We're home

It was fun, exciting, and a great trip. It's good to be home though.

Thanks to all who followed us. I hope you enjoyed our trip enough to try it yourself one day. If you need any advice, I'll give you Dori and Gordon's number. as they do a lot of traveling. In fact, they're on the road right now. Dori is thinking of starting her own blog- "My travails with Gordon". Catchy, yes?

I have a good deal of items to fix on the truck and trailer, but I'll be able to fit that in between bike rides and coffee dates. Sue will have fun getting back into the gym and taking care of her charge- (me!).

We'll see you all around!

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Great Basin NP

This place is really in the middle of nowhere. That makes for excellent viewing of the night sky. There are actually so many stars it's hard to see the normal constellations I see at home. It's on the eastern border of Nevada.

We started into the Lehman caves to spot JSL, but my claustrophobia kicked in and we had to cancel. I don't know if you have any phobias, but once the panic starts, it can get bad quick. I've been in caves before with no problem, so I'm not sure what went wrong, but it wasn't pretty. Never did see JSL.

We did go for a hike into the Bristlecone Pines grove. Way cool. Here's a picture of a tree that died 2000 years ago. It was around 5000 years old when it passed.

Bristlecones live at high elevation. I'm not sure what elevation we were at here, but after we went downhill a ways, we ended up here.

It was a great hike, but we both had breathing issues. We had about 3 minutes of acclimation before we started hiking. It was not that cold though.

Funny thing about this National Park- there was no entrance station. Thus, no fee required to get in.  After we left here, we drove on Highway 50 through Nevada to my Dad's house. The state road signs all made the same claim- The loneliest highway in America! They weren't kidding either. No traffic problems though.

We'll be home before you know it-

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Park City, Utah

This town is an art lovers nirvana. There is one gallery after another along the main drag. Sorry, no pics. Although we did purchase a couple of beautiful photos for our home at one of the galleries. When in Rome...

Tomorrow we go to Nevada; Great Basin NP. It's in the middle of nowhere, so I'm not expecting much for reception. When I get back online again, we should have some killer photos to share. We'll actually be going to Lehman Caves in the park, so possibly a JSL sighting?

Oh, actually I did get one picture of Susie with the local bear today.

Phelps Lake, WY.

Today is our last day in Wyoming, as tomorrow we'll be in Utah for the night. So we went for a short hike to Phelps Lake. This land was donated by Lawrence Rockefeller to give people a chance to enjoy the quiet solitude. Everything was wonderful until a group of people showed up who never stopped talking, and quite loudly too. They drove everyone else off. It was really stupendous though, and was our last chance to explore the Tetons.

Although we have no decent pictures of them, we did see quite an array of animals today. A bear, three moose (two bulls-WOW!), and a coyote. It was fun to watch the coyote hunting his prey.

We did get a chance to toddle around Jackson and go shopping. In fact we ran into a friend from Atascadero, who just happens to be here also. They have two awesome hat shops in town! Wait till you see my latest acquisition. It won't be too much longer now, but we will be taking our time heading west. Our next stay will be in Nevada, at Great Basin NP.

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Cascade Cyn. and Inspiration Point

We were so far into Cascade Cyn. that my GPS tracker app, Strava, lost us for a while. It was a longer hike today at around 9 miles. We both felt it too. In fact we each were wondering how we ever completed that 140 miles in the Sierras 4 years ago. It was worth it though. The landscape is just stunning.

We were actually hiking at the base of the Grand Teton today.

 As usual, someone on the trail said they saw a bear, but there were no bears that we saw. Those silly deer think they own the place though. We were close enough to touch them before they decided to get off the trail.

There were a lot of people on this hike today. The guide called this the 'highlight' trail of the park. We were surprised to see so many people still, as it is so long. Usually there is a shuttle to shorten the round trip hike by 4 miles, but it's no longer running. Which explains why we saw one overweight fellow half way up the long climb sitting on the side of the trail smoking a cigar. He said he just gave up.

Inspiration point overlooked Jenny Lake, which we hiked along for 2 miles before getting to the Cascade trailhead. Too bad our Jenny wasn't here to see her namesake lake.

Last night we went to Oxbow Bend on the Snake river, which is supposedly where two bull Elk were battling the night before. We didn't see any animals there either. Again, though, just astounding beauty.

Today is our real anniversary- 24 years- so we'll head over to the Jackson Lodge for a celebratory dinner. Tomorrow we hitch up our wagon and head to the south end of the park for a couple of days. It's supposed to snow for two days. It could be fun getting out of here in a blizzard.

P.S. Congrats to Jeff and Kelly who are celebrating their 18th anniversary today.

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Two Oceans Lake

We went for a short hike today, in anticipation of going on a longer hike tomorrow. The lake hike was beautiful with all the fall colors appearing.

The trees that are turning are White Bark Birch trees; the conifers in the background make a striking contrast.

Speaking of plants- Mike do you know what this is? They were everywhere on the trail today. Maybe you still have a plant identification book from your studies at UCSC? It has a very pungent, familiar odor.

I named it skunk weed.

The clouds are always with us here, and rain is scattered but very light. The mountain tops disappeared. The next two days might be better photo days.

I think what is so striking about the Tetons is that there are no foothills. The Earth opened up 9 million years ago and belched- and then wiped it's mouth and scrubbed away the debris. Now, the plains and lakes go right up to the base of these striking behemoths.

We're going moose hunting tonight at Oxbow Bend on the Snake river. Maybe some animal shots tomorrow?

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Hiking Jackson Lake

We went for a 7 mile hike today and got lost. Sort of. We followed the lake shore, so we always knew we had that to orient ourselves. But the trail markers were very lacking. It was a good hike though.

At one point we ended up at Swan Lake- no swans visible, but boy were there a lot of water lilies. So many in fact, that the water was only visible in a few small areas. That's the lake behind me.

You can ask Lavonne and Earl, when things go wrong on a trip, you adapt. We've had so many mechanical issues on this trip, I feel like I'm working all the time. Let's see- water heater, propane hose leak, fuel filter replacement, broken inverter cable, bath vent, I think there's more, but I can't remember right now. Scott, if you're still with us, bring your tool box on your travels. The lesson here is- deal with it as it comes. That's life lesson #1. Life lesson #2 is enjoy every day with a smile.Nothing is insurmountable. Except,for me, the Grand Teton-

I know Brian and Janet would do this in an afternoon, and God Bless them for it. I take pictures from afar.

We didn't hike much in Yellowstone because we weren't feeling our best, but tomorrow is another hike to Inspiration Point at Jenny Lake. Should be some good pics.

For some reason Strava won't let me upload pictures on this trip. However, it keeps trying and really messes with my internet connection. So from now on, I won't even try. Unfortunately, because Strava is still trying desperately, I can't upload pics to the blog tonight. Please refer to Life lesson #2.

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Jackson or Jackson Hole WY?

We asked the waitress at Snake River Brewery and she didn't know what the difference was. From the maps, Jackson Hole is inclusive of a large area; Jackson is the name of the town. But either moniker is used interchangeably.

So, we left Yellowstone this morning and had a hell of a time finding a campsite, but ended with a lovely spot in Colter Bay, which is inside the Teton National Park. Now these are mountains! It's a very small range that we drove by in less than an hour, and very young at only 9 million years old. Compare that to the Rockies, which are 55 million years old. But very impressive!!

Yellowstone was nice, don't get me wrong. But the draw there is really the Caldera, where all the geologic activity involves geysers, mud holes, hot springs. We saw Old Faithful three times, as it erupts every 90 mins. or so. We also saw Daisy geyser erupt. The weather was not like Atown but hey, it was dramatic! Here's Old Faithful-

This is Morning Glory hot spring-

And here is Grotto Geyser-

We liked Yellowstone, and it was wonderful to see Jeff and Kelly again (we only get to see them at Thanksgiving). I'm not sure we'll be welcome there again, as we gave Jeff our colds while visiting. By the way, we're both feeling better, but less than perfect.

I'm including a pic of the mountains, but this is just a teaser. I'll send more later. This is from Sue's phone. Reception is very hit or miss here. We'll be here for a while, so keep the comments coming, but if we don't reply don't take it personally.

The Tetons-

More Later-

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Yellowstone in the snow.

Sue and I both have nasty colds today, she got hers the day before me. We are parked at Jeff and Kelly's on a dead end road. Today a tractor was here digging a trench across the road effectively blocking us in for the day. So we got up early and left for the park before we knew how sick we were. We should've stayed home and slept all day.

We did see a lot of wildlife though. Elk, buffalo, coyote, trumpeter swan, canada geese. The bison were in herds everywhere- literally hundreds per herd.

Today it snowed on us pretty much all day. There were several inches on the ground as time went on. We were in the clouds so no scenic vistas.

Yesterday we were there and it was sunny and warm.

We've decided to stay camping here until we get better, although we really don't want to spread this to our hosts. We'll hole up in our warm cozy trailer till we feel good enough to travel again.

Scrabble anyone?

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Gardiner, MT

We've been visiting Jeff and Kelly for the last few days. They've been very gracious; feeding us, touring Yellowstone, going on hikes. Yesterday we did a very strenuous hike down 328 steps to view the Lower Yellowstone Falls.

It was a spectacular view.

Then we had to climb back up.

Even though it is after Labor day, the crowds are thick. We'll explore more today, but neither of us are feeling well, so we'll take it easy I think.

That's all the energy I can muster today.

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Hiking in a Hail Storm

OK, the hail was only in the beginning. Too bad though, because the rest of the hike was in the rain. By the time we were done we were both soaked. Being the fair weather hikers we are, we have rain jackets and really nothing else to protect us. Considering it was 44 degrees when we started (43 when we finished), my biggest concern was freezing to death.

We didn't see any bears once again, but here's a look at what bear scat looks like when pummeled by rain. They eat a lot of berries!

When we got to the lake at the end of the trail, it really started to pour so we were there all of three minutes.

There was a cool suspension bridge along the trail.

Apparently it was not very strong.  Be sure to blow up the pic and read the sign on the right.

Once we got back to the truck the heater felt really good.

So after two weeks in the park, we've headed south. We'll spend the night outside of Helena, and head to Jeff and Kelly's house tomorrow. Jeff is Sue's nephew and they live just outside of Yellowstone, which is where he works.

I just talked to Kelly and she said we could stay as long as we want. Which is cool, since our next stop is Reno for Dad's birthday on the 28th. That gives us plenty of time to explore the area.

Next stop, Gardiner MT.

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Duck Lake, Montana

Home again, home again. At least back to our humble abode on wheels. Canada is behind us, and what great memories.

Before we left Waterton we stopped for a short hike around Red Rock Cyn. Unfortunately a few of the trails were closed for construction. We had fun though.

I was able to build a rather precarious cairn, but a big gust of wind came and knocked it over. After the pic fortunately.

Tonight we stay 25 minutes away from Many Glacier which is in Glacier park. There is a campground there but it's always full. Tomorrow we go hiking; not sure where yet. It's beautiful no matter where we go.

Scott was asking about electrical power in Apgar. We were parked for 10 nights without having any hookups, so we had to use only the water, sewer, and power we carry with us. We tend to be pretty conserving.

For power we use big 6 volt golf cart batteries. Much better than deep cycle rv batteries. Also, we have a solar panel for recharging. Plus, I have two more 6v batteries in the bed of the truck which I can use for backup as needed. Those charge whenever the truck is running (going to the trailhead, brewpub, etc.) We did use them, as the clouds were pretty thick the whole stay, keeping the solar from functioning well.

As for water, we have a 50 gal. fresh water tank plus an extra 6 gals. in the water heater tank. I'm proud to say we made it that entire time and only ran out of water the morning we left. I'm throwing down the gauntlet and challenging all trailer campers to match that!! We're talking showers, dish washing, toilet, bath sink- UNBELIEVABLE. C'mon Dori, show us what you got.

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Hiking around Waterton

We went for a couple of short hikes today. The first was called Bear Hump Trail. It was .75 miles and 700' of climbing.That's an average grade of 20%. I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. Along the way we saw some wildlife up close.

OK, the Bighorn was actually on the road, but the deer was on the trail.

The view from the top was outstanding though.

The way down was as tough as the way up.

After that we went to Bertha Falls, and again the views were spectacular.

 The idea of paying the Canadian government $5/bottle to bring my wine into their country really irks me. Particularly since we still have a couple of cases left. So instead of doing that we left our trailer in Montana and drove the truck up into the park. I just decided we could treat ourselves to a little luxury and stay in a motel for two nights. Also, we have to eat out every meal, so Susie gets a little vacation from feeding me. Peggy would be very proud of this decision.

We do have a nice view from our deck.

 I know what you're thinking Doug, and yes, I would've saved money just paying the tax and staying in the trailer, but sometimes I just have to spend money to be happy. I'm so shallow.

Tomorrow we go to Red Rock Cyn. on the way back to the states. It's supposed to be spectacular. I'll let you know.

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Waterton Lakes National Park, Waterton, Canada Labour Day (misspelled in honor of Canada)

We left West Glacier and headed north today. It was quite a change in scenery on the way here. We drove through Browning Mt., which is in the Blackfeet Indian Nation, to get here. While in that neck of the woods, there were no woods! It was all grassland and rolling hills.

Remember when we were kids and there was no speed limit in Montana? Well, they've changed. Fortunately they still have a high limit, but you have to wonder about the wisdom of that sometimes. Here we are, driving on a two lane state highway, with signs indicating free range cattle, which we noticed when we saw herds of cows ON THE HIGHWAY. This is the area they consider safe to drive 70 mph! Have you ever driven into a cow at 70 mph? I hope not. I've been driving a much more sane 62. I figure that gives me another 7 or 8 feet of stopping distance. JSL would be very proud of me.

We did see a herd of bison today; I'm not kidding when I say there were at least 50 of them. Unfortunately, I was driving at my sane speed and didn't get a pic to share.

Waterton is a beautiful area surrounded by majestic mountains and shored by the Waterton Lake.

The weather is not perfect, but we can't complain seeing as how we are in paradise. We are planning to hike to Crypt Lake tomorrow. National Geographic determined it to be one of the top ten most thrilling hikes in the world. How could we miss this?

This is how-

Don't panic Kristen, we'll find something to do.

I'll let you know.

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Whitefish, Mt. Sunday 9/4

What a lovely little town! Lots of shops and restaurants along the main drag, people everywhere, even a microbrew. Sadly, we didn’t go into the brewpub, but we had an excellent lunch at the Buffalo Café. Lots of artwork on display. I was surprised there weren’t more hats. Still, I give the town a thumbs up and highly recommend it to anyone when in the area.

 Speaking of hats, isn't Montana cowboy country? There are enough cattle around here to give Texas a run for their money. And yet, when you go into a public restroom here, none of them have the paper cowboy hats for the toilet seats. Everyone is just expected to plop it down there and share your germs. Eww!

We ended up going to town because the pass was extremely cloudy and cold. Plus we were out of chocolate. Janet knows where we’re coming from. We were going to go on another hike but it was too darn cold.

It was awesome seeing all the mountains partially hidden under the clouds though.

Tomorrow we leave West Glacier and head to Canada. Maybe have a beer with Dale in Waterton Park, which is the other half of the Glacier Waterton International Peace Park. (And you thought Dale had gone back to work. I believe this is another sabattical.) Gordon mentioned it was quite beautiful, so we are northward bound.

See you in Canada-

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Does a Hiker Pee in the Woods?

If she’s hiking in the woods she will.

Today is Saturday, Sept. 3. We went for a beautiful hike to Avalanche Lake, walking beside the creek for a portion of the way. This is probably my favorite hike yet here in the park. The green trees and moss, the red and green rocks, the gorgeous creek and waterfalls.

We were surrounded by Western Cedar, Hemlock, and Cottonwood trees. Too bad Gary’s not here; he could tell us what kind of rocks we saw. They are very vivid colors.

The lake itself was rather low, as the glacier that feeds it is almost gone.

In 1850 there were 150 active glaciers in the area that was to become the park; today there are 25. By the time I breathe my last breath, they will be gone.

What does it take to be an active glacier? Three things:

1)      The ice pack must be at least 100’ thick.

2)      The surface area must be at least 25 acres.

3)      It must move under it’s own power.

Active glaciers are always moving, slowly grinding away at the rock surface beneath it. If it’s not moving it’s called an ice field. This is Jackson Glacier. You can see the rock field below the glacier. That area was once covered by ice.

Tomorrow the forecast is calling for snow at Logan Pass. We’ll drive up there one more time (early, before the crowds arrive) and hopefully get some awesome views. The smoke has cleared considerably, but the cloud cover is obscuring the mountains right now. Consequently, the scenery is different, but still beautiful.

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