It took only 2 hours to replace the windshield. It’s odd to be able to see through clear glass instead of thousands of smashed bugs! After leaving Helena we drove through Livingstone, MT and off Rte. 89 into Mallards Rest, a fishing access road on the Yellowstone River. This 671 mile river is the longest one in the US that is undammed, flowing unobstructed from its headwaters in Montana to the Missouri River. The road to the camping area was very steep and rocky, but the van came through for us once again. We spent a quiet night and set off to find a dump station before going into the park. Found one in the KOA just across the river and ran into an employee who was from Staten Island! Part of the West Brighton Peterson family, grew up in Sunnyside and currently lives in Long Beach with his girlfriend and their dog. He works summers here and winters in another KOA in Florida.
Got to Mammoth (at the north entrance to the park) and it was packed. Cars, RVs, people walking every which way. Along with many other tourists, we watched a full grown elk buck chasing a spike horn behind the employee resident buildings – remnants of Fort Yellowstone. Must be the start of mating season. I thought this was the off season but not so much. It was almost impossible to find a camp site in the park but I managed to snag one of the last two in Canyon CG. We ate at the Canyon Village and booked a bus tour for the next morning.
The tour, while not as intimate as the Red Bus at Glacier, was interesting and hit all the hot spots in what is known as the “ring of fire”. In addition to Old Faithful, we saw the Beehive geyser erupting, in many ways more impressive than Faithful – higher and longer. Just as predictable but it only spouts once a day during daylight hours. Other sights included the Fountain Painted Pots (hot springs and mud pots), midway and lower geyser basins with bubbling pools and constantly spouting mini-geysers, bacteria mats and prismatic pools.
We drove through Hayden Valley and saw a few bison, one of which stomped and seemed to challenge our bus as it passed by. In Lake Yellowstone we saw Goldeneyes (probably Barrows) and the ubiquitous ravens. The tour also stopped at several waterfalls and cascades before returning us to the Canyon Village at about 4:30. We ate dinner and booked a site at Madison CG, again one of the only two sites left. Drove to Madison and tucked in for the night.
The next day we took off for Grand Teton NP, skipping the mass flight to Norris to see Steamboat Geyser erupt, an occasional and unpredictable occurrence but bound to be packed with cars and RVS. Had enough of that! We stopped at the first campgrounds outside the park (and before Teton), the Flagg Ranch CG and lodge. The heater seemed to run most of the night and when we awoke we discovered why. The temperature outside registered 19° F, a record low for this trip. Even the dishwashing faucet at the rest room was frozen shut.
We drove another 100 miles and had lunch at the Pothole turnout. Potholes, also known as kettles, were formed by pieces of retreating glacier left behind, which then melted and formed depressions 15 feet to ¼ mile wide acting as an oasis in the middle of the grasslands. The one near the turnout was about 200 feet rim to rim; this area is full of potholes, many clearly visible from the road as we drove to Jackson.
On the way out of the park we stopped at the Wildlife Museum and spent an enjoyable couple of hours among the paintings, drawing and (especially) bronzes on display. Not only were local artists represented but painters and sculptors from around the world. Most impressive were the outdoor bronzes depicting the elk, bison, wolves and moose found in this area.
Spent the night at the Mountain Modern Hotel in downtown Jackson, catching up on laundry, showers and wifi. After walking around town for a couple of hours, we were on our way. But we didn’t get too far; pulled up about ½ mile out to stop outside the National Elk Refuge, along a small river. There were several Trumpeter Swans on a nest, coots, ring-neck ducks, pied billed grebes and mallards feeding.
We continued on our way, turning east towards DuBois on our way to Colorado and decided to stop at Falls CG in the Shoshone NF for lunch. The campgrounds were pretty and quiet so we found a site for the night, just a few hundred yards from the falls.
The Ultimate Road Trip 