Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park - Jackson, Wyoming

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Gros Ventre Campground

Our move a day early to Grand Teton was a great decision. The campground that we had decided on did not allow reservations, so it didn’t matter that we got there a day early. The drive to the park was absolutely amazing. The first part was still mostly the high desert, but then as we approached the Jackson, the landscape changed to lush, green, steep mountains. There were also beautiful meadows full of wild flowers. The road mostly followed the path of the Snake River. The river was awesome, wide and swift, with lots of rapids. The mountains became craggier as we moved northward.

As we entered the town of Jackson, we found this to be a lovely mountain town; however, it was very busy and crowded with tourists. Being a rather large mountain town, it has all the amenities that a resident or visitor would need. We made our way through town and the road construction (uhg) and headed out to Gros Ventre (Grow Vont) Campground. The drive passed through the lush sage brush valley on the south side of the Grand Teton National Park, with a view of the Teton Mountains on the west side of the park. This campground is the largest in Grand Teton. It has over 350 sites (RV and tents) and runs along the Gros Ventre River. The National Elk Preserve is on the other side of the river. The ranger station assigned a very nice site for us and it was very spacious. It backs up to the river, but not a river view. But this was great as there was no one behind us! Perfect! The campground does not have any electrical or water hook ups, so we filled our RV water tank prior to setup and then hooked up the generators for power and battery charging. The dogs loved the site as we let them run a little off leash, but had to be careful as the rangers are very strict about this rule. After we were setup, we walked the dogs back to the river (on leash) to check it out. The Gros Ventre is a fairly wide and swift river, especially now with the snow melt filling all the rivers in the area. This area is known to have lots of wildlife roam into the campground. This happened the first night. We saw two large juvenile moose come into the campground and were grazing on the plants. They approached an RV about 3 sites down and seemed to be very rowdy, playing and jumping around. They started to come toward our site, but then headed back to the river. It was awesome to see these moose up so close.

We prepared our dinner and got ready for bed. We were able to watch some TV with the air antenna (some local stations out of Idaho). We started planning our activities for the next three days that we would be here.

The next morning was very chilly and we decided to drive through the park and stop at a visitor center. We went to Moose Junction and stopped for information. We found there was a paved bike trail that goes up to Jenny Lake, so we took our bikes off the truck and headed up the 7 mile trail to the lake. What an awesome way to see this part of the park. There were many beautiful vistas that we took pictures of and enjoyed stopping along the way. There were some glaciers up in the mountains and we got some great pictures. We finally made it to Jenny Lake and the view was incredible. What a lovely lake with crystal clear and blue water. We had packed a sandwich lunch and found a rock to sit on by the lake. It was very peaceful and relaxing. We walked around the visitor’s area and looked at some historical information about the area. A ranger was able to provide information about kayaking on Jenny Lake, which would require a special permit for boating in the National Parks. We really wanted to get our kayaks in this lake for a paddle, so we thought the next day we could do a paddle across the lake and then hike up to some hidden falls. On our way back to camp, we drove down the Antelope Flats Road, and along the way there was a huge herd of bison crossing the road. There were quite a few cars stopped to get a look and pictures. And of course, Kurt wanted to get a closer look. He walked down the road and got within 75 feet of the bison that were on the road. Oh my, I was so mad at him! He knew better, but those of you that know him and that he is a crazy dare devil can understand. I just turned around and couldn’t watch.  He finally backed away and came back to the truck; and eventually everyone was able to drive on past the herd. There were also some cute baby bison, they call them “little reds”.  Shortly after that we drove down “Mormon Row”. This is a large tract of land that was homesteaded by a group of Mormons, primarily the Moultons. One of the barns on the land is the most photographed barn in the US, as the photos usually show the Grand Tetons in the background. It was wonderful to read about the history of those settlers and how they created amazing farm lands and a great spiritual community. Later, when we were back at camp, we saw two young moose back in the campground again. They seem to come by most every night. A little later, we wanted to get the dogs out of the RV and out on a hike. We drove out of the park to a National Forest area, where there was a huge landslide years ago, the Gros Ventre Slide. The picture shows the information about this area; it was about 15 mile drive back into a valley past our campground. We were able to take the dogs on a hike through a nice trail that crossed over the natural dam that was created by the slide. A small lake was also formed on the upside of the dam. It is very interesting history of the area, as seven years later, the natural dam busted loose and the small town of Kelly was flooded with only 15 minutes warning for the residents. It was devastating as six people died and almost all the buildings were destroyed. The dogs really enjoyed running free on the hike and we also had a great time. By this hour of the day, we were very tired and ready to call it a night.

The next day we had to take some time to drive into the town of Jackson. We had a package waiting at a UPS store, a part for our tire pressure monitoring system on the RV. We picked that up and then also had to have a tire repaired for the RV. One of the tires had a slow leak (thanks to the tire pressure monitoring system we noticed it early on). We were able to get a simple fix and were back to getting our shopping done. We found a Mexican food restaurant and decided to have lunch there; it was okay, but not great. Kurt had found a mountain bike trail southeast of Jackson, so we drove out to the trailhead for him to take a ride. I was able to get a cell signal there and get on the internet to check emails and post my previous blog and pictures. On our drive back to the campground, we saw another herd of bison crossing the road into our campground. Again, many cars were stopped to look and we all had to wait for the bison to decide when they would cross the road. It was so exciting to watch these massive animals in their natural environment.

When we got up the next morning, we packed up for hiking and headed back to Moose Junction and found the trailhead for Taggart Lake. We had heard it was a beautiful hike back up to a mountain lake, which also included another lake called Bradley. The hike was awesome, as it followed along a beautiful creek, which we had to cross at a big waterfall area. The trail continued up through mountain meadows filled with wild flowers and aspen forest. It was amazing. We reached Bradley Lake first and then continued on to Taggart Lake. The hike was about 5 miles round trip. It was worth the climb, except my left foot was in pain by the time we got back to the truck. Kurt had wanted to do another hike by Jenny Lake, on the Hidden Falls trail. He went on the hike himself, while I relaxed in the truck and also went to the Visitor Center and shops at Jenny Lake.  On our way back to camp, we again drove Antelope Flats and saw several Pronghorn antelope. They are such beautiful animals. When we got back to camp, we also began prepping for our move the next day to another campground on Jackson Lake on the northern side of Grand Teton Park.

Colter Bay Village RV Park

The drive to Colter Bay was only about 25 miles, so we arrived there by noon. We were able to check in to our RV site early. This RV park has full hook ups, which we were looking forward to after four nights of boondocking. We were only going to stay here for two nights, mostly for full hook ups and to get some laundry done. The campground was very nice, but the sites were kind of small. The Village was a full service area; with grocery, laundry, fuel, marina and restaurants. After setting up the RV, we decided to go get lunch at the café.  We had been eating turkey sandwiches for days and just couldn’t take another one. It was a good for a change to get something different for lunch. After lunch, we went on a hike around Heritage Point. There were some small lakes, and views of Lake Jackson. The marina was full service and there were many boats there. The forest was lovely with lupine flowers everywhere. On the small lake named Swan Lake, we saw two trumpeter swans. There were also Canadian geese, white pelicans (there are really pelicans up here!) and a sand hill crane. After the hike we went back to the RV to relax and have some dinner.

The next day we took our kayaks down to Lake Jackson and put in near the swimming beach. We were on the east side of the lake and had made plans to paddle across the lake to look at a giant waterfall back in the valley named Waterfall Canyon and to see the shore line. We made the 3 mile trek across the lake and landed the kayaks on a gravel shore. We were able to get a closer view of the waterfall, but it was still several miles back into the canyon. There was no way to hike back there, no trails and also it would require some rock climbing to get even close to the waterfall. We simply enjoyed the view from the shore, and paddled around into some other little coves where we stopped and ate our lunch (sandwiches again). On the paddle back, the wind picked up a little and we were crossing some choppy water. It was much harder paddling back then it was going over. The complete trip lasted about three hours and was really fun. It was so awesome to be paddling in the shadows of the Teton Mountains, a new kayaking experience for us. We went back to camp to get some chores completed. Kurt walked the dogs and I got to do laundry. They had a really nice “launderette” and I was able to get a few loads done at once. We wanted to go down to the lake and take something for dinner. We went to the grocery store and got a frozen pizza. We baked the pizza in our RV oven and then loaded up the food, cooler, dogs and chairs. We headed to the beach about one hour before sunset, which up here is close to 10pm. The evening was beautiful and the sunset on the mountains was amazing. The purplish hue on the mountains is called alpenglow. The pictures do not do any justice to how it really looks. It was a great last evening for us in Grand Teton.  What a great time we had in Grand Teton. So far, this was my favorite stop on our trip. Now, on to Livingston Montana!

Flaming Gorge Recreation Area - SW Wyoming

Flaming Gorge Recreation Area – SW Wyoming

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The drive from the Yampa Valley to Flaming Gorge was one of the prettiest drives so far. As we headed west and north through the Uinta Mountains in Utah, the landscape changed from high desert to forest, red canyons, then back to high desert areas with small rounded mountains and slopes down to the reservoir. The Uintas include the Ashley National Forest, which is a beautiful mountain forest. This is part of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, beginning in the northeast corner of Utah and continuing up into Wyoming. The Green River is the architect of the gorge. The Green River dam is at the north end by the town of Rock Springs. We arrived at the campground to find nicely laid out campsites, each with a wind shelter over the picnic table, much like what we had in Yampa. We got the RV setup; we had electrical connection, but had to fill our water tank for this stay. The campground host was very friendly and helpful. This area had a large commercial marina and a commercial RV park right on the lake. As we soon discovered, this camping area is all about the lake fishing. We walked the dogs down to the lake to have a look. There were some sloping areas down to the lake and other shoreline that was cliffs.  

As the afternoon progressed, the wind began to get very strong. There were gusts up to 45-50 mph. Every one retreated to their RVs for protection. We decided to have happy hour inside and discuss our options for activities. Our initial inclination was that we would not stay past this first night. We thought maybe we would go ahead and move towards Teton the next day.

When we awoke the next morning, the weather was beautiful and the forecast looked very good. Since we had already pre-paid for 4 nights, we decided to stay here and work with it somehow. Maybe we would leave a couple of days early. There was not much to do other than fishing, and you need a fishing boat for this lake. The second day we decided to drive up to the town of Green River (26 miles north) and look into another RV park and see if there were more activity options. We spent most of the day looking around the town and found there was only one RV park, which we looked at, and decided that it was a little scary looking. There was also not that much to do in that area, except some hiking. It was crazy that the Green River flowed right through town, but there were no outfitters in the area. Even the Visitor Center worker said they received a lot of complaints from visitors who wanted to kayak/canoe this river! So we gave up and headed back to camp.

By then we decided to go ahead and stay one more night, then move north to Grand Teton. So the third  day we drove back into Utah and Ashley National Forest to hike the Red Canyon Rim Trail. We had passed this on our way to the campground, but didn’t have the time to stop and hike. It was well worth the 60 mile round trip drive south. We spent a few hours hiking and driving around to explore the forest. There was dispersed camping everywhere, with primitive campsites. It would have been awesome to camp there, but would require boondocking our RV. Maybe in the future if we ever come back to this area, we will consider camping in this forest. It was very beautiful, much better than the reservoir camping.

We were definitely going to move the next day to Grand Teton, so after returning to camp we got everything ready for the move. The drive up there would be about 5 hours, so we needed to get an early start.

Yampa River Valley - Western Colorado

Yampa River State Park –Western Colorado

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We traveled west toward Craig, which took us through Steamboat Springs and through some mountain passes. One particular pass that Kurt was concerned about is right before Steamboat, called Rabbit Ears Pass. This was no problem as the only concern was the downhill grade of 7%, which our F250 handled perfectly. The drive down the mountain provided awesome scenic views. There was one canyon on the way that had high craggy rock walls. It looked amazing! The town of Steamboat Springs was obviously a wealthy area, due to the ski resorts. There were very beautiful homes on the mountain sides and the town had all the amenities needed for tourists. We even made a Walmart stop in town. After continuing to head west, we entered the rolling hills area and the Yampa Valley. The area was mostly ranch lands and a little town of Hayden, with the Yampa River winding back and forth across the road. We arrived at the campground and checked in. The campground was very well organized, with plenty of space between campsites. The sites have nice gravel pads with wooden borders. The picnic table had a metal wind shelter over it, strategically placed for the typical prevailing winds. This was a great idea, as winds would popup at any time. We got the RV setup and then walked down to the river with the dogs. The river access was right along the park. We met the campground host, Dan, who was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. We also spoke with a ranger to get more information on paddling the Yampa. They provided a map with all the access points to the river and told us about one that was upstream about 13 miles above the park. We discussed our options to get on the river. There are no outfitters in the area that could shuttle us. We were both tired from the drive and wanted to get some rest.

The next day, Kurt thought it would be a good idea if he paddled the river first, to see what we could expect. So we drove to the put-in and he floated downstream. The river was very swift and there were some Class 1 rapids in that area. He made the trip by returning right to the river bank at our campground. I drove the truck back to the campsite and waited for him to return. He had predicted it would take about 2 hours. His actual time was 2.5 hours. He did stop a couple of times on a gravel bar to stretch his legs and have a snack. While he floated, I got some housekeeping done.  Kody and Kirby were enjoying the warm sun and sleeping outside. When Kurt returned, I brought the truck to the river parking lot and we took his gear and kayak back to the RV. He loved the trip and said we would definitely both go the next day. We contacted the camp host and asked him if would be able to go with us to the put in and just drive our truck back to the park. He was happy to do this, as he is camp hosting alone right now. We went back to the RV and had some dinner and got ready for kayaking the next day. Kurt had also acquired wood for a campfire, so we decided to sit by the fire for awhile and relax. It was his typical “cracker” fire. It was getting colder, so we went in to get some sleep.

The next morning, we met with Dan and drove to the put in. Our kayaks and gear were packed and ready to go. Dan drove the truck back to the park and we went down the river. This area of the state is a mix of rolling hills, flat mountains, meadows and mostly ranches. We saw some diverse areas along this 13 miles, it was pretty amazing. It was an easy paddle, mostly just steering, and we saw some wildlife. There were 1 bald eagle (flew right over us), 2 golden eagles, pronghorn deer, cattle and horses grazing. It was so relaxing and a lot of fun. This paddle took us 2.7 hours. We really enjoyed getting our kayaks in the water and looking at the countryside out here. When we got back to the RV, the boys were real happy to see us. They have been so good staying in the trailer while we are out.

We wanted to go on a hike and the ranger had told us about a nearby reservoir, Elkhead. She said there were some hiking trails at the lake. We took the dogs and drove up to the lake and found it to be a typical reservoir in a desert environment. The trails were not so great and it was very warm, so we decided to skip this hike. We then drove into the town of Craig to go to Walmart. We wanted to get our shopping done so we wouldn’t have to stop on our drive the next day.
                                                 
Later that day we began getting everything ready to move to our next location. We got the kayaks cleaned up and put back on top of the truck. We were sorry to have only booked three nights there, we had no idea how much we would have enjoyed this area.

Estes Park - Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park – Rocky Mountain National Park

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The drive up to Estes Park was very beautiful, through mountain roads and awesome scenery. Prior to the mountain roads, our new GPS took us off the interstate way too soon. Rather than stay on the highway until the last turn towards the mountains, it took us through Boulder Colorado, right on a busy city road near the college and at lunch time! Wow, we could have done without that detour… After that, the drive was nice going up into the mountains. As we got closer to Estes Park, the Rocky Mountains were visible in the distance. As we approached the town, we were able to see the surrounding beauty of this valley. It’s like a big bowl surrounded by rocky hills and mountains. The Thompson River runs through the valley and right down the middle of downtown Estes Park. Gosh, it’s so beautiful and charming. We drove through downtown Estes Park to get to the campground. Estes Park Campground at Marys Lake is about 3 miles south of town and is a Larimer County campground. Upon arrival, we found our site and got setup. The campground was very dusty, due to the dirt roads and very little grass. The sites were mostly dirt and gravel. It was also pretty windy, so we had to take down the awning and pick up the ground rug. Otherwise, it was adequate with full hook ups.

We decided to take a short drive back into Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to check out the nearby area. We stopped at a couple of pull-offs and saw a black bear along a creek in Beaver Meadow. There were also some elk in the area. After driving just a few miles, we decided to go back to camp and relax for awhile.

The next morning we went for a drive up the Trail Ridge Road which traverses RMNP. This is the road we would be taking on our way westward, towing the RV. We were aware of the road conditions, which are wide two lane with many tight switchbacks. Kurt wanted to be able to get a feel for the drive before we decide to make the drive with the RV. The complete trail is 48 miles long and runs on the mountain ridges, down through mountain valleys, with many steep grades up and down. There are many pull-off overlooks to view the spectacular mountains and valleys. Since we were driving only the truck, we were able to pull off and take pictures and also go on some short hikes up to special overlooks and rocks. This park and mountains are beyond any description. It is so amazing to see mountain peaks with snow on them, beautiful green valleys with creeks/rivers and tundra areas above the tree line. We drove about 30 miles back on the road, until we got to the Continental Divide. There were many wildlife sightings; including yellow-bellied marmots, chipmunks, elk and we even saw a mountain lion. There were also many wild flowers in bloom, which just made it even more spectacular.
At this point, Kurt wanted me to drive on the way back. It was fairly easy and with no problems. We determined that there would be no problem pulling our RV across Trail Ridge Road. There were other RVs traveling the road, which helped us make that decision. After getting out of the park, we drove around Estes Park to check out the large lake and the trails around the town. The city park is huge, with a paved trail around the lake. There was boating access and also a dog park, where they can run off leash. It is such a beautiful town with emphasis on tourist and outdoor activities.
The next day we wanted to go hiking and found a nice trail within RMNP on Deer Mountain. The hike went to a peak on the mountain and was about 3 miles one way. While hiking up the trail, we noticed a wildfire on the back side of a mountain on the other side of the valley. Oh boy, we thought this could mean trouble. After hiking awhile and watching the fire grow larger, we decided to turn around and go back down the trail. The smoke was blowing toward us and we didn’t want to continue to breathe it. After we got back to the truck, we noticed the smoke was dissipating. We were not sure why the fire was slowing down, but it was a good thing. We went back to camp to let the dogs come out for a walk and start Happy Hour!

The next day we spoke with our RV neighbors about hiking and they recommended Gem Lake, an awesome hike up to a mountain lake. We packed a lunch and drove to the trailhead in RMNP. Gem Lake is 4 miles round trip hike with an elevation gain of 1090 feet, up to the lake at elevation 8830. This was an amazing and challenging hike with great views of the Estes Valley. The trail was very well maintained and easy to follow (straight up)! We truly enjoyed this beautiful hike, despite the steep trail. There were so many awesome rock formations to look at and the views were amazing. When we made it to the top, it was a small lake surrounded by huge rock formations. Everyone there was relaxed and having some lunch by the lake. We hung out there for awhile and Kurt was determined to hike up on top of the rocks, but only made it about halfway when his vertigo got the best of him. He decided it wasn’t a smart idea to continue. I did get a picture of him up on the rocks. The hike back down was so much easier and quicker. It was such a great hike and had some spectacular views of Estes Park valley.  What a wonderful hike and a beautiful sunny day!

After we returned back to camp, we decided to take the boys to the dog park in Estes Park. They had been cooped up in the trailer every day we were in the area. Dogs are not allowed on trails within the National Park, so we had no option but to leave them in the RV. However, they don’t mind it too much and it allows them to get some extra sleep! The dog park was wonderful, with fenced areas to run. They also had access to play in the lake if they wanted to. Kirby and Kody had so much fun playing and running with the other dogs. It was so good for them to run off leash. We took them back to camp for their dinner. Later, we drove into downtown Estes Park. It was after dark, but most of the shops and restaurants were open for Saturday night. It was a nice experience to walk around this quaint mountain town. We did a little shopping and I purchased a T-shirt with the Estes Park and RNMP graphics. It was also amazing to see the Thompson River running through the town. There were several beautiful little parks by the river, with places to relax and enjoy the rushing waters.

After returning to camp, we had happy hour and dinner, then began prepping for our departure the next day. We will be heading toward northwestern Colorado to Yampa River State Park. This is over the mountains and down in the rolling hills area, just past Steamboat Springs. Hopefully we will be able to get in a paddle on the Yampa River.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park - Colorado Springs

Cheyenne Mountain State Park - Colorado Springs

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Our drive to Dodge City was on a country highway with great views of farmlands. As we were heading west, we noticed menacing black clouds and thunderheads in the distance. I pulled up the radar on my Droid and found a very large front moving toward us. At that time, the storm was right over Dodge City and there were alerts for severe thunderstorms, with wind gusts up to 60 mph. Also, there was a possibility of moth ball sized hail. Oh boy, this made us very nervous. As we got closer to Dodge City, the storm hit us hard. The wind and rain was driving at us in a broadside direction. This was very scary as we were concerned that the wind might blow over our trailer. Kurt started to pull over on the side of the road, which made us both very nervous. Then we noticed a sign for a small town just a couple of miles ahead and I was able to look at a satellite view of the area. We made it to the town and pulled off the road and parked parallel to some kind of industrial building. We stayed there about 15 minutes, when the wind and rain began to lighten up. We were then able to go forward past the front and the weather was quite nice and cool. We located the Walmart and found two other RVs and some semi-trucks parked. We picked our spot, parked and opened our slides. We then went into Walmart and did some shopping. The evening there was not too bad, we expected it to be noisier. We slept pretty good and got up early to get back on the road. 

We then headed toward Colorado Springs. The drive was very uneventful and actually quite enjoyable. Kurt let me drive as the road was a nice highway and the traffic was minimal. We crossed through the western side of Kansas and were able to view miles and miles of fertile farmlands. The plains of Kansas are amazing with wheat fields as far as you could see. There were many fields of windmills across this part of the state. It was incredible to see some of the wind farms that seemed to go on forever. Wind energy is a no-brainer for this part of the country. We crossed the border into Colorado and after a few hours, we arrived at Cheyenne Mountain S.P. This area is so beautiful; the campground is in the foothills with Cheyenne Mountain behind us and Fort Carson just below us. The campground is one of the nicest we have ever been in. Everything is very neat, clean and organized, with the campsites very well planned. We got setup with full hookups and relaxed for the evening. The weather was beautiful and the skies were cloudless. After dark, we had an awesome view of the city lights. We discussed our plans for the next day. Garden of the Gods was our plan, as it is very close to Colorado Springs.

The next morning, we packed our cooler with lunch and headed out to Garden of the Gods. This is a city owned park which was donated by the original owner’s family to be used for free public access. This park has enormous red limestone formations and boulders. There are paved walking trails throughout the park, with many other hiking and mountain biking trails. We walked the main park trail and took many pictures of the amazing rock formations. The temperature had climbed up in the upper 90’s and was very hot, despite the low humidity. We found the picnic area and a little shade for a nice place to eat our lunch and cool down. Kurt wanted to do some mountain biking, so we drove over to the parking lot by that trailhead. Kurt rode some trails for awhile, and decided not to overdo it. The altitude was affecting our breathing and stamina. We knew this was going to happen, but when you actually experience it, you have to be careful. We decided to head back to camp, cool off and let the dogs come outside. We checked out the trails in the park, but unfortunately dogs are not allowed on any hiking trails in this park. Kurt found some mountain bike trails and decided to ride some. He was having a great time, but the altitude did make him stop sooner than he wanted. After that, we relaxed the rest of the evening and had some dinner. We discussed our plans for the next day and we wanted to go up to Pikes Peak, but the forecast was for very high winds. So we decided to do that the following day. The next day we would go down to Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.

The next morning we got up early, as the drive to Royal Gorge was about 60 miles south. The drive  was through some very lovely farmland and rural communities. The last town before the bridge is Canon (canyon) City. It’s a neat little farming/tourist town. The park was just 12 miles past Canon City. We finally arrived at the park entrance and found a place to park. The entrance fee was kind of steep, $26 per person. But, if you want to play you have to pay the man! This is a privately owned and maintained park. We entered the park and walked across the bridge first. Wow, the winds were very strong and could almost blow you over. I had to hold on to the bridge railings. The bridge is 986 feet above the canyon floor, which is very narrow. The Arkansas River flows through the canyon, with white water rapids. There were rafts below; it looked like it would be fun. We hung out on the bridge, taking our time going across. There were flags from all the 50 states along the bridge. The park had rides that included a tram and zipline that went over the canyon. Those rides cost extra $$. We had no interest in those anyway. The south side of the bridge had a little mock up of a western town. It was kind of cool, with various buildings you might see in an old western town.  After visiting that, we walked back across the bridge and took more pictures. I decided to go back across and Kurt wanted to stay on the bridge with binoculars to look around. I was standing near the north end of the bridge when I noticed a small black plume of smoke on the south side; it looked a few miles away. However, knowing the dry, low humidity and high temp conditions, I knew it couldn’t be good. I waved at Kurt to come off the bridge. We had not yet taken the incline tram down to the bottom of the gorge. We stood at an overlook area and watched the fire expand quickly. At this point, the rangers were running sirens and heading to the south side of the bridge. They were evacuating all the visitors on that side.  We got in line to board the incline. The tram headed down into the gorge.  By the time the tram got to the bottom, they announced that the whole park was being evacuated! Darn, we then had to head back up to the top. It was disappointing that we didn’t get a chance to walk around at the bottom. However, it was quickly becoming a dangerous situation. When we got off the incline car, they were rushing to get everyone out of the park. We were advised to leave in an orderly and quick manner. Many people continued to linger in pull off areas along the road to watch and take more pictures. Kurt did the same once we got about 5 miles away from the park at a tourist business. We took some more pictures and then decided to get out of there since everyone was trying to leave. We made it to Canon City and felt a little more relaxed, even though the smoke was building very fast and moving towards Canon City. We then got back on the highway and headed back to Cheyenne Mountain. By the time we got back to camp, the smoke from Royal Gorge filled the sky in that whole area. The wind was blowing it in that direction. Our eyes and throats were burning from the thick smoke. Unbelievable, as the fire was more than 60 miles away. We turned on the local TV channel and discovered that there was another fire burning just northeast of Colorado Springs, in a rural neighborhood. This neighborhood is called Black Forest and has very large nice homes on about 5 acre lots. We watched the news reports on both fires. The Royal Gorge fire was spreading extremely fast and by the next day, over 3000 acres had been burned. The fire had jumped the gorge and had burned three building structures within the park. Also, the incline rail had been damaged.  We’re so glad that we saw this awesome canyon and bridge when we did. It may be awhile before the park may reopen. The last report was that the bridge did have some minor damage, but not structural.

The rest of the evening we continued to watch news reports on the fires. The Black Forest fire was also spreading very fast and they had not yet been able to contain any of the fire. By the time we left on Thursday, the reports had stated over 300 homes were completely destroyed, but there were no injuries or loss of life. It’s so sad to see people’s homes go up in flames.

The next morning was scheduled for the day to go up to Pikes Peak. The wind was still pretty strong, but not as bad as the previous day. We left the camp around 10 am and headed to Manitou Springs, where the Pikes Peak Cog Railway station is based. The train takes the rail up a slow grade to the peak of the mountain. The ride takes 1.5 hours one way. It was a beautiful view all the way up, with waterfalls, wildlife, views of other mountain peaks and some historical landmarks. The ride was very comfortable and when we got to the top, we were able to exit the train car and walk around for about 40 minutes. They will not allow anyone to stay up at 14,110’ altitude, as it makes some people sick. We even felt a little wiggy if we moved around too fast or bent over and stood up quickly. It was also quite chilly up at the top, we had brought jackets and they were used. Kurt and I took many pictures from the peak and the view was amazing, even though the distance was smoky from the local fires. The ride back down the mountain was about the same, with great views. After returning to the train station, we headed into Manitou Springs to walk around the quaint little old town. There were many shops, restaurants and art galleries. It was a cool little place with a history of gold mining.

We headed back to camp and stopped for a few groceries. That evening we began prepping for the next day’s move on up the road. Our next stop is in Estes Park, Colorado. The drive up there should be awesome through the mountains. We sat outside again and watched the city lights down below the park.

Independence, Kansas

 Independence, Kansas

After a about a seven hour trip, which included our visit to Outdoor World, we arrived in Independence. Kurt’s old buddy, Rob, had called us the day  before and told us about an ACOE campground that is about 3 miles from his house. The campground is on Card Creek, which flows into Elk City Reservoir, where the state park is located. We drove into the campground and found it to be very nice and no one was there other than the camp host. We picked our site, backed up to the creek. The sites were $16 per night, with electric and a water hydrant within hose distance of our site.  We filled the fresh water tank and got all hooked up. We were pleasantly surprised and glad that Rob had reminded Kurt about this place. We unhooked the truck and decided to go into town to Walmart and get food and provisions. We also picked up pizza to take back for dinner, as we didn’t want to cook that night. While in town, Kurt talked to Rob on the phone and arranged for him to come out to our camp when we got back. Rusty had also called and he and Debbie were coming out also. So, our first night was a fun evening of chatting, sharing stories of the good old days in Independence. And of course, we had pizza and adult beverages. The evening ended very late and we crawled into bed after midnight.

The next day we had made plans to go to Rusty and Debbie’s property, where they live in their fifth wheel, when they are not working on the road. Rusty’s family owns quite a few acres back in this lovely valley with a creek running through it, Kurt calls it Woodville, as Wood is their last name. Rusty and Debbie have their piece of land up on a hill that they excavated and built out for their RV. It’s so awesome, with beautiful trees and rocky outcroppings all around. We took a tour of their amazing fifth wheel that they recently had custom built. Man, we would love to someday have an RV like that! Since they live and work from their RV, they have all the comforts of a beautiful home. Rusty drove us down to his parent’s home on the property and we sat around the table telling more stories of the old days. Rusty’s mom, Myrna, is an amazing woman, a regular hard working, caring country woman. It was a hoot listening to all the trouble these boys ran into during their young adult lives! Rusty wanted to drive around the area, go back to Kurt’s farm where he lived as a teenager. They also visited some other friends that Kurt had worked with on the farm. It was so much fun running around the rural area and seeing sights that Kurt grew up around. It is very pretty in this part of Kansas. There are green rolling hills, rivers, creeks and farmland. Rusty and Debbie were going to a grandson’s baseball game, so we headed back to the camper. Rob then came over to visit for the evening. We grilled some chicken and had a fun time hanging out and talking. Another late night, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

For Friday evening, we had made plans for them all to come over for a gathering that night. Rusty called and wanted to meet us for lunch in town at a Mexican restaurant. Rob went into town with us and we all had a nice lunch, then headed back to the campground. Rusty was driving his TBucket, his big toy. Check out the pictures on my Picasa web album. It’s a model T converted to a street rod. It’s beautiful and draws lots of attention from everyone that sees it. Rusty and Debbie were going to run home, then come back to the campground for the rest of the day. When they did return, they were towing the trailer (his rolling garage) with the TBucket. We were all treated to a ride and to drive the car. It was a lot of fun, driving around on the country roads. I’ve never even had a ride in a car like this, let alone drive it! Too much fun. Rob went home to get Gigi, after she got off work. We had so much fun preparing food and drinks! We had a meat feast, with steaks, burgers and pork chops. Everyone brought some food to share. There was so much food that we couldn’t eat it all, so we won’t have to cook for a week! The guys built a huge campfire after dinner and we all hung out telling more stories and having so much fun. Again, another late night, but it was so worth the time that we spent with long-time friends. Now, if we can just get them to visit us in Florida, they will be able to see how we live in the warm winters. (hint, hint)

Before dinner time, someone noticed a snake swimming on the creek toward our campsite! After looking at it, Kurt determined it was a small water moccasin. It came near the shore, then slithered up on a floating log right next to the water’s edge. Luckily, there was a brave Floridian to take care of business, while the local boys sat cowering in their chairs (Kurt’s words). He went closer to inspect it, and decided that we didn’t want that creature sitting there waiting until dark so he could slither up into the camp site. He began throwing large stones to scare it away. Instead, he swam off the log and headed for the shore! Kurt then picked up a huge fire log and smashed the evil creature to death. We were all relieved that he was gone, especially Debbie! Kurt picked up the dead snake and we thought Debbie would pass out. We were able to enjoy the rest of the evening snake free.

We slept in a little the next morning, but we weren’t really in a hurry. We broke down camp and got ready to leave. Rob came by to say farewell, we all had such a great time. Next we’re heading for an overnight flop at a Walmart in Dodge City, Kansas. It is half way to our next stop in Colorado Springs.

Table Rock State Park - Branson, Missouri

Table Rock State Park – Branson, Missouri

As a last minute change of plans, we decided to head to Table Rock S.P. near Branson for three nights. On Sunday, we drove into the park and were allowed to pick the site we wanted. Our site backs up to the lake with a beautiful view and the site is very spacious. The park is beautiful with many amenities and the lake is beautiful. Our view also includes the State Park Marina, which is huge and has a variety of rental boats, from jet skis to 2 story pontoon boats. They have other excursions, like a catamaran cruise and parasailing. It’s quite extensive, with a huge marina store and a restaurant. We soon decided that we  would stay four nights, so we contacted the ranger office and setup that last night’s stay.

We quickly setup the trailer and got settled into place. Both of us immediately loved the camp site and the whole package. It’s hard to explain, but we both felt “at home” here. The park has a paved lake shore trail, with one end at the dam and the other end at the second campground in the park; it’s 2.5 miles one way. Also, within the park there are over 20 miles of biking and hiking trails, which includes 7 miles of mountain biking trails. The Army Corps of Engineers manage the dam and a few lakeshore campgrounds. At the dam is the ACOE Visitors Center, which has dam tours and other educational exhibits. It’s quite a nice building, mostly run by volunteers. We would someday like to volunteer here and spend some more time in the Branson area. We rode our bikes around the park that evening just to check everything out. The dogs also got to go on a short hike on the lake shore trail.

The next morning, we decided to drive into Branson to look around and go to the Bass Pro Shop on the downtown riverfront. We had some items we needed to purchase for our trip. We always love shopping at Bass Pro, all that outdoorsy stuff! We love the hills of this area. Branson city itself is very touristy; it reminds us of International Drive in Orlando. There are many music theatres, restaurants, shopping centers, souvenir shops and other tourist traps; like water parks, mini-golf, go-carts, etc. That part of Branson is not our cup of tea… However, the surrounding area and the lake are the main attractions for us.

We looked into outfitters that could shuttle our kayaks on the river, that they call Lake Taneycomo, which is actually part of the White River basin. We contacted two outfitters and found one that would pick us up at the take-out, then shuttle our kayaks to the put-in, near the dam. This was perfect as we can take our time paddling and arrive on our schedule at the end.

Kurt decided to go “check out” the mountain bike trails. He left the campsite around 3:30. After about two hours, I called him to find out what was taking so long. Well, he took off without a trail map, his hiking GPS or water. All he had was his cell phone, and since the trail goes down into valleys, he didn’t have such a great signal. When I called him he was totally lost and exhausted after riding all the trails. He couldn’t find his way back to the trailhead. I took out a map and was able to explain some trail points to him. About 30 minutes later, he called and said he had found his way out. I had already left to drive to the trail head to “rescue” him.  He got in a lot of trouble from me, regarding going off on a bike ride with nothing that he really needed. Sometimes I wonder if his anxious obsession gets in his own way! Well, he settled down and had some beers! After dinner, Kurt built a nice campfire and we enjoyed that for the evening.

So the next day, Monday, we were able to do the paddle. We put our kayaks in the water at 11:30 and headed downstream. The Corps was releasing water for hydro power, so the current was really whipping. It was really a “float” with steering. The water was crystal clear, ice cold (about 45 degrees) so we couldn’t go swimming or even put our feet in the water. We were able to stop once at a public boat ramp to get out and stretch our legs. Along the river, there were high and low bluffs, many with mansion homes and others just regular houses. Most homes and resorts had floating docks with boats. This river is all about the trout fishing. It was a sunny day and the paddle was very enjoyable. We arrived back at the take-out in about 3 hours. We returned to the campground to hang out and get the dogs out on a hike.

The next day, Tuesday, we hung out around the campsite. I got some housekeeping taken care of and relaxed a little. Kurt went on another mountain bike trail ride and this time he took the map, GPS and water! He was able to ride all the trails in about one hour. So much better when you’re prepared…  Later on, we rode the entire lake shore trail and rode it end to end. It was good exercise. Before dinner, we began prepping for our departure the next morning. When we awoke, it was beginning to sprinkle rain, we were able to get everything packed up before the  heavier rain began. But, here we were again, at the dump station in the pouring rain. We bugged out fast and got on the road to Springfield.

We had a planned stop in Springfield, to visit Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World. This is the original store and is massive! Going in this store is like Disney World for us. The décor and exhibits are amazing and huge! We took many pictures in the store, it was amazing! After that, we stopped for lunch and then headed toward Independence, Kansas. We will be camping on Elk City Lake, near the home of one of Kurt’s old buddies. We will be hanging out with Rob & Gigi. Also, another old friend will be in town, so we can see Rusty & Debbie also.