Red Lodge, Montana July 4, 2010
The drive from Idaho through Yellowstone National Park last week was beautiful. From the northeast exit of the park, the Beartooth Scenic Byway, to Red Lodge, Mt. is spectacular (11,000ft.). Most of the top is above the tree line with 2-3 feet of snow on the shaded mountain sides. We’ll spend about a week here to relax through the Independence weekend. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the whole town turns out with a parade and a rodeo for the July 4th celebration. We’re camped at 7000 ft. in a small valley in the Custer National Forrest surrounded by mountains. When we came in on Wednesday afternoon only two other rigs were set up along the west fork of the Rock River, today there are over twenty. Every one is friendly and most are locals from south central Montana who come to enjoy this beautiful area.
Over the last six weeks we have traveled slower, and have stayed longer, and seen more grandeur than we new was here. The amazing beauty of this country is everywhere. The northern Arizona forests and the north rim of the Grand Canyon still had snow on the ground, but the days were warm. We spent the last week of May at the western edge of Lake Powell at Lone Rock Beach and in Monument Valley along the Arizona Utah border. Goosenecks State Park (free) and Moab, got hot and we moved north to Capitol Reef National Park and camped in the Dixie National Forest for six days (bear sighting).
Moving west along US 50 from Utah into central Nevada the Great Basin of the country opens up for miles with small towns a hundred miles apart. Tagged the loneliest road in America, the immense beauty goes on from pass after pass into valley after valley. We slowly make our way north through Utah from Ely to Elko and Jackpot enjoying good weather and great scenery. Southern Idaho is just across the the next range and the landscape changes again. Moving north to Twin Falls we stop to watch “base jumpers” parachute from the bridge over the Snake River. We follow the Snake River past the Lava Beds and American Falls Reservoir up to Idaho Falls. On the first day of summer its 46 degrees in Idaho Falls when we wake up in Wal-mart parking lot.
Our next stop is Island Park, Idaho and camping along Henry’s Fork. This community of 215 residents boast the longest main street in America (22 miles). US 20 is also one of the few paved streets in Island Park. We meet boondocking friends we dry camped with back in January at Quartzite, and again at Ajo, Arizona in February. We catch up on travels and meet new people, as they come and go. Most of this group fishes, kayaks, and ride ATVs. They are here for the world class fly fishing and unlimited ATV trails, we’re there to sightsee and hike a little. We stayed 10 days in Island Park, before we left they offered us the use of a couple of kayaks. Five of us put in at Big Springs and paddled down stream to Macs Inn, basically a float trip drifting along with the current. The day before we drove through Yellowstone Linda and I rented two ATVs and joined another couple on some forest trails. The old Harriman railroad grade that ran from his ranch into Yellowstone Park is over 50 miles long. The tracks are long gone but Forest Service maintains the grade for four wheelers. Our first ATV ride was six hours long.
