DRIVING AROUND YELLOWSTONE
I wanted to take roads that I had not been on before so off I went. The park has numerous scenic side roads or loops less traveled perfect places to fly fish or picnic. The mosquitoes are numerous this year with the extra rainfall….
There is no such thing as too many buffalo…but then I still get excited when I see cows!
This guy was scratching his head on the tree….
There wasn’t this much water at the falls last year!
MADISON RIVER
Three days in Yellowstone and over 600 photos not including the ones I deleted. These are of my Thursday night walk along the Madison River which isn’t too far into the park I didn’t spend too much time as I wanted to set up my tent to survive the serious storms that were predicted but didn’t show up. Double staked it and tied it down. If I hadn’t then the storm would have come!
I wasn’t here five minutes when my bear spray fell into the river and started floating away. Damn I have to get new bear spray! then I thought That’s 40 dollars…..so I jumped in and chased it down. Luckily the water didn’t affect the Nike+ in my shoe.
I love these giant thistles!
MILES CITY, UCROSS AND A STORM
This post if for my soon to be disappointed brother because its not as exciting as it sounds but things happen…
I meant to go camping last weekend but every place I wanted to camp was calling for severe thunder and hail storms. Once again I didn’t hang out in Miles City but drove to Gillette but I did pull over on the interstate much to the annoyance of several truckers and took a picture of the welcoming gate!
From a distance….
ZOOM!
After I spent the night in Gillette I took the long way home which went by UCROSS. But….the BIG RED BARN was closed! There was a sign at the entrance so I didn’t go in. I just to a picture of the gate. I could have gone again today but the Bighorn Mountains and Cloud Peak Wilderness area were calling me. Springtime in the mountains are covered in blooms! But that if another post.
The rest of these are of the storm clouds. The wind was crazy and lightening was striking. Raindrops as big as pancakes were falling from the sky but no hail. The amazing thing about this part of the country is that the sky is so big the storms can’t cover it. They roll in with blue skies leading and following behind.
Of course this land should all be sagebrush and cactus but alfalfa is king
STORM CLOUDS, FLOODS, RAINBOW AND SUNSET
There has been a lot of rain and flooding but I haven’t had time to take many photos this is a collection of some “weather” photos.
Outside of my apartment…
Near the Pryor Mountains
This is an old hotsprings resort outside of Butte
This is the Yellowstone River on the way to Miles City.
My friend used to have two bridges….
Oh there’s one…..
Now where did it go??
There it went!
This is where the horses use to cross on the second bridge…
Time to rebuild!
The creek used to be on the other side of the fence!
FIRST NIGHT OF CAMPING (this year)
The first night of camping after winter is always the worst for me. I forget everything I need! This year it was my pillow and flashlight. Luckily Cody was only about fifteen miles away and I planned on going to the Cody Night Rodeo .
I didn’t want to camp in Cody because it was overly crowded with the weekend tourists and a Powwow (photos of that later too!), Mule Days(I don’t have time for everything!) in a town close by. However there was a fierce wind and the park guides thought I was crazy. I forgot my extra tie-downs for my tent so I just double staked the side getting hit. Once it was up it held fine.
The site had wind breaks but unfortunately the wind was coming at an angle that didn’t protect the tent. Although since it was the lowest sitting site the wind was least there but managed to blow my cover off a few times before I could get it situated right.
As soon as the tent was up I took off for the Cody Night Rodeo….stopped to take some photos of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir and clouds along the way.
This is the sunrise. I’m confused with directions in Wyoming I thought the sun would be coming up behind me!
These birds were having quite a celebration at daybreak.
I didn’t mess around I drank my morning coffee while packing my tent and took off I wanted to get a hike in before I went to the Powwow…this is the Shoshone River as it enters the Buffalo Bill Reservoir.
TWO MOON PARK
This is a lovely park not far from my house with great running trails. It runs along the Yellowstone River. The only downside was the tick that had launched onto my arm when I came home. Its a bad tick season for hikers…never thought I would say this but I’m getting used to them! They’re just hungry.
YELLOWSTONE RIVER STATE PARK 3
Here are the rest of photos…
ok…
The land next to the Yellowstone River is all agriculture….I’m not sure if you are allowed to go the river all of the roads either say closed or have gates as far as I hiked in…
More target practice opportunities…
and trash..If I come back I’ll have to bring a trash bag!
Pompey’s Pillar as I was driving home…
Yellowstone River….
YELLOWSTONE RIVER STATE PARK 1
Actually these are on the way to the park which is about 40 minutes from my house. It is still undeveloped and I’m not sure why they call it Yellowstone River State Park because as far as I walked into it the land by the river was leased for agriculture. They purchased the park two or three years ago and said a campground would be opening in 2011 but I didn’t encounter any signs of such activity. After talking to locals who had never heard of the park I finally found one who said Oh yeah I have hunted there before but didn’t know what it was called. I think the intention was to acquire the land for hunters there is also some mention of easy access to BLM land.
This is where the private land ends and the public lands begin….not a port-a-potty in sight! That didn’t deter me though!! It was a beautiful day and the day after driving home in a snowstorm…
WYOMING AND MONTANA LANDSCAPE
The next three photos are near Sheridan (give or take 50 miles!) These were taken with my new Droid x
These were taken between Hardin and Billings. The clouds were amazing but I wish I had pulled over sooner!
ODDS AND ENDS OF MONTANA
Storm clouds rolling in
this one speaks for it’s self…
Frontier Days Parade in Whitehall….ladies of the evening greeting the morning
There were gigantic hail storms all around but all we suffered were some raindrops
and rainbows!
This turtle lives in the town fountain
along with a parade was an antique car show
I think the owner was trying to get a free looksie….
I had a great conversation with this woman before the parade. She was a great character and her horse had the most beautiful blue eyes! I tried to take a picture of his head but he is a very nervous horse. She tried to hold his head but he was having none of it. He wasn’t an unruly horse just liked to move his head
Cadillac of Daises.
This man is married to the cowgirl who had the blue eyed horse note taught his dog to ride the mule!
locals conversing before the parade
….meanwhile over in Butte. This is the mining museum. That I didn’t have time to tour…just picking up the wee ones from mining camp.
YELLOWSTONE 20
More of South Rim Trail…..further down is a photo of my foot in the picture…as close to the canyon as I would get….my hands sweat just thinking about it!
YELLOWSTONE 15
On the way to the campground after the first day I stopped a couple of places along the Madison River….remember the post awhile ago with the headwaters of the Missouri River and the confluence…that’s the same Madison River…
There are lots of fly fishermen.
finally back at the campground…with not too much daylight to spare….the lake is beautiful….
and my guess is that the storm is going to miss me..
but the rain didn’t! As soon as my soup and tea were done….it started raining….ended up eating in my tent…not an easy feat in that small thing especially when it is housing an air mattress too! Funny thing though is that I had water repellent in my car for over a year thinking I needed to put it on the seams but never got a round to it. I did put it on when I set up the tent in the morning…aside from having to wash dishes and brush my teeth I stayed nice and dry!
YELLOWSTONE 10
More photos of Storm Point Trail….the clouds are so cool they remind me of a fire! I wish I had my tripod!!!
MONTANA REDUX from the beginning….
Sorry for the delay in posts….my extra long road trip leaves me with a lot of work and sleep to catch up on!!
After a looooong day of driving which included many temptations to take a side trip to Glacier National Park….or Canada. But I don’t have a passport. (I’m one of those Americans who really has no desire to see other countries…..I haven’t seen all of America yet!!)
I meant to make the trip in two days but since it was light out I just kept driving….and driving. Next thing I know its dark and I need to find a hotel or campground…..but I didn’t really want to be setting up a tent that late…wanted a shower so opted for a hotel. Now let me tell you my feeling on hotels….I’m not a spa type of gal….when I go on a vacation I go for the surroundings…National Parks…hiking….museums….I could care less (to an extent what hotel I stay at. I’m usually only in it to sleep and shower literally! As soon as I get up I’m gone….I don’t hang out in hotels. The first two hotels I went to were booked. Butte was having a Folk Music Festival that week and the next weekend was Evil Knievel Days….Finally I found a Travelodge after 11:00 that had a room. For 119. Seriously?? I’m not going to pay a hundred dollars to sleep for six hours. But that is just me. I wasn’t using my free points either! If I’m going to use my free points for that much I damn well better be in one of the spas! Finally I found Eddy’s Motel….still open but it was still 79 dollars!…I just laughed and paid up…it was sketchy but clean and had a shower. In Oregon it would have been about 30 dollars! or 24 cause it looked like there were some….off guests. But the room was clean and it had a shower…no coffee pot though. As bad as hotel coffee is I do drink it in the morning!
Arriving at my destination the next day…..this little girl was there to greet me….albeit she needed a little coaxing out from under the porch where she was hiding as her family was in town. This is Ruby….a little lab mix puppy. So cute that the owner is lucky I didn’t abscond with her when I left for Oregon….
Ruby was in full puppy stage when I arrived….chew chew chew…..and begging for constant attention!
Making myself at home right away!!
Beautiful Montana cloud!!!
And later in the day a nature hike with the friendliest tour guides this side of the Mississippi!
looking back at the ranch….
there was no crown so I didn’t kiss it!! He is adorable though….
Heading back to the ranch….
but don’t quite make it as the lure of building “dams” is calling…I can remember doing the same thing in my youth.
Some of the dirt was hauled back and later we made figurines out of it as one would with playdough…I should have take a photo of those. We had quite a few
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