We started our trek east (and north for now) this morning at 10:30AM MDT. We spent the entire trip today on US-191 in Montana. Although the road is very rural, we saw more signs of humanity than we have seen on other Montana roads (like US-89 and US-287 heading up to Glacier National Park). We started in cattle ranching territory and eventually passed through some very green areas which seemed to have more sheep ranching than cattle ranching. Once we passed through Lewistown, MT we got back into drier land (most of the creeks and ponds we passed were dry) and we saw very few ranch houses. We stopped for lunch at a Historic Marker just northeast of Lewistown, MT. This Historic Marker pointed out a turnoff for the gold mining ghost town of Maiden in the Judith Mountains that operated from 1880 – 1905. The Judith Mountains name is derived from Capt. William Clark’s (a.k.a Lewis & Clark) fiancée, Julia (Judith) Hancock.
After lunch we continued north on US-191. The area is so remote that when we dropped down the major grade to cross the Missouri River the bridge was actually fairly narrow. We then had to climb back up a short 7.5% grade in 95 degree heat on the other side of the river. We had to drop down to 3rd gear to keep our RPMs high enough to maintain a decent engine temperature, but we made it just fine. This should be the last major grade of this year’s trip.
We arrived at Antelope Creek Campground within the American Prairie Reserve at approximately 2:15PM MDT. This campground is only about 2 years old and so remote that it does not show up on the Google Maps satellite view. It only recently appeared (within the last month) as a way point. In order to see the satellite view you have to look at Mapquest (apparently still in business). It’s Independence Day and there are only 3 RV’s here and possibly 4 tent sites in use. We are not receiving any AT&T signal for our hotspot, but surprisingly, if we put our phones in the right places we are getting good Verizon signals (via Beth’s Visible account or my Tracfone account). Even more surprisingly, the campground has Wi-Fi and we are achieving 5Mbps/1Mbps upload/download speeds. With no trees in sight for miles (we are on the prairie), we easily connected to all three of DISH’s Western satellites.
July 3, 2021 – Independence Day Pot Luck Dinner at the Campground
This morning we drove into town (2 miles) to stock up on supplies at the local Family Dollar store. It was quite hot out so when we got back to the camper we hung out inside. Later in the afternoon Beth cooked up two large batches of Troyer Potatoes to take to the Pot Luck Dinner. We found out at the last minute that the pot luck was a Taco Bar and weren’t sure how well our potatoes would go over, but we quickly found out they were a hit. Thank goodness Beth had the foresight to set some aside before we left so we could enjoy some for a future breakfast. The Taco Bar was delicious and we had a good time meeting other campers.
July 2, 2021 – Natural Bridge Falls
We had noticed Natural Bridge Falls on the map just a bit south of the campground and after researching it we decided we should check it out. It was well worth the 23 mile drive. Natural Bridge Falls is located in Boulder Canyon. Up until 1988 there was a natural limestone bridge that the Boulder River passed under. In 1988 the natural bridge collapsed due to erosion. When the river is below a certain level (like it was today), the water moves underground for several hundred yards and pops out downstream. They say eventually (millions of years) the underground passage will open up to form another natural bridge. In the spring when the water level is higher, some of the water will pass above ground and rejoin the river via a 100′ waterfall.
Natural Bridge Falls
Natural Bridge Falls – River Drops Underground
Natural Bridge Falls – Falls Area Where River Emerges
Natural Bridge Falls
July 1, 2021 – Lunch in Big Timber, MT
We went into town and ate lunch at the Timber Bar & Grill. We tried several items with plans to take lots of leftovers back to the camper. We started out with an appetizer of Cajun Bites which are Andouille Sausage deep fried in beer batter (yummy). I had two or three and saved the rest for another day. We also tried their chicken wings which are made with a homemade wing sauce. They were delicious, but we took most of them home as well. I tried their Steak Hoagie which was a deep fried marinated piece of sirloin. It was pretty good, but not exactly what I was expecting. Beth won today’s competition by choosing their Mushroom Burger made with locally raised beef. She considers it one of the best burgers she has ever had. After lunch we went around the corner to the local IGA to stock up on groceries.
Timber Bar & Grill – Cajun Bites
Timber Bar & Grill – Steak Hoagie
Timber Bar & Grill – Mushroom Burger & Wings
June 30, 2021 – Spring Creek Campground and Trout Ranch
Today we left the Jackson Hole area and headed north to Big Timber, MT to camp at Spring Creek Campground and Trout Ranch (who wouldn’t want to camp at a trout ranch, where’s my saddle?). Google Maps wanted to route us over Teton Pass and west of Yellowstone National Park. Teton Pass has long 10% grades and is definitely NOT recommended for big motorhomes so after doing some research we decided to head north through Yellowstone National Park. We departed by 8AM MDT in order to avoid traffic jams entering Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. This worked out well and we managed to get north of the busiest areas of Yellowstone (like the geyser basin where Old Faithful is located) by noon. We had some decent climbs up to 8,500′ in the southern portion of Yellowstone and we crossed the Continental Divide three times, but none were long and our engine temperature never climbed above normal. We stopped for lunch at a scenic overlook along the Madison River once we cleared the Madison Campground area and were headed north on US-89 toward the Norris Geyser Basin. We expected the remaining drive out of Yellowstone National Park to be uneventful, but we forgot about the section of road in the Golden Gate Canyon area (it probably wasn’t as intimidating in the Tahoe). We also hit heavy traffic near the Mammoth Hot Springs area and were slowed to a complete stop numerous times. My co-pilot assured me that she never wanted to make that drive in a motorhome again. Next time we’ll go west at the Madison Campground area, head into West Yellowstone and take US-191 north from there into Bozeman, MT.
Yellowstone – Lunch – Madison River
US-89 at Golden Gate Canyon
Spring Creek Campground and Trout Ranch is a beautiful campground and sits along the Boulder River (which we can see from our camper). It is very remote and we are not receiving very good download/upload speeds (1.5 Mbps/.3 Mbps) on our AT&T hotspot. My Tracfone is much better at 20 Mbps/2 Mbps, but Beth’s Visible iPhone 12 is receiving speeds similar to the AT&T hotspot. The campground Wi-Fi upload/download speeds aren’t much to write home about, but surfing from it seems to be going fairly well.
Today we began our migration out of Montana (which is a BIG state). We took US-2 West to MT-206 to MT-35 South. We picked up MT-83 South just North of Flathead lake. MT-83 passes to the East of Swan Lake and Seeley Lake with the Flathead National Forest to its East. The scenery is beautiful, especially along the lakes. We stopped and ate lunch at the rest area at the intersection of MT-83 and MT-200. We then took MT-200 to MT-141 to US-12.
On US-12 we had the unexpected pleasure of traversing MacDonald Pass at the Continental Divide. Not only was this our first 8% grade in the RV, but it lasted for 8 grueling miles (seemed like an eternity). By the time we finally reached the top we were down to 3rd gear and barely doing 30 MPH. The RV engine was snorting and ready for the well deserved rest on the descent (with the engine brake fully engaged).
We stopped for fuel in Helena, MT and then continued South on US-287 to Three Forks, MT where we stayed at Camp Three Forks. This was a good campground for an overnight stop (just off I-90). The sites aren’t very far apart, but it’s an older campground (former KOA) with plenty of foliage between sites. The owners were great and went out of their way to ensure we got a good site for our satellite so that we could watch NFL football (he was a 49ers fan complete with jersey and thrilled about their big win over Cincinnati).
Today was our final day in West Glacier. We started the day out by having a delicious breakfast at The Trap Line Cafe & Grill followed by grocery restocking at Super 1 Foods in Columbia Falls, MT.
When we got back to the campground we did some laundry and prepped for departure on Sunday. Later in the afternoon we built a campfire and grilled Bison Burgers over the fire (the first we’ve ever cooked). They were delicious.
Today we hiked the Avalanche Trail to Avalanche Lake. The hike was 5.6 miles round trip from our parking spot and mostly uphill on the way out to the lake. It was a gradual climb, but there were several spots where we had to stop and suck in some oxygen. This is a popular trail and there were plenty of other people along the way to act as decoys for any bear encounter although we had our bear spray with us just in case. The hike was definitely worth the effort. The lake is surrounded by steep mountains and the water is crystal clear. The pictures don’t do it justice. There are quite a few log benches all along the lake shore and we used one to sit down, enjoy the scenery, and eat the lunch Beth packed.
The trip back to the car was much less exhausting since it was mostly downhill, but eventually quite painful on our toes as it felt like they were constantly rammed against the front of our hiking boots. We were pretty tuckered when we got back to the campground so Beth heated up some leftover chili and we crashed in the camper for the evening.
Today’s weather was perfect so we so we drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road from the West side back East to the Logan Pass Visitor Center. The portion just prior to Logan’s pass, referred to as The Loop, really makes you pucker up. This is where the road is carved out of the mountain and very narrow. My navigator did not like the travel Eastbound which placed us in the outer lane of traffic and her on the outside looking straight down as we passed within inches of oncoming traffic. The view was absolutely incredible until we climbed into the clouds on the way up (they had cleared by the time we returned).
We continued on past the Logan Pass Visitor Center so that we could take in the scenery we couldn’t see, due to weather, when started from the East side earlier in the week. This was worth the trip. The scenery along St Mary Lake was worth the return.
Today was a great day. There was a big red ball of fire in the sky which we hadn’t seen since Saturday. The campground we were in had no issue with us washing our vehicles and both were filthy. The Tahoe was extra filthy due to traversing the US-89 dirt roads, due to construction, yesterday in the pouring rain. So, we took our time leaving and thoroughly washed both the Tahoe and the RV knowing that it might be our last chance for a good while.
Once we got the rigs all shiny, we headed Westbound on US-2 for West Glacier, MT (near the West entrance to Glacier National Park). This was yet another beautiful drive which took just over an hour. We checked into the West Glacier KOA which is considered by many to be the nicest KOA. We have seen nothing that would refute that claim. The sites are large with manicured grass between sites. The cats have already declared this to be the finest grass they’ve eaten (and regurgitated) on the trip so far.
Although we can’t complain because we’ve had exceptional weather throughout our trip, it rained constantly Sunday through Tuesday while we were in East Glacier. We tried to make a go of it on Sunday and drove down to Two Medicine Lake with the intent of hiking a trail. Unfortunately, you couldn’t see any scenery due to the clouds and fog, so we went back to the camper and enjoyed Week #1 of NFL Football guilt free. We hung out in the camper all day on Monday.
On Tuesday it looked like it was starting to clear up just before Noon, so we packed a lunch and headed out. First we stopped at the Glacier Park Lodge which was less than a mile from our campground. It was the first hotel built by the Great Northern Railway in 1913 and was the original entrance point to the park (prior to building the Going-to-the-Sun Road). After procuring some trinkets for the grandkids we headed to the St Mary, MT entrance on the East side of Glacier National Park and drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road to the Logan Pass Visitor Center (a good half way mark from a time perspective). It was definitely clearer than Sunday, but the clouds still covered the mountains, so there wasn’t much to see as far as scenery goes.
One interesting note, there was major construction on US-89 between MT-49 and St Mary. This was the first time I’ve ever been through construction where the road was completely gone and you traveled for several miles on temporary dirt road. I guess in most places there would be a detour, but here at the top of the world, there are no roads to detour traffic off to. So now the Tahoe needs a serious bath.
Glacier Park LodgeGoing-to-the-Sun Road – East Side
Yesterday we left West Yellowstone, MT and began our migration to Glacier National Park. We stayed at a campground in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recreation area along the Missouri River called Devil’s Elbow which is just Northeast of Helena, Mt. It was a rainy drive, but still very scenic. We left West Yellowstone on US-20 and crossed into Idaho. We then took ID-87 North to US-287 after crossing back into Montana. Later we picked up MT-359 followed by MT-69 which we stayed on until we hopped on I-15 at Boulder, MT. We stayed on I-15 until our exit in Helena, MT.
We both needed haircuts, so once we were on I-15, Beth put us both on the online waiting list for the Great Clips at our exit. This worked out perfectly. The Great Clips was in a large strip plaza with plenty of room to park the RV and neither one of us waited more than 10 minutes for our haircuts. Unfortunately, it was right next to a PetSmart and Beth got done with her haircut before I did and disappeared. At this point I have no idea how much that cost me.
After our haircuts, we moved down the strip plaza to the Albertsons Grocery Store and stocked up before heading to the campground. The campground was very scenic and had huge sites. We were able to park the RV sideways so that we had views of the Missouri River from our side (starboard) and front windows. There were no hookups at the campground, so technically we were “dry camping”. Having just had my haircut, I didn’t feel the need to condition so our 96 gallon fresh water tank was sufficient.
Devil’s Elbow Site A06
View of the Missouri from Inside
Devil’s Elbow Site A06
It rained most of the night and it rained off and on today as we continued on to East Glacier Park, MT. We left Helena, MT on I-15 and then took US-287 North to US-89 into Browning, MT. From there we took US-2 into East Glacier Park. Once again, the scenery was incredible. Most of the trip was through ranch land and we rarely saw any signs of civilization. When we arrived at the Y Lazy R RV Park the weather had started clearing up and by early evening we could see the tops of the mountains we overlooked from our camper. This is a no frills campground. It’s basically 20 sites in a person’s backyard, but we have full hookups with 30 Amp electrical service for $30/night. Everything else is double the price and the view from here can’t be beat.
We visited the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone today. We started on North Rim Drive stopping off at the Lookout Point and Inspiration Point scenic overlooks. Then we moved over to the South Rim Drive and stopped at Uncle Tom’s Point with the intent of hiking down Uncle Tom’s Trail to the bottom of the Lower Falls (which are the bigger falls). Unfortunately, Uncle Tom’s Trail was closed which was quite disappointing as we had been psyching ourselves up all week for the 328 step climb back up to the trailhead. Instead we chose to hike the South Rim Trail to Artist Point. This hike was 3 miles round trip at roughly 7,800 feet in elevation. We had to stop and suck oxygen after several steep climbs. The trail was great with a lot of incredible views of the falls and canyon. Unfortunately, Artist Point is reachable by car (or bus) so there was a decent sized crowd to contend with when we reached that end of the trail. Fortunately, after a week in Yellowstone, we’ve learned to preemptively out-rude the foreigners in order to get decent photo opportunities.
Upper Falls from North Rim
View of Canyon from North Rim
Lower Falls from South Rim Trail
Upper Falls and Yellowstone River from Artist Point
We ate lunch at a scenic overlook in the Hayden Valley. This is a beautiful valley along the Yellowstone River (between Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone).
