Sept 26 to 29 2012 The Cascades to Winthrop, Grand Coulee Dam and all the way to Little Bighorn

Sept 26 to 29 2012 The Cascades to Winthrop, Grand Coulee Dam and all the way to Little Bighorn

We took the Cascades route based on Ben's recommendations. This led us to the Western town of Winthrop where we stayed a couple of days. We then hit the road to try and get some miles behind us to ensure we would (a) get to see everything we wanted to visit and (b) have 4 to 5 days to spare for Yellowstone. This meant we had to move swiftly through the Grand Coulee Dam, Spokane and Butte.

The Cascades
The Cascades did not disappoint and lived up to everything Ben said it would be. Driving over this magnificent mountain range we had a number of new experiences. We saw snow capped mountains in the distance. We got our first glimpse of Autumn as the leaves on the deciduous trees were starting to turn. Such a contrast to the conifers all abound us. We stood atop a bridge, 1800ft above a gorge with waterfalls on all sides gushing into a river. Waterfalls everywhere.  


The Cascades, beautiful.

I have posted a few of these images on Flickr and will add to this when I get back home.

Have a look at the images here: The Cascades


Winthrop
Have a look at the link below for the background story about Winthrop, it really is very interesting and a great success story. The Winthrop story

Brenda and Jack, gone native

We stayed a couple of nights and really enjoyed the atmosphere. All the buildings in the town and surrounding areas have been built in the style of the old west. It really is done very well. The only downside are the cars parked on the street. They take away from the atmosphere and limit the photo opportunities.

Brenda meets Susie (L) and Carolyn (R)

We were walking by RE/Max , Methow Valley's longest existing real estate company, when I noticed a number of artist's mannequins in the window. I thought this would be a good photo opportunity for our travelling companion. We stepped inside the premises to seek permission to take a photo, using their mannequins  alongside my own.  We met Carolyn and Susie and they helped setup 'No Fingers Jack' with their mannequins.

'No Fingers Jack' meets like minded citizens of Winthrop.

Carolyn and Susie were kind enough to give me permission to include them in my blog. They were, like everyone else we have met in the US, friendly and so generous with their time. I promised to try and find a small hat, on my travels, and send it to them for one of their mannequins.

Some of our images from Winthrop

NOTE: Inspired by a restaurant named Three Fingered Jack's Saloon in Winthrop I decided on a name for my travelling companion. He will now be called 'No Fingers Jack'

The Grand Coulee Dam
We went to see the Grand Coulee Dam. This was the largest concrete structure in the world when construction started in 1933 and in fact still holds that record to this day.

Grand Coulee Dam

The Grand Coulee Dam

So, on to Spokane, Butte, Bozeman and then Little Bighorn.


Frank's Diner:
It was getting late so we drove into Spokane to get something to eat and find somewhere to sleep for the night. We were very fortunate to find Frank's Diner. The food was great, so good we went back the next morning for breakfast. We arrived early and got two seats at the counter. Within minutes there was a massive queue.


Frank's Diner

Apart from great food Frank's Diner has another big attraction. The diner is a converted train carriage with an incredible history. Have a look at this link History of Frank's Diner

See the next blog for the Bozeman decision.

Sept 29-30 2012 Little Bighorn Battlefield, Montana.

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

The words of Crazy Horse

I took this photo inside the Indian Memorial at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument near Billings, Montana. The words are those of Crazy Horse and yet I can't help thinking they could, with minor changes, apply to conflict situations everywhere across the centuries to the present day. Sadly, it would appear that we are destined to repeat the sins of our forefathers, over and over again. The discovery of large deposits of gold in the Black Hills, an areas sacred to the Indians and protected under treaty , prompted a near bankrupt government to change the course of history. Money, Money Money, like I said, somethings never change. Gold, Oil, strategic land mass and waters.......

Yesterday we were on our way to Yellowstone enjoy everything it has to offer, to do less driving and get active. I will officially start my training for Kilimanjaro on October 1st.. We stopped in Bozeman, Montana, to (a) have some lunch and (b) look at travelling east for Little Bighorn or south for Yellowstone.  Yellowstone, 80 miles to the south would put us on our homeward trail towards Albuquerque. Little Bighorn would bring us over 200 miles further eastwards. I really wanted to see the site of this famous battle. I grew up with movies, books and comics depicting the native American as the 'bad guys'.  I read accounts from others who had visited the site and this convinced Brenda and me that we should make the detour. Yellowstone has to wait.

WOW, what a day. We spent nearly six hours on the location of  the battle of Little Bighorn. What an experience. You start out at the visitors centre where they have a short film outlining the background to the conflict between the US Army and the Lakota, Cheyenne, Sioux and other tribes of the great plains, the ensuing battle and the consequences for all. I do not intend to go into the detail here but rather to tell you about our experience.

After the film you can listen to one of the Rangers tell the story of the battle, sometimes in graphic detail. They pull no punches and paint Custer as an arrogant commander who made many bad decisions and paid the ultimate price for his failure. Unfortunately, more that 260 soldiers under his command also died because of his decisions.  

You then drive 5 miles out across the battlefield. There are numerous point to stop along the rolling hills. Stop points include painted images of the battles that took place there or directly below where you stand. As you move along the story unfolds and you begin to get a sense of what it must have been like for both sides of the conflict. There were many Irish in the US Army and among the dead and wounded at the end of the two day on June 25th and 26th 1876.

28 soldiers at this location as they retreated against superior numbers. The bodies of some soldiers lay undiscovered for many years.

 The photo above is just one example of the information plaques located across the battlefield. They include a painting of what the battle scene looked like and often comments from US Army Officers and Indian Chiefs.  

The photo below shows this same notice and how it looks over the actual gorge where this part of the battle took place.



The actual gorge at the top of the photo and the information, showing this same gorge at the bottom of the photo.

Walking many part of the battlefield and seeing the landscape exactly as it was back in 1876 really brings home the horror of it all.

White marble headstones are scattered all over the hills where soldiers died in battle. A few scattered red marble headstones show where Indians died. Most of the Indian casualties were removed by their own warriors.


The site of Custer's last stand

The photo above shows where General Custer and 41 soldiers made their last stand. They shot their own horses and used them as shields against the oncoming warriors.



I took this photo from our elavated position on the hills. You see the plains below and the Little Bighorn river (lower right side) as it meanders between the trees. This is where 8000 native american Indans, men women and children, and their 20,000 horses had set up their camp. This too was what the Indian scouts for General Custer witnessed and immediately reported.

The changing Seasons

On a brighter note. Over the past few days and since entering Montana we have noticed  the bright yellows, gold and brown leaves on the decidious trees mingling wth the green conifers. It is a beautiful sight. I'm sure, as we travel further south over the next few weeks we will witness some spectacular images particularly in Yellowstone and later in the Rockies of Colorado.

The Little Bighorn Battlefiled.

Some of our images on the day we visited the battlefield

Oct 1st 2012 Little Bighorn territory to Yellowstone

Cody:
We left Little Bighorn territory intending to stay one night in Cody to break the journey to Yellowstone. We went to Billings first then south to Cody. We had read up on Cody and though we could easily spend two nights here and only get to do a few of the advertised activities. Have a look at this site dedicated to the town named after the famous Buffalo Bill Cody. Cody Website

Unfortunately for us Cody's season of attractions comes to a close at the end of September. Arriving the next day, October 1st, is clearly the worse time of the year. Practically all the shops were closed. The gun fights in the street, the rodeo etc had packed up and left town.

The famous Irma Hotel:
We went to the Irma hotel for lunch and to consider our options. The Irma hotel was originally built by Buffalo Bill Cody and he named it after his daughter. Find out more about this hotel by going to this site an  The Irma Hotel.


The photo above shows the dining room in the famous Irma Hotel. If you look very closely, at the mirror, you can see me taking this photograph.

There was nothing happening in Cody so we decided to take to the road again and drive the 130 miles to West Yellowstone.

Yellowstone
We arrived at the east side entrance to Yellowstone as the sun was beginning to go down. We were about one minute inside the park when we were confronted by this animal. It was a Bison (see photo below) He was coming in our direction, walking in our lane on the road. I snapped a couple of photos. I opened the window as he passed the car  and took another photo. His head was enormous. I though about touching him as he passed the car but was unsure how he might react, maybe damage the rental?



A large Bison approaches our car just minutes after we enter Yellowstone park.

This Bison passed my open window, I could easily have touched him as he passed, but thought it might not be a good idea.

A few minutes later we came across another Bison. I think he was watching me as I took this photo, eek.





We agreed that this was a great start to our Yellowstone adventure. The journey from the east gate to the west gate took longer than we expected. The sun was well gone down before we reached the town of West Yellowstone. We went for diner first and planned to get somewhere to stay for 4 or 5 nights after that.

Brenda took this photo of the sunset from within the car as we made our way from the east gate to the west.

The first few places we tried for accommodation had no rooms. We finally found a really nice hotel. They had reserved rooms for a group of Japanese tourists but did not need them all. One came free. We booked it for 5 nights.

We went to bed tired after the long drive and the near failure to get a bed for the night. However, after our encounter in the park we were excited about the new five days and what they might bring. We were not disappointed.

Related Links:

Some of our images from Cody and Yellowstone (Day 1)

Our Yellowstone Collection

The town of Cody

Irma Hotel

Yellowstone National Park

Oct 02 - 05 2012 Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park:
To date the weather has been perfect. Maybe a bit too hot in Phoenix, getting more comfortable as we moved north. Up to this point shorts and tee shirt have been perfect. The weather forecast for the coming week predicts a 30 degrees drop in temperatures early in the week and a high likelihood of show in Yellowstone as a cold front approaches from the north. We checked other sources before accepting this unforeseen development. 

We agreed to cover the northern territories of the park in the next couple of days thinking the south may just escape the worst of the weather.

Gibbon Falls

Mammoth Falls:
On the first full day in Yellowstone we planned to enter the park through the West Gate and drive east to Madison Junction. Then north to Mammoth Hot Springs and east to Tower-Roosevelt. Further east lay the Lamar Valley where we were told we would see many of the wild animals common to the park. We never made it to the Lamar valley on our first attempt. We took so long getting there, taking photos and being amazed by all the wonders of of Yellowstone.

Have a look at some of our images from Mammoth Hot Springs and surrounding areas.

Hot Springs

On Wednesday the weather did change dramatically. Temperatures dropped by 30 degrees. It was a case of getting back into jeans and three layers on top. However the snow did not arrive as forecast. We set out for 'Old Faithful' and geysers.

See our images of the Geysers at Yellowstone

Yellowstone Falls:
The very cold weather continued on Thursday and thankfully the snow did not make an appearance. We set out for the Yellowstone Falls (the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone) and the Hayden Valley.

Some of our images from Day 4 at Yellowstone



Yellowstone Falls

Lamar Valley:
Friday, our last full days in Yellowstone, and no snow but temperatures remained very low. We thought it would be safe to head back up north towards the Lamar Vally. This is where herds of animals can be seen in the open areas. We were hopeful about seeing some animals not already encountered in their natural habitat.

A Scene from the beautiful Lamar Valley

Our Images from the Lamar Valley

Yellowstone is the most remarkable place we have ever visited. It is incredibly beautiful. I would recommend you read more about Yellowstone but more importantly add it to your 'must see' list. I do not have the words, nor do my photos, do justice to the sights we have seen. The waterfalls and Rivers, The Mountains and Canyons, The Volcanic activity, hot springs, bubbling pools some crystal clear others thick mud. There's 'Odl Faithful' too performing for the crowds every 90 minutes. We did not see all the animals but had some great encounters with Bison (Buffalo) . We also saw Coyote, Wolf, Pronghorn, Elk, Deer and from a distance the Black Bear. We witnessed them in their natural habitat, such a different experience to viewing them in a Zoo. Heading out each day you had no idea what you might see. We agreed that it was this uncertainty but heightened anticipation that added to the overall experience. Once an animal was spotted the road would become blocked as people ran with their cameras. Always keeping a safe distance from the animal. The one exception we witnessed  on numerous occasions were the herds of Bison. People stayed still as the Bison crossed the roads.

This link will take you to a compilation of our Yellowstone images

Here are some links to sites with more information about the main attractions at Yellowstone.

Mammoth Hot Springs

The Geysers of Yellowstone

Waterfalls in Yellowstone

Oct 6-09 2012 Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Jackson

Oct 06-09 2012 Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Jackson.

Leaving Yellowstone Oct 6th
We left our hotel in Yellowstone West early on Saturday morning for our last trip through the park. We took our time because we were still optimistic about catching a closer look at some Bears or maybe a Moose or two. We saw a squirrel, or two, before exiting the park for the last time via the south gate. 

I doubt we will ever see Yellowstone again but we have wonderful memories and photos to help remember as the years slip by.

The Grand Teton and Jackson Oct 6th to 9th
Just after Leaving Yellowstone National Park we entered Grand Teton National Park. Withing minutes we were struck by the difference in the landscape. We found ourselves driving through wide open spaces with a backdrop of the Grand Teton Mountain Range, magnificent. 

We booked a hotel in Jackson as our base for this part of our road trip.After checking in we went to have a look at the town. What better way to start our stay in Jackson that to taste their local beers. We popper into The Million Dollar Cowboy bar, Check out the bar stools in the photo below.



Bar Stools with a difference

In addition to enjoying everything the beautiful town of Jackson, and the Grand Teton has to offer we set ourselves a target to capture some images of the, to date, elusive Moose. We checked with some locals about the best locations for spotting moose. We had been told that the Grand Teton area around Jackson represented our best opportunity to get some photos. We were convinced that we could not fail over the coming three days............

Brenda took this opportunity to have her photo taken with an Elk.

Brenda and Elk in Jackson

The photo below includes a small part of a Mormon Homestead (now derelict) established in the late eighteen hundreds. We came across this while moose 'hunting'. We had no problem spotting Bison and Pronghorn Antelope, but no moose.

Morman Homestead established in the late eighteen hundreds. see link below

Read more about Mormon Row here. 

We went to ranger headquarters on the last evening of our stay. The ranger on duty pointed out a location on the map where Moose are most frequently seen. She also said the best times to spot them was either dawn or dusk. We rose at 6am the next morning, grabber a very early and quick breakfast and set out to complete our mission.



The only moose we managed to photograph



 This is the only Moose we found. We did spot another couple in the distance mostly obscured by tree trunks. The images are not really very good and not worthwhile displaying.

We did however get some nice images of the mountains as the sun came up. We also spotted some elk. We were glad we made the effort. However, we still wanted to see a large Moose with their iconic antlers. We hit the road again heading south east. 

The Grand Teton range at 8am

Stag calling out to his herd, some had crossed the road but the remainder were waiting for the humans to move on.

The town of Jackson has more galleries than you could visit in a week. Many include fine art depicting the rich western history of the State. Spectacular, life size, bronze works of local animals, cowboys, Native Americans in full ceremonial dress can be purchased if you remortgage the house. Paintings in oil, acrylic, water colours are everywhere and ranging in price from barely affordable to works that only wealthy collectors could purchase. Taxidermy is also a thriving industry in Jackson. If it lives locally you can have  it mounted. Still not sure where I stand on this one.

Our images from Grand Teton and Jackson

Jackson, Jackson Hole -    Wikipedia   -    Images on line