My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

chet6.7.....I haven't had a chance to watch one of the videos but I did scan through his video list. It looks like good stuff. I subscribed.....

ITTOG.....blurry ? Do you mean from the smoke ? That's not been much of an issue for us this summer which is really surprising considering how dry it's been (and still is).....



I had planned for our next trip out to be a backpacking trip to the Wind River Range but the knee still was not 100 % healed so we stuck with the truck camper, and we headed for the mountains. We drove south on Highway 191, followed the meanders of the Gallatin River, and then it was Grayling Creek, passed through a section of Yellowstone National Park as we neared the divide.....



Our first night out was spent in the National Forest just south of West Yellowstone, Montana. As we were driving along the Forest Service road I noticed this massive bird fly by.....not more than several feet above the ground.....



Remarkably it would later visit us at our campsite. I believe it to be a Great Grey Owl.....with a wing span of 4.5' to 5'.....not a bad start to our road trip.....

"Great Gray Owls generally do not call attention to themselves and tend to avoid areas with people. They quietly perch on the edges of meadows or forest openings and are nearly invisible despite their size. Great Grays hunt at night and during the hours before dawn and dusk. They quietly fly low, on broad wings, over meadows watching and listening for small mammals." (All About Owls).....



We were up early the following morning.....very typical when traveling in the truck camper. We entered Yellowstone National Park from the west hoping to get there before the crowds.....





It was eerily beautiful.....the quietness and the calm.....



As the sun rose over the mountains and the forest and the river.....that quietness & calm began to receed.....and the crowds arrived.....





I had prepared myself for this trip through the park.....I actually an internal debate with myself.....go north and be alone ? Or go south to see something that I wanted to see (and to experience).....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

And the fact that I had prepared myself for the crowds on this trip.....well, that would almost become a theme for the trip.....





Now that I was in this great frame of mind.....we actually took the time to visit some of the more populated sites.....and they were remarkable.....





We even pulled into the paved lot and I took a stroll to see Old Faithful (that's not it in the picture below.....I left there before the geyser performed).....





We spent a good bit of the day at the park.....it was challenging yet very interesting......





As far as wildlife goes.....we didn't see a lot. Of course there were the Bison.....this one forcing me to stop in the roadway.....something that I just hate to do while in Yellowstone National Park.....



And the dogs, well, I'd venture to say that they pretty much hate the park (way too much truck time).....they would prefer me when I too hate the park.....

 

[ITTOG]

Blurry as in dogs can't see far distances. Most stuff I have read indicate things get blurry after about 20'. Some breeds are better than others.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG.....I never knew that.....I was aware that dogs see colors different from man.....just one more thing that I'll have to Google someday I guess.....



Sometime in the afternoon we finally left the park and drove a bit further south. We stopped near Flagg  Ranch.....along the Snake River.....a place that I know very well.....





I was concerned with finding an open campsite here as the spots are limited and the fall foliage was near its peak. I was pleasantly surprised to find an empty campsite along the river.....that for sure couldn't last long.....not at this time of year.....



We parked, and immediately hit the road.....walking.....just to see what we could see.....





A Forest Service employee stopped to have a chat.....and he reminded me of the bears and told me that they were really active right now.....he'd seen both a Black Bear and a Grizzly just two days before at my campsite.....

We didn't see any bears on our initial walk.....just a harmless snake crossing the gravel road.....



I'm not sure how many walks we got in that late afternoon & evening.....it was just too nice out to sit in a chair or inside the camper.....





When we got bored with walking along the road.....we headed up and into the forest.....I just love this type of walking.....my favorite.....just wandering around aimlessly.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

We also walked along Polecat  Creek.....





Somewhere amongst these 360 pages, I've got some of my best moose pictures ever at this very spot.....but no moose this year.....





We also attempted to walk along the shoreline of the Snake River.....it was difficult here.....small pockets of water here and there would stop our forward progress.....





And the shoreline was covered in Willows probably 10 to 15 feet in height.....the bears love this habitat during the warm afternoons and evenings.....they love to lounge on the cool, damp soil.....yet we saw no bears.....

Fortunately the only threat to our well being was this hornet's nest overhead that I saw just in time.....



Just as the sun was setting we took our last walk of the day. A car pulls alongside and two young guys stop to ask if I knew a spot where they could pitch their tent. At this point every campsite was taken. I invited them to my campsite.....I thought why not ? I only use a single parking space.....



They invited me to their campfire to drink whiskey with them that night.....well, I think that's a young man's game so I declined. They turned out to be great guys.....so yeah.....this theme of allowing people into my world continued.....

The following morning I awoke to this.....and honestly, it didn't bother me one bit.....

 

[Arjan]

Thank You.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Arjan.....for sure.....



I suspect that we were out of there long before the sun rose.....certainly before any of my other neighbors had arose.....





Cause I just love getting out there to see that early morning fog along the Snake River.....





Polecat Creek.....had that same eerie, calm feeling as well.....





The fog creeped into the forest.....it had this meditative feeling about it.....



The drive to the paved highway was short.....but it took much too long.....I had plans.....





It's kind of crazy how many times I stopped in that short distance.....I wished that I didn't need to move on.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

It was 29 degrees that late September morning.....





And the leaves were beginning to change to their fall colors.....some already gold & yellow.....others soon to change.....





So.....we drove south along Highway 191.....leaving behind the thick pine forests shrouded in that dense early morning fog.....



As we traveled south.....the highway took us into Grand Teton National Park.....and to the Teton Mountains .....





I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing these majical mountains.....especially in the early morning light.....well, they are, simply said.....a glorious sight..... Snowcapped Mount Moran at 12,610 feet towering over Jackson Lake.....heart stopping.....

 

[Mekcanix]

I am in love with those pictures with the fog/mist just beautiful and peaceful
Thanks muchly

John

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Mekcanix.....sunrise and sunset.....my favorite times of the day.....you're welcome.....



We continued south on Highway 191 and eventually circled around Jackson Lake, where we then took the Teton Park  Road continuing south. What we did next was maybe a bit unusual.....we drove east on the RKO  Road.....





I think that I first became aware of this particular road on my first kayaking trip through the park on the Snake River years ago.....



I guess that you could say that the beauty of this road is that very few people know about it.....and even less access it.....





The views of the Tetons are every bit as exceptional.....yet you have this feeling of being all alone. So much for bringing people back into my life.....baby steps.....



I used the method of leap frogging (I guess that's the right terminology).....we'd walk a mile, return to the truck, drive that mile, park, and walk another mile.....and on and on we went.....



The road was rough and I had no business taking my big rig here.....but it felt so good.....except for those times when the tree branches made their marks on the side of my rig.....





The road.....it dropped down from the higher plateau, then meandered it's way though a thick pine forest, and eventually took us closer to the western banks of the Snake River....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Walking the RKO  Road.....well, it was fairly uneventful.....







We saw one real nice bull elk but with two eighty pounds dogs on leash pulling at maximum strength.....it was impossible to get a good photo.....







It was late afternoon when we left the RKO Road behind.....





.....and headed for the Bridger-Teton National Forest.....



The small campground was packed full but fortunately as I was driving through, I stopped to talk with 3 college kids that were packing it in, and I was able to secure that site.....our home for the next few days & nights.....

 

[Riversdad]

Some of your best pictures yet. I envy your wandering spirit.

 

[the deputy]

Hope you don't mind...but this one of Tanner cracks me up. It's from a few pages back...okay, like 150 to be exact.

He's like..."Okay, this stuffed toy has been somewhat enjoyable, and l truly appreciate your effort, but we need to have a serious talk about another real four legged companion."



Also, added Lewistown to my - must see list. This is probably my third go around with this thread, from the start. But this time l'm taking notes...and hopefully applying them to my next journey.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Riversdad.....I think I've got some really sweet pictures of the peak Fall season in the Teton Valley.....coming soon. I love to wander.....that's for sure.....always have.....

the deputy.....I love it when you bring back our travels from the past.....don't hesitate to keep at it.....thanks. By the way, I was almost in Lewistown, Montana just a few days ago but at the last minute we took a left and never did make it there.....





Of course we didn't just occupy our campsite.....we were out & about hiking on some of the nearby trails.....







One trail led us deep into a wonderful densely wooded forest.....





The Quaking Aspen were ablaze in their fall colors.....looking back through the trees as they framed the Teton Mountains was such an incredible sight.....





And another trail led us up high, out of the valley, and into the mountains.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

It almost seemed like we were overloaded with the Fall colors.....and it only got better as the days passed by.....









As we climbed higher the forest here became dense.....much like the lower trails.....





And lastly, we walked along the Forest Service roads.....a lot.....



I suspect that it was here, possibly during the afternoon.....



.....or maybe it was at night.....we walked at all hours.....day & night.....that we cemented our plans for what would come next.....



And I'll end this post with my second good deed of this trip......I invited this couple to share my campsite.....they were quiet & friendly and they assured me that they wouldn't use their generator.....