Montana and Back to Wyoming

 

 

                                                Montana and Back to Wyoming


We travel North into the grassy rolling hills of Montana to visit the infamous site of Custer’s Last Stand, The Battle of Little Bighorn or as known by the American Indians the Battle of The Greasy Grass. At the visitors center there is a small museum but the highlight of the experience were the talks given by the Park Rangers. Looking out across the large green grassy expanse of the battlefield you can see multiple white marble markers denoting the exact location where the soldiers fell, along with several red granite markers to show where the Indians fell. The only issue with marking the Indians that fell was that Indians

gathered the fallen and and took them away to be buried in traditional ceremonies. There is a cluster of the white stones on the hill that was to become known as Custer’s Last Stand. Several years ago the National Park Service put together an excellent memorial to the Native Americas. Looking through the lens of today clearly the bad guys were the U S Calvary however trying, as difficult as it may be, to see things through the lens of the latter 19 th century the whole thing becomes rather muddy.

While exploring this area all kinds of warnings messages appeared on the screen of our truck, oil change now, change fuel filter, check coolant and we were hearing a strange sound when we applied the breaks of the truck. This was of great concern to us as we have a large mountain pass to cross when we depart Cody for Devils Tower. Keep in mind we have a 10,000 lb trailer following us down every hill.
We departed Montana in a cold rain for another run at Wyoming. Our destination is Cody. A town started by and named after Buffalo Bill Cody. Cody’s main draw is The Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This museum is five museums in one, The Plains Indians, Buffalo Bill Cody, The Natural History of the West, Art of the West and a Gun museum. Visiting required 2 full days. Fortunately we were able to get an appointment with the local Ford dealership to address our truck problems. I dropped off the truck and walked back to the museum and continued our visit there. Also fortunately our Campground was in walking distance to the museum. The next day we both walked back to Fremont Ford of Cody to pick up our fixed pickup truck. Now we are prepared to cross the Bighorn Mountains in several days.

Our fun in Cody was not just the Mega Museum, we visited Heart Mountain Retention Center, an illustration of the darker side of US history, where Japanese Americans were imprisoned after The Pearl Harbor Attack. Keep in mind that two thirds of these people were US citizens.

Our final night in Cody we did a touristy dinner show and rodeo.

Devils Tower National Monument was our last stop in Wyoming. The tower is a geological wonder. There are 4 theories as to its origins but no certain explanation as to how it came to be. The Native Americans have a deep spiritual connection to the Tower. They believe a giant bear’s claws are responsible for the vertical striations of the tower.

Upon waking this morning before our departure for Custer State Park in South Dakota Diana felt a little off. She unfortunately tested positive for Covid. At this point I am negative. Looks like the joint activities we had planned I will be doing solo.
 

 

The Sun Rises Over Devils Tower

A Western Scene by Devils Tower

Devils Tower in the Clouds

Morning Fog obscures Devils Tower

 

Devils Tower As Seen through the Trees

The Red Cliffs around Devils Tower

American Avocet in Breeding Plumage Cody Wyoming

Rocks Shed by Devils Tower over the eons

Devils Tower

The Indian memorial at Little Bighorn

Stone Marking 2 Indians who fell at the battle of The Greasy Grass

These Stones Mark the Fallen Solders at Custers Last Stand

                                                 

Idaho and Yellowstone National Park

 

                                        

 

 

 

                                               Idaho and Yellowstone National Park

 

 

I thought we left winter behind us when I retired and headed to Florida in 2011 but it has found us again. This time in Idaho and Yellowstone NP. Idaho was one of the few states that Diana and I had not visited so a stop was mandatory. We departed Gros Ventre ( pronounced “grow vay”) Campground in Grand Tetons NP. We were told it is an Indian name but it sounds French to me.  

From here we traveled to the small town of Ashton, Idaho. Ten miles out of town we stayed at a small campground/ lodge backed up to the National Forest that is contiguous with the west side of Yellowstone NP.  We were the only people there besides the owner and his wife. We spent a day exploring Mesa Falls in the area of Henry’s Fork of the famed Snake River. The area is known world wide as a premier fly fishing spot. The natural beauty abounds. We traveled 13 miles down a dirt forest service road to a warm spring. A geothermal spring that feeds a mountain creeks that eventually joins the Snake river. The trip down the road to the spring took an hour and we did not see another person until we arrived at the spring and found a loan fisherman. We did manage to get a lunch of warm home made soup in the small town of Island Park population 186. 

The other area we intended to visit was Cave falls a little visited area in the remote western portion of Yellowstone NP however it was closed for renovations. 

On to Yellowstone NP. This storied National Park is one of the most visited spots in the country. This is precisely the reason we are visiting so early in the season. We arrive in snow flurries. This did add to the natural beauty but also added to the discomfort level. That being said we survived.  We were not able to hook up to water because it would have frozen so we lived off our tank water for the 5 days we were there. We spent those 5 days exploring the park stopped at every turnout that was open. We also managed to hike about 5 miles each day. Many of the trails were closed due to Grizzly Bear activity. One morning driving into the park we were delayed for an hour while a herd of Bison decided to stroll down the road to greener pastures. The park indeed is a very special place with all it’s geothermal features and astounding beauty in what ever direction you look. Our last day there was the Thursday preceding Memorial Day weekend. The hordes of people coming into the park were a harbinger of what was to come. Fortunately we were departing Friday morning to visit the famed site of the Battle of Little Bighorn.

 

 

                                                

 

Example of one of the numerous hot springs in Yellowstone

One of many waterfalls in YNP

Hot spring note different colors denoting the presence of many species of microorganisms

                                            

Group of Bison just off trail

Old Faithfull

B and W Photo of Mineral deposit at Mammouth Hot Spring The landscape was actually this b baron 

Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone as seen from South Rim

View of mountains across iced over Yellowstone Lake

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Bison shedding winter coat

Travertine Terraces

Harlequin Duck Swimming upstream in fast moving Yellowstone River

Waterfall looking down The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone from the North Rim

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

More Travertine Terraces

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Hot Spring

Mt Haynes from across The Madison River

Madison river

Old Faithfull after small snowfall

Boiling Mud Hole

Steming Hot Spring

Dark Eyed Junko gathering material for a nest

Hot Spring comming out of mountainside

Warm River heading to the Snake River

Our truck on the best portion of the dirt road to the hot spring in the National Forrest

Mesa Falls in Idaho

 

 

Pushing further west

We head to the far western parts of Nebraska, an area steeped in the history of the western expansion of the mid 19th century. A number of the roads that took us westward followed the historic Organ Trail. In fact most of the trails followed the Platte River. The Pony Express  also followed this general route. 

Scott’s Bluff is our last Nebraska stop. The large stone outcroppings were a landmark described in the journals of the westward migrants. The first is Chimney Rock then 12 miles down the road is Scott’s Bluff National Monument. We drove up to the top of the monument on a road constructed by the CCC during the Great Depression. This road includes 3 tunnels through the rock. After exploring the top I decided to hike the 3 miles down and Diana drove down. I was not aware of a storm brewing to the west. About half way down the trail there is a small people size tunnel. After exiting this tunnel the storm hit. The winds were the strongest I have ever experienced. They would not only stop me in my tracks but pushed me back while I was getting pelted with dust, grit and rain. The temperature dropped about 20 degrees. I know know what the westward travelers had to endure. The expression grit in your teeth hit home! At least Diana had the truck running with the hot seat on and took me back to the trailer for a hot shower and hot chocolate. I looked at my weather app and it said Scottsbluff had recorded wind speeds of 75 mph. I don’t know if that’s what hit me but what I experienced sure was powerful. 

In addition to visiting the National monument we took a day trip to NW Nebraska to see The Agate Fossil Beds National monument along with the Forest service’s Toad Stool Geologic Park. The road to get here was interesting. Driving out in the middle of nowhere down a 12 mile long gravel road that wasn’t even on Apple Maps  was fun(?).

Our last day was spent at The Legacy of the Plains Museum a world class museum. Of course we also had to explore the local microbrewery. I must say both good food and beer. Before leaving town Diana wanted to go to a local quilt store. Upon entering the establishment there was an older gentleman sitting there. I struck up a conversation with him. Serendipitously it turns out he was a retired local farmer who as a child used to play in his grandfather’s home, an original homesteader, that home is now part of the Legacy Museum. 

The trip to Grand Tetons NP was over 400 miles so we broke it up with a stop in Casper Wyoming. We spent the night in a Harvest Host, you guessed it, another microbrewery/ restaurant. Lovely place the owner came over to our table to welcome us and make sure everything was ok. Bonus to the stop was a great BLM museum, The National Museum Of Westward Expansion. They had a “ride” simulating the crossing of the Platte River in a covered wagon and another riding in a stagecoach. 

The Grand Tetons NP is indeed grand. We spend our days driving around and stopping at all the turnouts, some of which offered great hikes. We saw moose, grizzly bears, bison, coyotes, prong horn, elk and many different birds. I will let the photos tell the story. 

 

So many beautiful spots it is hard to pick and choose what to show you.

David

 

Do you see the face of the mountain?

Panorama of snow covered Tetons Range

Small pond in valley

Beaver Dam

Airstream Western Wyoming Red Rock Area

One sided snowball fight at Continental Divide

Abandon Mormon Barn with Tetons in background

Beautiful mountain lake we hiked to sometimes through the snow

Old Tractor at Legacy Of The Planes Museum

Scotts Bluff National Monument

Chimney Rock as seen from the east

Storm approaching exiting the Trail tunnel Scotts Bluff

Small Mountain Pond

Mountain Pond

Mountain Pond

Small waterfall on mountain creek

Scruffy Moose We almost walked by on hike to Mountain Pond

B and W photo of female Barrows Golden eye