Fabulous Yellowstone

When it was established in 1872 Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the world. A visit here makes you realize what a wonderful decision this was. The diverse, natural environment includes rivers, lakes, falls, mountains, forests, meadows, the largest geothermal hot spot in the world and many, many animals. The large, central part of the park sits inside the collapsed caldera of an ancient super volcano that last erupted 640,000 years ago with an explosion several hundred times more powerful than Mount St. Helens. This is why there are so many geysers, hot springs and mud volcanoes in the park. The Yellowstone ecosystem extends beyond the park making it the largest such area in the lower 48 states. We arrived at Fishing Bridge Campground with Mike and Sherri and immediately began exploring with a drive through Hayden Valley to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.Our first stop was Mud Volcano, where boiling mud pots steam and smell of sulfur. It is so strange to see these large areas of earth that look like something out of a science fiction movie.

This is Dragon's Mouth Spring, a boiling, steaming, hissing and burping mud spring that really does make it seem like you are looking down the dragon's throat and smelling its bad breath.

A sure sign that animals are nearby is a traffic jam with many cars stopped on and along the road. They are commonly called buffalo jams because they are the most seen animal. I can't even imagine what it would be like during the summer months. Our first such stop was an osprey jam to see this huge bird. I also had my first case of lens envy as many of the photographers had big, big equipment.

This is the 109 foot Upper Falls at the entrance of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The 1000 foot deep canyon was carved by ancient glacial floods.Looking down the canyon from Artist Point under the setting sun sure shows where the name Yellowstone comes from.

Even though it was cool enough for jackets, Nanc, Jim, Sherri and Mike are enjoying the warm sun at Artist Point.

Nanc and I returned to the Grand Canyon to hike the North Rim Trail and a couple of side trails into the canyon. It looks really different in a different light. Here is the view of the canyon, river and Lower Falls from Inspiration Point.

This is looking down the canyon from the same spot.

The hike down to the brink of the Lower Falls rewarded us with this great view and the rainbows in the mist.

This is the view of the Lower Falls from Red Rock Point. Look carefully and you can see the people on the brink of the falls where we took the above picture.

On day two we drove to Old Faithful then out of the park to Earthquake Lake in Montana. Here is a post of our earlier visit to Earthquake Lake. We also had dinner and did a little shopping in West Yellowstone.

Here is the first eruption of Old Faithful that was not very high and did not last very long. The duration can be from one and a half to five minutes and height can vary from 106 to 180 feet but this geyser still goes off within ten minutes of the predicted time. We don't think Sherri was too impressed.This is the second eruption that was higher and lasted longer than the first one. She liked this one much better.Two historic figures, Sherri and Mike, in front of one of the historic Yellowstone tour buses at historic Old Faithful Inn.

Morning Glory Spring is one of the most colorful and is located near Old Faithful. The color has changed over the years because idiots have thrown coins and other junk into the spring. It has to be cleaned out every year. There are several more similar springs in the area.

Another of the many geysers on Geyser Hill near Old Faithful. The eruption of most are not as often, as big, or as predictable as Old Faithful. Some show their stuff daily while others may not erupt for years. Much of this is affected by the thousands of small earthquakes that occur in Yellowstone each year. Old Faithful Inn is pictured in the background.

On our return from West Yellowstone we were stopped in an elk jam. This big racked buck was with a couple of cows and a young elk. All this is only a glimpse of a wonderful week in beautiful Wyoming. There will be more to follow.

Buffalo Bill & Cody

Our stay in Cody continued with a hike to the top of 8,123 foot Heart Mountain and a visit to the Japanese relocation center near the mountain. We also had visitors as Sherri & Mike, (aka Capt'n Catfish), arrived from WashPA for a week-long stay. The four of us explored a bit of Cody on the local trolley and toured The Buffalo Bill Historical Center.The view of Heart Mountain as we approached on the dirt road. The mountain is part of the Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve, 14,000 acres owned by the Nature Conservancy, that saved the land from development. The climb of 2500 feet over 3.6 miles was rather steep, but very scenic.

Here we are at the top. If you want a nice hike without many people, this is the place. We made the top late in the afternoon and were only the fifth and sixth people to sign the book that day

Part of the 360 degree view from the top. Once again it was smoky from the fires in Yellowstone but we could still see Pilot and Index Peaks in the distant Beartooth Mountains.

The Heart Mountain Relocation Center was used to house Japanese Americans, most of them US citizens, who were forced from their homes during WWII. This was one of the low points in the American history of civil liberties. It was as if the Japanese were less likely to be loyal to their chosen country then the millions of German and Italian Americans whose home countries we were also fighting. After they were allowed, these people showed their loyalty to the US when more than 400 from this camp enlisted and served in the military.

Here are Sherri and Mike at Buffalo Bill Dam. When completed in 1905 it was the highest dam in the world. In the 1980's it was raised 25 feet to increase the capacity of the reservoir by 50%. This is an interesting stop with a nice visitors center.

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is named for William F. Cody who used his experience as a pony express rider, fur trapper and army scout, who also won the Congressional Medal of Honor, to create his Wild West show. This museum is often referred to as the Smithsonian of the West with its extensive collection of Western art and artifacts. There are five wings that feature Cody's life, Yellowstone natural history, a collection of 4000 firearms, Western art and the Plains Indian People.

Part of the exhibit about Buffalo Bill (center). On the left is Annie Oakley who was a featured performer in his show and on the right is Pawnee Bill one of the many Indians, including Sitting Bull, who were in the show that traveled throughout North America and Europe.

Some of the displays and artifacts in the Plains Indian Museum. There were several exhibits on their relationship with the buffalo.A few of the many pieces of art. For someone who dislikes snakes, the rattlesnake picture was very interesting as it was very, very large. Another is of Custer's Last Stand and a sculpture of Sacajawea. The historic center ticket is for two days and you really do need that much time to see all five wings. It is a must see stop if you get to Cody, a neat little town that is more than just a stop on the way to Yellowstone.

Wild Animals & Wild West High Ways

The plan when we left Gillette was to spend one night in the Bighorn Mountains on the way to Cody. We stayed at Sitting Bull Campground on the west side of 9,666 foot Powder River Pass and were rewarded with a great stay.

Yes that is s**w on the top of the Bighorns. One of our goals as fulltimers is to NEVER be in s**w so we approached the mountain with a great deal of apprehension.
Here was our first reward. We were walking to the check-in booth to pay when this big moose walked into the campground. We were standing behind the trees but Nanc had to step out for a closer look. This big guy must be used to people as he just turned around and went back to eating leaves along the stream.

This was the view from our site. We hiked across the meadow into the mountains and got to see a small herd of elk. It is bow hunting season and they were spooked so the only picture I got was of elk butts as they ran into the trees.

The next morning we continued down the 18 mile decent through Ten Sleep Canyon. This was our first mountain driving in quite a while so we took it real slow. There were a couple of 25 mph switchbacks that we approached so slowly we did not need to use the brakes at all.

The view looking down the beautiful canyon. This is the "easiest" of the three roads that cross the Bighorns.

The land changed again when we came out of the canyon on the west side of the mountains. It was dry prairie but with many ranches and farms that use irrigation. We did hit one stretch of road construction with five miles of gravel. Oh well, I guess it was practice for driving to Alaska next summer.

We arrived at Green Creek Inn and RV Park in Wapiti (Cree for elk) and were rewarded with the sight of this big herd of elk. We have seen them twice in three days.

We hook up with 07 mates Rick & Terry Traver are staying in Cody and drive a mountain loop out of Cody. Here they are at 8048 feet at Dead Indian Pass on the Chief Joseph High Way. We all loved the fabulous vistas along the way.

These are Pilot and Index Peaks that dominate the skyline where the Chief Joseph meets the Beartooth High Way. Some of the views were a bit limited because of the smoke from nearby forest fires but it was still spectacular.

Now you see why I don't want to be in the s**w. Nanc just can't be trusted. There were many patches of the white stuff left from last winter in the high Alpine meadows near the top of 10,947 foot Beartooth Pass. This is the highest road in Wyoming.

Our biggest reward on the drive was a herd of mountain goats that moved across the rocks and ended up very near us in the parking lot.

There were a dozen goats including two young ones. A couple of them were being a little feisty. The one, top right, rushed another goat and kicked up some dust when he put on the brakes. Seeing this herd was truly the High Spot of the drive.

The east side of the Beartooth High Way has many switchbacks heading into Red Lodge, Montana. Even though this road is not recommended for vehicles over 40 feet because of all the turns, you can see that our GPS Ditsy Dotty says the speed limit is 65mph. Yea Right!!!

Looking up the valley you can see a few of these turns. Charles Kuralt, a long ago TV commentator, called this the most beautiful highway in America and we sure agree that it ranks right up there and is a drive worth taking.

51st Escapade

We have been in Gillette, Wyoming for the 51st Escapade where we are serving on the staff for the first time. We arrived early to help get things ready and stayed through Labor Day weekend just to kick back for a few days. We always have a great time when we get together with our Escapee friends and it was great being part of the crew that helped to put on a fun, informative event for almost 1300 SKPs. There is something for everyone including seminars, socials, entertainment, crafts, bingo and more food than you can imagine.

Top right is the first staff meeting. It really does take a group effort to pull the whole thing off. Bottom is Lanny Swanson, who got us to volunteer and assist with the morning coffee and donuts the last time we were in Gillette for the rally. Here we were all packing the welcome bags for the attendees. All positions are filled by volunteers.

One of the pamphlets in the packet was about Northeastern Wyoming's Severe Summer Weather and as you can see we had a chance to experience some of it. We had a little rain, some hail, lots of wind but also abundant sunshine. I think we had three seasons with temps ranging from near 100 down to the low 40's. All that said the weather did not interfere with any of the planned activities.

At most SKP events we always get together with our Class of 07 mates and welcome new adoptees into our group. Top left are this years adoptees, including Jim & Cookie Grigware (right in group picture), who we know from Betty's in Abbeville. Center are Wanda & Wallace Lewis who are the first SKPs to give us a hug when we arrived at RV Boot Camp in Goshen in 2007. They are assistant directors this year. Right are Bob & Molly Pinner whom we met at that Boot Camp and who are the directors for this Escapade. Left center are Keith & Donna Green who were market hosts for all the vendors. Bottom left are Joe & Marcia Jones who were in charge of bingo. Center are Leland & Cathy Schleip who were part of the awesome parking crew that got all the rigs safely in place. Right are Mark & Renita Brackin who were on the sound crew and also hosted a great star party. The 07 gang played a big role at this year's rally.

Nanc talking to SKPs at the First Timer's Happy Hour we hosted along with other 07 mates, Joe & Marcia, Mark & Renita, Keith & Donna and Rich & Mary. This was the first time they have done a social for "newbees" and it was a big success with over 170 attendees.

SKP's are all about helping others and here Nanc lends a hand with the Sew Much Comfort group. They modify clothing for wounded soldiers. Another group of knitters made several hundred newborn baby caps for the local hospital.

Here we are doing our main jobs. Nanc had an exercise class every morning at 7:45 and I served as a seminar host for seven seminars throughout the week.

SKP's know how to have a fun time and there is a lot of talent in the group. One evening at the Ham-O-Rama several people entertained. As you can see they were almost all very good and only one person, the MC Mark Nemeth got the hook.

Many people stayed through the weekend as fulltimers usually prefer not to be on the road for holidays. We packed a lot of fun into those extra days. We had happy hours, a potluck, played games and ended the weekend with a surprise party for Marcia who will turning the BIG 50 this month. There were many gifts that are very appropriate for someone of that advanced age. On Tuesday morning the last of the rigs were hitched up and hitting the road. Many hugs were exchanged and plans made to see ya down the road. Safe travels to all.

Crazy Horse, The Biggest Dakota Art

In 1977 we did a Western trip and passed through the Black Hills. We visited Mount Rushmore, but did not pay to get in to see the Crazy Horse Memorial because from the road we could see the top of the mountain and it was nothing more than a pile of rocks. Much progress has been made since then but I am sure we will not live long enough to see the finished work. This GIANT sculpture was started in 1948 by Korczak Ziolkowski at the request of Lakota Chief, Henry Standing Bear, and other chiefs. They wanted to show the white man that the red man had heroes also. The main reason progress has been so slow is because Korczak felt the project should be built by public interest and has never accepted government money. He died in 1982 but the work continues today under the guidance of his wife, Ruth, and seven of their ten children.

Here is a plaster model of how the competed work will look with the mountain in the background. The rock they find may dictate some design changes, like the size of the hole under the extended arm, but their goal is to remain as true to Korczak's model as possible.
This is a picture of the mountain in 1977 when all that was done was the level surface above the arm, the tunnel under it, and the basic blasting of the face. This was after almost thirty years of work.

This is what you see today. Korczak's plan was to do the horse's head first, but after his death Ruth decided they needed to complete part of it sooner to keep the public's interest, so they concentrated on completing Crazy Horse's face instead. The outline of the horse's head is painted on the mountain. There are only eight people working on the mountain today and since the face was completed they have been blasting terraces to get to the rock that will eventually be carved. Nine of the eleven terraces are done. All of the blasted rock is removed from the rubble pile and will be used to construct buildings for a planned American Indian school and cultural center. When complete, the sculpture will be down to the tops of the trees.

Here is a comparison of the Presidents with Crazy Horse. They are about 60 feet high and his head is almost ninety. The finished work will be 563 feet high and 641 feet long with the arm being 263 feet. The horse's head will be 219 feet high including the 62 foot mane. This is truly a colossal undertaking.

Bottom left is the compressor and drill Korczak started with. He called it Kaput because on many days he would start it and climb the stairs to the top only to have the thing go kaput. Top right are the tools he used. Top left is the larger equipment they are using today, much of which has been donated. Bottom right is a piece of stone that was removed from over Crazy Horse's eye.

On top of the head is the frame work for the giant protractor that was used to measure where the rock needed to be carved. They no longer have to use it as they now have sensors planted on the mountain to electronically do the measurements. We did pay an extra $4.00 to get a closer look at the bottom of the mountain, but did not opt for the $125 to stand on the arm. Every year on the first weekend in June they have the Volksmarch and you are allowed to walk to the top. I guess a return visit is in the plans.

When complete the sculpture will be three dimensional. Unlike Mount Rushmore, you will be able to walk to the back side and see the work from a different angle. This is one of the things that makes this such a huge undertaking.

Here we are at the foot of the mountain.

The complex also includes the Indian Museum of North America with an outstanding collection of artifacts and a cultural center with craftsmen selling their handmade wares. We also got to enjoy a demonstration of native dances while there.

On our last day in the Black Hills we took a short ride on the George S. Mickelson Trail. This is a great rails to trails that runs for over 100 miles from Deadwood to Edgemont. Unlike other rail trails we have been on this one has pretty good grades that we had to pedal up. But of course, when you pedal up you get to coast down, which was very nice since it was a very hot day. In the background is Harney Peak where we hiked earlier in our visit. We really enjoyed the Black Hills and plan to return as there were many more things we wanted to see and do but could not cover in the week we were there. Having the opportunity to stay in places for extended visits and to be able to return to places we enjoy is one of the great things about the fulltime RVing lifestyle.