Billings to Custer

 Bug Count: Approximately 50. This past week it was too cold for the bugs to come out.

Today is the end of my fifth week on my road trip adventure. One week to go!

I woke and dressed this morning and left the KOA campground a little after 7 am and headed to Denny’s in downtown Billings, just a couple of miles away. Denny’s was having “Baconmania” so I tried the “Triple Play Bacon Sampler” consisting of three types of bacon, two eggs and cheesy-bacon hash browns. I wouldn’t do that every day but as a one-off it wasn’t bad.

After breakfast I went and gassed up the car and headed, a little after 8 am, out I-90 toward the South Dakota-Wyoming line. All the road conditions indicated that it was open and dry. Around 9 am I arrived at the exit for the Little Bighorn National Monument, so I decided to detour about a half mile and visit it. The exit for the monument had water over the road with road crews directing traffic onto the high side lane. At the turn off the exit I noticed the access ramp continuing southbound was closed.

Heading down I-90 toward Wyoming

I spent about an hour at the monument touring around the battle sight and the national cemetery. The park rangers had just finished placing American flags on each grave for Memorial Day and were wiping down the head stones. I drove down the road to the battle sites, but about ½ mile down that road it was closed, probably due to flooding, etc., so I returned to the parking lot and walked up to the Final Battle site. On my way, my friend Ron Williamson called to see how my trip was progressing. Ron and his wife Kay were on there way to Chicago to visit family, and Ron called since he hadn’t seen my posts in several days since they were traveling. It was good to hear from him.

Little Big Horn Visitor Center

Final Battle Site

 

National Cemetery

 Final Battle Site Graveyard

 Custer’s Tombstone, though he was eventually buried at West Point

After I toured the sites that were accessible, I got back in the car and headed on toward Custer, SD a little after 10 am. I had to back track back up I-90 a couple of miles to an exit so I could turn around and get back on I-90 south bound. At the overpass for Little Big Horn, the road was covered with water and traffic was forced into one lane to get through, but it was only a  couple of hundred feet and there was no back up as traffic was light at that time of day. I drove another hour and stopped in Sheridan WY for a pit stop and a snack and continued on my journey.

Scenic Overlook just past Sheridan WY

I reached Moorcroft, WY around 1 pm where I exited I-90 to US-16 to go to Custer. As I was preparing to exit, I saw a sign that said “Texas Trail Museum”. Well, of course, I had to check that out! I found my way to the museum and it is a local museum, supported by the county that highlights the Texas cattle trails that came through Wyoming and Moorcroft in the late 1800s. They also have historical items from the town as well.

West Texas Trails Museum

After I toured the museum, it was back in the car and on toward Custer around 1:30 pm. I arrived in Custer around 3 pm, found the Econolodge and checked in. I searched for places to have dinner since I just had a snack for lunch. I went to the Sage Creek Grille, where I had a grilled chicken sandwich with Swiss cheese and bacon and served with grilled potatoes.

On the road to Custer

Mileage from West Yellowstone to Custer

After dinner I went and gassed up the car for tomorrow’s adventures and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow I will visit the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore. Someone told me not to pay the $30 or so for Crazy Horse since it isn’t finished and unlikely to be in our lifetime, but that you can see it from the highway, so pull over and take pictures there. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be fairly good in the morning with highs into the 50s. If I finish with those two then I will check out Jewel Cave and/or Wind Cave. To tour the caves you have to have a ticket, with advance reservations recommended, but I will go and take my chances and see what happens. If I don’t get them all in tomorrow I can finish them Sunday before I head over for The Badlands National Park and my hotel in Wall, SD that afternoon.

See you down the road!

Touring Big Sky Country: But I didn’t start out with that in mind

I woke this morning between 6:15-6:30 and got up to get ready to leave Yellowstone. I walked over to the window to check the conditions outside and it was SNOWING! I had heard they were expecting some rain showers, along with a cold front, but not snow. Glad I didn’t have to take down a tent this morning in the blowing snow. (And last night on my way to the hotel there were no tents at the KOA campground.) So, I showered, dressed and went down to have breakfast and contemplate what might await me on my drive today. After breakfast I returned to my room and checked the Montana DOT site for road conditions. So far US 191 from West Yellowstone to Bozeman was open and I-90 from Bozeman to Billings only showed one exit closed. I went out and scraped the snow off the windows. Fortunately last night when I gassed up the car I applied another coat of Rain-X to the front and back windows anticipating rain. It helped keep the snow from sticking and it came off easily. I returned to my room, packed all my things up and checked out saying goodbye to James Jackson the hotel manager thanking him for his hospitality and dealing with the internet issues. I got to the car and started off, a little before 8:30 am, the temp on the car showed 30F and the snow was blowing. I stopped in West Yellowstone where I had cell phone service and called the Honda dealer in Billings to arrange for an oil service that afternoon when I arrived, supposedly according to Samantha would be 12:30 pm or so.

Snow on the car: I already removed snow from the windows

Off I went up US-191 toward Bozeman, MT. The road was clear and along the way there were times of overcast and snow and/or rain and periods of sunshine. The temps stayed in the 30s until I reached Bozeman around 10 am where I made a stop and the temps were in the 40s. I then continued on through town to get to I-90. Bozeman seemed like a nice little town with a downtown area of neat brick buildings none over 4 stories I would guess. Mountains rose in the distance making a nice scene.

 On the road to Bozeman with snow

 Gallatin River along US-191

On the Road to Bozeman without snow 

Bozeman, MT

I reached the entrance to I-90 and had gone just a mile or so when there was a lighted sign above the interstate saying it was closed at mile post 340 due to flooding and to use an alternate route. My AAA maps didn’t show much of anything around MP-340 and only showed about 10 miles north or south of I-90. This was about 20 miles away so I continued on hoping there would be some alternate route information. When I reached MP-340 all traffic had to exit and take US-89 northbound. There were no signs indicating what the detour route should be. I tried calling AAA for route assistance but ran out of cell phone service before getting information. I asked Samantha for a detour route, but she wanted me to take a side road about a mile off I-90 and return to it, which was not going to work. So, I played follow-the-leader along with everyone else, caravanning up US-89. I figured the semis would know how to go. About 10 miles up the road was a sign for US-12 in about 20 miles. Based on my great navigational experience I knew that even numbered US highway and Interstates run east-west, so that if I took US-12 I could work my way east and perhaps pick up US-191 which I saw intersected I-90 about 45 miles up the road from where we had to get off I-90.

Detour Scenery on US-89

I reached the US-12 intersection and all the traffic was heading that way. I asked Samantha to find the intersection for US-12 and US-191 and she seemed to know where it was. Eventually we reached White Sulphur Springs and US-12 continued. At that point I asked Samantha to find Billings and she did, suggesting I continue on US-12 103 miles to MT-3, which I knew from my maps went to Billings from the north side. The next major town on US-12 was Harlowton, almost 50 miles away. I arrived at Harlowton around 12:30 and continued on US-12 even though a lot of traffic was turning on US-191 south toward Big Timber, which is on I-90. I drove on a couple of miles through town and stopped a Conoco station. While inside I overheard the store clerk say that US-12 was closed a few miles further down due to flooding and to get to Billings you needed to go back to US-191 and to Big Timber. I got back in the car and back tracked into town and took US-191 south along with everyone else: cars, trucks, RVs, campers, semis, etc. Traffic moved along at an uneven pace from 40-70 mph. Eventually I made it around some of the slower vehicles and continued on to Big Timber. There I re-entered I-90 east headed toward Billings. A few miles down the road the traffic had to merge to one lane to go through some water on the road for about 200 yards. After that it was clear sailing. So, to go 45 miles on the interstate I had to go almost 150 miles on three different roads. I must admit that the drive was very scenic and the sun shone a lot and there was some rain and freezing rain and the temps got up into the 50s at times when the sun was shining. I didn’t plan on tour of Big Sky Country when I left West Yellowstone this morning, but fate had another plan, so flexibility is the key. There was some nice scenery though. I also discovered that when you see rain falling in the distance it appears as a gray sheet falling from the sky, which I already knew. But freezing rain and probably snow when seen falling in the distance appears as a white sheet. I had never seen that before. Sometimes in the distance you cold see both in the same system of clouds.

Scenery along US-89

 Falling freezing rain on left, rain on right

Scenery along US-12

I arrived in Billings around 3:15 pm and drove to the Honda dealer. They changed the oil and filter along with the wiper blades that were starting to tear. My four hour drive had morphed into a seven hour scenic detour. After my car was done I drove over to a Kinkos to print some maps of an alternate route to Custer, SD if I-90 closes again between Billings and the Wyoming border, though it was open today with only one lane each way. It had been closed due to flooding the past several days. I had seen a billboard coming into Billings for a Cracker Barrel restaurant and Samantha located it and I drove over there for dinner, not having much of anything since breakfast. There I dined on Turkey, dressing, turnip greens, hash-brown casserole, cornbread and ice tea. I was tempted to have the blackberry cobbler with Blue Bell vanilla, but I was already pretty full and didn’t want to become another stuffed turkey. It was reassuring to see that you can bet Blue Bell all the way up to Montana.

On the I-90 toward Billings

After dinner a made my way over to the KOA campground around 5:30 pm and checked in to my one-room cabin for the night. At the office they had free maps of Montana, which would have been nice to have had this morning, but I made it OK anyway.  This will be the last “camping” experience of my trip. The weather the next several days in Custer/Mt. Rushmore and at the Badlands National Park is still unpredictable with rain and sun so I have decided to forego the tent for the rest of the journey. I could get a one-room cabin at the campgrounds, but the hotel rooms are only $10-15 a night more so I have opted for that. That and you don’t have to traipse a couple of hundred feet to the bathroom and shower, plus you get free breakfast. It’s a win-win for one who is starting to get a little road weary from the journey at this point.

Tomorrow I have a 6-7 hour drive to Custer, SD, barring any scenic detours that might arise. So, in the morning I will check the Montana and South Dakota DOTs for road conditions and select my route based on that information.

See you down the road!

Yellowstone Day 3

“The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated” – Samantha Garmin

(With apologies to Samuel Clemens)

After reporting last night that Samantha seemingly had expired and I could get no response from her via either power source she used, I searched the internet for any “first aid” procedures I might be able to use and found one that worked and she came back to life. So we will continue this adventure together.

This morning when I got up the sky outside was overcast, but not raining and there appeared to be little hints of blue in them occasionally. I showered, dressed and went down the hall and had breakfast. I returned to my room and checked the weather forecast which looked favorable, compared to yesterday. Highs in the upper 40s were expected, partly sunny skies with little chance of rain until possibly in the afternoon.

I headed off for the park with the plan to explore the northern end of the park. Temps when I left were in the high-mid 30s. Along the first leg of my drive there was a group of cars to the side of the road so I stopped to investigate. They were looking at an Osprey and its nest at the top of a tree.

I continued on to Norris Junction, stopping occasionally at various geyser spots along the way such as Artists Paint Pot.  I arrived at Norris Junction around 10 am and toured around the Norris Geyser Basin. The sky was still overcast and the temperature was around 40, but there was very little wind, so the cold was not unbearable. I walked around the Porcelain Basin and then went over and walked around the Back Basin. I left the Norris Geyser Basin around 11:30 am and headed toward Mammoth Hot Springs.

Osprey and its nest

Artist Paint Pots

 Porcelain Basin

 Black Growler and Ledge Geyser

 Back Basin

 Puff n Stuff Geyser

 Steamboat Geyser

I arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs about 12:15 pm and went to the Albright Visitor Center to check on items to visit and get a cancellation stamp for my passport book. The sky was still somewhat overcast and the temps were around 50.  Around the Visitor Center were several Elk just laying around in the grass, ignoring all the human activity going on in their midst. Mammoth Springs is also where historic Fort Yellowstone is located, being an army outpost for years until it became a national park.

I then headed on toward Tower Falls and planned to visit some the places at Mammoth Hot Springs on my return trip that afternoon. On the drive to Tower Falls the sun began to make an appearance and the temps were rising into the mid 50s, making it a nice day after the cold, dreary day yesterday.  I arrived at Tower Junction and the falls were 2 miles further up the road. On the way there I passed a group of cars in the oncoming traffic pulled over to the side and everyone looking toward my side of the road. They even had a park ranger with them. I finally saw a black bear in the open area across the road, but I was unable to stop and get a picture so I drove on. I arrived at Tower Falls around 1:15 pm and went up to the falls. On my way back as I passed the area where the bear had been sighted, the group was breaking up and the bear had disappeared into the woods. So there really are bears in them woods!

Tower Falls

On my way back to Mammoth Hot Springs I stopped at the Petrified Tree, Wraith Falls and Undine Falls as well as a couple of scenic overlooks. On the way up to Wraith Falls there was an Elk lying in the grass about 50 feet from the trail, the closest Elk I had seen the whole trip, excluding those at Mammoth Springs. On the road back, there was a herd of Bison being escorted by a fire truck that had traffic stalled for a while.

Petrified Tree

"Elky Summer"

Wraith Falls

Undine Falls

Bison with Fire Truck escort

Scene on the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction

I arrived back in Mammoth Springs around 2:45 pm and went to the General Store for a coke. I then proceeded over to the Terraces at Mammoth Springs. These are mineral deposits from the Mammoth hot springs that have formed terraces over the centuries. I walked around the board walks where the terraces are located. I left Mammoth Hot Springs just before 3:30 pm expecting about a 90 minute drive back to West Yellowstone. On the way between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Junction, traffic was stalled for over 20 minutes waiting on a herd of Bison to saunter down the highway on their way to another grazing area. While waiting on them another group of Bison came up from behind us on the road, but they moved on over to an area beside the road and were not a problem.

 Liberty Cap an Extinct Hot Spring

 Terraces

 Mammoth Hot Springs

 Overlook from the Terraces

Bison moving up from the rear of the traffic jam passing me by like I was standing still 

The Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Falls area were much different than the other locations I visited in Yellowstone. For one thing they are at a lower elevation and the temps were warmer. The terrain was more open with mountains surrounding the valleys etc.

I arrived back in West Yellowstone around a little after 5 pm and stopped and filled up the car for tomorrow’s trip to Billings, MT. I then drove over to the Old Town Café to have dinner. The waitress sounded East European and I asked her where she was from. Turned out she was Ukranian and was working here for the summer and it was her second summer to work here. West Yellowstone has a lot of seasonal workers who are brought in on a J1 Visa. (I learned that from Mike the hotel manager after dinner).

 After dinner I returned to the hotel and I am getting my things together for the trip to Billings to stay overnight on my way to Mount Rushmore.

Samantha seems to be fine now and hopefully she will be able to guide me to Billings tomorrow with no major issues.

 Miles driven since leaving Jackson WY

Mileage since leaving Bryce Canyon

See you down the road!