Crystal Butte Hike

Yesterday was a do nothing kind of day so today we did what John likes to call a “Kill John Day”.  We decided we would take a hike on a trail that is not part of the National Park and therefore not covered with lots of hikers.  

This trail is actually in the town of Jackson up a mountain opposite of the Snow King Ski Area.  We chose the ‘short’ hike of 1.5 miles one way but it was the steepest trail in this area (according to a local hiker) with a rise of almost 1,400 feet in that mile and half.  There is no way we could have managed that hike without our poles and hiking boots, we consumed copious amounts of water and balanced on a log near the top to eat lunch.

We didn’t get to the butte but it was high enough for me.  The views were awesome overlooking the city and the valley that surrounds it.  Coming down was almost as strenuous as going up.  I have a tendency to slip and slide on any loose gravel so I have to side step and take it really slow, using my poles to keep me balanced and on my feet.

Our bodies had not been abused this much in a long time - we slept well that night!

Sheep Mountain Slide

We decided to explore the area to the east of us near Kelley and outside of the park.  As the road climbed we notice the side of Sheep Mountain had washed away.  About that point we stopped at an information kiosk.  This was not a recent event.  

In 1925 after prolonged and heavy rain (and possibly aided by an earthquake) earth, rock and debris moved rapidly from at altitude of 9,000 feet down into the valley and up the slope of the red bluffs on the opposite side.  About one mile long, 2,000 feet wide and several hundred feet deep, the action lasted only a few minutes but a river was damned and the landscape changed.  The damned river formed the Gros Ventre Lake but just 2 years later, in May 1927 a part of the damn gave way sending a wall of water, mud and rock down the canyon 3.5 miles towards the village of Kelley.  The residents had just minutes to try to escape the flood.  6 people died and only 2-3 buildings survived.  Today the lake is called the Lower Slide Lake and is a destination for boaters, wind surfers and kayaks.

Fishing the Gros Ventre River

Today John tried his hand at trout fishing in the Gros Ventre River that runs behind the campground.  He hasn’t had a lot of luck as the river is running very full and very fast.  We realized that every time we have come here in the past it has been in mid to late August when the river is much lower and the crowds were smaller.  Later in the afternoon he tried a different spot and actually caught one!  I have spent my time exploring the riverside and taking pictures.

We have seen one moose a couple of times but there is no sign of the bison.  They must have moved up to higher, cooler grounds for this time of year.  

Teton Park Road

This  morning I packed and lunch and we put the bikes on the car and headed up the road a ways so we were closer to the park visitor center and entrance. We are really enjoying our e-bikes as they make it so much easier to ride long distances and up hills.

Inside the park we were able to ride almost 15 miles past all the lines of cars and full parking lots to Jenny Lake where we had a nice picnic lunch.  During this Covid thing everyone is required to wear a mask and I must say very few do not comply.

Time to Move

We needed to get water and dump so we drove due south on Sunday to Challis ID where we spent one night then drove south east toward Idaho Falls.  We kept going around the southern end of the Teton Mountains and spent one night at a National Forest campground along the Snake River between Alpine and Hoback Junction.  Again we found we were camped next to the busy, noisy road and had no good access to the river.  We did find a spot to watch rafters as they surfed over some class 2-3 rapids.  As close as we were to Jackson, WY and one of our favorite campgrounds, the Gros Ventre in Teton National Park, we decide we might as well camp there as anywhere else.

As we drove up to the entrance about lunch time and a big sign said “Campground Full”!  Not one to be deterred by a sign, John and I drove on in.  While I sat in line, John drove the RV to the Amphitheater parking lot to wait on me.  The host said it was truly full and to come back early, early the next morning.  So I asked if we could stay in the parking lot and was told it would be okay for one night.  We gladly set up camp there and then got our bikes out to explore the campground.  What we found was an empty electric site that we would fit in.  John made a beeline to the office and we snagged us a really nice spot.

Bitterroot Valley

When we left Flathead Lake we stopped in Missoula to dump, wash the RV, laundry, hair cut, grocery shop and pick up an Amazon order then on into the Bitterroot Valley at the foot of the Bitterroot Mountains.

We snagged a walk-in site in a National Forest campground on Bass Creek and liked it so well we opted to stay for 5 days.  The Bitterroot Bike Trail runs 50 miles from Missoula to Hamilton next to Hwy. 93.  So on one side you have magnificent views of the mountains, ranches and farmland  and on the other side is highway traffic with its noisy cars and trucks.  We rode about 20 miles on the trail and decided that was enough noise.

Running alongside Bass Creek is a trail out of the campground up the mountain which at this point is not very steep but beautiful with surrounding trees and rock walls and the only noise is the rushing waters and warbling birds.  We hiked up about 2 miles and John discovered a couple of places where he thought he could fly fish so Friday afternoon he hiked back up and actually caught one fish!  But the water was really cold and the hike a little too far for one fish.

Flathead Lake State Park

Actually Flathead Lake has 6 State Parks around the lake.  John got very, very lucky and reserved us a site in the West Shore Campground through the Fourth of July weekend.  And it’s a lovely site with a view through trees of the lake.

We have walked or hiked almost all the paths and trails in the park over the weekend.  The shoreline is pretty steep in most places but near the boat launch area people have found a way to be on the water.  Lots of kayaks and stand up paddle boards line the shore and in the campgrounds.  The weather has cleared, the winds are quiet and the temperature gets up to the low 70’s by mid afternoon.  It cools off into the 50’s at night so we are sleeping well!

We ventured out Thursday evening for a nice dinner at a bistro in Lakeside.  It is too easy for us to forget social distancing and face masks and the folks at the restaurant were not good about it either.  We took a chance and wish we hadn’t since we ended up sitting in the restaurant for almost 2 hours. We are resolved to only eat outside or carry out for the rest of the summer. 

Rain, Rain Go Away!

It has rained most of the last two days. Finally this afternoon we had had enough of the RV so we put on our raincoats and drove up to McDonald Lodge and hiked up Snyder Trail in hopes of getting to Fish Lake.  But the trail was steeper than we anticipated and the rain returned, so wet and cold we headed back down.  At least we got a little exercise.

Taking it Easy

After that long ride, even though our legs don’t hurt much, our bottoms do!  Taking it easy on Saturday was easy to do.  We piddled around the RV, ate lunch then drove to Columbia Falls where we found an easy 3.5 mile hike through Flathead National Forest.  The spring flowers are in full bloom.  John gets a little put out with me because I keep stopping to take pictures of  the prettiest ones and then delete most them! Ha!

Sunday is a day of rest and that’s just what we are doing. Due to the large crowds in the park we are staying away from there for the weekend.

Biking in Glacier Nat. Pk.

Since it was only a 45 minute drive this morning we were camped early enough to to explore West Glacier and then we drove over to Corman and Hungry Horse Dam, had a pizza and then rain sent us back to the RV.

Thursday and it’s a beautiful day!  We rode our bikes up to the Apgar Visitor Center to get the lay of the land, maps, souvineers, and information about riding our bikes to Logan Pass.  Then we went down memory lane with a ride through the campground.  Not sure we would be able to get our new RV in there now.  Of course, all the campgrounds are closed.

The bike paths and roadways are perfect for exploring the area if you don’t take a wrong turn and ride through the employees residences!  Oh well, no one yelled at us.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road is open from West Glacier up to Avalanche Pass and campground.  From there to Logan Pass it is walking or biking only.  The road is still snow covered from Logan Pass on to the east.  They are also working on the road and the rock barriers and walls so in places there is nothing to prevent you from dropping off the road.

We were advised to get to the Avalanche Campground/ parking lot early as possible on Friday as it usually fills up by 9 am and there would be no construction happening on that day.  We arrived at 8:40 and feel like we were the last allowed in. 

The views were spectacular, the mountains majestic, the waterfalls and snowfields were crystalline. Around every corner was a new vista, a new breathtaking scene, or a new wonder to behold.  One just cannot experience this in a car, especially when there are others lined up behind you wanting to enjoy that same site.

It was 16 miles up to the pass and around 3,000 feet of elevation gain. We were so glad we had the e-bikes as we are simply not able to ride that far on regular bikes. This may turn out to be the highlight of our entire summer trip!

Devil’s Creek

We left Hill City on Father’s Day and drove 12 hours to Great Falls MT where we spent the night in a Walmart parking lot before heading towards Glacier National Park.  Coming from the east we passed on the south end of the park and camped in the Devil’s Creek National Forest campground.

Devil’s Creek looks more like a roaring river than a creek but it is very pretty.  We hiked up the mountain beside the creek about a mile where there were some steep cascades/waterfalls.  John was able to rock hop across the creek and we could have gone on but I was not willing to chance a slip into the water so we turned around.  I love all the spring wild flowers but especially the Bear Grass flower that is found only in this region.

We also took a short drive back to the Continental Divide where there is a memorial monument to Teddy Roosevelt who set aside all this land for Glacier National Park, the 7th in the nation. 

Black Hills of SD

Wow is it cold or what?  It was in the 40’s when we got up the last two mornings!  Yesterday was cool enough to enjoy a good hike through the forest and up a mountain.  We actually hiked about 4.5 miles on the Centennial Trail that runs the length of SD.  We thought we were on another trail but took a wrong turn and missed it.  It was a cloudy, windy day perfect for a hike.

Today we loaded the bikes on the Jeep with the intention of riding on the Mickelson from Deadwood but by the time we got moving and after enjoying a drive through the Spearfish Canyon we ran out of time.  Spearfish Canyon is a lovely drive with towering cliffs on either side of the road and a cascading Spearfish Creek following us down.  

Deadwood is portrayed as a mining town with lots of ambiance but really its just a gambling city with tourist trappings like junk shops and Harley Davidson specialty stores, lots of bars and a few restaurants.  It’s a disappointment for us. 

We ran out of time because we were to FaceTime with my family who are gathered at my mother’s home to celebrate her 90th birthday.  Happy Birthday, Mom!!  Love you!

Golf and Bikes

Tuesday was a great day for golf with Ray and Judy and our new friends.  I didn’t play all that well but had a really fun time with the ladies.  That evening we had dinner in town.

Since we took Wednesday off and didn’t do much of anything we took a road trip on the Needles highway past Mt. Rushmore and through Custer State Park.

We chose to ride the opposite direction on the trail to Custer on Thursday. We walked around the town and had a nice lunch before heading back.  This part of the trail was a long uphill climb for 8 miles and then a cruise down to Custer for 7 miles.  Of course we had to climb back up to get home.  Near the crest is Crazy Horse Monument.  We opted to stop for a short visit to see what has changed since we last saw the monument 9 years ago and to peruse the museums. 

The ride down hill was coasting.  We surely did not pedal much and having a motor was of no benefit. But we still consider it a 30 mile ride.

Mickelson Trail Rides

The George Mickelson Trail is a rails to trails route that runs 109 miles from Deadwood in the North to Edgemont in the south.  It goes through Custer, past Crazy Horse, thru Hill City, across the Black Hills and up to Lead and Deadwood.  Our campground is right on the trail just 2 miles south of Hill City.

We couldn’t wait to ride the trail and see how well our e-bikes perform so Monday morning I packed a lunch and we took off north to the Mystic Trailhead, a ride of almost 18 miles one way.  The bikes were great.  It made the hills seem like a flat ride but we still felt like we were getting a great leg workout.  The scenery was very pretty, lush and green.  We met a few people along the way who were interested in visiting about our bikes.  Towards the turn around at Mystic there were two old railroad tunnels we rode through.  Not long ones but we were told to watch out for cows staying cool in the shade - but not today.

The ride back seemed harder which I’m sure was the result of having ridden too far but it was definitely more uphill going back.  I had to take a rest in Hill City before attempting the final 2 miles uphill.  John went ahead of me but he didn’t have to wait long for me to arrive as I kicked the bike into turbo mode and flew home!

Here We Go Again

The weather is heating up and we have been quarantined and stuck at home for almost 3 months.  John is chomping at the bit to get out of Missouri and head north towards cooler weather so we are on the road again.

We left early on Friday June 12 and drove west and north through Kansas into Nebraska where we spent the night in Hastings.  The next night found us in Fort Robinson early enough that we were able to ride our new e-bikes around the Fort although nothing is open and then down the trail to Crawford where not much was happening.  Right after supper the campground host warned of a coming storm that wasn’t nearly as bad as he made it seem.

Day three found us in Hill City, South Dakota, not far from Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore.  Our friends, Ray and Judy, are camped here with their friends from Colorado and they all welcomed us as if we were old friends.  

The Window

One of the most iconic hikes in Big Bend is in the Chisos Basin as the foot of  Casa Grande Peak in the Chisos Mountains.  The Window Trail starts at the park visitor center, descends into the canyon and then the trail goes through a very narrow passage to a point that opens up in front of you like a window in a cathedral.  It was listed as a 5.6 mile hike but our pedometers indicated we walked over 6 miles total.  If it hadn’t been so hot I think we might have enjoyed the hike a bit better but the sun beat us down to a dragging crawl up the last mile.  Yes I said UP!  We hiked 980 feet of vertical.

We spent most of the evening trying to decide what we were going to do next.  One option was to head to Padre Island, or another was to back track to AZ.  But considering the pandemic and the way places are closing, and at our age a need for good healthcare, we decided we needed to be near family and our local doctors.  We will pack up and head to Oklahoma to see our grandsons and then home to Sedalia.

Hot Springs the Long Way

After dressing in shorts and hiking boots, we hopped in the car to drive the 26 miles to the Chisos Mountain except that the peak was covered in clouds and the closer we got, the colder it became.  About half way there I convinced John to turn around as we were not properly clad and we wouldn’t see anything in the clouds.

Once back at the RV we decided to hike the 6 mile round trip over ridges, valleys and desert on the Hot Springs Canyon trail to the same hot springs we saw yesterday.  I especially enjoyed all the spring flowers on the cacti and ocotillo, and the blooms popping up on the yucca.  We got to within 1/2 mile of the springs, high up on a ridge overlooking the river and stopped to have our lunch.  Why go on to the springs when we had just seen them?  We headed back to camp.

We were greeted with sad/bad news when we got back.  The campground host informed us that a county judge had ordered all campgrounds - private and public - to be closed as of noon on Monday March 23.  We had considered moving on Sunday but decided to stay one more day.

Evening falls late in west Texas so just before 8pm we walked out on the river to watch the sun set.  It was a lovely evening.

Big Bend National Park

With all the upheaval that the Coronavirus is causing we thought that people would be canceling their camping trips and we would have an easy time finding a campground.  That is not the case although we were smart enough to arrive in the morning and snagged one of only three available walk-in sites at the Rio Grande Village Campground.  We were also concerned that the park would close but they have only closed the visitor centers and gathering places. And along our route we stopped at every market looking for TP.  We finally found one roll!

The wind has been horrendous and the sun quite hot but the walk to Boquillas Canyon on the Rio Grande was still nice.  We also checked out the hot spring that is on the river. It was very crowded.  Social distancing was not being practiced in that place.

Maverick

From Bisbee we drove across AZ and NM into Texas spending the  night in Sierra Blanca’s city park.  We discovered that this is where the southern route  of the second continental railroad line met - one from CA and one from East Texas.  Also Geronimo surrendered at this place.  But if you come here to see something special all you will find are signs.

We arrived at the Maverick Ranch RV Park shortly after lunch. Supposedly they were full for the weekend but we were able to extend our stay two more days if we wanted and we never saw a full park.  We are on the edge of the Big Bend State Park so we took advantage of the hiking trails near us.  A short hike from the RV park we watched zip lines spanning canyon spaces.  Another hike took us out into the desert and back. I love looking for all the signs of spring in this arid landscape with blooming cacti and bushes including ocotillo.

Bisbee

Sunday March 15 -

Following the winery tour we drove over to the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area which is a winter refuge for many waterfowl but especially Sand Hill Cranes.  These are big beautiful birds which we have seen in Michigan and in Florida.

The next stop is Bisbee, a quaint little town built  around the Queen Copper Mine.  It’s all hills and reminds us somewhat of Eureka Springs, AR.  The RV park overlooks the copper mine and is within walking distance of the town.  As we were window shopping and strolling along the business district we realized the people in town were lining the street as if waiting for a parade.  When we asked a local she said that there would be a short parade to welcome back the Turkey Vultures!  It’s the weirdest parade we have ever watched!  They even had a drum line concert on the corner which reminded us of the drummers in Uruguay.

Hofmann Winery

Friday the 13th

Since we couldn’t find a park with a campsite we found a winery through Harvest Host where we proved that Friday the 13th is a bad luck day.  First I made John go on a hike - he calls them ‘Kill John’ hikes then we headed to the winery.

The Hofmann Winery is a very small operation that bottles only about 500 cases a year.  Charles has only been making wine for about four years, has about 1000 vines and a small fruit orchard.  He had us park in this large empty area near some of his vines.  This is Arizona desert meaning sandy soil and it rained yesterday.  The perfect situation for an RV disaster.  We are towing the Jeep and making a sharp turn in soft sand so that the wheels of the Jeep do not track but turn sideways and pull the RV down, down, down into the soft sand until we are STUCK! John was NOT happy to say the least.  But, once we unhitched the Jeep, pushed some sand back into the tracks and backed up the RV a short distance, John was able to get a roaring start and drove right out of that hole. 

We almost headed home right then but gladly we stayed.  Charles had us tasting every one of his German wines, whites and reds, we bought a case and the next morning he showed us his whole operation.  We turned a possible disaster into a nice evening with some decent wine.

Patagonia State Park

Thursday March 12

When it comes to finding a camp site on the weekends, we usually run out of luck or have to do some special planning.  So for the next few days we will travel no more that 200 miles on any day.  We wanted to stay at Patagonia State Park through the weekend but they were adamant that all sites were taken on Friday and Saturday.  Since the weather was going to be iffy over the weekend we had hoped to be able to snag a cancelled site but that did not happen.

Just adjacent to the park is the Sonoita Natural Area with some nice long trails.  I had hoped to walk an 8 mile trail on Wednesday but it rained!  So we adapted and walked a 3 mile trail on Thursday morning and then headed on down the road.  It was a lovely walk along the river and then up the hill.  The budding trees indicate that spring is coming in AZ.