A Hidden Treasure

The coffee clutch gathered at our picnic table this morning. After the pot was emptied we decided to go into Fort Smith to a little "green" place (no name) that Richard told us about. He said they had great burritos. He was right! So a breakfast burrito and 2 chai's later we were ready to fish again.

We picked up some "hoppers" (flies) at another fly shop. There are 3 in town, oh yes town consists of about 6 buildings. We waded the shoreline for a couple hours, and Ken asked me a strange question - "What day is today?". I said I didn't know (I'm retired now...). Bob stopped by to fish about 2:30 and Ken checked with him and Bob said it was Aug 7... (OHOH)... we have been fishing illegally all day! Our license ran out at midnight Aug 6! We packed up quickly - Ken had a hit and I had a bite - but we left.

Another campfire and cocktails with Bob & Barb. They invited us to join them in Idaho next year for their annual trip to Hells Canyon (jet boating). We are going to try and make it the year after next because of our plans for Alaska next year. Everyone at camp showed up at the fire. It was our last night so we exchanged addresses with everyone. We will miss this group, but the weekenders were arriving and it was time to go.

If we hadn't gone exploring 4 days ago we would have never found this wonderful place or made new friends. Bighorn Canyon will be a highlight of our trip. What a special stop!

Bighorn Cleaning Day

It's 8AM and already in the high 80's and humid. We got up and over coffee decided it was a cleaning day. With a view like this who minds cleanin g! Richard appeared and spent most of the day talking with Ken. Richard is sweet and has millions of stories. Perry returned from fishing while we were having coffee. We never heard him leave at dawn he was so quiet. Perry ties his own flies and he gave me a really neat foam "hopper" to fish with in Yellowstone.

After last night we decided to put the boat away so we repacked everything in the car (boy do we need a car top carrier). Unfortunately one of the oars got bent a little last night so we will probably need to get a new one. It took all day to give the coach a good cleaning in and out. We are tired because we got little sleep because of the heat last night (no electricity here, so no fans or AC).

About 6:45 we took a ride to the access to watch people fish. It wasn't too crowded and the fish were jumping right out of the water... no one was catching any though. We watched big black clouds move in and started to see pretty large lightening bolts over the Bighorn Mountains so we headed back to camp. Just as we got in the rain started and we had pretty strong thunderstorns tonight.

It was a good down day. If the weather is good we'll stay another day. We are really having a good time with the group here and hopefully tommorrow we will fish again. Otherwise we will head out.

Floating the Bighorn River

Luck is with us and we were able to make reservations for a site at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone for Aug 12 - 19 so we can take our time to get there. We have gone 4200 miles as of noon today on this trip!

With Yellowstone in place we headed for Hardin, Montana on I90. We found a place to wash the coach and car.. and it needs it! Let me tell you about the grasshoppers out here. They are all over the roads and ground. Sometimes there are so many it looks like the road is moving! They make a mess. We had one come flying in the window and was hopping all over the front of the cab. At first we though we were in a rain shower with big drops hitting the windshield. It took us a couple days (yes we are slow...) to figure out what they were.

Now that we are clean (for the moment) we headed down Rte 313 to the Afterbay Campground in Bighorn Canyon. Down a 8% grade gravel drive we pulled into what looks like a parking lot with campsites along one side and which overlook the river. We pulled up and checked with the Camphosts (Bob & Barb). They are really nice folks and we hit it off right away.

After we got set up Bob said he would take us down the river with our boat and we could fish together. Ken's eyes lit up like saucers! We went down to Fort Smith and got licenses and some flys. Then we raced around getting the boat together and loaded the boats onto Bob's trailer. We parked one car at 3 Mile Access and then drove back to the access where we had left the boats. About 4PM we hit the water. Ken hasn't rowed much so he tried to navigate the river with Bob coaching from the other boat. He kept apologizing to the people fishing along the shoreline. Unfortunately the oars kept coming out of the holders and it made it really hard for Ken to manuver. I'm trying to fish and then I hear "grab the oar"! Oops I pulled it out of the water as it floated by (Phew). We stopped on a sandbar and fished for a while, but no hits. The Black Caddis hatch is awesome tonight. We are covered with them. Back on the river we are struggling to get into position to stop at our end access point. It was fun floating a river for the first time, but nerve racking for Ken. He did really great though. I think we will wade if we go again as he didn't get to fish much.

Another RV pulled in next to us while we were fishing. Perry seems very nice and spent some time exchanging fish stories with Ken. Back at camp we joined Bob & Barb for a campfire and cocktails. Richard, who is also camping here from California, came by. Another couple, Ronnie & Barb, joined us later. They all come here every year and it's a nice little group. They made us feel really welcome.

Finding Bighorn Canyon National Park

We found a recreation area called Bighorn Canyon on the map so we decided to go check it out. We took the Crow Agency Road to State Route 313. The road meanders through the Crow Indian Reservation. It's mostly farm land and fields until you get to Fort Smith which is the gateway to Bighorn Canyon National Park. Fort Smith is the north end of the park which stretches south through Montana and down to Sheridan, Wyoming.

We pulled into the Fort Smith visitor center and quickly learned we were in "fisherman heaven". Off we went to check out the fishing access sites on the map provided by the ranger. We were hoping to put the boat in. As we pulled in there were a number of people fishing from the shoreline and several float boats. Ken excitedly said "I thing we can float this!" We learned this was a first class fishery and was some of the best trout fishing in the country. We could see the fish rise! (There is hope...)

We got back in the car to explore the rest of the area. Following the signs we found the road to Bighorn Lake after getting sandwiches at Patty's Place for a picnic. The road climbed and switched back and forth up the steep canyon to Yellowtail Dam. We went through the visitor center and walked around the dam. The focus of the area is the 71-mile-long Bighorn Lake which was created by the Yellowtail Dam. Created in 1968, the dam provides electric power, water for irrigation, flood control, and recreation. The 525 foot high dam creates one of the largest reservoirs on the Missouri River tributary system. Continuing up the road we enjoyed the play of light and shadow on the rock walls of the canyon as well as unbelievable views. We arrived at the Marina overlooking the lake. We thought about renting a boat.. but not for $275/day. Sitting in chairs overlooking the lake we had a nice lunch on the porch of the marina and then headed back down the road. We decided to check out a campground we noticed on our way up to the dam. It's a "primitive" site but they have a camphost and it looks OK. We really like the area and we may come down and fish for a day or so.

On the way home we decided to make reservations (which we don't like to do) for Yellowstone. We're afraid we won't be able to get a site. Back at camp we reviewed the route plans and looked at Yellowstone Campgrounds. A couple we met while we were in Ohio told us about Fishing Bridge Campground so we will try that one for a week.

Over dinner we decided to go to Bighorn for 1-2 days. We'll leave tommorrow. We were so impressed with the beautiful scenery in the canyon area!

Little Bighorn Battle Monument

It was a lazy start this morning and we followed the Yellowstone River along Rte 12W. Along the road we saw a small group of Pronghorn in a field and passed the "Howdy Hotel (whoo-who!). The corn in the fields is finally getting high, but none for sale yet. Our destination is the area around Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. We found a campground called the Lucky 7 Ranch in Garryowen, Montana. The Lucky 7 is a working ranch situated within the Crow Indian Reservation. They have nice gravel sites with beautiful views and nice facilities.

Even though we drove a lot today we decided to take the battlefield auto tour. The battle was just the latest encounter in a centuries-long conflict which started with the influx of the first European settlers in North America. It was truly due to a clash of cultures. All the Northern Plains Indians wanted was to preserve their nomadic way of life.

The Lakota and Cheyenne left the reservation in 1875 after gold seekers swarmed the Black Hills which was the heart of the new Indian reservation given to the Indians in the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868. The army tried to stop the influx but was unsuccessful. The government ordered the tribes to return to the reservation before January 31, 1876. Sitting Bull, the Lakota leader, and others refused to comply and the army was called to enforce the order.

As you pull into the parking lot your attention is drawn to the large sprawling hillside filled with rows of white headstones. This is where it hit me that this isn't just about the clash between the US Army and Lakota and Cheyenne Indians, but we were truly in a national cemetery. We walked through two sections one with fallen Civil War and World War I soldiers. We found our way to the visitor center and watched a video on the history of the park and General Custer.

The history is so powerful here. We drove over the battlefied stopping at areas where small battles and skirmishes took place visiting markers of both warriors and soldiers. At the end of our drive we stopped at "Last Stand Hill" where Custer and about 41 men tried to fight off the thousands of Lakota and Cheyenne. We then walked across the knoll to the new Indian Memorial. I had a really strange unsettled feeling as we viewed the headstones of the soldiers and Indians. The true history of this place is not what we are lead to believe. The monument to the Indians is beautiful and some of their statements are very telling. Our government was not very nice and I felt a little guilty about how the Indians were treated. Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Lame White Man (cool name) were very intelligent and probably could have been friends if the government kept promises and negotiated better.

With lots of mixed feelings about history, we returned to camp. Had dinner outside overlooking the rolling hills and mountains in the distance, talked about what we wanted to do tomorrow and called it a night.

Zebras in North Dakota?

The Elkhorn Cafe in Medora is a little local place with great breakfasts! After fluffy omelets and mugs full of coffee we left town on Rte 85S. Over rolling hills covered with silvery sage, lots of cattle, and fields of hay the road takes us towards Rte 12W and Montana. We traveled through the Little Missouri Grasslands and some little towns that had some unique distinctions - In Armidon, ND we saw White Butte which is the highest point in ND (elevation 3,506 ft) - Marmarth, ND is known as the "Land Where Dinasours Roamed". Of course the fields are filled with metal dinasour sculptures! Motorcycles are starting to pass us heading for Sturgis and they are all shapes and sizes. We even saw a local police car with a Budweiser banner draped on it to welcome the bikers...

It's in the 90's and humid as we cross into Montana. We're back on the Lewis & Clark Trail passing ranches with the usual horses and cattle, but also had donkeys and zebras grazing with them. We decided to stop today in Miles City at the Big Sky RV Park for one night. The park is nice and is conveniently right off Rte 12. Ken was having a craving for Chinese food so we explored downtown and fortunately found the "Happy Fortune Cookie". After a good dinner we went back to camp.

Spectacular South Unit

Grabbed coffee at a little shop on Main Street and drove down the street to the South Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park entrance. The feature of the South Unit is the paved 36 mile scenic loop drive. Along the drive there are interpretive signs that explain the park's historical and natural features. The road rolls over hills and winds through valleys and rugged badland scenery. The guide map says the drive takes 2-3 hours but it took us 6! We started early because it is going to be a very hot day. We stopped at various overlooks like Scoria Point to learn about the volcanic origin where coal seams have caught fire and baked the surrounding sand and clay. The Ridgeline Trail taught us about the role of fire, wind, and water in the area.

We took 2 hikes along the loop. The Coal Vein Trail took us through an area where a fire burned here in a coal seam from 1951 to early 1977 . The intense heat baked the adjacent clay and sand and severely altered the appearance of the terrain. Our second hike wound up a hill (elevation 2,855 ft)where only shrubs and small plants grew on the dry, south-facing slopes, while trees grew on the wetter, north facing hills.

We stopped at the stables to check out the horseback riding trails, but decided to finish the scenic loop first. As we pulled back onto the road a herd of Bison were crossing into a field. As we rounded the corner we could see the herd in the field to our left. There was a viewing parking lot just ahead so we pulled in and parked with the other cars to watch. The bison kept coming and started crossing the road in front of us and walking right by us in the parking area. They are so huge and it was a little scary! We were parked next to a trash barrel with wood slats around it when one of the big guys walked right next to us (up close and personal) and decided to scratch himself on the barrel. We decided we were a little to close as our bikes were on the back of the car and he was inches away from them. Slowly we inched out of the parking space and was able to leave before the rest of the herd moved across the street. Rolling along through unbelievable rock formations we came upon our next surprise... wild horses standing just off the road! The horses roam the South Unit just as they did when Roosevelt rode this land. We were really excited to see them. One group of horses had 2 young colts with them. Naturally we had to stop at Prairie Dog Town. The Prairie Dogs were once a part of the Great Plains life. Of the five species only black-tailed prairie dogs live in the South Unit. They are very community oriented. These guys have their own warning systems and you can hear them talk to one another.

Of course we found a dirt road. The sign said that it lead to Elkhorn Ranch which was Teddy Roosevelt's ranch. We followed this until we came to a fence and a sign that said we were leaving the South Unit. We decided to explore and found ourselves in gorgeous grasslands with grazing cattle (on and off the road) and ranches that stepped right out of a movie. It was time for lunch and we pulled into a turnout where we were surrounded by wilderness with no one around. The car is covered in red dirt! After lunch we went back into the park and stopped at the visitor center where we watched a video on TR. Out of the visitor center we took a side road that lead us into a small park. The park was the site of the DeMores Packing Co where we walked around the ruins.

Now it's really hot and time for ice cream! The Marquis de Mores Ice Cream Parlor was our next stop. We sat on a bench outside and enjoyed ice cream cones and watched people. The couple sitting on the bench next to us from Dickinson, ND showed us pictures of their house and neighborhood which was hit by a tornado July 8. The devastation was awful.

It was a busy day so back to camp for some relaxation. We are in the process of rerouting as we found out this week is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. There isn't a campground or hotel within 200 miles that is available. So we'll head west to Montana next and head for Yellowstone National Park. Don't know where we will end up tomorrow, but that's the fun of this trip!