We have traveled to Cody and beyond over the last few days.
Today we move to the forest service campground closest to the east entrance to Yellowstone. There is no cell service at all. None. We will be in touch by the InReach. The plan is to stay for several days exploring the east part of Yellowstone.
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Today the herd of Antelope that frequently walk through the area passed close to the RV.
They passed between us and the cattle relaxing in the field south of us.
The male was following the group.
Today, we took a hike on the Grouse Mountain Trail. The trailhead is at the end of the boondocking spot. Looking back at the RV was amazing. The trail is 6.6 miles round trip. Elevation change of 1,119 feet down and then back up with a 21 degree max grade but a 10 degree average. We had some very pretty views of the valley and mountains all the way to the river at the bottom. We got a view of someone's home perched at the peak of one of the mountains. They may be ready for the zombie apocalypse. As we hike the landscape changes dramatically. We hike through wide grassy fields, steep grades, in and out of wooded areas, and finally down to the base of a mountain where a river flows over boulders. On the last part back, we saw a pair of grouse walking on the trail. For the last few days, we have relaxed. Other than a couple of things we did in maintenance on the 5th wheel and a trip into Buffalo for supplies, we have relaxed. The local steak house had a very interesting "rock" out front. We have been reading a bunch of books and binge watching some shows. It has been nice to just relax with no agenda or rush. We have been "recharging". Everyday can not be a vacation. We have been enjoying the dark nights to see the milky way, the comet, and shooting stars. Bluebirds fly around our our 5th wheel. Sometime we have beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Sometimes we have cows and horses to watch and on occasion a small herd of pronghorn. We returned to the field in the Bighorn National Forest west of Buffalo, Wyoming. It was in the 90's during the day in the middle of Wyoming. We are glad to be back because it is very quiet and has some pretty sunrises. This area is at 7022 of elevation and much cooler. Last night was 53 and the high today was 79.
Today, we drove down to Thermopolis, Wyoming. The city is known for the world's largest hot spring. Of course, there is a lot of competition for "World's Largest" but that is what they claim. Our first stop was the Wyoming Dinosaur Museum and Dig Site. The museum was great and had a lot of really great displays. There are 30 mounted skeletons which includes a 35 foot tall T-Rex and a Supersaurus which is over 100 feet long. First were the plants, fish, and small dinosaurs. Then we moved on to the larger skeletons. We were able to look at the work area to clean and prepare fossils. The dig site was great and our tour was by the head archaeologist for the site. He was very informative and he answered all our questions. The students were working on the dig and even using a laser tool to measure the exact location of new bones. Time for lunch. We found a local brewery. What a surprise? Most small breweries come up with some interesting names for the company and beers. This one was the One Eyed Buffalo with beers like Hot Springs Hazy, Son of a Peach Blond, and Divorcinator Double IPA among others. They also had some great sandwiches. Shawna had their Reuben and I had the Prime Rib Melt. Time to visit the Hot Springs. The spring was used by Native Tribes for hundreds of years. It was believed to have "Healing Waters". The water from the spring flows at a rate of 2.1 million gallons per hour and is 127 degrees. The water is packed with minerals. IT STINKS! I am not kidding the gases bubbling up were Hydrogen Sulfide and Carbon Dioxide. The entire area smells of rotten eggs. The area is huge and has both raised walkways and a swinging bridge to view it from the other side of the river. The hot springs flows into the Bighorn River. We drove up from Ten Sleep to the Medicine Lodge State Park to see some Pictographs. The earliest pictographs are thought to be made about 2500 years ago. Many are from 500 to 1,500 years ago. The most recent are from around the 1800s. Some of the images are not easy to see.
Today, we walked into Ten Sleep. This is a very small town.
We did find the town sign that explains where the name originated.
The general store is called Dirty Sally's. Quirky.
The Saloon was fun. Shawna got a Wyoming beer and a great dinner.
Hail! Not large enough to cause damage but it was loud.
The RV park is very unusually oriented. It is in long rows of up to 5 RV spots with the sewer in the middle of the road and power and water on the right side. This is backwards from most parks but this is also the first park we have every been that requires you to parallel park your rig. The park is very old but recently changed hands. The people who run the park were great and are doing the best they can with the strange layout.
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January 2024
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