The Research Station

Headed to Colter Bay Wednesday morning. Aided by Shawn’s Disabled Veteran Card we get $9/night camping in a great site with Mountain glimpses and a short walk to Jackson Lake. It's definitely more cost effective sharing expenses with 2 other people. The three of us hiked the 9 miles to Hermitage Point Wednesday afternoon. My new hiking shoes gave me an odd blister on my heal so I'll wear my sandles for a few days.

This morning Shawn and I bicycled to Jackson Lake Lodge and back to Leeks Marina - not more than 15 miles but fairly windy and uphill. I think I'm getting a little more fit but avoiding the scales can be deceptive. This evening we met Cal at the UW/NPS Research station for a seminar and BBQ. The topic was quite dry but the people were very friendly and the location right on a point facing the Tetons. It was previously a hunting lodge, bought by the NPS in the ‘70’s. Apparently the décor hasn’t been changed since.

It’s now becoming apparent that Shawn and I are more compatible than Cal. He likes to smoke and drinks more than us. He’s a great guy, just on a different path. Shawn and I will head to Jackson this weekend without Cal.

Friday morning we’ll go back to the Research Station as they let us leave Shawn’s car and my motorcycle there over the weekend so we can take just one car to Jackson.

Lazy Day

After Monday night's fairly late sharing of meal and drinks a lazy day was in order. The views here are amazing. I still can’t believe they don’t charge for these sites. Tomorrow the three of us will head into the Park to Colter Bay and do some hiking and biking. Not sure how long we’ll stay together. Shawn is due to head South but Cal and I may go back to Yellowstone together. Only time will tell. It’s been hot here during the day (high 80’s) but with little humidity so feels far better than Georgia. Apparently the bugs here, and apparently everywhere that gets significant snow are the worst in years. The fly-screen tent is still greatly appreciated by all.

More New Friends

Drove past Yellowstone Lake into the Tetons this morning. It's still as beautiful as in my 2004 trip. Arrived in Flagg Ranch, just outside the Tetons NP. After I suggested that camping next to an RV was not in my itinerary, the visitors center people told me about Grassy Lake Rd on Polecat creek.

The first of 8 campsites had 4 spaces right by the river, a vault toilet (nicer than it sounds), fire grates and picnic tables. Everything but potable water. Seeing as I carry about 10 gallons with me plus a water purifier that was no problem. Better still, on a dirt road so no noisy RV’s and more amazingly it was free. There must be some rule about not charging for sites without water. It was as nice as many for which I’ve paid up to $20 a night.

That’s where I met Shawn and Cal. They were standing in one of the sites chatting and waved. I said hi, pulled up in the next site and went over. We quickly decided to camp together for the next few days. Cal’s been on the road for 7 months and Shawn for the last month or so. He was in Desert Storm in the early 90’s, is now a disabled veteran and spends his summer’s traveling away from his Texas home. None of us has a tight schedule so exploring the area together is easy. We’re all very different but get along well so far. It’s easy without the stress of a city or job.

Shawn and I bicycled the 20 miles roundtrip to Grassy Lake then enjoyed a jointly prepared dinner inside my bug-free screened tent, unanimously agreed as the best purchase ever.

Bear Attack !

I planned to spend the night at Yellowstone Friday and head to the Grand Tetons on Saturday morning. As is becoming the norm, I was guided another way. After the glorious Beartooth pass, it was around 8pm when I began arriving at the pre-Yellowstone campgrounds. They were all closed.

At the Yellowstone NE entrance they told me a recent bear attack had closed most of the nearby campgrounds and the only one inside the park still not full was 65 miles (about 3hrs drive) away. They suggested trying Fall Creek, about 15 miles east. I did. They wouldn’t allow me to sleep in a soft-sided vehicle (as is the case with my truck topper) so I could sleep in the very cramped cab for $23 or head back a few miles to Pilot’s Creek, a vacant space about 5 miles back where anybody can camp for free. If I was going to get eaten by a bear I may as well be doing it without paying so off I went.

Arriving at Pilot’s Creek it looked as if many people had been given this option. The only space left was next to a family setting up. I stopped and asked if they were OK with me camping beside them. They said sure. I noticed the tent just being put up so offered to help. The Sprayman's (Tyler, Dawn, Asher and Annalise) was very friendly as I came to discover. After helping them set up their tent, we spent the evening chatting, cooking hot chocolate for the kids and generally enjoying the evening.

Saturday morning I wanted to take the KTM back up to the Beartooth pass to enjoy the twisty roads I had experienced on the way in. The Sprayman’s told me they were heading into Yellowstone and had a reserved campsite. Asher (7) and Annalise (5) had taken somewhat of a liking to me and I enjoyed their good manners and behavior so with my usual assertiveness I suggested I’d be happy to share their site in Yellowstone the following night. Dawn and Tyler agreed so we met up after my ride around 3pm. Lucky me, I turned up just when the work was starting. After helping Tyler and Asher put up the tent I suggested cooking dinner for the 5 of us as a thankyou and to avoid my always melting food situation. We all enjoyed the meal and some frothy libations. I may have to detour to Missoula to see them again at their home. It’s great to meet new friends on this trip.

Took a great motorcycle ride around part of Yellowstone Canyon Country Sunday morning. Saw the Upper and Lower Falls, the Mud Volcano, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (photos will be uploaded asap). It’s amazing what 640,000 years can do for creating beauty from devastation. I’ll relax tonight, pack up and get ready for an early morning departure to the Grand Tetons Monday. I expect to return to Yellowstone in a week or so to see the rest of the attractions.

Couch surfing Billings

On a Sunday afternoon with a broken bike a Couch surfing host was truly needed so I got online and found another person in Billings with a phone number listed.

After a brief explanation of my situation, success. John was willing to put me up, although I must admit he sounded like I woke him from a nap. He's a programmer living alone in a nice little downtown apartment. It was perfect. When he offered to cook I suggested adding some of the items I had in my continuously warming cooler. By the time we were done choosing ingredients there was going to be more food than we needed. Perfect opportunity for him to invite some friends from Kyrgyzstan who were here on a summer work program. Kyrgyzstan is a small country south of Kazakhstan and east of Uzbekistan which reclaimed independence after the collapse of the former USSR. John had lived in Kyrgyzstan with his family and then alone for a few years so speaks slightly rusty fluent Russian. He is a rare individual indeed and still only mid-twenties. We had a very pleasant evening and cultural exchange.

Monday morning John headed off to work and I headed off to find a fix for the KTM. After using the car jack to hoist the bike on the carry rack still attached to the back of the truck, I was able to remove the back wheel. Now to find some bearings. None of the open motorcycle dealers had a clue and the KTM dealer was closed on Mondays. After a quick Internet search to find the right parts, I headed to a local bearing manufacturer who had multiple sets handy. They directed me to a machine shop two streets away for installation. It all seemed too easy. After a few hours of exploring town I headed back to the shop. Great news - they hadn't touched my wheel. Apparently after trying a hammer and punch (silly of me to think a machine shop would have any type of bearing puller) they were afraid to damage it and stopped. I guess I'd have to wait until Tuesday. That would mean convincing John to let me stay. Luckily, he was very accommodating. Tuesday morning I headed to the dealer to suggest I borrow some tools and do the job myself. They declined and said they could do it - in the next 4 or 5 hours. Deciding to be a pushy customer I hung around and whined, achieving absolutely nothing. Eventually they started the job and with my watchful eye got it done without completely destroying (although they made a valiant effort) my wheel. All's well that ends well and my bike was back together that night.

Instead of ditching me the next day John suggested I stay for Shakespeare in the Park on Wednesday evening, followed by a trip to the Drive-in with some of his friends. That was fine with me. To add to the fun, we unexpectedly attended a BBQ with his work for lunch. So many new people, it was great. It was also a very busy day.

Thursday was another invite to watch John and his friend Bill go paragliding. It is an incredibly peaceful event never to be missed, improved upon only by participating yourself, which unfortunately I was not qualified to do. After all this, eventually I would have to leave for fear of John kicking me out so decided Friday would be the day.

This afternoon, with joy in my heart I head off to the Grand Tetons via the Beartooth Pass and Yellowstone. I say farewell to Billings with many thanks to John, Doug, Andy, Jacob and the plethora of others, knowing it will not be the last time I visit this wonderful place and its thoroughly enjoyable people.

Arriving in Billings, MT

Arriving in Billings late Saturday afternoon, I had to satisfy my unsatiable need for ice. With two coolers and a multitude of warming groceries I stopped at a Wendy's, hoping to get a freebie from their ice machine. Apparently not all fast food places have a drink machine in the foyer with ice in the middle. This one had it behind the counter which just made the request too difficult. As I was heading out I spotted a "hut" in the parking lot next door - not so many of these in the South, they're a small 8 x 8 sized building with all variety of retail items - selling coffee and ice-creams. With nobody else around I pulled up and asked the girl (Sam was her name) if she would mind filling my ice bag. She obliged and also gave me some great information on places to stay and things to do. My plan was to spend a day in the area and continue on to the Tetons.

I found the Yellowstone River campground where Sam had told me and took their last tent space. Being a mostly RV park it didn't exactly grab me but I figured where else would I find a campground on a Saturday night in a city. Just as I was walking out of the office a girl came in dressed in bicycle garb and asked how much for a tent space. She was clearly suprised to hear the $30 which is sort of steep for a tent and even more so when they said there were none left. I told her I'd share the space happily and after extracting another $5 from us for the third person (her boyfriend Matt) th three of us headed off to find the space.

Meeting Anna and Matt has turned out to be one of the best experiences of this trip. Not only were they very interesting people, cycling from Portland to Maine, but they told me about a website called http://www.couchsurfing.com/. It provides exactly what I had been trying to achieve randomly. It's like a social networking site for travellers. People who host provide cultural and personal experiences about their town (plus of course a place to stay) and surfers can give back the same. It's a fantastic idea and it's all non-profit. It may help to make our world a smaller, more understanding place. I created a profile that night and decided to see if I could find somewhere in Billings to stay an extra night to see some of the interesting sites in the area.

Sunday morning as Matt and Anna were heading out a guy walked over and said he'd noticed my motorcycle. He told me about this amazing hill climb area just outside town. After accidentally riding down a hiking trail and asking a few hikers I found the area and WOW ! A very cool space with varied riding and much fun. A couple of hours of challenging myself and the bike and I felt the rear tire slipping, thinking I had a flat. It wasn't so I figured I was just getting tired and decided to head back to camp. Picking up a little speed on the dirt road it felt very unstable. Looking down I discovered the rear wheel had chewed up a bearing. Not so good for riding and of course it was Sunday. A couple of young guys I'd been riding with were kind enough to give me a ride back to camp to pick up my truck. Now would be the fun part, how to fix it ?