Hello America!: Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP

Yellowstone National Park, Cody Wyoming and Grand Teton NP

spoiler alert: this is a long entry!

Our stay at Glacier NP was inspiring and informative and we really wished the Going to the Sun Road was open the whole way through. But we had done what we could do in the allotted time and there was a 500 mile drive to our next point of interest. We left by noon on Wednesday to get some miles in by suppertime and lighten the drive on Thursday. We spent the night at the KOA in Butte, Montana. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to explore the town and its' historical downtown as we needed to grab lots of WiFi time to get blogs done, get do laundry, finances updated, shop for groceries and get showers. We did have a nice chat with our neighbors from Nebraska while at the KOA and got some good tips on things to see in Cody, Wyoming if we could include it in our travels. By mid morning Thursday we were again on the road to Buffalo Campground in Targhee NF, outside Island Park, Idaho. Along the way we saw many fly fishermen in the rivers and also several long distance biking groups. The town of Ennis, Montana is a fly fishing destination and appears quite nice.

Nice destination of fly fishermen - Ennis, MT

we have seen several large groups of bikers in the area

Our dry camping site at Buffalo Campground would be our base of operations to explore Yellow Stone National Park. From here, we would have a 30 minute drive to the West Entrance to Yellowstone NP at West Yellowstone, MT. We were very excited to experience this vast area housing so many varied attractions! Wildlife, boiling springs, geysers (there are 10,000 hydrothermal areas in the park) waterfalls, snow capped mountains, lakes and historic buildings are all to be found in Yellowstone NP. Yellowstone was created in 1872 and was the worlds first National Park!!!

Bison are numerous and dangerous - we saw thousands!

Magma is very close to the surface at YNP - groundwater gets superheated -Old Faithful

Friday morning we were on the road shortly after 6 AM to get to YNP in order to avoid the crowds at Old Faithful and get to several of the key locations along the way. We did just that and by 9 AM we were enjoying a cup of coffee at the Lodge overlooking the famous geyser, waiting for the predicted time to observe the eruption. It happened when predicted and we were not disappointed.

Dave outside Old Faithful Inn -YNP

Lobby of Old Faithful Inn - YNP

Next we walked to the world famous Old Faithful Inn located just 100 yards form the geyser and went inside. Built in 1906, it is a site to behold. We cruised the gift shop and then went to get Cooper and CJ out of the Jeep for some exercise. We took turns going in the visitors center, watching the film and also observing Old Faithful erupt again! The Rangers at these Parks (Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton) make a point to educate visitors about the many dangers in this wild remote areas, Grizzly Bears, Bison, Elk and others are dangerous and must be respected. (an adult Bison may weigh up to 2000lbs!) Bear Spray is sold on site and Rangers give demos on how to properly use it!!! (we did buy a can in Glacier and wear it on a belt holster). In addition, at Yellowstone, the surface in the area of the hot springs is only a thin crust and you could break through the surface and be seriously injured! You are advised to stay on the boardwalks.

Sapphire colored hot springs!

Mud Volcano - rock turned to mud by the sulfuric acid created here!!

On our drive we stopped halfway at the Museum of the National Park Ranger and checked out the displays. Before there were Park Rangers, the US Army patrolled the National Parks. In Yellowstone, there are many of the original stations still in use by the Rangers all year round!

there are 30+ Ranger cabins dating from the early days that are used to this day for studies and patrols

my personality testing always comes back saying I should be a Forrester/Ranger!

We drove up the road from Old Faithful going clockwise with Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner, MT as our target by suppertime (Gardiner is just outside the North entrance to YNP.) Along the way we saw numerous hot springs, small geysers, mud pots, several rivers and Gibbon Falls.

84 ft Gibbon Falls - Gibbon River, Yellowstone NP

Yellowstone is for Fly Fishing!

Mammoth Hot Springs at North End of Yellowstone NP

Just a few miles North of Mammoth Hot Springs is the North Entrance to YNP with its' famous Roosevelt Arch. The town of Gardiner, MT immediately adjoins the Park and offers numerous attractions, shops, rafting and horseback excursions and eateries. We had a great Amber Ale, a tasty salad and everything pizza at K-Bar. The staff and owner were very nice and Cooper and CJ got plenty of attention. While we were dining outside, a brief rain shower passed by ( the weather in the area is quite changeable) and we were rewarded with a rainbow for our troubles!

Roosevelt Arch - North Entrance Yellowstone NP

rainbow in Gardiner, MT after a great pizza!

We were now about 100 miles from our campsite and it was 7PM. Time to hit the road back! We got home around 9 PM, and I walked Cooper and CJ from the campground entrance the 1/2 mile back to our site for our mutual exercise and a close to a great day.

The next day we rose at 5:30 AM to get out the door in hopes to see some Grizzly Bear or other wildlife such Moose. We were in the Park by 6:30 and heading towards the Tower-Roosevelt area. We did see numerous Elk and literally thousands of Bison, but no bear nor moose to be seen. We stopped at Tower Falls and reversed course before reaching Mammoth Hot Springs. Then we drove the whole way out of the Park at the Northeast Entrance and ate lunch in a small town café.

early morning temps in the low 40's - steam rising from mud pots, etc

Tower Falls - Yellowstone NP

grazing Elk, many make Yellowstone their home

blue sky was fairly common during our visit

Then back into the park and down the small roads again. Picture the Park roads as a figure 8 with 5 feeders from the entrances) . This may seem overlapping, but the Park is so large, you can't really drive it in a day and if you are looking for wildlife timing is important. We again took many, many pictures and got home around 8PM. Again, I hopped out of the Jeep at the campground entrance and walked Cooper and CJ back to our site. This was our second 12 hr plus day in a row and needless to say, we slept very well.

Sunday Am we rose at 5AM to attempt to see Grizzly and Moose (not Moose and Squirrel) and arrive at the park on the Eastern side at Canyon Village and then South toward Hayden Valley. This is a prime wildlife area, we saw Elk and Bison, but not bear nor moose. We stopped at Fishing Bridge area and had to wait to cross the bridge because a Bison was walking down the middle of it!. We hit the Visitor Center there and on the spur of the moment decided to push on to Cody, Wyoming. This was the closest we would be to Cody during our entire trip so the time was ripe. The drive took us another 1.5 hours and was well worth it. Cody was developed by Buffalo Bill Cody over 100 years ago and is proud of its Western Heritage. a large rodeo area greets you as you enter from the West and the Buffalo Bill Museum is a world class Smithsonian affiliated museum you should try to see.

down town Cody, Wyoming

Smithsonian affiliated, there are 5 main display areas. A full day to see it all! or 2

entrance to the Buffalo Bill exhibit - many original artifacts inside

Before hitting the museum, we had a great lunch at Pat O'Hara Brewing. Great amber ale and beef and cheddar sandwich. Most importantly, they are dog friendly on the patio and even brought Cooper and CJ a fresh bowl of water! Great staff took care of us and we would certainly stop there again if back in Cody. While Cindy took the dogs to the local dog park for some off leash time, I hit the museum for a few hours!

Plains Indian women did all the moving and camp setup!

Native Plains Indian weapons

I also did a quick run through the gun museum wing and saw a Pennsylvania Rifle from a Lebanon, PA gunsmith!

Bronze of Buffalo Bill outside museum - one of several statues

Then back in the Jeep to head home and it turned out to be a most fortuitous event. Just before getting to the East Entrance of Yellowstone, there was a small crowd along the road, looking across the river. I slowed and rolled the window down and asked what was up. "A couple of bear across the river." was the response. We pulled over at a safe spot, grabbed the binoculars and crossed the highway. There was one remaining viewer and he pointed out the two Grizzly cubs across the river about 100 yds away ( the advised Bear viewing distance). I put glass on them and we took turns watching for a few minutes. They appeared to be yearlings. We kept looking for the mom, and after a bit, Cindy walked further along the road and motioned she could see mom from that angle behind some fir trees!

momma Grizz and cubs in center of frame - great to watch from a safe distance

We shared our binocs for about 10-15 minutes and then moved on, Home was still three hours away. We got home after another great day in the Yellowstone area . All in all, we drove approx. 650 miles in Yellowstone itself in three days. again we slept well that night.

Our plans now called for a short drive down US20 to Grandview Campground in Targhee NF, near the Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. We pulled into the camp, unhooked the Jeep and pulled into site 5. This site is beautiful, well shaded and the entire campground only has 9 sites!!!! Quiet and scenic. Lower Mesa Falls was less that 100 yds away and very nice. Upper Mesa Falls is a 3/4 mile walk or drive and spectacular!

one of our favorites- site 5 Grandview Campground Targhee NF

Upper Mesa Falls - 110 ft tall

farm land abounds in southeast Idaho

Our first full day at Grandview, we took off to Jackson, Wy, and Grand Teton National Park. Along the way on our 2 hour drive we passed the well known potato fields, the quaint town of Driggs and over the 10,000 ft pass and down into Jackson Hole. Grand Teton is about 15 minutes North and the picturesque mountains are visible for probably 50 -75 miles! ( we see then entering and leaving Grandview.

hard to miss this in Driggs, Idaho

potato farm - Grand Tetons in the background

Seed Potato Farm - Idaho!

Grand Teton National Park is large and much of it can be seen by driving around as it sits in a very flat, sage brush valley. There are numerous bike paths and the terrain is generally level, so biking would be a great activity there. Wildlife includes, Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Pronghorn, Elk, Moose and others. (Pronghorn are the only animals that can digest the sage brush that grows so abundantly). After walking Cooper and CJ, we checked out the Visitor Center at Moose, grabbed a map and off we went in the Jeep.

one of several antler arches in Jackson

Along the way we took the Lake Jennifer Scenic Drive and looped around back to Jackson. Two days here would allow you to do some hiking, biking or horseback riding and take in most of the Park.

beautiful - Grand Teton

Lake Jennifer - Grand Teton NP

We headed back home, stopping at a car wash in Driggs to remove a weeks worth of muddy roads and toad dirt. Jeep was appreciative. Then back to our campsite for a relaxing afternoon and evening. Several walks with Cooper and CJ to the woods or Lower Mesa Falls rounded out the Day. The next two days we spent doing laundry and updating the blog at the Ashton Library. Most importantly, we had to get CJ to a Vet. His right eye was oozing greenish stuff! Cindy did a search and we placed a call to Dr Rick Geary at Countryside Veterinary Clinic down in St Anthony. Cindy, Rick's wife and office manager was able to get us in the next morning and an exam and some eye medicine go CJ back on track. THANKS!

Countryside Veterinary took care of CJ

Later on, I took some time to replace the accessory jack n the RV that we plug the GPS into. The threads would hold it securely in the dash. Hopefully the new unit will do better.

view from our chairs at site 5 Grandview Campground

As we wrap up our stay in this region, we have two more stops, one at Flatrock Campground (where we plan to get in more Yellowstone NP visits) and then Craters of the Moon KOA in Arc, Idaho after which we start our trek back to Pennsylvania. It will be over a month, and much more to see, but postings to the blog may be sporadic.