After finishing the Bitteroot 300 bike tour, Kelly and I were able to enjoy a few days hanging out and exploring the Coeur d'Alene [CDA] area. We really liked this town as it has a nice blend of outdoor activities and access to a very nice small city on beautiful Lake CDA. We were able to tie Kasha to a fencepost [just kidding...it was a traffic barrier] and get away for a great bike ride on the Centennial bike trail which winds through the very nice CDA parks and along the lake. The campground we stayed on was right on Lake CDA and pretty upscale for us. It even had a 'dog beach' although Kasha complained about a lack of available sticks to chase as the grounds were a bit too well kept. Nothing is perfect.
Moving on from Idaho we continued east into our favorite scenery state of Montana. It's called Big-Sky country and for a reason. We don't know why, but the sky does seem just huge out here. We were camped in a small RV park and our site had a fantastic view of miles of green fields surrounded by the Montana mountains. We were just outside Bozeman which has a charming downtown area with lots of restored, old brick buildings and interesting eateries and shops. A bit bougie but not over the top. While strolling down the main street we happened across the Bozeman branch of the Voormi store, a Pagosa outdoor clothing manufacturer. We stopped in and chatted with one of the owners, the sister of Dustin English whom I worked with on Search and Rescue in Pagosa. At our RV park we met a super couple who live outside Bozeman, Scott and Allison were parked next to us and come down to the RV park to get away from the house and bring their daughter to the pool. We exchanged contact info and would love to meet up with them again on future travels.
Again, I ponyed up for a non-resident fishing license with the same results as I've experienced this whole trip. The Bozeman area boasts some of the most famous fly-fishing waters in the USA...the Madison, the Jefferson, the Gallatin, the Yellowstone and I SO wanted to catch a huge trout and send the picture out to fishing friends but, alas, my motives were not pure and I was pretty much skunked again. Catching only a small 'courtesy fish' at the start of the Missouri River.
Bozeman is a bit north of the west entrance to Yellowstone Park and, although I had sworn never to go there again after experiencing the crowds back in the EARLY 80's [for those who are math challenged, that is a long time ago] but Kelly had never been there so we decided to take a drive down to the park on the actual fourth of July. Madness! Well, I guess the travel gods were favoring us that day cos' Yellowstone Park was kinda empty. For whatever reason, we cruised right up to the gate, got in for free with my Old-Guy-Park-Pass and did the whole Yellowstone thing. We were even lucky enough to view a grizzly bear sow and cub. Not lucky enough to see a foolish tourist get mauled but such is life. In Yellowstone, you don't look for animals, you look for traffic jams caused by people viewing them. As much as I dislike national parks because of the cars [I know we were guilty too], the people and the rules, I have to admit Yellowstone is some of the most spectacular scenery I have seen anywhere in the world. Next 4th of July you should go.
Next on the route was the area around Jackson Hole, WY. I had last been to Jackson around 1980 when I was moving to CO from NJ. At that time, Jackson was a quaint mountain town with some cool bars and a very laid-back vibe. I stayed in a cheap motel in town and had some drinks at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, one of the few eateries in town, and caught fish in the Snake River just out of town without seeing a soul. Kelly and I were camped at a lake in the mountains outside of town but I wanted her to see Jackson so we went in for lunch. It took us 20-min just to find a parking spot! Jackson 2025 has the crowds and vibe of Disneyland but without the charm! [Sorry family members but I hate Disney with a passion] We couldn't get out of there soon enough. Jackson aside, the view of the Tetons is as spectacular as ever with the mountains rising up thousands of feet above the valley floor. Our campground was on Slide Lake which was naturally created when the whole mountain slid into the valley below and created a natural dam. You can still see where the slide occurred. This is grizzly bear country and, while the chances of encountering one are pretty slim, I was a bit nervous when Kasha and I took an evening hike up the mountain above camp and the shadows started getting long on our trail through thick aspen groves and meadows. 'Luckily' the only things that had me for dinner were the mosquitos who enjoyed a Bradley Buffet at my expense. From here we will be leaving the Rockies and moving our way east to other adventures. We sure have enjoyed the west but are looking forward to adventures in the plains and points east.
Bozeman camp sunset
Montana waterfall
Yellowstone Hot spring
