We drove through Yellowstone and headed south to Grand Tetons National Park. It was early when we left so we figured we'd see more wildlife than we had the previous trips. Wrong! The animals must have forgotten to set their alarm clocks. But the traffic was light and we reached the visitors center in good time. The ranger gave us a lot of tips about where to find moose, our target for this trip. So we dutifully checked off each site and no moose. However, the drive is beautiful so all was not lost. As we were driving through a big construction area, I did spot three bears running across the adjacent hills. One was reddish in color but since we now know (Grizzly and Wolf Center info) that black bear come in black, brown and red, I think they were black bear.
Grand Tetons has some fantastic views, even if the tops of the tallest peak were in the clouds. As we drove south through the park, the view changed considerably but they were still impressive. There is still a lot of snow on the mountains and the Snake River was anything but lazy.
We stopped at the Colter Bay Visitors Center and toured an Indian Arts Museum. The holdings in the museum are largely from one individual's collection and showcase mostly handcrafts - beaded, woven and carved items. They were beautiful but the most impressive thing was the way they were displayed. Many were suspended in glass cases so they just appeared to be hanging in mid-air. The lighting in the museum itself was rather dim but the cases were illuminated to feature each item. Check out the note in this case. We enjoyed this and it was very different than what we typically do during a day.
The ranger had recommended we drive the Signal Mountain Road if it was open. It was... so we did. It was narrow and windy and went up, up, up. But, when we reached the summit it was worth it. What a fantastic view of the Teton Valley. We could see for miles and everything was such a lush green. Unfortunately we never figured out how to do the panorama feature of this camera so we just took lots of pictures.
Jackson Lake is 15 miles long and 7 miles wide. It has a small dam at one end but the lake is actually natural. It is reported to have great fishing for native cutthroat trout. It does frame the Teton Range beautifully.
A suggested "usually a moose at this spot" stop did not yield any moose sighting but we did see a large beaver lodge and dam. Unfortunately, didn't see any beavers out working - maybe they're napping with the rest of the wildlife today.
Our return drive north followed the Snake River and we enjoyed several stops to check for those sleepy moose and watch the river. Then we came upon the Cunningham Cabin Historic Site. It was a short walk from the parking lot to an original sod house that was built in the late 1800s. The cabin has a history involving horse thieves, posse, gunfights and finally a fort. I just can't imagine living in this structure through the summer, let alone the winter months. But then, I'm in a 40 ft motorhome with 4 slides and all the comforts of home.
We had just about given up on our search for a moose. All of the "hotspots" had been checked out with no moose sightings to report. With our heads hung low, we were heading back to Yellowstone and not far from the northern end of Grand Tetons. Cars were stopped and we figured it was elk or bison. But no! A moose! Not only a moose but it was a cow with a very young calf. What a thrill. We headed back to West Yellowstone knowing we had seen bison, elk, black bear, grizzly bear, coyote, big horned sheep and now moose. Pretty good list of critters.
We left West Yellowstone today and headed to Billings MT, retracing our route along Rt 191 north to I-90. The Gallatin River seemed to be running fuller than when we saw it a week ago. We passed through areas of rain and clouds and finally stopped at a pull-off to take a short break. A rafter's bus pulled in behind us and we spoke to the driver for a while. He is the "safety guy". After dropping the rafters off at the start of their trip, he drives ahead to the rougher spots and has to rescue any who go overboard. We stayed long enough to see the rafts through this section and they all made it safely. As we continued north the rapids became more frequent and severe. He told us the river, at this volume, produced Class 5 at one point - and when we saw them, they certainly were impressive.
All day we were in and out of rain showers. But the Montana countryside did not disappoint us and continued to provide beautiful views.
The Beartooth Range was visible in the far distance. Maybe someday we can come back and get a closer look - but not on this trip.
As we got closer to Billings, the sky was looking rather ominous. I kept watching for those funny funnel-shaped clouds that have been appearing in the plains states. Luckily it was just rain here in Montana.
We got to our campground in Billings about 2:30. This KOA is the first KOA in the world and has received numerous awards. We can see why. It is very nice, has good, friendly staff and level sites AND GOOD WIFI. When we unhooked the van, we discovered it was filthy for driving through the rain and construction areas. So, after setting up the motorhome, off to the car wash we went. Then a trip to Wal-Mart for groceries and other necessities. Back at the campground, we dined at Pistol Pete's BBQ. The BBQ brisket on a bun with corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, and a drink was a really tasty and filling meal!
The local news in the campground newspaper listed a dog show in town! The YVKC shows are being held within a few miles of the campground and some of the exhibitors are camping here. There are several GSPs entered so we think we are going to make a quick stop at the show before heading down to Cody tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how the GSPs in this area compare to those at home.
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