Category Archives: Ramblings

Inching Closer to Home

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The plan today was big.  We would take I90 to 16, cross into South Dakota and see wild donkeys and bison in Custer State Park and then the granite presidents.  We didn’t do none of that.  We got off I90 and were on 16S for less than a minute before coming across the West Texas Trail museum in Moorecroft, Wy.  A sign said it was free and we were out of the car not thirty minutes after leaving Gillette.  By the way, Corey said I was to hard on that town so on the way out we detoured through their downtown.  It was clean, had several stores, no resteraunts, coffee shops or book stores though.  Still not my favorite place, but not the worse place either.  Anyways, many attics made up this museum.  There were coffins, pianos, WWI uniforms, various mounted cow heads, and short histories of the families making up Kirk County.  There also was a very articulate and knowledgeable man with nothing else to do but answer my questions concerning ranching, the west Texas Trail, the history of Moorecroft, and dinosaur bones.  It turned out he was friends with the family who once owned the land where the dino tracks were found.  He talked about being a kid on his grandparents ranch and finding twelve or more arrow heads a summer.  He also said that ranchers are suppose to tell people when they find stuff, but that means strangers coming on to their land.  People in WY do not like that, but then again I am not a big fan of the meter man coming into my backyard.  One sentence on the West Texas Trail:  Cows were brought north from Texas to populate ranches in MT and Canada from the mid to late 19th century.

We then stopped for gas, made lunch at a rest stop, and traveled a few more miles on 16 into South Dakota.  Corey hates caves but I made her pull into the Jewel Cave National Monument visitor center.  Cave tours were sold out for the day but there was an enticing hike into “Hell Canyon” past the historic cave opening.  Three and a half miles long and flat, this seemed easy to us mountain people.  There was a big fire ten years ago which caused lots of stumps, no shade from sun, and a beautiful meadow filled with butterflies, wild flowers, and interesting birds.  Henna tripped twice and skinned one knee.  She also was stung by a bee.  The sun and humidity (which us mountain people are no longer used to) was brutal.  The hike, although gorgeous, became monotonous after the first mile or so.  We saw one family at the onset of the hike, but then no one else and Corey was convinced we had made a wrong turn.  But after climbing out of the canyon (it was a pretty small indentation by the way) we came across that historic opening and it was awesome.  Cold air came out of one hole and there were small openings that a stupid man could venture into and then die a lonely death.  The rocks here have a crystal sheen that rubs off and we felt this sense of discovery that often eludes us in more crowded places.  The trail then took a bend around the corner and we found ourselves in a parking lot with maybe twenty people waiting for a cave tour.  A few more steps and we met a ranger dressed in 1940s garb (that is when the rangers first gave tours) who showed us the origional cabin.  Again, there was no one else around to compete for our attention and I asked him about the area, the canyon, and the CCC corps (who built the cabin and highway 16 that takes you to the cave).  The trail from that point to the visitor center ventured on high ground and offered shade and cool breezes.  Along the way Henna gave me the “prettiest acorn in the forest.”  At the gift shop we bought a sticker and the ranger wannabe said “tell me you did not get that from the forest.”  You can grab fossils from WY but do not take acorns from S. Dakota.  A few more miles down the road was the Custer KOA where I write you these words.  Total distance for the day:  maybe a hundred twenty miles.  Tomorrow we hope to see Custer State Park, Mt. Rushmore, and Wall Drug.  But who knows, maybe a county fair will intercept us a mile east of here.

A billion years or so in less than 300 miles

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Woke up today in the 21st century and was able to travel back a billion years or so before getting a hotel in Gillette, WY.  First a word about Gillette.  There may be some nice neighborhoods hidden in this town, but if so they are well hidden.  Our hotel is nice and so were the turkey hotdogs and mashed potatoes we microwaved for dinner.  Add some chicken salad and it was heaven.  But Gillette is a rough and tumble looking place in a dusty corner of I90.  Gillette supposedly is doing well (it is known as the energy capital due to their coal, oil, and natural gas resources).  But the dough is not being spent on coffee houses and art galleries.  The drive here though was amazing.

It started with a pancake breakfast and buffalo patty for breakfast followed by a quick swim in the KOA pool.  We hit the road around 10:30 feeling refreshed and ready for adventure.  After a pit stop at a grocery store in Grey Bull we came across a small brown sign at a gravel road intersection.  The sign listed several points of interest including “dinosaur tracks 5 miles.”  After a quick deliberation we were off driving on a gravel road through BLM land.  BLM lands is shorthand for “whatever the heck you want to do here is fine.”  You can camp anywhere you want.  You can also graze a herd of cattle, dig for fossils, or ride a horse/ ATV/ elephant whatever and wherever you want.  The three of us ventured deep into this unregulated WY landscape on a very narrow and winding road.  We saw several antelope and one truck parked in the sage brush.  After 5 miles we came across a pavilion and parking lot that held one truck with a large family spilling out.  More surprising was an outhouse and several plaques describing the find. 

In 1997 a group of elderly explorers came across what was later confirmed as dinosaur tracks.  The smiling faces of this group looked back at me at the sign which also described their finding as turning local archaeological history on its ear.  Prior to their discovery, it was assumed that this part of WY was underneath a great sea.  Now they believe that it made up a type of beach when WY, some 169 million years ago, was much closer to the equator.  A short trail led to the tracks which were fossilized and there was no barrier preventing us from us touching their foot (?) prints.  Another sign even said we were free to look for and collect fossils.  Henna found a 168 million year shrimp fossil (which was later confirmed).  Henna also caught several grasshoppers and this is what she talked about most on our drive back to the paved road.

Our next stop on our makeshift archaelogical tour was the Big Horn Valley.  Geological forces I only vaguely understand resulted in a lot of very old rock being thrown up.  Luckily the WY highway department puts wonderful signs up telling how old these rocks are.  They ranged from being 70 million to 1.2 billion years old.  The road is steep and incredibly beautiful and, just to add a higher degree of difficulty, cuts through ranches with sheep and cows hanging out by the side of the road.  Maybe they were hitch hiking away from the ranch (I think you would agree that that would be a good choice for them).  We left the car often to take several short hikes into this wonderland of striking rocks, buttes, and endless prarie grass.  This road eventually led us to I90 and the hotel room I write this from.  Tomorrow we hope to camp in Custer State Park, SD. 

A quick thought

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I am really posting this in order to share the photo below.  I tried to do so last night, but the wifi would not let me do so.  But, since I have your attention I may as well give a brief comparison between camping in the US vs. Canada.  First, the people:  Canadians are much nicer and friendlier than us.  Last night I mentioned that we are at a happy, family filled campground.  What I did not say is that our neighbors, despite almost being on top of us, do not return conversations.  Walking to the bathroom this morning only a few people returned my good morning.  In Canada several people introduced themselves to me.  A RCMP sought us out just to give us directions.  When we asked directions (and we did that a lot) people often stopped what they were doing and then led us to where we had to go (I should say that this also happened once in MN).  Second, it is much cheaper to camp here but you do not get as much.  At Waterton we had showers and teams of teenagers patroling the grounds for our comfort (and I am guessing a chance to escape their boss).  In the US you pay between $12 to $20 for a campsite (at Waterton it was $27) but you may not get soap in the bathroom.  No showers.  Usually one older man in a golf cart patroling a 100+ site campground.  You get what you pay for.  Finally, a quick word about camping.  Last night was our 15th night sleeping in a tent.  We also spent 4 nights so far in KOA Kamping Kabins which are small cabins where you supply the bedding and do not have a private bathroom (I think this would be the perfect way for a non-camper to camp; you can see America via these cabins and save a lot of dough, eat better, meet more people, etc).  So far the roughest nights were at Pacific Rim where we had a walk-in site a decent walk from our car.  I felt we were in our own private little rain forest and it did rain almost the whole time we were in our tent.  Last night and Waterton were probably our least wild nights- here we have wifi, little privacy, a nice bathroom with showers, friendly people working here, and are not to far from an overpriced store that could supplement our needs.  There also is a small resteraunt here.  Most of our sites have been inbetween these two extremes.  If you have not guessed it, we love to camp.  I like sleeping in my own portable home that I can set up almost anywhere (with a different tent Corey and I once set it up on a ship headed down the coast of Alaska).  Unlike an RV, we can still go anywhere we want.  I also love the ease at which I can make my own food via the small propane stove we have and/ or grill that is often at our sites.  I think I eat better on the road than at home.  Anyways, enjoy the pic below.  We are headed to the Tetons and Yellowstone and may not be able to post for awhile.  I promise lots of photos when we do (post).

The Speed Up

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It seems like years ago that my better half wrote about the slow down (the four wonderful days spent at Waterton).  I am here to tell you about the great big speed up.  First, let me tell you that each and every trip we vow not to speed up.  Past trips we have made valiant attempts to spend days in Iowa or Wisconsin or Nebraska, sucking up the adventure with as much abandonment as we would in, say, Montana.  It just doesn’t work that way.  Once the road tilts us back it is foolish to fight gravity. Yesterday we woke up just south of Portland (Albany), drove 4 to 5 hours to Crater Lake, found out the boat rides have not yet begun (snow, snow here is everywhere), decided not to camp at the lake and drove in search of a campground.  Late Friday nights our options were slim and we slept at a nice hotel in Bend.  After a fun time walking the riverfront we ate a mediocre Thai meal and then swam at the hotel until 11.  Today we drove about 400 miles to a wonderful, happy KOA in southern Idaho.  The campground is crowded with happy, fresh families on their way to the Tetons and Yellowstone.  We can tell they are beginning their adventures because everyone is happy and smiles.  And so were we as we made wonderful chicken tacos at our site and then swam outside until past 10.  Tomorrow we hope to camp in the Tetons and then spend two nights in Yellowstone.  And then the speed up will begin in earnest. 

Water Everywhere

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When we first started planning out this trip, I saw no great unifying theme.  We began with family (the wedding) and were seeking out other family Northwest.  But other interests kept popping up and we were always aware that it was ten years ago that Corey and I drove Northwest and backpacked in Mt. Ranier and Olympic.  We also met Lou for the first time that year.  But as I think back on this trip I see water as the great tie.  The nights in Brandon, Manitoba and Canmore, BC (and tonight in Albany, OR) may be the only nights I did not sleep next to some great body of water.  From Lake Huron to Lake Superior to Lake Waterton to the Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean.  Last night, at Mt. Ranier, the sounds of Laughing Creek kept us company.  And this morning we hiked to Silver Falls (from a trail that began at the same creek).  Our first hike was to Sable Falls which fed into Lake Superior.  Our toughest hike was to Lake Bertha.  And we canooed on icy Lake Cameron in Wateron and then later had a kayak lesson on Lake Waterton.  We also took a simple boat tour on Lake Waterton and zipped around on a Zodiak at Pacific Rim with a smiling Ahab out looking for whales.  Tomorrow we hope to take a boat tour at Crater Lake and then putz around on Wizard Island.  We also fished on small and big lakes in the UP off gravel roads and windy routes.  Soon the last or maybe next to last leg of our tip will begin (this trip has more legs than a millipeed) and we will move away from obvious water.  But there will surely still be sand in my boots and soggy socks on my feet.

Back in the USA

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Greeting from Port Angeles, WA.  It feels great to be back home, sort of.  Funny how I can still be on or near the Pacific Ocean but feel so close to home.  And all because I no longer have to think metric.

I want to quickly update everyone on the last few days.  After Pacific Rim NP we spent another night with Grandma Lou in Lady Smith.  We were lucky to meet more of Lou’s (and our) family.  What struck me was how much everyone genuinely enjoyed being in each others company.  They made us feel very welcome.  And Lou also treated us to an amazing dinner involving white fish and prawns.  Yum.  The next morning she even taught us how to poach an egg which we put to practice this morning.  Egg poaching is very camper friendly (little mess).  Thank you again Lou for welcoming us into your home and David and Mariah for showing us around.  We hope you visit us soon.

Another family also made us feel very welcome.  Janice, a neighbor and friend origionally from Calgary, has been visiting family in Victoria for the past month.  Janice invited us to a family and friend get together yesterday  and we feasted on fajitas.  We were happy to meet her sisters who recommended coffee joints in Victoria (we did enjoy Habit) and other things to do on the island.  We also greatly enjoyed talking with Janice’s parents about a range of subjects including accounting, universal health coverage (a common topic when talking with Canadians- to date no Canadian that I have talked to is envious of our system), and Mongolian bathrooms.  Thank you again Janice for inviting us and Jill for hosting the dinner.

We spent today cruising Victoria.  There is a buskering (street performer) fest going on and we were able to check out three performances.  The last one blew us away.  It involved a June Cleaver look alike, suggestive dialogue, and juggling fire while on a “yes man tower.”  Tomorrow I will post some pictures.

Next up:  Olympia National Park and then Mt. Ranier.  Our trip is winding down, but we have up to two weeks left to go and will make the most of it.   

 

A letter to my friends

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Dear all my friends,

This is a blog postcard.  I miss you and wish you were here!  I am coming home in two weeks.  I went on a whale watching tour and saw three whales.  I ate goat cheese and went to a stable and pet a horse.  I went to a hazel nut farm and bought hazel nuts.  Are you having a good summer?  When I get home I cannot wait to play with you.  That’s all. 

Love Henna

Quick Update

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Thanks to David and Mariah we had a wonderful hike yesterday.  We did not see any whales or sea lions.  But we did see several snails, a few crabs, and some gooey slugs.  More importantly, we had a mightly good time hiking with our cousins and new friends.  Today we head to the west coast or the Pacific Rim as it is more commonly called here.  Everyone will be happy to know that we located a new cord and pictures will be coming soon.

 

Enjoy the ride……..

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While on a trip, there are the natural ebbs and flows of normal life, the ups and downs, the highs and low.  But when miles from home, encased within a mountain range, the lows tend to feel ” Low low low low…”.  Yesterday Henna awoke with a small bite mark below her eye, a little red and slightly pufffy.  No big deal right? Well, throughout the day this area of her eye continued to grow in it’s dough boy puffiness.  I watched her begin to look like a child who should flich when we raised our hands near her.  I, of course began to worry.  That unsettling feeling began, the electricity of some gloom in the forseeable future. So this morning when she woke up, with an even bigger shiner, I began to feel a bit more anxious and so I wanted to talk to my mommy.  Very badly.  Mommies have that almost instant soothe..kind of like whiskey.  But with calls to the states so costly I did the next best wonderful thing., I texted my sister Audra a picture and description of Henna’s eye.  Her wonderful advice, as it was sent through space, made me feel sooo much better. That feeling ebbed a bit and the nice pharmacist at Safeway also maylayed my fears.  We were feeling better.   

As we left Canmore, the weather was dreadful!  It was about 50 degrees outside and rainy.  Yikes!  Our drive west (Ouest in french..which I love better cause it looks like quest) on highway 1 through  Banf, Glacier National Park, and Revelstoke was doomed to be wet, windy and cold.  No hiking for us.  sniff..sniff.  A new low.  Our spirits were down as we drove through construction and rain.  But Harry Potter kept us up, as he battled the fight at Hogwarts ( I won’t spoil it for anyone…)  and Henna’s endless love of verbal games kept us entertained.  This scenary should have been breathtaking, but after yestedays drive through K country I found it to be second best.  I was beginning to feel a little bit at ease, less nervous and when I looked back at Henna the swelling had gone down.  That miracle of modern medacine, Benadryl had done the trick.  Yea!  There is nothing better than when your child  gets better.   

Later we stopped at a way side picnic area with a hike through old Cedar growth forest, repleat with a shelter and board walk trail.  We brought out our stove and cooked up some white fish and ramen noodles for lunch.  The hike was perfect and for a short while we were transported back in time when these trees were seedlings and Christopher Colubus was sailing across to the new world (the plaque at the trail head referenced him).  I felt a bit small at that moment next to these trees that would out live me and my highs and lows.  We had so much fun that Henna and I raced through the hike again just for the sake of it.  The flying squirrels and voles that keep these trees fed must have thought we were nuts.  But I was happy to be riding this high…my daughter looking good, our spirits high, the look from the top is nice.  Tonight we are camping and hoping for no rain…….

Gossip Sheet

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Before I catch everyone up with our day, I want to talk a little bit more about my neighborhood.  I will end with Earl, Jackie and Jeffrey who took their awesomeness to a whole other level today.  But first, let me catch you up with the neighborhood gossip. 

Here in loop E things were given a bit of a jolt when the men’s bathroom (a mere ten feet away and closer than any cluster of trees) was suddenly closed “until further notice.”  On the plus side I was given the chance to branch away from my neighborhood and make new friends.  However, the other loops tended to have more RVs and friends were harder to make.  I did find out that the bathroom closest to the entrance (the A loop) was nicer than my bathroom at home.  It had corian or some type of granite counter tops, newer tile work, and more stalls than the bathroom closest to mine.  It also was hardly used since it was in the midst of RVs.  Despite the longer walk, I was actually quite pleased with my discovery.

The next day an official Ford Transit pulled up to the closed bathroom and sat for a while eyeing the locked door.   Then one teenager got out, unlocked the door, and immediately walked back to the car.  One by one, three other teenagers did the same only to return back to the car.  Then the Transit drove off.  Later, upon returning from the nice bathroom I saw the Transit parked.  I asked the kids what the heck was wrong with my bathroom.  He told me and later a group of kids descended on the bathroom with mops. 

Other goings on included two very large tee-pees put together in the C loop with the red cross label on one.  Very long poles were brought in on a trailer and at least eight persons put together the one we saw being built.  A very large group of kids and adults hung out by the tee-pee the four days we stayed at Waterton.  There was also a very large, extended Indian family camping across from us for most of our stay.  They ate a lot of food, laughed, and rode bikes throughout the campground.  We never got to know them, but I wish we did.  We did meet the owners of the unusual pop-up that I posted a picture of a couple of days ago.  They were a very nice couple, maybe in their 50s from France (him) and Switzerland (her) and now Banff where they have lived for the past ten years.  He works HR for a hotel complex there and we swapped hiking ideas for the four days we stayed. 

There was a bit of scandal here too and I am happy to report that Corey was in the middle of it.  I left Corey and Henna to get ice from town and was surprised upon my return to see a police car at our site.  A lot of neighbors were pointing and whispering.  Turns out that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer was eating ice cream at the same time we were earlier in the day and overheard us talking with another couple (who were teachers, had one daughter, and spent each summer camping in exotic places- for some reason we did not click as one might expect) about our trip possibilities.  He was out of uniform and we did not notice him.  Later he drove around the campground (we had talked with the other couple about where we were camping) until he found Corey and presented her with a hand drawn map of “K county” and told us why we should consider spending time there.  Sometimes Canadians live up to their stereotypes.

As for our awesome neighbors, they first lent me a grill pan so that I could give my brats the respect they deserved.  Later Earl took me, and then Corey, out on the lake in their inflatable kayaks.  After hiking to several vantage points above, taking a boat tour on, and also skipping rocks, photographing, etc., it was amazing to me to be on the lake on my own terms.  Jackie described her husband as a shepherd and he lived up to that nickname by never venturing more than a foot from our kayaks.  He also detailed exactly what to do if we ended up in the water (which was 7 degrees Celsius or, in Fahrenheit, really cold).  Other safety precautions included a leash extended from our inflatable life jackets meaning that if we ended up in the water, we were still hooked to the boat.  The whole experience was exhilarating and reminded me of the time we met someone on the road to Alaska who took us up on his Cesna.  Sometimes the road delivers good. 

Later that night we decided to follow the RCMP’s advice (which was echoed by Earl and Jackie as well as the gentleman from Banff) and set off the next day north on Canadian 22 (The Cowboy Trail).  It lived up to its name and will be described in some detail later.  Other things to note- a temporary crown fell out of my mouth, my entire scalp is sun burned (sometimes I forget that I am half bald) and a bag of charcoal costs $24 in Waterton Park.  Here’s to the road ahead.