Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

I didn’t sleep well last night (or the night before). Before leaving we top off the propane. Convenient to know that the Flying J’s can have “RV Islands” with separate pumps, water, dumps and even propane available.

We skip breakfast and head west, toward Nevada, off the interstate. Beautiful views as we pass through mountains, deserts, and seas of sagebrush. Stopping at a summit along the way I make food and we enjoy brunch. We cross into Nevada and the Pacific Time Zone together, arriving about lunch time.

At a quick visit to the visitors center we learn of free camping at the south end of the park and that we have arrived at a great time for the fall colors.

After a couple of false starts we motorcycle up to the Wheeler Peak parking area. Our RV can’t go as the roads are too curvy and nothing over 24′ is allowed. A sign at the entrance proves accurate – “Caution narrow steep winding mountain road next eight miles”. Over those 8 miles it climbs almost 3,000 feet. Along the way are 3 guardrails. Not stretched along the length of the road but in total covering about 500′.

  

We really did time it perfectly – the aspens are absolutely beautiful! A fireworks display of yellows with hints of orange. They’re lit up by the sun and contrasated by the blue sky and evergreens.

      

We hike about the glacier lakes trail, visiting Stella and Teresa Lakes. They are ponds formed by glaciers and refilled each year by snowmelt. Overlooking everything is Mt. Wheeler.

  

On up in to the Bristlecone Pine Grove. They’re the oldest living organisms on earth – some found to be almost 5,000 years old! Their needles alone nearly have a human lifespan, living up to 40 years. I took an Egyptian Art History course that covered the last 5000 years – some of these trees were already old when the pyramids were built! They’re fascinating to learn about and see. Long lasting, even when dead, we walked past one mummy that had been dead for 300+ years. They are very resistant to dying – all but a sliver up the trunk and a single branch can be dead. The oldest live tree we saw was 3,200 years old!

      

Due to the environment (I imagine) they grow in very twisted ways. No straight trunks for these guys! That makes them gorgeous – gnarled trunks full of swirls and patterns. Their silhouettes are fascinating.

  

Passing through the forest and up to the foot of Wheeler Peak leads us to Rock Glacier. We snack overlooking a remnant of the Ice Age – towered over by looming, rocky sentinals on three sides.

      

On back we hike, heading for the bike. We gear up and head back down the mountains. It’s like driving on a real life topographic  map, with elevation markers showing every 500′ in change.

Back at the visitors center we load up the motorcycle and head south to find camping. It’s a few miles back on a gravel road, but our site is spectacular – dual parking areas (for RV and trailer), a grill and fire pit. The Snake Creek runs just behind us. As we pull in a Jack Rabbit runs away. He’s big, with long legs – more like a cat, size-wise.

After supper we wrap up in blankets and lie on the picnic table, stargazing. The half moon is bright but we still spot three shooting stars, a dozen planes and as many satellites. The burbling creek and short waterfall combine with the crickets, frogs, and rustling leaves to provide a wonderful auditory backdrop.

Eyelids heavy we finally head in to bed.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

After breakfast we stroll about the campground, exploring. Looks like we had the choice of campsite last night, as we’re only one of two who stayed the night (other than the host). Our site is right off of the Snake River so we have good views out our windows. It’s still cold, though, so time to mosey along.

  

We take a beautiful highway into Idaho for a short jaunt to get on I-15, heading down into Utah. With our looming job deadline we decide to visit 3 of the 5 parks (Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion) before heading south to hit the Grand Canyon’s north trim. I think that on the way is our best chance to visit Great Basin National Park in Nevada. It’s as close as we’re going to get to it along the way.

We aim for Ogden where we stop for a stretch break. Ashley has been looking forward to a Pumpkin Spice Latte now that the fall season is here, so we find a coffee shop and sit outside to discuss route optoins. We brainstorm a couple of routes before a lady sits next to us and begins chatting. Easy to talk to, as we would answer her questions with a sentence and she’d launch into a story in response. Sounds like she’s lived quite an exciting life. Across the street is a Super Target so upon finishing our drinks we head over, get groceries and eat supper before heading on.

    

Salt Lake City has a Trader Joe’s. We like their cheap wine (and everything else they offer) so we detour downtown to visit. Tight fit but no problems. No wine at this location! Oh no… I do grab some more coffee, though, which has been on the list for a month.

Back on the interstate, we stop at a Flying J in Nephi for the night.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

I just can’t seem to get moving this morning, though I do get two articles written. So we get a later start than intended. We pull out of camp, empty tanks and refill water, then go park in front of the lodge.

We hike up Signal Mountain Trail to Signal Mountain (3 miles each way) for a fabulous view looking over the plains toward the Grand Tetons. I quickly sketch the view as we snack and then head back down. The trees have changed colors and it’s beautiful! Of course, it stays cloudy until we return to the parking lot – the mountains are playing peek-a-boo.

        

Back in the RV we continue South to Jenny Lake. After eating lunch in the parking lot we head out on the Jenny Lake trail toward Hidden Falls. At a trail junction 3 fellas are singing so we get treated to an impromptu a capella concert in the woods. How fun!

The falls aren’t much further on and they are stunning! The trees around us are huge – old spruces. All of the forests we’ve been in recently have been burned down in the last few decades so these old growths seem even larger in contrast.

    

The trail up to Inspiration Point provides fabulous views of jagged, snow covered peaks. Along the way we pass within 30′ of mule deer eating. Quite a fabulous vista as we sit on the point for a mid-hike snack.

    

On the way back down we pass at least 6 more deer, one of which holds up traffic as he stands on the trail, chewing. There are a lot of hikers, both ways. The most we’ve seen out on the trails, by a high margin.

  

A couple of hikers were talking to the backpacker in front of us – discussing pizza places. That sounds good! It’s past supper time when we return to the parking lot and we don’t feel like cooking. (Detoured through the gift shop where they apparently sell battery-powered electric fences to deter bears when backpacking. No thanks!) So we head on to Dornan’s in Moose for a pizza. With two walls of windows we get to watch the sun set over the mountains while enjoying our delicious pizza.

    

We debate our next step. We could coffee-up and drive on to Salt Lake City – it would be a long night and we don’t know of any stops along the way. There is a nearby forest campground we could overnight at for a reasonable cost.

We decided to see how the campground looks and how we feel when we get there.  The campground has the first spot we come to available and our 12 miles of hiking have tuckered us out so we pull on in for the night. Plus, we don’t want to miss the mountain views along the way.

Shut up the RV for the night’s cold temperatures and then bed time.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

Chili smells great when I wake. Coffee and word-smithing before we pack up and head down to the Grand Tetons. Cold and still rainy so I get everything in from outside to save Ashley the chill.

Ash volunteers to drive so off we go with me in the passenger seat. We top off gas before heading in to the park. Traffic isn’t too bad, though there are still quite a few people out and about. As we gain elevation we notice snow on the ground, though nothing on the roads.

  

We don’t remember them previously, but edge marker poles for snowplows are lining the roads. Ashley smacks one with the passenger mirror, cracking it. Combined with possibly slick roads we switch seats at lunch. Chili is delicious!

  

On into Grand Teton National Park, still drizzling. We find a campsite at Signal Mountain ($22 for a tent site!) and settle in. Finally able to dump tanks! We can do it again tomorrow and top off our water so we can use the H20 freely. We walk down to the general store and gifts shops before settling in for the night.

We plan tomorrow’s hike, put our water jug in the bear proof box and read a bit before bed.

To help trap the heat (it’s going to be in the 30s again) we close all of our curtains and hang a blanket over the library and cab, building a fabric wall blocking off the living from driving quarters.

  

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

I wake with the alarm and write while having my coffee. It rained most of the night and is still dripping from the sky. Great day to have planned to laze about indoors.

I set about consolidating all of my loose notes into a handfull of over-arching mind maps. It’s nice to be able to see everything in a single place at a glance. This takes me most of the day, working off and on.

Ashley finally wakes and I make her tea and breakfast. Before long we’ve retreated to the bed to contine movie watching. We started the Harry Potter movies last night and will work through them today.

Left overs and salad for lunch. Wish we had more snacks – it’s definitely a snack/junk food kind of day.

We make a broth fondue for supper – chicken, mushrooms and potatoes with some cucumber and hummus on the side. Tasty and a nice change of pace from “regular” meals.

Once supper is finished we put chili ingredients in the crockpot. It can slowly simmer overnight and be ready for tomorrow.

Back to movie watching – I type up notes for a Scavenger Hunt Date ebook.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

Neither of us sleep well. We wake with the alarm and hit the road, stopping just outside of town on a gravel pull-off for breakfast and coffee/tea. Plan on picking up a few groceries and want to give the stores time to open.

The hardware store is asking a lot for their 1 lb propane cylinders – must be made of platinum. And they are out of water bandits. On to the grocery store, where propane is cheaper.

It’s too early to check in so we look for a coffee shop to kill time in. It’s raining so we rush from store to store. Finally find a local roaster and get drinks. I journal while Ashley reads a book about the park. (The bassalt columns I saw along the road are, as suspected, the same as ones in Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway.)

On to the campground. Signal fades as we near it. We find a spot and move in. Electric hook ups! The spot next to us is an old host site so I hook up hoses and refill water (but can’t leave it hooked up.)

Lunch and try to call Mom – call drops twice. No signal at all, apparently.

We watch a movie before supper. No signal is frustrating – we’re both ready to be near some town with signal and bicycle ability. Other than the North Rim of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and maybe a day hike we’re also ready to head on to the Grand Tetons. Once the rain clears that may be our plan.

Cold, rainy, dreary day. At least our Mr. Heater works well!

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

We wake up early and hit the road, basically with the sunrise. But it’s cold. The 10 miles into town freezes my fingers (I really need to hook up my heated gloves) and all of Ashley. We top off the gas and head to Ernie’s Bakery for some heat. We both get coffees (black for me and some creamer for Ashley) and split a bagel. The steaming mugs feel great in our hands.

  

After sipping our drinks and taking care of email we finally head on our way. It’s still cold out but is tolerable now. We get in to the park an hour or hour and a half earlier than the last two days.

Heading south on the loop we detour through Firehole Canyon Road – a beautiful road that parallels the river for a bit, highlighting some falls and rapids. Well worth the detour. We stop at Grand Prismatic Springs. It’s beautiful – and warm enough that we can feel the warmer air. But at a flat view we know we’re missing out. The next parking area has a trail running to the other side of the spring and we can see people up on the hill above it, so we head there. A short hike and we have a spectacular overview of the whole area. No wonder it’s such an iconic image!

    

After snacking and soaking in the scenery we head on to check out Old Faithful. After some debate we decide to sit on the lodge porch and fix lunch – we brought the JetBoil and some dehydrated meals. Once we finish we have just about 10 minutes until the estimated eruption. I sketch a bit while we wait. “Thar she blows” and we make a couple of quick phone calls while waiting for the traffic to pass.

  

On around to West Thumb, where we walk around and see more geysers and springs, right along Yellowstone Lake. Fascinating how the hot springs and geysers can live along or in the cold lake! Black Pool is stunning, though it looks like a caribbean underwater cave rather than living up to it name.

   
    
 

Next is Fishing Bridge where we refill water and gas. It’s growing rather overcast and the weather forecast is calling for rain so we rush along. In Hayden Valley we hit a line of traffic – a pair of wolves caught an elk and it’s supper time. They’re down the hill and across the Yellowstone River, so no worries. Still surprising how large they are! Everyone is stopping for pictures – a lot of telephoto lenses and some pro photographs in the lineup.

On to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We head down South Rim Drive, checking out Artist’s Point. It is an absolutely fabulous view of the lower falls – and we finally see yellow stones! Filled with busses full of people, though, and that’s just absolutely frustrating.

    

A short ways up is Uncle Tom’s Trail – a short trail mostly consisting of stiars down nearer the bottom of the falls. We pause at the bottom and I quickly sketch the view before grabbing a photo and heading up. And up it is! Whew! It feels like we’re out of shape but we went up steeply and quickly.

  

Now the rush is on – back home, hopefully before it rains. We don’t make it. Just a few hundred feet before the park entrance (exit?) we stop to add back layers. Moments later we get rained on. It’s cleared up by the time we get home. The forecast says this is only a break, though, so we take the opportunity to pack up for tomorrow’s departure.

We found a nearby campground that is only $22 a night – but only electric hookups.We can go hide from the next few day’s rain there and veg out to movies, reading and writing.

After supper we decide to try the campground next to us, about half a mile down the road. They have 4 electric sites and their website shows one as not being reserved yet. Once we get there, however, there is a paper reservation in place. So we head back to our spot by the river – ready to hit the road at first light.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

After another slow morning we head back into Yellowstone, south on the lower loop. Only a few miles later we run into a trafic jam. We work our way up, passing by the stopped cars and eventually encounter  bison in the road. We edge on past.

Shortly, another line of stopped cars. More bison, we learn. Just ahead we see a side road, Firehole Lake Drive. We see a beautiful spring and, just beyond, a geyser.

The Great Fountain Geyser goes off in 3-5 bursts about once a day. We just happened to catch it at the right time, so we get to see it erupt. Chat with a great couple while watching the natural show.

     

It’s lunch time, so we head over to Fountain Flat drive to eat and then on to park at the end of the road. Only a few miles away is Fairy Falls, so we get to hiking. Ashley’s pretty nervous about hiking in active grizzly country but slowly feels better as we enounter other hikers. We pass through fields/meadows, patches of muddy land surrounded by steam pots (which makes us a touch apprehensive since we’ve spent two days reading signs saying not to touch the ground off the trail because it can be thin and dangerous).

At a split in the trail we head down to the falls. They’re fabulous, well worth the hike. We sit and enjoy the view while snacking.

      

Following the advice for some other hikers we detour over to the Imperial Geyser. So glad we do, it’s beautiful – a pool filled with a fabulous series of shades of blue. Only one other couple is there so we practically have the place to ourself. It erupts as we watch – a constant bubbling.

   
   

Eventually we decide to head on – back to the motorcycle and then back home. We’re more tired than we expected to be. After looking up campgrounds where we can wait out Tuesday-Thursday’s coming rain and cold, then beyond in the Grand Tetons, we prepare for bed.

We gather gear for tomorrow – we’re going to head out early to try and beat the crowds. To help we will take our stove and cook breakfast overlooking Old Faithful.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

After a slow morning – sun rises at 7 and quickly starts taking the chill out of the air, but doesn’t get warm till mid-morning – we head in to Yellowstone park.

We start by heading north on the upper loop, aiming for Mammoth Hot Springs. Stop at a spring that is bubbling – a couple in front of us says it’s hot enough to make tea. Around the trail we find another pool and are able to look right in and feel the water. Hot and straight walled sides – like a natural hot tub!

    

We stop and admire Gibbon Falls before heading to the Norris Geyser Basin. Fascinating place – like a sci-fi set. The ground has random openings that issue steam or pools of bubbling water in fascinating colors, or water that randomly spews up. Smells of sulfur catch us depending on the wind.

   
   

Mammoth Hot Springs was absolutely beautiful. Natural white stair steps with water flowing over it – a series of mini waterfalls. Beautiful colors highlighting the whites and grays.

   
  
   

We stop in Mammoth for gas, drinks, and snacks. Debating on whether to backtrack or head on to complete the upper loop, we decide to continue on. We rush a bit – stopping only at a waterfall overlook and to stretch. The road goes up over a pass – windy road with some pretty good views.

Well, the tourists are horribly frustrating! There are crowds verywhere – mostly foreigners, it seems – wielding selfie sticks and cameras, eager to photograph everything they can. Pathways are crowded and sometimes hard to navigate. We waited 45 minutes to cover about a mile – people photographing elk and clogging up the road! A couple of other bikes passed the standing traffic and eventually we did the same.

Fumed on the way home. We strive to be travelers – appreciating our surroundings while being polite and respecting those around us. Tourists, by our definition, do the opposite.

After arriving home we decide to go pick up a Mr. Heater – a portable propane heater to supplement our house heater – more fuel efficient and perserve the house batteries. So we head back into town to see what the hardware store is charging. Not as cheap as WalMart but a few dollars cheaper than Red Lodge hardware. Ashley carries it home on her lap. We don’t need any 1 lb propane bottles as we have our 20 lb tank and an adapter hose already.

Very warm in the house – sun hit it all day, plus cooking added to it. I pull in the propane tank and after supper read the instruction manual. Can’t have a propane tank inside. Drats! Back out it goes – but it’s cold and dark so we’ll use the house heater tonight and rig up Mr. Heater with external fuel tomorrow.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

Woke up and turned on the heater to warm our outsides as the coffee worked inside. I caught up on writing – articles and journaling – while Ashley whipped up some cocoa peanut butter oatmeal power balls for hiking snacks.  They’re tasty and, since they’re bite-sized, will be hard not to just sit and eat in a round or two.

Finished the afghan!

  

Eventually we head on down the road, about 100 miles to West Yellowstone. No specific destintion in mind, just saw a lot of RV parks in the area so we should have a choice of places to stay once we get closer.

Stop at the ranger station as we enter town. They’re closed for lunch so we do the same. After eating they’re back in business and a ranger gives us a couple of suggestions. Not a huge amount of options – at least not close. It’s all either private land or paid campgrounds.

We follow the directions and head out of town, wandering down a gravel road. It starts to look rough and Ashley hops out to ask a couple of fellas in a camper about the rest of the road. They confirm that the road worsens and we shouldn’t attempt it. A road back, however, has a few options where they have seen other RV’s parked. So we head out to see how they look.

The first option is owned by the National Forest but is a fenced-in field next to what looks like a creek. We walk down to see how the road looks – it’s basically a pair of tire-track ruts through the field. Other than the entrance it’s basically flat. A spot right next to the water is available. It’s open to the sky so we’d benefit from early morning sun light.

Ashley is a bit apprehensive but we make it in to our spot with no troubles – not even a single under-carriage scrape. Very level, we need only an inch under one front wheel.

  

I gather firewood while Ashley sets up inside. We have only one neighbor, halfway between us and the road, tucked in the patch of pines – out of sight unless we really go looking for them. The water seems to be popular for fishing, though, and we’ve seen a few boats pass by.

Going to cool down to the upper 30’s tonight. We button up early to trap in heat and turn on the house heater with a low fan and set at 55. That should keep everything from freezing.