parkkitchings
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Barefoot & Homeless at Last...Adventures of a Young Sasquatch
- Thread starter dieselbigot
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dieselbigot
Adventurer
Way behind in updates!
Between a lack of reliable wi-fi when I had time to write, and the lack of time when I had wi-fi, I'm about 3 weeks behind in updating this thread. I'm actually home now, but will post up my notes and photo's over the next few days....
Between a lack of reliable wi-fi when I had time to write, and the lack of time when I had wi-fi, I'm about 3 weeks behind in updating this thread. I'm actually home now, but will post up my notes and photo's over the next few days....
dieselbigot
Adventurer
CDT Day 5
Last night was the coldest night thus far. Despite the cover of my heavy down quilt I still needed to cover my bald head to keep from freezing. After eating breakfast and breaking camp we continued down the dirt track we were on passing a few cattle ranches.
As we descended into the valley and towards the pavement the rock formations surrounded by a variety of pine trees was stunningly beautiful. Once we hit tarmac the track took us a few miles west to Wise River MT, then south with a stop at the ghost town of Coolidge. Once a thriving Ore mine in the early 1900’s, all that’s left of Coolidge now is mostly ruins with the exception of one cabin that the forest service must have made an effort to maintain. The mountains that served as the backdrop were gorgeous and as I strolled along the main drag iI couldn’t help but imagine how hard life must have been here back in the day, particularly in winter.
We continued on and the mountains gave way to flat plains and fast gravel roads. As we pushed east toward the Idaho boarder the road took us through a really cool little town that was a mixture of hundred year old log homes and contemporary construction …it was a wildlife research site for the University of Utah. What they were studying out there I have no idea, but it was a cool place none the less.
Soon after we crested the top of Red Rock pass and entered Idaho. It had been a long day and we’d covered a ton of miles, so we were all ready for a campsite, food and another big fire. Just before Island Park ID we turned back east into the Targee NF and found a dispersed site just off the main road with plenty of wood and called it a day. Tomorrow we’re headed to Jackson Hole where Brian has a friend with a family cabin right across from Teton Village. I’ve never seen the Teton’s up close, so really looking forward to it.
Last night was the coldest night thus far. Despite the cover of my heavy down quilt I still needed to cover my bald head to keep from freezing. After eating breakfast and breaking camp we continued down the dirt track we were on passing a few cattle ranches.
As we descended into the valley and towards the pavement the rock formations surrounded by a variety of pine trees was stunningly beautiful. Once we hit tarmac the track took us a few miles west to Wise River MT, then south with a stop at the ghost town of Coolidge. Once a thriving Ore mine in the early 1900’s, all that’s left of Coolidge now is mostly ruins with the exception of one cabin that the forest service must have made an effort to maintain. The mountains that served as the backdrop were gorgeous and as I strolled along the main drag iI couldn’t help but imagine how hard life must have been here back in the day, particularly in winter.
We continued on and the mountains gave way to flat plains and fast gravel roads. As we pushed east toward the Idaho boarder the road took us through a really cool little town that was a mixture of hundred year old log homes and contemporary construction …it was a wildlife research site for the University of Utah. What they were studying out there I have no idea, but it was a cool place none the less.
Soon after we crested the top of Red Rock pass and entered Idaho. It had been a long day and we’d covered a ton of miles, so we were all ready for a campsite, food and another big fire. Just before Island Park ID we turned back east into the Targee NF and found a dispersed site just off the main road with plenty of wood and called it a day. Tomorrow we’re headed to Jackson Hole where Brian has a friend with a family cabin right across from Teton Village. I’ve never seen the Teton’s up close, so really looking forward to it.
dieselbigot
Adventurer
CDT Day 6
Today we are off to the Teton’s, so I’m super excited! Brian and I decided we did’t want to cook this morning, so we left the Hanna’s and their backseat monsters at camp and drove off in search of a breakfast spot “in town”. The Hanna’s caught up with us after breakfast and we started off southbound on Hwy 20 to find our first dirt track of the day. The plan was to travel east into WY and drop out just south of Yellowstone NP, then head south towards Jackson on 191. As we got deeper into the trail we passed a sign that warned of an active forest fire. The signs didn’t say anything about road closures, so we carried on. After a good hour and a half of dirt we started to see hotshot rigs and firefighters cutting a burn line. Basically we had driven directly into the heart of an active fire and by the time we hit 191, the southbound route was closed. This forced us to enter Yellowstone.
We decided to make the best of it and stopped at Old Faithful (which I had never seen). After about an hour of national park tourist hell, we split. As we exited the park I saw a tourist about 10 yards from a big old Bison bull that was bedded down, camera in hand and inching ever closer to get his “money shot”. It’s scenes like this that elevate my blood pressure and make me dislike any place where we’ve taken a once beautifully wild place and groomed it for tourist consumption.
Old Faithful
This would make a cool camper!
Long story short, we ended up doing a huge circle that ended up right where we had started
. After a few detours we finally made Jackson Hole later that night meeting Brian’s kite boarding friend Gina for dinner. After dinner and a few drinks we followed Gina to her family’s cabin where we would post up camp in their yard. The cabin was built by her uncle in the early 70’s and was situated on 7 primo acres about 1 mile from Teton Village and in the shadow of Grand Teton. While you could make out the lines of the jagged peaks, I’d have to wait until morning to appreciate the full view of where we were situated.
Today we are off to the Teton’s, so I’m super excited! Brian and I decided we did’t want to cook this morning, so we left the Hanna’s and their backseat monsters at camp and drove off in search of a breakfast spot “in town”. The Hanna’s caught up with us after breakfast and we started off southbound on Hwy 20 to find our first dirt track of the day. The plan was to travel east into WY and drop out just south of Yellowstone NP, then head south towards Jackson on 191. As we got deeper into the trail we passed a sign that warned of an active forest fire. The signs didn’t say anything about road closures, so we carried on. After a good hour and a half of dirt we started to see hotshot rigs and firefighters cutting a burn line. Basically we had driven directly into the heart of an active fire and by the time we hit 191, the southbound route was closed. This forced us to enter Yellowstone.
We decided to make the best of it and stopped at Old Faithful (which I had never seen). After about an hour of national park tourist hell, we split. As we exited the park I saw a tourist about 10 yards from a big old Bison bull that was bedded down, camera in hand and inching ever closer to get his “money shot”. It’s scenes like this that elevate my blood pressure and make me dislike any place where we’ve taken a once beautifully wild place and groomed it for tourist consumption.
Old Faithful
This would make a cool camper!
Long story short, we ended up doing a huge circle that ended up right where we had started
. After a few detours we finally made Jackson Hole later that night meeting Brian’s kite boarding friend Gina for dinner. After dinner and a few drinks we followed Gina to her family’s cabin where we would post up camp in their yard. The cabin was built by her uncle in the early 70’s and was situated on 7 primo acres about 1 mile from Teton Village and in the shadow of Grand Teton. While you could make out the lines of the jagged peaks, I’d have to wait until morning to appreciate the full view of where we were situated.dieselbigot
Adventurer
dieselbigot
Adventurer
deleted double post
Last edited:
Traveled, in July 2015
In late July 2015, the wife and I drove our old Superduty towing our camper from Philipsburg, MT to Anaconda, over the Divide on MT 569, to MT 43, to Wise River for the beginning of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway, to MT 278, past Bannack to MT 324, the entire Big Sheep Creek Backcountry Byway to Dell, MT, and then the entire Centennial Valley, through Lakeview, to Elk Lake Lodge for a very fine overnight with the wonderful proprietors and other guests of the Lodge. You will recall our route from Wise River to Red Rock Pass and on to Island Park was exactly as yours was following the CDT Moto and Cycle route. Next morning our plan to hang around the lake and have a late start southward from Henry's Lake was precluded by the approach of a huge squall line from the west, so we "got outta Dodge" PDQ. We'll definitely be going back.
By the way, the whole of the road from Monida through Lakeview and on through Red Rock Pass was a stagecoach route from the railroad at Monida to West Yellowstone, MT, and was the principal route used by Yellowstone NP's early visitors. Lakeview was a stagecoach station.
The Big Sheep Creek route and traversing the Centennial Valley were very much two of the three high points of our trip, the third being Atlantic City, WY to Sweetwater Junction on BLM Road 2302, paralleling the Mormon/Oregon Trail for 35 miles. We have spent much time in Montana, specifically the Pioneer Mountains and the Big Hole, including Lemhi Pass, Bannack, and other locales, over the last 38 years. I enjoyed 7 weeks of Field Methods (aka Field Camp) at the U of Montana's Geology Dept Field Station in Dillon, MT in 1978 and have returned many times since then.
Looking forward to the balance of your TR!
Foy
Foy...looks like you have either lived in, or traveled this part of the country....you hit the nail on the head. It's hard to remember some of these little details as you burn up the miles
In late July 2015, the wife and I drove our old Superduty towing our camper from Philipsburg, MT to Anaconda, over the Divide on MT 569, to MT 43, to Wise River for the beginning of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway, to MT 278, past Bannack to MT 324, the entire Big Sheep Creek Backcountry Byway to Dell, MT, and then the entire Centennial Valley, through Lakeview, to Elk Lake Lodge for a very fine overnight with the wonderful proprietors and other guests of the Lodge. You will recall our route from Wise River to Red Rock Pass and on to Island Park was exactly as yours was following the CDT Moto and Cycle route. Next morning our plan to hang around the lake and have a late start southward from Henry's Lake was precluded by the approach of a huge squall line from the west, so we "got outta Dodge" PDQ. We'll definitely be going back.
By the way, the whole of the road from Monida through Lakeview and on through Red Rock Pass was a stagecoach route from the railroad at Monida to West Yellowstone, MT, and was the principal route used by Yellowstone NP's early visitors. Lakeview was a stagecoach station.
The Big Sheep Creek route and traversing the Centennial Valley were very much two of the three high points of our trip, the third being Atlantic City, WY to Sweetwater Junction on BLM Road 2302, paralleling the Mormon/Oregon Trail for 35 miles. We have spent much time in Montana, specifically the Pioneer Mountains and the Big Hole, including Lemhi Pass, Bannack, and other locales, over the last 38 years. I enjoyed 7 weeks of Field Methods (aka Field Camp) at the U of Montana's Geology Dept Field Station in Dillon, MT in 1978 and have returned many times since then.
Looking forward to the balance of your TR!
Foy
dieselbigot
Adventurer
CDT Day 7
The following morning we woke to relatively clear sky's (considering the number of forest fires that surrounded us) so the view from the driveway of the cabin did not disappoint. Grand Teton loomed in the background with the base of Jackson Hole directly across.
We were losing Brian today (he was off to a wedding in CO), so we migrated inside the cabin to make a big breakfast and visit w/ Gina. Aside from the obvious love that went into building this shagtastic 70's cabin, what I appreciated most was the family history surrounding it. Gina's uncle worked for the forestry and was an avid climber and outdoorsman. The walls were full of old photo's dating back to the 20s and 30's and there were dozens of carefully labeled photo albums documenting many a family outings in the Wyoming backcountry. I spent nearly 2 hours pouring over the albums and noting all the amazing trips her uncle did back in the day.
As we parted, Gina pointed us to some backroads just outside town that led to some great dispersed camping. We decided to spend rest of the day playing Jackson tourist, doing laundry, stocking up on food etc. As the sun began to fade, we made our way out of town heading north towards Moose junction. A few miles off the pavement we climbed a dirt road that led to several spur roads with campsites. After passing up a few sites, we settled on this one. What an amazing view....
The following morning we woke to relatively clear sky's (considering the number of forest fires that surrounded us) so the view from the driveway of the cabin did not disappoint. Grand Teton loomed in the background with the base of Jackson Hole directly across.
We were losing Brian today (he was off to a wedding in CO), so we migrated inside the cabin to make a big breakfast and visit w/ Gina. Aside from the obvious love that went into building this shagtastic 70's cabin, what I appreciated most was the family history surrounding it. Gina's uncle worked for the forestry and was an avid climber and outdoorsman. The walls were full of old photo's dating back to the 20s and 30's and there were dozens of carefully labeled photo albums documenting many a family outings in the Wyoming backcountry. I spent nearly 2 hours pouring over the albums and noting all the amazing trips her uncle did back in the day.
As we parted, Gina pointed us to some backroads just outside town that led to some great dispersed camping. We decided to spend rest of the day playing Jackson tourist, doing laundry, stocking up on food etc. As the sun began to fade, we made our way out of town heading north towards Moose junction. A few miles off the pavement we climbed a dirt road that led to several spur roads with campsites. After passing up a few sites, we settled on this one. What an amazing view....
dieselbigot
Adventurer
CDT Day 8
Last night was another cold one...the wind picked up late in the evening and strong gusts prevailed throughout the night making sleeping restless at best. My standard defense during windy nights is to lash the interior bungee cords to tighten up the tent walls and stuff my ears w/ earplugs.
I had been leaving my flip flops at the bottom of the ladder so I didn't have to bring them inside the tent. When I poked me head out the next morning, I realized some critter had discovered my flips and decided they tasted good. Because of the earplugs I didn't hear a thing...which was a bummer because I'm curious as hell what wild critter would have done this....a raccoon maybe?? Funny either way...
After breakfast Ken and I pulled out our MTN bikes and went for a ride before packing up the rigs to get back on the trail. Since Ken is on a timeline to make it back to CA, we'd be cheating a bit today by skipping 2 of the dirt tracks on the way to Wind River mountains near Pinedale WY. The dirt tracks we did cover were beautiful with great views of the mountains at various points.
As the day progressed and we got closer to Pinedale, we discovered both our rigs had slow leaking tires. Arriving in Pinedale we stopped at a local shop and got the necessary repairs before hitting the only brewery in town for dinner.
Ken, Victoria and the kids were ready for a hot shower and night in a hotel...and we all agreed that since the eastern part of WY between Pinedale and our entry point into Colorado was mostly flat and boring, tomorrow would be a pavement only day making a bee-line to Steamboat.
Last night was another cold one...the wind picked up late in the evening and strong gusts prevailed throughout the night making sleeping restless at best. My standard defense during windy nights is to lash the interior bungee cords to tighten up the tent walls and stuff my ears w/ earplugs.
I had been leaving my flip flops at the bottom of the ladder so I didn't have to bring them inside the tent. When I poked me head out the next morning, I realized some critter had discovered my flips and decided they tasted good. Because of the earplugs I didn't hear a thing...which was a bummer because I'm curious as hell what wild critter would have done this....a raccoon maybe?? Funny either way...
After breakfast Ken and I pulled out our MTN bikes and went for a ride before packing up the rigs to get back on the trail. Since Ken is on a timeline to make it back to CA, we'd be cheating a bit today by skipping 2 of the dirt tracks on the way to Wind River mountains near Pinedale WY. The dirt tracks we did cover were beautiful with great views of the mountains at various points.
As the day progressed and we got closer to Pinedale, we discovered both our rigs had slow leaking tires. Arriving in Pinedale we stopped at a local shop and got the necessary repairs before hitting the only brewery in town for dinner.
Ken, Victoria and the kids were ready for a hot shower and night in a hotel...and we all agreed that since the eastern part of WY between Pinedale and our entry point into Colorado was mostly flat and boring, tomorrow would be a pavement only day making a bee-line to Steamboat.
dieselbigot
Adventurer
Colorado
Steamboat Springs was our first stop in CO. We arrived late in the day and spent a couple of hours walking the shops, eating etc before making our way south and reconnecting with the CDT. About 30 minutes out of town we turned right onto a smoothly graded dirt road and found a good spot to post up. We had already ate in town, so only needed to set up for sleeping and cut some firewood.
View attachment 365862
View attachment 365863
We woke the following morning to a heavy frost and the coldest temps we'd seen so far. After a hearty breakfast of sausage and eggs, we packed up and continued south. As we made our way down the well maintained smooth gravel road, we saw a ton of hunters and hunting camps. I spotted a monster Whitetail buck (that I'm sure all of these hunters would have LOVED to see), but by the time I stopped and backed up to get a photo of him, he was long gone.
We were on our way to Brekenridge and covering entirely different tracks than I did back in July when following the COBDR north-bound on my way to Canada. What strikes me most about CO in particular is the quality, variety, and ease of access to the backcountry here. I'm not sure there are many places you can access such beauty with nothing more than a high clearance vehicle and some GPS tracks. After a morning spent in thickly forested terrain dodging bow hunters, we began a descent into the next valley leading us to Kremmling.
Steamboat Springs was our first stop in CO. We arrived late in the day and spent a couple of hours walking the shops, eating etc before making our way south and reconnecting with the CDT. About 30 minutes out of town we turned right onto a smoothly graded dirt road and found a good spot to post up. We had already ate in town, so only needed to set up for sleeping and cut some firewood.
View attachment 365862
View attachment 365863
We woke the following morning to a heavy frost and the coldest temps we'd seen so far. After a hearty breakfast of sausage and eggs, we packed up and continued south. As we made our way down the well maintained smooth gravel road, we saw a ton of hunters and hunting camps. I spotted a monster Whitetail buck (that I'm sure all of these hunters would have LOVED to see), but by the time I stopped and backed up to get a photo of him, he was long gone.
We were on our way to Brekenridge and covering entirely different tracks than I did back in July when following the COBDR north-bound on my way to Canada. What strikes me most about CO in particular is the quality, variety, and ease of access to the backcountry here. I'm not sure there are many places you can access such beauty with nothing more than a high clearance vehicle and some GPS tracks. After a morning spent in thickly forested terrain dodging bow hunters, we began a descent into the next valley leading us to Kremmling.
dieselbigot
Adventurer
We stopped in Kremmling just long enough to top off fuel and review our path to Brekenridge. Along the way we got a message from Brian who had fulfilled his wedding duties and was tracking towards us. The timing worked out and we met him in Brekenridge after taking an hour to check out the town and grab a coffee.
We left town heading out on a paved road with a steeply vertical path that quickly turned to dirt...this was Boreas pass road. Boreas pass takes you east to hwy 285 and tops out near 12k feet. We knew once we passed this mountain and hit the grasslands off 285 to the east, camping spots would be hard to find. So we took a little spur off the main road and posted up at 11,400ft. There was an abundance if wood to keep the chainsaw busy, and with the temps expected to drop below freezing, we would need it.
We left town heading out on a paved road with a steeply vertical path that quickly turned to dirt...this was Boreas pass road. Boreas pass takes you east to hwy 285 and tops out near 12k feet. We knew once we passed this mountain and hit the grasslands off 285 to the east, camping spots would be hard to find. So we took a little spur off the main road and posted up at 11,400ft. There was an abundance if wood to keep the chainsaw busy, and with the temps expected to drop below freezing, we would need it.
dieselbigot
Adventurer
The next day turned out to be a blast. After breaking camp and stopping at the historical train station at the top of Boreas pass, we dropped down into the valley, made a brief jog on 285 before connecting to the next dirt road that would carry us to Salida.
What made it fun was the weather...it started raining pretty hard, so the ride through the high elevation grasslands was super slippery and full of mud holes. We slipped and drifted our way through mile after mile of slick black Colorado mud before gaining elevation again. Part way through, I spotted this strange looking beast that looked like a cross between Bob Marley and a Buffalo. I later confirmed through a friend of mine (who is a cattle rancher) that it was a Scottish Highlander and a Brahma.
What made it fun was the weather...it started raining pretty hard, so the ride through the high elevation grasslands was super slippery and full of mud holes. We slipped and drifted our way through mile after mile of slick black Colorado mud before gaining elevation again. Part way through, I spotted this strange looking beast that looked like a cross between Bob Marley and a Buffalo. I later confirmed through a friend of mine (who is a cattle rancher) that it was a Scottish Highlander and a Brahma.
dieselbigot
Adventurer
We climbed up through the valley and onto a high shelf road with steep exposure to the right...this was the final descent into Salida CO and the views were absolutely spectacular.
dieselbigot
Adventurer
I'd never been to Salida but quickly realized why this town was a favorite of Brian's. Salida is a mountain biking mecca and has that vibe of a cool little adventure town. We came in just in time for lunch at the Fritz in downtown Salida...the owner was apparently a high-end chef in LA but traded in the smog and traffic for a better life in a small mountain town. Lunch was awesome...if you come to Salida you have to check out the Fritz!
After lunch and tending to a few errands we hit the trail again traveling west out of Poncho Springs. Afternoon thunder showers were clearing over the mountains to the west making for some great scenery...
We climbed up a couple of passes as the rain continued to dump on us. About 90 minutes later we started to hit the lower grasslands east of Gunnison and the road turned into a very fast groomed track where we could really make some time.
Eventually the grasslands gave way to high elevation forest and we started looking for a campsite. We checked out a few spur roads, but no luck...then we came across a nice little NFS primitive site called Luders. It has a brand new pit toliet and we had the entire camp to ourselves...what more could we ask for?
After lunch and tending to a few errands we hit the trail again traveling west out of Poncho Springs. Afternoon thunder showers were clearing over the mountains to the west making for some great scenery...
We climbed up a couple of passes as the rain continued to dump on us. About 90 minutes later we started to hit the lower grasslands east of Gunnison and the road turned into a very fast groomed track where we could really make some time.
Eventually the grasslands gave way to high elevation forest and we started looking for a campsite. We checked out a few spur roads, but no luck...then we came across a nice little NFS primitive site called Luders. It has a brand new pit toliet and we had the entire camp to ourselves...what more could we ask for?