Today’s journey – Yellowstone!

 We are getting more efficient at packing camp and this morning went pretty smoothly.   I think we got out of camp by 9:30 and started down the mountain.  Parker was shocked because he hasn’t been out of the hammock before that time until now.  We were anticipating the down the mountain drive we had been warned about by our camp host.  He said to keep the car in low gear and go about 25mph; the grades are between at 8 and 17 degrees which is pretty steep when you start down.  The views are breathtaking! 

  

When we got down the mountain, John’s phone began to blow up with txt from family.  We had a chance to talk to Rich in the hospital and Laura at home – hating this COVID time when people are not able to be together in the hospital!   We had a fantastic lunch at The Trailhead in Cody, WY.   While John went to get supplies and gas, we sat outside to order food and talk to Aunt Laura.  John had a little scare and misplaced the crank for the trailer while he was getting supplies in and lost the bucket ‘seat cover’ somewhere in the middle of town.  After filling our bellies, we were able to talk to Uncle Rich who is bored in the hospital.  (Update later - what I'm not sure we were told at this point was that Rich was told he did not have the rare pancreatic cancer that was treatable.  I remember being at this gorge when we felt the weight of his being sick.)

Outside Cody to the west is the most beautiful lake filled valley and then the Shoshone River.   For future trips, we are interested in the Buffalo Bill Park area North Shore camp ground.  Along the river, Big Game, Wapiti and Elk Fork camp grounds look amazing!  (We sent this photo to Rich.)

               

We made it into Yellowstone and the scenery once again changes to much more green with dense pine.   It’s so peaceful driving along the river.   Just when we neared our campsite area, a buffalo decided to cross the bridge we need to pass over.  Not a care in the world, just meandering across.   He was enormous!  

 Just across from our campground several elk were just relaxing in the dense trees.  We checked into the campground, set up the camper and we drove over to the marina store to have ice cream.  No one was really hungry for dinner so we decide on a short hike behind the marina to a natural bridge.  We got about a half mile in when it began to rain.  Since it was incredibly windy and cold, we were all in layers but some of us in the layers that have been keeping us warm at night so we began to run back to the car.  The higher elevation/less oxygen had us stopping to breath.  Back in the tent, we played Uno and ate sandwiches until the rain stopped.  By then, we were all ready to turn in.  Because we are in bear country and they made us so nervous about it, the kids slept in the floor of the GO and Parker slept in the car only because he was tired of his hammock.   It was quite a noisy night in the campground of 400 sites.  We were missing the quiet spaces we previously camped!

It’s COLD at 8900 feet!!

I don’t know what the temp was because there wasn’t any service in the mountains.  The car told us it was in the mid 60’s when we went hiking around 11AM.  The hike was to 150’ Porcupine waterfall 2/3 mi down to the fall.  We arrived at the trail head to discover a little Grizzly Adams cabin somewhat falling in with a corral that held a lone mule deer standing so still in a corner.  When we approached he panicked a little, ran circles and then jumped the fence behind the house.  We really wanted to see the jump!  The hike down to the fall is a pretty quick 500’ drop in.  We didn’t have enough eggs for breakfast for the climb back up.  At almost 9,000 feet, the oxygen is a little hard on us trying to climb.  As with so many of these places, it’s hard to describe the beauty!  Carter & GraceLin needed to dip toes in the cold water and of course Parker started to climb immediately.  He blew me away with his quick ascent to the highest point comfortable after he had scoped it out a bit first.  Carter is stretching his climbing skills on this trip as well.   It continues to make a mom nervous but over the years, I’ve grown a little more used to it.

 

Nearby, we had plans to drive up to the top of Sheep Mountian for the views.  Somewhere in between the falls and the road to sheep, we spotted to moose meandering down a small stream.  The turn toward us as the continued to move in and out of the creek bed.  Antlers disappeared and reappeared as they moved.  What a fantastic sight!   At the top of Sheep, elevation 9.800 feet, it’s pretty desolate except for the beautiful wildflowers.  We parked to walk a little further up the peek for a view.   The boys kept walking over the other side toward a snow patch as we went back to the car.  We moved the car back downhill a little then walked across to where they were playing in the snow.  We could see range after range from here.   Going downhill from the top of Sheep Mountain on this gravel road was not nearly as scary as anticipated.

 

 

At camp, we had sandwiches for lunch, hammock and naptime.  Ahh!  It was great to rest our feet.  Afterward, John and Carter fished with stale bread.  No luck but he had a blast.  I sat by the stream just praising God for His creative beauty and the blessing of this family trip!   We are so thankful to spend this time with Parker along because who knows what future summers bring for him.  Also, praying for our family – Mimi, Bob, Rich, Laura & kids, Barbara & Tony; continually praying for our children to know who they are created to be and follow the heart they were given knowing their Creator.   

 

Highlights of Porcupine camp ground – mule deer in camp, Tanna, the camp host’s white German shepherd and such friendly host and neighbors.  Downside, the mosquitos here are unphased by anything and no shower.  

   

Happy Birthday Popi!

We are thinking of you today and telling stories, sharing memories of you!   John has been waking up early so he’s getting the coffee going and watching the sunrise.   It’s really nice to have coffee ready and waiting. ;)   We took our time repacking today and regrouped on things.  When we packed in Badlands, we didn’t get everything back in to the crates.  When we packed today, we had a little space to add something more.  We stopped one more time at the grocery for supplies – headed to nowhere in the Big Horn Forest!  Goodbye Custer...

First stop Deadwood to feed Marvin and John’s curiosity.  A lot of the buildings are very old and you can see hints of the old town but it’s also very much touristy.  There was a “gun fight” posted for 2:00 in the street.  Turns out it was really just a little bit of the Wild Bill story and one gun shot which I think must have been the shot that killed Wild Bill.  We couldn’t hear a lot from our outside seating at a restaurant.  It was an American grill type food and I don’t even remember the name – neither good nor bad.                 

John wanted to look for a book by Craig Johnson about Walt Longmire.  We just finished watching the series on Netflix, so decided start one of the books as we drove through Gillette where the author signs books at the library during Longmire days.  It was fun to listen and drive through the area of inspiration for the books.   The drive up the mountain into the Big Horns is breath taking even with the sun setting in our eyes.  We spotted a few mule deer and antelope along the way.  Arrival at camp – 8:08PM.  It was a race to get camp set up and dinner (sandwiches) prepared before it got dark.  There was time for "King of the Hill" during set up. 

       

The landscape for all three of our campgrounds so far has been very different from one another.  This one has big pines like Custer but different kind because the branches to very near to the ground where the others were 20 feet off the ground.   The kids started a fire – it’s cold here.  Kids got hammocks all set up and climbed in just as we started to see lightening in the distance and then heard thunder.  We were able to watch the thunderhead roll in across the landscape as we quickly put the rain fly onto the tent, fortunately already set up, and move the kids into the tent.  Parker has a hammock rain fly so chose to stay put.  It was a great sleep with rain pelting the tent. 

      

Buffalo or Bison?

Sleep in day!  We got up at 6AM, J grabbed coffee and snacks so that we could go drive the wildlife loop.  We were beginning to wonder about seeing anything other than random white tail deer and antelope until we found the burrow and in the far distance a buffalo heard.  Nearby was a wildlife center but sadly it is closed due to COVID.  Side note: Don’t think I’ve mentioned CoVID before now on this trip.  It changes things quite a bit.  Very short "run in" stops when we need and we are discovering it saves a pretty good amount of money.  It’s just so strange to walk into any place or walk down the sidewalk in a town with a mask on and seeing so many masks around us.  We wear masks everywhere we are around people not because we are afraid of the virus but for two reasons:  We have a child going to college and don’t want him to miss his first days because he’s sick and because we don’t want to potential bring it to these small towns that don’t have very many cases, etc.  The travel is ingraining new routine in us anytime we enter a public place.  On a fun note, GraceLin woke up to a visitor on her hammock this morning - she named him Sneaky the Squirrel.

 

Beyond the wildlife center we turned off on dirt and shortly found a heard of buffalo.  There were  two males blowing, pawing the ground and grunting.  There were many mamas with adorable calves.  We had lots of discussion about whether they were buffalo or bison and if ther is a difference.  I’m not sure we came to a conclusion.  John was on alert as the males came closer to one another not far from us.   A few hundred yards away two pronghorn (antelope) running and playing.  The female would run away and wait for the male to follow.  He would stop near her and she would take off again.  Finally, they began a chase that just continued at a decent pace but then she kicked up the speed and they ran incredibly fast, crossed the street and over a ridge.  When we turned at the next dirt road, we found the pronghorn drinking at a nearby pond. 

                                   

    

Back to the camp for yummy griddle breakfast of sausage and very tasty eggs, we brough along hot sauce just for these.  We all did a few camp chores then John and I went into town.  He dropped me at the Lost Sock laundromat – they were amazing family owned business who did full service laundry but sadly didn’t have time to get to ours that day.  Still, they stopped to help me get acquainted with the machines and checked on me regularly.   John went to the grocery for supplies then came back to help fold.  Around 3, we drove to Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore.  Back home in camp, with firewood from church (donation) to build a fire, we cooked corn on the cob, chicken over the fire, played frizbee and roasted marshmallows.  Lots of great connection with kids.  

  Loving these long days filled with fun!~~

Sunday Gulch

What a beautiful day!  John woke me up at 5:30 instead of 4:30 AND had coffee ready for sunrise.  GraceLin joined us this time.  It was pretty cool, nice breeze; later in the morning, we packed our gear in a strong wind.  Finally we drove out through the park for final magnificent views and saw mountain goats on the cliff really near us, lots of prairie dogs and deer.   We drove right on past Wall Drug which we had seen advertised for a hundred miles and their billboards so littered the landscape that we didn’t want to visit.  

 

Our drive was about 6 hours to Custer State Park.  We love watching the landscape change!  We found a highly rated lunch spot on the way in to pick up in Custer (Black Hills Burger and Buns) and eat at our camp site.   They were so busy, they didn’t answer the phone and we had to go in to order.  The desire of the adults on this trip – BLFGT sandwich (Fried Green) was spoiled when we got to site with burgers.  So sad.   Camp set up was much more quick this time!   We are learning.

 

Headed out on a beautiful scenic drive through the park to Sylvan Lake.  Parker did some research and picked the Sunday Gulch tail which starts behind the damn – 3.5-4 miles, difficult but would not trade the toughness of that for not going.  So breathtaking!   Coming off the trail, went around the lake and watched the sunset along the way.  Back to the park and showered before all crashing hard with cool air and breeze making it very comfortable.