I haven’t been as diligent this year with writing blogs regularly. I’ll lay blame on a busy travel summer, increased book formatting work, and allowing myself some escapism through reading.
Our last blog, 5 Years of Full-Timing as We Head West, had us discovering a new boondocking spot with a phenomenal view of Pike’s Peak outside of Colorado Springs. We then made our way north to Fort Collins to visit our daughter, Rachel, who moved there earlier this year to work at Colorado State University. She has also recently started a side business called Opal and Ivory Events, offering day-of wedding coordination, partial wedding planning, and additional services.
We then moved into Wyoming and discovered a new boondocking area in Vedauwoo (pronounced Veedavoo). In southern Wyoming, this is a popular spot for rock climbers, and we had a perfect view of a rock formation that attracted several climbers. We took a couple of motorbike rides and saw a young moose on one of our excursions.
Next up was Grand Teton National Park, where we boondocked at an old favorite location called Moran Vista. Three highlights from our visit this time – a river raft ride on the Snake River, a bear sighting at Lupine Meadows, and a 4+ mile hike from Lupine Meadows to the Hidden Falls (well worth the trip!).
Then we visited Yellowstone National Park, where we met up with my brother and sister-in-law, Kevin and Angie, and their family. We all stayed at the Fishing Bridge campground for a few days, mostly enjoying a visit far from our home bases in NC. It was cold, overcast, rainy, and snowy for mid-June, so our explorations were kept to a minimum. Carl and I then moved to West Yellowstone, and our primary goal was to drive into Yellowstone to see the Grand Prismatic Spring from an overlook. There was a lot of traffic in Yellowstone, and I wish the powers-that-be would institute some kind of controls on the more popular locations. There were long lines of traffic just waiting to park to visit the lower section of the Grand Prismatic Spring area. I think timed entry might be beneficial at some of these spots, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they institute a shuttle bus system to these more popular locations.
I was disappointed in the overlook spot. First, it was a hike to get there – not terribly long, but longer than I thought. Second, some trees are starting to impact the view, which defeats the purpose of the overlook. And third, it was PACKED. Everyone wanted to get the perfect picture, with every member of their group in every possible configuration. I tried to be patient, and after a while, I reached up as high as I could with my camera to try to get some pictures. They are okay, but… wow… the craziness of this overlook area! I’m not sure getting there early in the morning would be beneficial because condensation, resulting from the heat of the spring and the coolness of the air, blocks the view. Oh well, it was still worth seeing.
Another highlight from West Yellowstone was a drive to Quake Lake in southwestern Montana, formed by an earthquake on the Madison River in August 1959 and caused by a major mountainslide that buried 28 people. It was a somber visit to this memorial and a reminder of how nature can alter lives and the landscape so quickly.
We finally arrived in Washington, where we visited our niece and her family, as well as Carl’s sister and her husband. We witnessed our first wildfire, which started behind our niece’s house (it was several miles away, so they were safe!). Our niece and her husband treated us to a trip to downtown Spokane for dinner one evening, and we enjoyed our walk along the river that flows through it with reminders of the World Fair that took place there in 1974. We also spent Carl’s birthday exploring the Mount St. Helens area, visiting various information centers and museums that featured exhibits about the 1980 eruption. This is one of the most active volcanoes in the U.S.
Our visit out west would not be complete without spending time at the Columbia River Gorge. Years ago, we stayed at a boondocking spot on the Washington side near the John Day Dam, but when we arrived there this year, we discovered it had been converted to a day-use-only area. However, with the help of Campendium, we discovered a NEW FAVORITE boondocking spot on the Oregon side called the Rufus Landing Recreation Area – an Army Corps of Engineers hotspot for windsurfers! Not only did we enjoy watching windsurfers on windy days, but we also kayaked on the Columbia River on a non-windy day.
While in Oregon, we spent some time in Mount Hood, motorbiking on back roads, hiking (UPHILL ALL THE WAY) to a hidden lake (and it was hidden in that we could not get close to it because of the soggy ground, reeds, and other brush), discovering a rock climbing area, and kayaking on Trillium Lake with a perfect view of Mount Hood.
While in the Mount Hood area, we noticed a bumpier ride in our truck than usual, and we knew it wasn’t the roads. After some investigation, Carl determined that it was tread separation in one of the tires. Luckily, there was a Discount Tire less than an hour away, and we were able to get four new tires before we had to pull the Airstream again.
That wasn’t the end of our tire issues, however! While we were moving east through Montana, we stopped at a new-to-us boondocking location, Homestake Lake. We had pulled into a large parking area that serves as a staging area for ATVs/OHVs, and we were walking around, reading the signs. As we were walking back toward our Airstream, we heard a loud pop, followed by a hissing sound. One of our Airstream tires was losing air. Luckily, it was just a valve stem issue, not a tire puncture. Carl put the spare on, and we were able to get the valve stem replaced at a Discount Tire in Billings.
In North Dakota, we revisited one of our favorite boondocking sites. It is called Scoria Pit Dispersed Camping, outside of Medora. We shared a large area with Ginger, a new friend who outfitted a box truck to travel full-time. We also took a fun motorbike ride into Theodore Roosevelt National Park and saw several groups of wild horses! Just a reminder, folks, DO NOT FEED wild animals of any kind. We witnessed a middle-school-age boy walking toward some wild horses, and he threw a wedge of apple to one, scaring the horse! Luckily, the horse ignored the piece of apple and quickly skittered away from the boy, but it could have turned out differently if the horse felt it was being attacked.
This painfully long blog is now coming to a close. We landed back in Gary, Minnesota, near the end of August, for Carl’s temporary harvest job, driving a truck for Skaurud Grain Farms. A farmer’s work is never-ending during harvest—hauling manure from the dairy to various fields, taking loads of corn silage to the dairy to be used as feed next year, and then harvesting and piling sugar beets for the sugar company.
We will end this year in North Carolina, spending the holidays with family, and going to Cancun for our daughter Madeline’s wedding.
Enjoy your days, and keep it riveting!
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