An early start in the dark has us entering Yellowstone National Park by 5:30 a.m. with the goal of seeing an Old Faithful eruption before the crowds arrive. En route we stop at the Isa Lake pullout. This body of water straddles the Continental Divide sending half the water East and the other half West flowing into two separate oceans. It's now daybreak as we make our way to Old Faithful. We arrive about 6:30 and there are fewer than a half a dozen cars in the parking lot and only a few dozen people in the viewing area. At 7:20 Old Faithful begins erupting almost to the minute of the predicted time. We walk the boardwalk that encircles the famous geyser to see all the stunning geography it has to offer then pop into the visitor center to hone our plan for seeing this massive park.
The sun is just starting to rise as we enter Yellowstone's south entrance.
Lake Isa
We are pleased at the sparsity of people at the viewing point for Old Faithful.
Old Faithful after the eruption comprised of steam and hot water
Old Faithful back lit by the sun.
Blue Star Spring, upper geyser basin, Yellowstone,
A close up of the picture above showing the stunning water color and clarity.
Yellowstone's 142 mile scenic drive is split into a lower and upper loop. Too much for one day. We entered the park from the south so the ranger suggests we do the lower loop today for the geology and the upper tomorrow for wildlife and wild flowers at peak bloom.
By the time we get to Grand Prismatic Spring the number of people is starting to increase but are dispersed on the boardwalk that meanders through the geothermal pools so it doesn't feel crowded. The temps in the low 30s this morning are now in the 60s and the cold air mixing with the heat from the thermal pools causes steam to rise from the water giving the landscape a mysterious feel. By the time we leave some of the steam has lifted. https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/geysers-hot-springs/grand-prismatic-midway-geyser-basin
Excelsior Geyser runoff into the Firehole River
Excelsior Geyser, Midway Geyser Basin.
Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin
Excelsior Geyser, Midway Geyser Basin
Looking over the mat of thermal organisms between Excelsior Geyser on the right and Grand Prismatic on the left.
A bear paw print in the thermophile (heat-loving) bacteria living in the progressively cooler water around the Grand Prismatic Spring. Wild animals roam freely in the park and in late June a bison walked on the thick mat made up of microorganisms and fell into the deeper water and died.
Story board about Grand Prismatic. Click the image to enlarge then press the X in the upper right to return.
Story board about the mats at Grand Prismatic. Click the image to enlarge then press the X in the upper right to return.
Opal Pool, Midway Geyser Basin
Turquoise Pool, Midway Geyser Basin
We stop at the Gibbon Meadows picnic area to give Bella a swim as the day is heating up. She is not allowed on any of the trails in the park. Not ideal but we make it work. At this point traffic on the loop has increased and the more popular sites are jammed with cars so we change our strategy and target sites that aren't mobbed. You really can't go wrong with any stop in this park. We've driven 100 miles by now and are fed up with the crowds and lack of wildlife so we decide to bag it and return at day break in the morning.
Gibbon Meadows, Yellowstone.
Gibbon Meadows, Yellowstone.
The beautiful Beryl Spring is one of the hottest springs in Yellowstone at 196 degrees. Located in the Gibbons Geyser Basin, there were few cars at the pull out so we stopped for a look.
The only wildlife sighting on day 1.
Our campsite for the next two nights is in Custer Gallatin National Forest north of the park's entrance just past Gardiner, Montana What a spot. Huge boulders throughout. No amenities but at 5 bucks a night it's a steal. We're self sustained in Bella Vato so no need.
Bella Vato's campsite for two nights
We get up at the crack of dawn, grab a quick cup of coffee and head into the park arriving at 6:00 am. Just outside our campground we spot a large herd of elk. A good sign. We enter the park by 6:30, it's quiet and we head to Blacktail Plateau Drive, a 6 mile gravel road off the main loop. The wildflowers and meadows are spectacular but no wildlife. Back out the main loop we see several cars parked. A black bear! We proceed toward Lamar Valley but first take another side road, Slough Creek Campground Road, where we see several lone bison. Lamar Valley is said to have the best wildlife viewing. Not too far into it we start to see large herds of bison - hundreds. It's almost like looking back in time. We also see some coyotes, a few female Big Horn sheep way off in the distance, and Prong horns. And we saw a bear in the distance chase down a marmot. Yellowstone delivered!
Elk just outside the campground.
A large herd of elk just outside the campground.
Blacktail Plateau Drive, North Loop, Yellowstone.
Wild flower bloom at Blacktail Plateau Drive, North Loop, Yellowstone.
Black Bear just of the North Loop, Yellowstone.
This bison needed a good roll in the sand to freshen up.
Lamar Valley, Yellowstone.
Big herd of bison with some prong horns mixed in, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone.
Prong horn, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone.
First coyote sighting, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone
Second coyote sighting, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone.
Front row seat for this prong horn crossing.
On the way back to camp, we stopped in Gardiner at at the Sinclair gas station/RV service center to fill propane, dump the holding tank, fill the water, and rotate the tires. The technician said everything looked fine, even the brakes, a bit of a relief with all the mountain passes. We minimize wear and tear on the brakes by using the manual shift when descending steep grades and hair pin turns.
A little love for Bella Vato
July 9
Flint Creek Campground, Beaverhead Deer Lodge NF, Anaconda, Montana
Trying to rush around to see everything can rob the enjoyment from the experience so we make the hard decision to forgo Glacier NP on this trip. It stays on the list for the future so for today our goal is to traverse Montana.
We jump on I-90 for the first time in quite some time and soon see a billboard for the Montana Grizzly Encounter, a privately owned grizzly rescue and education organization.
https://www.grizzlyencounter.org/ We didn't get to see a grizzly in Yellowstone so maybe this is the next best thing. Their biggest bear, Max, is in the viewing area. He's 1200 pounds, stands 9 feet tall and is in the pond playing with a small log that weighs about 50 pounds. Max tosses it around effortlessly. He seems playful and cute but he's powerful. The guide explained the differences between black bears and grizzlys and how to protect yourself in an attack, which is rare.
Those claws!
The enclosure is open and many folks stay way back but a net and electric fence keeps Max secure. Oddly we were allowed to have Bella there with us because Max was raised from a young cub with dogs he doesn't see them as a threat.
Max was rescued from Alaska when a pack of dogs separated him from his mama. The town people kept him safe and waited for mama to return for him but she never did. The two other rescues are from a zoo in Georgia where they were kept in awful conditions.
We see the town of Anaconda in the distance. Once a boom town for copper mining and smelting, there is a large scarred mountain obliterating the otherwise beautiful Anaconda mountain range. No longer in operation the Anaconda smelter is deemed a super fund site with ongoing environmental clean up underway.
Strip mining has scarred the landscape of the Anaconda mountain range.
Anaconda, Montana.
Anaconda smelter stack stands 585 feet tall and is one of the tallest free standing brick structures in the world. A reminder of the towns industrial past is now a state park.
Downtown Anaconda
We get to our campsite and secure a nice spot by the creek. Not much here but for zero dollars it's a fine place to stay the night.
The camp host Oli brought by a painted rock with Bella's name.
A one pan meal of Chicken Tikka Masala tops the day.
July 10
Camp Coeur d'Alene RV Park, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Back on I-90 there is a billboard for The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) in Massoula. It's also time for breakfast, gas, and groceries. This college town has an abundance of casinos, cannabis stores, and drive through coffee huts that are more reminiscent of a Fotomat than a Starbucks. Our errands are done and we arrive at the RMEF just as it opens. Unfortunately their main exhibit is under renovation but their lobby is full of Elk trophy mounts and sculptures, and they have a mile long walking trail with storyboards about Elk habitat that make it almost worth the stop.
The walking trail runs along a creek perfect for a quick splash and a drink.
Today we drive almost through the panhandle of Idaho. Beautiful country side even from I-90. RV parks are not our first choice because they can be crowded and expensive but they usually have laundry and it's that time again. So we stop at Camp Coeur D'Alene RV park which is only minutes from the highway.
An excellent site in the tent camping section.
Nothing better than sunset on the water.
RV parks have a much different vibe than what we prefer. They really pack them in on the sites that have water, electric, and sewer.
The campground had a nice hiking trail but there were lots of mosquitos. Haven't seen those in quite some time.
Jonathan whips up an easy one pan dinner of Italian sausage, peppers, and onions.
Sausage McMuffins on the menu for breakfast.
Coeur D'Alene Lake
Story board for Coeur D'Alene Lake
July 11
Kettle Falls State Park Campground, Kettle Falls, Washington
Today we enter Washington state. At the Washington border town of Newport we jump off the interstate and onto SR 20 which eventually will take us to the coastal areas of Puget Sound. We stop for lunch and press on to Kettle Falls, a logging town on the Columbia River. We have an excellent campsite right on the river bluff. Located in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, the campground is in a stand of Ponderosa pines with some Douglas Firs. It is dry and hot and burn restrictions are in place due to extreme fire conditions. There is some haze in the air due to 2 nearby fires that are contained. We find the beach and go for refreshing dip in the cool waters of the Columbia River. In the morning we take a long hike while the temps are still cool-ish.
We find a nice farm to table lunch spot with outside seating once we cross the border into Newport, Washington. They even make the ketchup from scratch.
Right into the Columbia River she goes.
The marina adjacent to the campground.
The campsite is right on the bluff of the Columbia River.
It is hot so we take a dip. The water is refreshing and feels about the temp of spring water. Maybe a bit cooler.
We have an easy one pan meal of shrimp and veggie stir fry.
A slightly smoky sunrise in the campground.
The view of the Marina and Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River.
This takes table with a water view to a new level.
The dry grassy meadow stand out at the edge of the pine forest.
July 12
Loup Loup Campground, Okanagan Wenatchee National Forest, Washington
We set out for our next stop in this national forest traversing several mountain passes. We stop at the Sherman Overlook to take in the spectacular views. As we make our way to the short trail there are two young women picking huckleberries. For the past few days we've been seeing signs for huckleberry shakes, pies, jams etc and have been curious. They tell us about huckleberries and explain there are no poisonous look alikes. And there are also wild strawberries. We find our own patch to sample. They look like blueberries but are more tart.
Back on the road and almost to our destination there is an amazing farm store with a cafe and they have huckleberry shakes! Smallwood Farms in Okanagan, a fourth generation family farm https://www.smallwoodfarms.net/ This is why we prefer the back roads.
A thriving 4th generation farm.
The price of huckleberries is a bit shocking but they are difficult to grow commercially.
Huckleberry shakes on a hot day. Delicious and refreshing!
The campground has no water or electric and we drive around seeing only one other camp setup. It's hot and there's no shade to be found until we discover a lower road with a sign indicating limited turnaround so we park the van and walk it. There is shade and plenty of room for Bella Vato to turnaround so down we go. After a long walk we make a simple dinner of pan grilled salmon and a bag salad.
Tomorrow we head up into North Cascades National Park. See you next week!
Greetings and thank you for reading our blog. We embarked upon our Van life adventure to the Pacific NorthWest (PNW) on Tuesday June 17. Working steady in the weeks leading up to our departure was a lot so pulling out of the driveway was celebratory and a big relief. Unlike boat life, we'll be able to literally stop anywhere we want for anything we need so whatever we may have forgotten will not be a problem. 8 am and its off we go on our Van life adventure to the PNW. Bella has found her preferred spot between the two front seats on the floor while we're underway. It's an odd space to us because she can't see out the windows but she insists on it so we try to make it as comfy with her bed and a fan. June 17 & 18 - Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky a Unesco World Heritage sight with over 400 miles of mapped continuous passages making it the longest cave in the world is our first stop. We have reservations for 2 nights in the campground because there is muc...
July 1 - Wind Cave National Park This is our last stop in South Dakota and home to the 6th longest cave in the world. This site has great significance for the Lakota People who believe that it's where their emergence from the spirit world began. The National Park Service honors their heritage. When we arrive at the visitor center it's mid-day, crowded, and hot. We talk to the ranger who gives us some tips for some good hikes nearby. We drive to the campground a mile up the road within the park boundary. There is no electric so we situate Bella Vato in the only small patch of shade, put out the awning to create our own and relax in the breeze. Not bad. Later in the evening we attend a talk by the ranger about prairie lands. In the morning we leave the site by 6:30 to a hike that takes us by the Lakota sacred cave site then out to the prairie. As we drive out of the park to head to Wyoming we see one last lone bison. State Park camp grounds frown upon unleashed dogs and ...
North Cascades National Park to Whidbey Island Washington on the Olympic Peninsula This week our stops include Colonial Creek Campground (2 nights), Bay View State Park Campground (2 nights), and Deception Pass State Park Campground (1 night). July 13 & 14 Colonial Creek South Campground, North Cascades National Park, Washington We get on the road and stop in the town of Winthrop to grab a few last minute items at the ACE hardware before going into the wilderness for a few days. The closer we get to the NP the bigger the mountains get with rugged peaks, glaciers, and thickly wooded with pines. The wow factor here is big. And the feel is very different from the more touristy NPs. It's wilder and less structured with an abundance of hiking, biking, mountain climbing, and kayaking opportunities. And many trails allow dogs! Click any picture to enlarge and X out to return) A quick breakfast for a speedy departure. The town of Winthrop is the last bit of civilization before ...
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