~850 miles from Seattle.
6/29 Wednesday: Gingko Petrified Forest state park, Moses Lake
I90 exit 136:
Gingko Petrified Forest state park.
$1 donation. No forest to speak of. Some stems of petrified wood are laid outside the interpretive center. No park info or trail map available. A short walk east of the center is a petroglyph ensemble. A few dozen rocks were moved here from Columbia River valley. The center itself has a commanding view of the blue Columbia River. High wind. The only real trail is 2.5 miles in land. About a dozen short petrified tree trunks are cased in iron cages. Otherwise, sage brush, no trees.
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Cross the bridge,
Horse statues butte is the next exit. A large parking area with a good view of Columbia River from east. It looks gray in the afternoon sun on this side. Climbed the sandy, short but steep hill to the statues. They don't look as good up close. Too 2D and rusty. Graffiti.
Moses Lake city is nothing interesting, ~5 miles north of I-90. The Lake is further north, but connected to the city and
Pothole Reservoir. A better view of the reservoir is from the south along 226 (~10 mile one way detour), where
O'Sullivan Dam is. Under the setting sun (>7pm), the reservoir looks like an ocean.
Columbia National Wildlife Refuge at the east end of the dam looks promising, maybe in spring. A creek running in the otherwise dry canyon-like land. On the way out on 226, saw a wild turkey.
Continued south on Hwy 17, east on Hwy 26. Rolling hills with crops. At one stretch, smells like peppermint. At Washtocna, turn to #260 then #261. Reached
Palouse Falls state park ~9pm. Blue Camas flowers were coating the gentle slopes on both sides of #261.
Camped under trees in a flat grassy area, running water, picnic table, grill stand, a pit toilet with ventilation and anti-bacteria hand gel. Can hear the falls rushing. Just 4 tents. 2 lonely campers. One was friendly enough to chat with us, another was traveling on a bike.
6/30 Thursday: Palouse Falls, Grant-Kohns Ranch, Berkeley Pit, Paradise Valley
.
Palouse Falls in early morning. Layered canyon. 200 ft drop. Saw 2 rabbits, many marmots in the park, a pheasant on the way out.
More rolling hills along Hwy 17 to I-90. Near Spokane, dry farmland gives away to pine trees. I-90 drives through Spokane downtown.
Coeur d'Alene is a well kept resort town with sandy beaches, yacht mooring at the downtown. The city does a good job entertaining tourists: flower baskets, cute statues on each intersection, a big park with kids play area. My favorite is
Mudgy the moose and its companion Millie the mouse. There're 5 of these scattered around downtown, each with a different pose, accompanied by a short poem which tells a story if visited in order.
Around noon, heading towards Montana (1 hour ahead). Soon, trees give away to rolling farm land and big sky. 3 hours later, at I-90 exit 184 (Deer Lodge),
Grant-Kohns Ranch - a national Historic site.
This is a working ranch for ~150 years. Now mostly for the show: keeping the tradition visible. Nice setting: big open cattle ranch, a winding river, still snow capped mountains in the south. Some horses close enough for visitors to see. A
chuckwagon. A two story house, nicely decorated, big porch (ground floor is open for a very short guided tour). A blacksmith workshop: a woman pounded an iron horse shoe cleaning tool and handed it to me.
Butte is another hour to the east. From I-90, a big (1 mile cross) reddish open pit can be seen. $2 gets you to a tunnel walkway leading to a view of the toxic
Berkeley Pit - the largest copper mine pit, and the red acidic (ph2.5) water. Housing area and business district are only a few blocks away. I don't understand why people are still living here after the mine closed in 1982.
Around 8pm, at I90 exit 333, turn south onto Hwy 89 from Livingstone (gas $3.59) towards Yellowstone.
Paradise Valley: aptly named. Flanked by the
Absaroka Range on the east and
Gallatin Range on the west. Snowy peaks shy behind thick clouds, double rainbows, rain. Green farmland, muddy
Yellowstone River, cattle, mule deers. Quite a few guest ranches, motels and camping ground scattered along the 58 mile drive. The end of the road is Gardiner, right at the park border. Bustling with cars, restaurants and stores. Quite big. Gas: $3.89.
Yellowstone: the gate is still stationed at 9pm. Winding road. 5 miles later, checked in at Mammoth Hot Springs hotel, one of the
Xanterra operated properties. Big parking lot. $89 room with 2 queen beds, a washing basin, a view of a scrubby hill, grassy front frequented by deers. A bit stuffy. Had to turn the fan on. Even though Xanterra boasts eco-friendly, but the hallway smells off-gas paint.
7/1 - 7/4, Yellowstone.
7/1 Friday: Mammoth Spring Terrace, Tower Falls, Specimen Ridge trail
Woke up early, saw 3 deers out of the window. An espresso stand in the lobby was awfully slow. Went to the Visitor Center, no map, no camp reservation.
Mammoth Hot Springs terrace is mostly dead, white. A few steaming parts are crowded with tourists. The top is the best, still impressive. Reddish calcium rings in red bubbling hot springs. Possible to drive up the
travertine hill, most walked the easy boardwalks.
Boiling River north of Mammoth offers swimming and soaking. But at the time closed due to high water level.
Heading east towards the Tower junction. Walked the 1 mile RT to
Wallace Falls. Was ok. Saw one coyote in the area. Walked a couple hundred yards of boardwalk to a
petrified tree locked in a big iron cage.
Arrived at Tower Falls Campground ~noon. The sign said full. But there were at least 4 sites available. Pitched the tent.
Tower Fall is tall, muddy, thundering. Steep cone shaped stones. Quite interesting. The hike down from the falls is completely disappointing, dry, hot, crowded. No view of the falls, nor reach the river front.
Lunched at
Roosevelt Lodge. Had elk burger and Roosevelt beans. $14 + tax. The meat is dry, overcooked. Not much taste. Found outlets to charge battery outside its washrooms. Old rocky chairs lined on the porch for anyone to rest.
I took a nap at a picnic area off to Lamar Valley. Then walked a bit into the Garnet Hill trail to the flooding meadow next to the junction where a small herd of buffalo was hanging out.
The
Specimen Ridge trail is a very nice hike, maybe 4 miles. Going up at the Yellowstone River picnic area. The whole slope was covered with flashy Balsamroot flowers and some daisy like yellow flowers, interspersed with purple lupine. After the short up slope, the ridge goes on with expanse views to the north. To the south is the Yellowstone river, which has a much better and less crowded view of the Yellowstone canyon. But no sight of the falls. Clear view of two Calcite Springs. Breezy. Saw a sheep up close.
After dinner, at ~7:30pm, headed out the Lamar Valley up to Slough Creek trying to see animals. ~20 deers. 2 crows picking in day-old buffalo dung. Quite a few buffalo. One of them had 4 birds following him, picking something, or just standing on him. One coyote, many furry ground rodents. The area where Slough Creek enters
Lamar River is idyllic (albeit with mosquitoes, but not too bad).
7/2 Saturday: Lamar Valley, Beartooth Hwy. My favorite day.
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Up at 5:30am. Started off by 6:30. Got to
Lamar Valley prime viewing area ~7:30. Maybe a bit too late. Only saw buffalo, but lots of these. On the way back, ~9-9:30pm, saw even more. Maybe 500+. Everywhere, on the roads, causing traffic jam. 1 fox by the road, a few pronghorn, deer, bears. Lamar River runs quickly (muddy), turns golden under the setting sun.
Amazing. Lamar Valley from Slough Creek to a short distance before Pebble Creek, is incredibly beautiful. One road sign claims it to be American Eden. High snow capped peaks, green hills, flat grassy ground (sage bush with green grass and many little flowers). Yellowstone Institute has one of the best spots along the Lamar Valley Rd. Pebble Creek seems to be a very nice camping area. Stopped for snack at one of the 2 picnic areas next to a running creek (Soda Creek, Warm Creek): vault toilet with hand sanitizer, toilet seat cover, air refresher.
Upon exiting the park is Cooke City. Stores lined up by the road. Lodgings and restaurants. Not a lot. One gas station: $4.29/gl.
Beartooth Hwy. Due to heavy snow this spring, the road was opened about 2 weeks ago. Stopped at Colter Pass (C.G.), Crazy Creek (C.G.) Falls, Lake Creek Falls. Both falls pretty big, roaring, plenty white mists. Beartooth Falls is a little far, only had a glimpse from the hwy. Looks quite big, and certainly loud.
The highway runs halfway above a river valley (Clark Fork Yellowstone River?) along treed slopes (sometimes yellow with Balsamroot). Absaroka Range with numerous still snow-capped peaks on the south. The Pilot & Index Peak Overlook is a great stop for catching an 180° view in a big parking area with 2 display panels detailing the names of all the peaks. The side road to Clay Butte Lookout Tower is still buried in snow. But possible to hike up in snowshoes: only 1/4 miles.
Beartooth Lake is blue, almost all melted. However the
campground is still closed. Shortly after, near
Top of The World Store (@mile 25), it's a winter wonderland. Snow everywhere. Only ~2 miles away from the Beartooth Lake, Island Lake is completely covered with snow. (On the way back, snowshoed in). Many little ponds and lakes by the road side, starting to thaw with light green hue. Very fetching views. Had lunch right by Little Bear Lake. At the very top (10969'), walked up a small rocky peak. 360° view. Absolutely worth the drive.
Further east, Gardner Lake pullout is busy with tourists and skiers. This is also the starting point of Beartooth Loop trail. A ski life is not far away (closed by the time of our return). The sharp but small Beartooth can be seen for a few miles here. 2 families of mountain goats where strolling on the yellowy grassy plateaus in this area. East of the pass is more yellowish brown compared to the green west of the pass. Temperature starts to rise as the road descends. By the time the car reached the valley, it was close to 80°F.
Red Lodge is a quaint mining town. Still has many old brick houses built between 1890 to 1915 coal mining boom. Hanging flower basket, wooden benches, friendly people. Gas 3.69/gl. Had some beef sliders for snack. Very tasty. At the ranger station just out of the town (Custer National Forest), one ranger was disappointed when I asked for only a short hike. However, these two rangers are more friendly and helpful than those I encountered at Yellowstone's visitor center. Lots of useful materials in store, including proper state maps.
Lots of motorbike riders.
7/3 Sunday: Canyon Falls, Yellowstone Lake
A deer was chewing tree leaves outside the tent ~7am. Charge battery at the general store at Tower Falls. It wasn't open yet, but I found 3 outlets on the outside wall.
Yellowstone Canyon is one of the most beautiful canyons I've seen. Red narrow jagged cliffs topped with osprey nests. Both lower falls and upper falls are splendid. Along Canyon North Rim drive, hiked down Red Rock trail, stopped at Inspiration point (which isn't any better than other stops). Upper Falls brink lookout is fun (similar to Lower Falls brink lookout). Along Canyon South Rim drive, hiked down Uncle Tom trail (lots of people, 500+ steps. Rainbow. 2 Elks right next to the road close to Uncle Tom trail's parking lot. Artist Point is the best view of the whole canyon and the lower falls. Over 100 cars. Crowd everywhere. Hot.
Drove along Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake, saw an elk herd of, and a white pelican. Alum Creek is very pretty and wide. Saw a mom grizzly bear with 2 babies off the southern creek. This is another prime wildlife area:
Hayden Valley. Also stopped at Mud Volcano and Sulfur Caldron, 2 points along the road, accessible from the same parking lot.
The ranger at the Fishing Bridge visitor center was unhelpful. Wouldn't let people charge battery in their outlets which none was in use. When I asked which trail has higher chance of seeing animals, his reply is "driving along the road has better chance than hiking".
Lake Butte Lookout is ~6 miles east of Fishing Bridge (one mile side road up a mostly burnt slope). Great view of the entire lake. Along the northern coast of the lake, many view points, one with picnic tables. The best is Steamboat Point. Some flowers: mostly purple, some pink. Water was muddy.
Hiked the 2.3 mile
Storm Point loop off Indian Pond. 3 buffalo near the pond. 1 rabbit, 2 marmots, quite some mosquitoes. The best is the wind swept far end of the loop: sandy beach, grassy, lots of flowers, no mosquitoes, great view of the lake to the east.
Bridge Bay camp ground is huge and crowded. Ground is full of rodent holes and little stones. Shower facility is only at the RV ground next to the visitor center, 4 miles north. Each long row of camp sites is equipped with one toilet facility with a washing sink. In the closest lady's room, only one faucet. The other one is a hole. A few bear boxes. A patrol truck drives around every so often. Cooked up all the fresh food. Better than the freeze dried REI food.
7/4 Monday: Pelican Valley hike, head to
Teton
Among all the
hikes in this area,
Pelican Valley trail is the only restricted (July 4 - November 10, 9am - 7pm only). Stupid regulation (in order to avoid bears). Hard to see animals in the heat of the day. There's a short drive leading to the trail head parking, which is gated. Possible to park at Storm Point trail head and walk in. By 9am, already 3 cars parked there (yes, gate was opened a bit earlier today).
First 30 min is boring: wooded (half burned), hot. Once reached the valley, it's much better. Large, grassy, Pelican Creek bending. Still some snow, muddy at points, but not too bad. Some buffalo, one white pelican, a big elk herd moving. No bears. 20+ people! Flowers were pretty good. One rare flower looks like Yucca with cream bundled flowers. A broken bridge to connect the hike into a loop. Waist deep water.
Drove along Yellowstone Lake to the south entrance. Many Canadian Geese.
West Thumb Geyser Basin is pretty cool: deep blue thermal ponds (75°C) next to the lake (giving me an illusion of swimming pools). Quite a few submerged cones, still bubbling. Others varies from deep ocher red to muddy grey.
An hour later (~4:20pm), reached the north edge of Jackson Lake with the view of the Teton range. Balsomroot are blooming along the slopes, many other little flowers dotted the shore line.
7/4 - 7, Grand Teton.
Stopped at Colter Bay Visitor center for backcountry permit. Were informed that the snow level is too low, and Teton Crest is un-advised. The lady there suggested Jenny Lake ranger station because she didn't know the details of the trail conditions. Sadly, Jenny Lake ranger station closed at 5pm. Finally picked up a permit at the newly constructed
Moose Visitor Center (closes at 7pm). A very patient and friendly elderly ranger made some recommendations. Used wifi for 10 minutes. This is a very modern design: soaring windows facing the mountains, Japanese influenced courtyard. Inside, other than the normal panel displays, movie theatre, bookstore, restroom, whiteboard with updated camp/trail condition, the most useful is a large 3D model of the park, clearly marked. Each morning, a ranger will talk about animals and where they frequent using this model and real skins.
Arrived at
Teton Village shortly before 8pm. Bought some beer and food at the Mange store (overpriced, a decent selection of organic products). Friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Watched 10pm fireworks show after dinner at the lawn. People applauding, car alarms going off from time to time. Lasted ~25 minutes. All ignited by hand. Not bad at all. From the distance, Jackson's fireworks were lighting the sky at the same time.
7/5 Tuesday: Granite Canyon backpack
Saw an eagle standing on its nest just outside the village. Saw some colorful paragliders.
Late start (I had to file my last UI report at the Moose Visitor center). Hot, hot, hot, for the first 30 minutes at least. Two groups of people coming out claimed that an angry moose was chasing them, perked my expectation. 1.5 miles later, reached a junction with Valley Trail. Now Granite Canyon trail follows a tumbling creek. Temperature becomes more tolerable. Pleasant enough, no mosquitoes, a small amount of flies. ~1 mile later, pitched the tent next to the creek. Continued upward. No moose. Had to turn back ~1 hour later: after crossing a large snow/dirt field, a big pond blocked the progress. Clouds moved in.
After some rest, went down to Valley Trail towards Phelps Lake. Mosquitoes cut the hike short. Didn't see any animals except for one grouse and countless mosquitoes. My foot hurt. Felt defeated.
Still trying to locate the angry moose. ~7pm, up again along Granite Canyon. ~3 miles from the junction, after the group camp area, a bull was sitting across the creek under a big boulder. He didn't seem angry, wasn't moving at all, except for his ears.
7/6 Wednesday: Teton loop drive: Oxbow Bend, Jackson Lake Lodge, Taggart Lake - Bradley Lake hike: - best day in Teton
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~9am. A mother moose was walking with her baby along the trail right next to the camp! She went immediately off the trail and into the bushes. I didn't even get a photo :(
Drove north on #191 east of Snake River. Stopped at all the turn outs (well marked). The
Oxbow Bend turnout is the best. Saw a 100+ elk herd east of the river. Good flowers. A short gravel road goes down to the river bend waterfront where a bridge used to stand. A large patch of Balsomroot flowering. Quiet. A couple of canoes. Just one other car.
Late lunch at Jackson Lake lodge. The elk burger is better than in Yellowstone (you can ask for medium rare!). Free internet, lots of plugs. No AC in the lobby. But what a grand view!
Lazied about after food to avoid the 80°F sun outside. Perfect place to look for animals in the Willow Flat through the high windows.
Around 4pm, a bear decided to teach her two new born about hunting by running after an elk herd (at least 50) with the two babies following. She gave up after a short run to gather her cubs, and started again. This went on for at least half an hour, causing cars lining up the park road. Curiously, two heron-like big birds sat not far from the action, completely unconcerned.
Drove up to
Signal Mt. Possible to hike up here (3 miles one way). Good view of the entire Teton area, especially to the east. Lots of Basalmroot.
Hiked Taggart Lake and Bradley Lake loop when the sun is lower. ~4 miles. Quite some mosquitoes. Not too interesting. Returned to Teton Village for the night. On the Moose-Wilson Rd, saw a male deer.
A 57 year-old Californian man was mauled to death today by a mother grizzly half an hour into Wapiti Lake Trail just south of Yellowstone Canyon.
7/7 Thursday: Paintbrush Canyon backpack
Started at Leigh Lake trail head before 7am (~6800'). Lakes always look better in early morning: still like a mirror for a clearer reflection of the mountains. Walked along String Lake. The only place with less mosquitoes is the big bridge between String Lake and Leigh Lake. ~half an hour later, got on the Paintbrush trail proper. Almost all the way up, you can see the lakes down below.
At the end of the lower Paintbrush camping zone, found an ideal camp site on a rock boulder (~8800'). All the camping area further up was buried in snow. As night fell, 2 groups of 12 each crammed onto the same boulder. The trail disappeared completely under thick snow after the outlier camp (~9000'), but that's not enough deterrence. Spent 2 hours trying to go higher, until Holly Lake and further. Maybe 10000'. But didn't go to the pass, as thick clouds moved in. Rained in the evening. Met only 2 people who managed this far. View is much better here, even though it's desolate. Going down was no easier matter. More and more misleading footprints as the elevation dropped.
7/8 Friday: Leaving Teton, going to Old Faithful
Saw a mammoth collecting straws on the way down. Mosquitoes became a real annoyance when the trail got closer to the lakes. More people now at the large parking lot, some with their lounge chair and colorful boats.
After an early lunch at Mural Room at Jackson Lake Lodge (food is very presentable, more delectable, albeit small portion), heading back north to Yellowstone.
7/8 - 9, Yellowstone Geyser Land.
Drove across Continental Divide 3 times in half an hour. Stopped at Kepler Cascades, and walked on a flat gravel bike/log road to
Lone Star Geyser. ~2 miles one way along a creek. Pleasant, enough shade. Saw an eruption (every ~3 hours) after waiting for just ~20 minutes. Very lucky!
Arrived at
Old Faithful Inn an hour later. Had to hide in the car for 15 minutes due to a sudden hail pelleting down.
Old Faithful Inn has been high on my visiting list, ever since I had to talk about R.C.Reamer's other designs in Seattle. The big crooked beam support is most fascinating. A friendly doorman enthusiastically talked about the changed entrance, showed me the old door bell. The old part (1904) is well worth staying, full of old charm, but with shared bath. The new wings, renovated in the 90s, are devoid of character. The dining room has newer etched glass panels. Dinner service was chaotic. With a reservation, still had to wait for ~40 minutes. Food is mediocre.
Old Faithful geyser is no longer as regular as 15 years ago when I first came here. Modern equipment is used now to forecast eruption. Many other geysers are completely unpredictable. Possible to walk along the boardwalk for up to 2 hours, checking out each pot and vent in the area. Didn't see buffalo, but saw 2 female elks up close (they are taller than me!) on the way to the Observation Point after dinner. Lobby of every lodge here has a large board of geyser predictions:
- Grand - every 8 - 12 hours. Lasts ~12 minutes. Often has a second "burst"
- Daisy - every 90 - 110 minutes. Lasts ~3 minutes.
- Riverside - every 5.5 - 7 hours. Lasts ~20 minutes.
- Castle - every 9 - 11 hours. ~20 minutes.
- Great Fountain (8 miles north of Old Faithful on Firehole Lake Drive) - every 10 hours in a series of distinct bursts over ~an hour.
7/9 Saturday: Upper Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, Noris Basin Geyser
Up before dawn, walked for almost 2 hours. Good lighting, frost on the boardwalk, slippery.
Biscuit Basin has many sapphire colored pools.
Midway Basin is crowded. Larger pools, most colorful. The best here is
Grand Prismatic Spring. The color is incredible. Blue steam rises high. Hiked up from the Fairy Falls trail further south, up a STEEP and somewhat dangerous slope for a better aerial view.
My favorite in
Lower Basin is the Spasm and Clepsydra geyser. They are like twins, shooting up almost constantly. Great Fountain geyser was dead silent.
Firehole Lake is not bad.
On the way to
Norirs Basin, stopped by
Gibbon Falls. Gibbon River/Meadow seems to be a good fishing area. Saw quite a few anglers. Norris is very big. Its star Steamboat Geyser was only making hissing sound.
Artists' Paint Pots is boring, and requires over a mile of walk. By now, my saturated eyes and minds could no longer be entertained.
7/9 ~4pm - 7/10, heading back home.
Exit via West Yellowstone, a fair size town equipped with proper grocery store, a number of gas stations, multitude of restaurants and hotels and a
bear and wolf zoo. Took #191 along
Gallatin River Canyon. Steep pinnacle rocks, a few rafting outfit and guest ranches. Big Sky ski area is to the west. Movie
A River Runs Through It was filmed in this area.
Missouri Headwaters State Park is a short distance from I-90 exit 278. Here, Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers combined to form Missouri which flows north. Very pleasant area, except for mosquitoes.
Had trouble finding accommodation between Deer Lodge and Missoula. Looks like there was a
Marathon Expo in Missoula this Saturday.
All in all, ~2400 miles, a long and engaging trip, eventful and memorable.
$1 donation. No forest to speak of. Some stems of petrified wood are laid outside the interpretive center. No park info or trail map available. A short walk east of the center is a petroglyph ensemble. A few dozen rocks were moved here from Columbia River valley. The center itself has a commanding view of the blue Columbia River. High wind. The only real trail is 2.5 miles in land. About a dozen short petrified tree trunks are cased in iron cages. Otherwise, sage brush, no trees.
The Specimen Ridge trail is a very nice hike, maybe 4 miles. Going up at the Yellowstone River picnic area. The whole slope was covered with flashy Balsamroot flowers and some daisy like yellow flowers, interspersed with purple lupine. After the short up slope, the ridge goes on with expanse views to the north. To the south is the Yellowstone river, which has a much better and less crowded view of the Yellowstone canyon. But no sight of the falls. Clear view of two Calcite Springs. Breezy. Saw a sheep up close.
Late start (I had to file my last UI report at the Moose Visitor center). Hot, hot, hot, for the first 30 minutes at least. Two groups of people coming out claimed that an angry moose was chasing them, perked my expectation. 1.5 miles later, reached a junction with Valley Trail. Now Granite Canyon trail follows a tumbling creek. Temperature becomes more tolerable. Pleasant enough, no mosquitoes, a small amount of flies. ~1 mile later, pitched the tent next to the creek. Continued upward. No moose. Had to turn back ~1 hour later: after crossing a large snow/dirt field, a big pond blocked the progress. Clouds moved in.
Arrived at Old Faithful Inn an hour later. Had to hide in the car for 15 minutes due to a sudden hail pelleting down.
Old Faithful geyser is no longer as regular as 15 years ago when I first came here. Modern equipment is used now to forecast eruption. Many other geysers are completely unpredictable. Possible to walk along the boardwalk for up to 2 hours, checking out each pot and vent in the area. Didn't see buffalo, but saw 2 female elks up close (they are taller than me!) on the way to the Observation Point after dinner. Lobby of every lodge here has a large board of geyser predictions: 
My favorite in Lower Basin is the Spasm and Clepsydra geyser. They are like twins, shooting up almost constantly. Great Fountain geyser was dead silent. Firehole Lake is not bad.
