Boston to Big Sky
- Thread starter ThundahBeagle
- Start date
Stunning outcroppings and cliffs down to the fast moving Gallatin River. The whole Gallatin National Forest all around, Four Corners, the Canyon via rt 191. Also rt 64 going to Lone Mountain and big Sky resort (currently closed) are gorgeous. We want to take pictures all the time. Unreal.
The wedding at Rainbow Ranch was very nice, and right. On. The river.
More pics when I can get them
In the next couple days we will be headed south on 191 to West Yellowstone and into Yellowstone proper. Then Grand Tetons
Thanks for keeping up with our trip
The wedding at Rainbow Ranch was very nice, and right. On. The river.
More pics when I can get them
In the next couple days we will be headed south on 191 to West Yellowstone and into Yellowstone proper. Then Grand Tetons
Thanks for keeping up with our trip
By the way, when in the Gallatin/ Big Sky area, do stop into The Corral. Its food, drink and motel in a log cabin since 1947. Its across from the Rainbow Ranch. We didnt stay there but we had supper and beers, and then breakfast and beers there. Probably the best meal we have had so far on the trip. Ask for John.
This is my idea of the kind of place one should be eating and drinking when in Montana. Night time will see everything from tradesmen to ranchers to hippies to tourists. And all are welcomed
This is my idea of the kind of place one should be eating and drinking when in Montana. Night time will see everything from tradesmen to ranchers to hippies to tourists. And all are welcomed
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We've hit Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. While the weather was good for the Badlands, it was cold and rainy through Yellowstone and the Tetons.
But enjoyable nonetheless!
But enjoyable nonetheless!
I will say, while we were in Big Sky, we saw very few sedans and fewer sport coupes. The bulk of all personal vehicles seemed to be pickup trucks, SUV's, and, if they were cars, they were AWD cars like Subaru and AWD versions of a few other makes.
A lot of vehicles were outfitted for camping or overlanding, too. Here was one of my favorites :
A lot of vehicles were outfitted for camping or overlanding, too. Here was one of my favorites :
Unfortunately we missed the Grand Prismatic. It had darkened and started raining, then snowing. Some of the others on this trip were a bit less hearty and didnt want to get drenched.
We did, however, stop to see Old Faithful. That was a sight. Amazing how it goes off more or less on schedule. The super volcano lying below Yellowstone has laid waste to much of the continent at least 3 times in the past, and I'd hate to see it go off anytime soon! But the show it puts on in the meantime is something to see. As is the lodge built near it.
We did, however, stop to see Old Faithful. That was a sight. Amazing how it goes off more or less on schedule. The super volcano lying below Yellowstone has laid waste to much of the continent at least 3 times in the past, and I'd hate to see it go off anytime soon! But the show it puts on in the meantime is something to see. As is the lodge built near it.
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Wow, that's an amazing trip! Love the pics!
The wife and I are planning to do a trip in september where we're heading west to san diego and following the coast up to seattle and then head east to tetons, yellowstone and over to the badlands and then drop south and head back to louisiana. can't wait to see what you just saw in person. i'm going to go thru your posts again and see what i need to add to our trip...
The wife and I are planning to do a trip in september where we're heading west to san diego and following the coast up to seattle and then head east to tetons, yellowstone and over to the badlands and then drop south and head back to louisiana. can't wait to see what you just saw in person. i'm going to go thru your posts again and see what i need to add to our trip...
Thanks, Grub! There is a lot I might do differently, but I'm very pleased overall with this experience. Your trip sounds exciting! Let me know if I can give you any details. For us, we hit rainy, windy and snowy weather almost the whole time. Cant be helped but it did change the dynamics - and we altered our route because of it.
We had fine weather for the Badlands of S. Dakota and for the unexpected camping in Colorado, though. And while it was cold and spritzed a bit during the outdoor wedding on the Gallatin River, it held off enough for the ceremony and the reception was held in a big tent. During the return home, we detoured greatly from the plan, looking for warmer camp possibilities. So we dipped into Colorado and passed through Pawnee Grasslands. We then had the worst experience ever at a private "campground", which may have had "bear" in the name. That "campground" (near a Ramada) was so bad, that we left even after paying and found a spot at Sterling state park in Colorado instead. Sterling was a nice state campground next to a lake. Nice sunsets and nice sunrise, but very exposed to winds, so bring a tarp.
Anyway, we moved on through Nebraska and promptly received weather alerts for tornadoes to our south, and quarter sized hail to our north. As we pounded pavement eastward, there was a defined line of dark grey clouds right on our tail. So, in a search for warmer camping, we got worse weather. With that, we kept running east. The wind and rain was constant. We stopped in Ohio for some rest and while there was no more threat of tornado, the wind and rain were relentless. That lasted 8 states - all the way to Boston.
But we still had a hell of a time. Gallatin, Yellowstone, the Tetons...these places are not jewels in a crown, they ARE the entire crown. Magnificent terrain and unusual features. Around every corner was another ghasp. They were well worth the drive. I'd like to go back, so I can see the places I missed and take more time where I know it's good. But that's part of the adventure.
I now have an even better idea what to bring and how I can configure my truck for the next time.
At first, I over-built my platform and drawer system in the bed of the truck. Then I pared it down. Got rid of the drawers and bottom plywood, and used plastic totes on little wheels that happened to fit in the corrugated tracks in the truck bed. We saved a little space and weight. We did wind up carrying more than I wanted anyway, and every night we camped in the back, we had to move things out of the bed and onto the back seat of the truck. That would be a cooler, camp pots and pans that we didnt realy use. Camp plates and mugs that we didnt really use. A second, smaller cooler wound up living in the back seat behind the driver's seat. I kept 5 Nalgene bottles of water there for easy access. We brought too many clothes because there was a wedding involved and we wanted to be sure we would have appropriate attire, whatever the weather. Lots of extras we didnt end up needing. I would like to minimize that going forward. Try to have everything I need in a tote under the platform, or not bring it. It was almost as much as not having a platform back there and pitching tent for camping instead. But the little lady appreciated having a hard shell over our heads instead of just a tent, and we both appreciated that we could stretch out when we slept. The dog appreciated it too, as he would wiggle into the sleeping bags or lie down on our feet.
Next time, I would definitely make more solid plans. I tried to be fluid about it, since my brother in law was meeting us at Sioux Falls, and I wasnt sure if my nephew or sister would be available, and what days, and such. But looking back, none of us had a solid plan. We were all winging it. A more solid plan could have let us see more of what we wanted to see, and anyone who wished to join us could assess and decide if they would. We ended up having a good time winging it with my brother in law, but may have been able to see more, if we had mapped things out a little clearer ahead of time. Even still, the best laid plans get foiled, and the weather was a big factor for most of us. So things would have gone different than the plan no matter what.
Wow, I had no idea weather would be that bad this time of year. That says a lot, though that weather was that bad and you still had a great time.
The wife and I are going like you did for the most part...Tundra with a shell and platform and I did get a swing away hitch carrier a while back that I used doing a week out at Black Gap. I carry the ice chest and water cans on it and free up the back seats, which is dedicated for clothes. Since I'm leaving the camp trailer behind, we can stealth camp at a Walmart or truck stop or where ever if needs be.
I'm going to take some time to digest your posts and pics and bounce that off of a map and get a little better idea of a route now. I will be hitting you up for more info!
Glad you had a fun and safe trip and all went well...that sounds like a LOT of miles you logged!
The wife and I are going like you did for the most part...Tundra with a shell and platform and I did get a swing away hitch carrier a while back that I used doing a week out at Black Gap. I carry the ice chest and water cans on it and free up the back seats, which is dedicated for clothes. Since I'm leaving the camp trailer behind, we can stealth camp at a Walmart or truck stop or where ever if needs be.
I'm going to take some time to digest your posts and pics and bounce that off of a map and get a little better idea of a route now. I will be hitting you up for more info!
Glad you had a fun and safe trip and all went well...that sounds like a LOT of miles you logged!
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I could probably have used a hitch-carrier for water and the cooler. In the summer I might think the cooler would get too warm but this past trip...maybe it would have been fine most of the time.
Our back seat was reserved for Scout the ThundahBeagle, so we had to make clothes fit in the bed. Except the clothes for the wedding, which we hung from the hanger of the back seat, covered with a few dry cleaners bags. That second smaller cooler sat there as well, preventing the dog from messing up the clothes.
I know I didnt post much during the trip itself, and a lot of them are just one liners like "here's Deadwood", but I've got more details, obviously. Including the Pancake Challenge at Midtown Cafe in Newton Iowa (which I did not win, by the way), and how people climbing into the back of the truck tended to grasp the piston of the cap hatch and what I might do about that..so I may post more here but if theres anything on your mind, plug away and I'll answer best I can. Your plans sound epic.
Already planning for next time.
