whiteness was probably not caused by sun bleaching since all were found spread out under the forest canopy but rather because they were probably picked clean! There were moments when we both wondered if it was wise to be hiking off the trail here by ourselves, but thanks to Russ’ fine navigational skills and keen instincts, we found our way back to the car unscathed. All in all, we figure we hiked about 5 miles roundtrip.

Another day we drove into Jackson (better known as Jackson Hole) where you’ll find massive elk antler arches situated at each of the four corners of the town square. While in town we visited the Jackson Hole Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center (http://www.fs.fed.us/jhgyvc), a great resource for everything you want to know on the area and home to some impressive wildlife displays such as the elk herd immediately on your left as you walk in the door (this picture was taken from the 2nd floor). Out back a wooden deck overlooks the National Elk Refuge and surrounding area.

During the summer on Tues. nights, the Grand Teton Music Festival (http://www.gtmf.org/) offers free 75 min. classical concerts presented in a casual atmosphere called Inside the Music. This week’s theme was “Good Guys, Bad Guys”, and narrator Roger Oyster kept the evening lively with tidbits on each of the four composers: Good Guys – Johann Sebastian Bach and Bohuslav Martinu; Bad Guys – Richard Wagner and contemporary composer Michael Daugherty. Though Russ is not big on classical music, he enjoyed Bach and Daugherty the most. The stage was bare for the Bach piece except for a harpsichord and solo oboist, but while Roger delighted us about the naughtiness of Wagner and the story behind the next piece, the harpsichord was removed, chairs and music stands set up, and 18 musicians took the stage…no curtains, no frills. Though a bit long, the Wagner piece was my favorite. He had written it as a gift for his wife’s birthday, Christmas Day, and performed it for her at sunrise as she awoke that day. As the piece began, I could almost see the colors of the rising sun. Daugherty’s Dead Elvis is a more modern piece, and the solo bassoonist came onstage dressed as Elvis in a white pantsuit…what a hoot! Sorry, no cameras were allowed.

We made a trip to the Colter Bay Visitor Center one day after leaving Oxbow Bend to see if Ranger Rick Jillian was still working there. We met Rick last year at the Center and had a great time jabbing him about being a KU grad (bitter rival of Mizzou!) It was Rick who got us started on the Junior Ranger program by informing us it wasn’t just for kids. He was working, and we chatted for about half an hour…great guy. We promised to return before we left the park to give him one of our cards so he could follow the blog (and see his photo from last year).

We did return a few days later with card in hand but also to see if he could confirm a sighting from earlier in the day. We were heading to Oxbow Bend and along the main road on the right, we spotted several elk walking along a ridge and of course, several cars stopped to take pictures. Elk are abundant in the park, and we wanted to get to “our spot” so kept going. But about a mile down the road on the left, we noticed a car stopped and someone with a camera (usually means wildlife). I looked to the wide open field where he was facing and saw what looked like some sort of dog…could it be a wolf?!! We stopped, Russ grabbed the binoculars, and I had my camera. This was too big to be a coyote and much bigger than the size of our 70 lb. dogs…had to be over 100 lbs. It was running back across the field, and I zoomed in the camera getting the first shot just as he sat to scratch an itch. Russ was watching him through the binoculars, and we felt certain it was a wolf that had probably been scoping out those approaching elk on the other side but got spooked by the road noise. At the visitor center, we showed the images to Rick and 2 other rangers who with 98% probability confirmed it was a wolf.

Yesterday it rained off and on most of the day, and this morning the fog and mist were so thick and low we couldn’t even see the mountains! As we left and made our way through the park, it slowly lifted, providing some spectacular views of the mountains. We're heading north, planning to spend a few weeks at Yellowstone National Park.

Star Valley

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: javelina, mule deer, desert grassland whiptail lizard, white-tailed antelope squirrels, jackrabbit, juvenile Chuckwalla, Great Basin collared lizard, bats, llamas, Utah prairie dogs, chipmunks, coyote, yellow-bellied marmot
*Birds we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: white-wing dove, ravens, Gamble’s quail, western tanager, roadrunner, violet-green swallow, California condor, great blue heron, mountain bluebird, wild turkey, black-chinned hummingbird, juniper titmouse, magpie, osprey
*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2010 trip so far: 22
*State Parks visited on 2010 trip so far: 4
*Total number of Jr. Ranger badges so far: 18

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On our way to Thayne, WY, we stopped at Fossil Butte National Monument (www.nps.gov/fobu), again this year to get our National Park Passport book stamped since it was right on the way. There had been a couple new additions at the visitor center. Outside around the perimeter a Journey Through Time railing had been installed just 3 weeks earlier. With every 9 inches equaling 1 million years, signs along the railing identified different events in Earth’s past beginning 4.5 billion years ago, and followed the history of Earth and life as they evolved into what they are today.

Inside, near the ceiling, was a “mass mortality” slab measuring about 3’ x 8’ of over 300 fish fossils. No one is absolutely certain what caused these types of mass mortalities but all the fish were killed suddenly. We also watched a ranger in the lab preparing and cleaning some fossils (which takes incredible patience) as she explained the process.

Once back on the road, we made a pit stop at Salt River Pass, elevation 7,630 ft., once used by the pioneers as they made their way to the Oregon Trail. The pass also marks the point from where water flows north to the Snake River and eventually to the Pacific Ocean or south to the Great Salt Lake (though we couldn't see any of the streams from where we stood).

We spent the next week at Star Valley Ranch Resort (http://starvalleyranchresort.com/) in Thayne, and were both amazed at the serene beauty of this area. When we arrived, there was still a little snow near the mountain tops, and we heard that there had been a big snowstorm a month earlier…glad we missed that! This is quite a large resort, and we were placed in the new section which meant no trees to block the satellite. It’s actually all the way in the back with gravel lots, and where many of the workampers are placed. It was fine with us, and we rather enjoyed the larger spaces and view of the surrounding mountains.

The 4th of July was celebrated on Sat., the 3rd, beginning the day with a golf cart parade followed by several activities for the kids. We bought tickets for the evening’s dinner held in “The Barn” that consisted of steak, baked potato, salad, roll, and lemonade, all for $8/person. Plus I guess they had a few bucks left over and announced that there were two tubs full of beer for the taking on a first come, first served basis, so of course we each grabbed one. A couple hundred people were in attendance, and the meal was actually very good. We chatted with our tablemates as we listened to the tunes of Ed Carter and the Sawmill River Band. An announcement was made during dinner that since it was the resort’s 25th anniversary, more fireworks had been purchased than ever before, and the evening concluded with a really nice fireworks display in a field down the road.

On one day we took a drive into the other small towns nearby, stopping at a wildlife area just off the road, and on a platform high in the air was an occupied osprey nest…very cool! We also passed the oldest surviving cabin in Star Valley, WY, built in 1889, and a guy who was selling homemade elk antler chandeliers and furniture from his truck on the side of the road. Never quite seen anything like ‘em.

The weather was much cooler than the last few places we’d been, and with full hookups we didn’t have to worry about electrical issues. Russ spent a good part of the week reading and researching more about house batteries and inverter/converters, and made some adjustments. We are preparing to spend the next two weeks in Grand Teton National Park with no hookups.