The first 8 days, home to West Yellowstone

2011 Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, Little Bighorn trip

Mon. Aug 29, Day 1 – Cloudy & cool, but sunny once over border @ Camping World
Out of storage @ 141995 by 12:30 and we hit the border line up @ 1:15. We cleared by 2:15, then into Camping World to meet up with Rod & Vicki @ 142099 by about 3 PM. We got a power spot then drove into Burlington to get groceries & a phone for Rod. Due to problems with TracFone it took ages to get set up due to the phone system being down &/or inaccessible, then we did some grocery shopping & came home. At Target I saw a VCR/DVD combo for $99, it measured 17 inches wide, just enough to fit in RV. I will look in other Targets & maybe a WalMart or Best buy. At least they have the unit down here. At approx. 9:15 pm, while Sheila was out with Rod walking the dog, Yvonne phoned to say they had just crossed the border and were coming straight to Camping World. They arrived just after 10 & had tea with us before turning in. I did a check on the distance from our RV storage to the Hwy 13 turn off, (road to Aldergrove/Lynden crossing), It is 29 kms via the Golden Ears bridge and 48kms, (19 kms further), to go back to the Port Mann Bridge.


Tues. Aug 30, Day 2—Some Cloud in AM, only 62 F, slight sprinkles at start of route, sunny & very hot in PM in eastern Washington @ Sunnyside RV Park, WA
Out of Camping World & down to Fred Meyer to gas up. Pump cut off at $125 but it’s almost full. Out at 10:30 but Sheila couldn’t find her Focus keys so down to Target, no luck so finally off at 10:45. Up & over Snoqualmie Pass with a lunch stop at the top on a side road off the hwy, 12:45 – 1:15. Up & down several passes, all between 2300 to 2600 ft. Into Sunnyside RV Park in Sunnyside WA at 3:25 @ 142478 kms. We all went to the municipal outdoor pool for a swim & discovered that it had a water slide, good for adults, a few twists & a good drop, (Sheila counted the stairs up – 29). She did 4 runs, I did two, and Paul did about 3. It was a long pool so lots of room for laps, the water was nice & warm, and the change room showers were heated. Rod, Paul, Yvonne road their bikes down & we three drove. $3 admission and they provided storage bags for you stuff with a wrist band to ID it for free. We went down about 5:55 & were back by a bit before 7. Had supper individually, then we met in Paul & Yvonne’s new-to-them trailer. It’s a bit longer, about 4 feet or so & it has a huge slide so it’s really quite spacious—a good place for all 6 of us to meet to discuss things. Sheila then went for a walk in the dark with Paul, Yvonne, and Rod.

Distance covered – 375 Kms – 233 miles. On the road-- 4 hrs 10 min.


Wed. Aug 31, Day 3 sunny all day, windy, cooler @ Oregon Trails RV, OR, cold wind
We’re away Sunnyside RV Park, Sunnyside, WA by 9:45 @ 142478. Gas stop at Arco @ 142482, only a $100 fill, as Arco is “cash only,” so not full. Stop was 9:55 to 10:05. Non stop run from there to “Oregon Trails West RV Park,” West Baker City. In @ 1:30 @ 142798. We had a late lunch (2:30-3pm), then drove up to the Nat’l Monument Oregon Trail Interpretive Centre. Rod went with Paul & Yvonne, Vicki stayed at the campsite with Foxy. They had the covers on the display replica wagons outside this visit, so they looked like the real “Prairie Schooners”. We all took several photos there. Paul & Yvonne agreed with the rest of us that it is a very interesting & well set-up museum.
We were back to RV for supper by 6:30. After a short walk around the campground, (us, Yvonne, Rod & Foxy), we returned to our respective RVs. Sheila did her food & activity inventories while I did computer work. They have a 1 day free WiFi hook-up with camping.

Distance covered – 320 Kms - 200 miles. On the road, 3 hrs. 45 min. Ave 53 mph, 85kph


Thurs. Sept 1, Day 4 sunny & warm, mid 70’s in Twin Falls @ Anderson Camp RV, ID
We left Oregon Trails RV 9:45 @ 142798. Gas stop at a Pilot just before crossing into Idaho. In @ 142916 @ 11:55, out 12:10. I used Ken’s Birthday present WorldMark Amex gas card worth $75.00, I got 20.5 USG, (77 litres) so that works out to about 97 cents per litre not counting exchange. Thanks Ken! We crossed the Snake River into Idaho & stopped at a rest area for lunch, (stopped 12:15 to 12:45), then Sheila took over driving for a while. We also changed time zones & lost an hour. We changed back after Sheila drove for about an hour, 1:15 to 2:15. Arrived at Anderson Camp RV Park @ 3:50 @ 143210. We selected a spot and saved 2 for the others, then went for a swim in the pool. It was nice, not hot but OK to just go straight in. After supper, we all went to a large apricot tree and picked a bunch, the office had said to help ourselves, so we did. Then we had a Frisbee game with me, Sheila, Rod & Paul. Sheila made some amazing catches. Sheila stewed some of the apricots.

Distance covered – 412 kms – 256 mile. On the road 4 hrs 50 mins.

Sheila drove 1 hour.



Fri. Sept. 2, Day 5 – Sunny & hot – 78 F @ Anderson Camp RV Park, ID
After breakfast, we all piled into P & Y’s pick-up & headed to the Shoshone Ice Caves 17 mi. north of the town of Shoshone on Hwy 75. Driving time from the cmpgrnd was approx. 1 ¼ hrs. We arrived @ 12:10, but the next tour wasn’t until 1:00 so we went to their small museum. The guided tour lasted about an hour—we were the only ones on it, and covered 3/4 mi. Our guide—the owner of the property was very knowledgeable. We learned that 2/3 of Idaho, mostly the south, was volcanically active at one time, but that the last volcano erupted 2000 years ago. The “cave” is actually a 20,000 yr. old lava tube 90-120 ft. below ground through which a prevailing wind blows. It is 3 blocks long, 30 ft. wide & 40 ft. high. The wind enters the tube through a narrow opening, and is sucked out another opening by the wind blowing across the entrance hole. The air rapidly expands inside the cave creating cooling temperatures of 28-33 degrees F. This has frozen the water in the cave, (which has soaked through the porous rock above) creating an ice floor 1000 ft. long & 8 - 30 ft. in depth. Getting down into the cave was quite challenging for Bren because he hadn’t brought his cane & many of the steep, hand-hewn steps to the mouth of the cave did not have railings. Once inside, the going was relatively easy because there were railings and planked walkways over the water & ice. It was quite dark though, artificial lights were used sparingly—one had to trust that the planked walkways were even & free of holes! There were a couple of stalagmites but they were just lava rock, not ice. The only ice was underfoot—not what some of us expected. When we were above ground again, our guide pointed out a volcanic hill in the distance, & told us that in the 1800’s, all of the buildings in the nearby town of Shoshone were built from plates of the lava rocks we were walking past because there are no trees in S. Idaho, (due to the lava flows covering the area there is no dirt, the grass & sagebrush grows into the holes in the lava flow – organic breakdown over the yeas has provided enough soil for the sage brush but not trees). We also learned that, in addition to being the largest lava ice cave known, it is also the lowest elevation ice cave.

After the tour, we headed back to the cmpgrnd, noticing as we drove thru Shoshone, the older buildings made of lava rock. Once back, we rested, (R & V, P & Y) or swam in the pool, (us), before meeting at the Golden Corral for dinner. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food there, and agreed it’s the deal of a lifetime—only $9.99 for seniors for an all-you-can eat buffet which offers steak, pot roast, seafood, multi salads & desserts, Chinese & Mexican food. Bren & I headed to Winco for groceries, while the others drove to Shoshone Falls. By the time we got there it was almost 8 pm & getting dark, so we decided it wasn’t worth the $3.00 gate charge to drive down to see the falls. There’s always tomorrow.

Back at Andersons we played a few hands of bridge before bed. Yvonne is feeling like she’s getting a cold, so they may not be coming to Sun Valley with us.


Sat Sept 3 Day 6 sunny, hot, mid to high 70’s Anderson RV Park, ID
We are off to Sun Valley Ski Resort today. Yvonne isn’t feeling well so they aren’t coming. I filled up the Focus at the Flying J & got their FFA loyalty card. As we approached Sun Valley we saw a large line of stopped cars, then we saw a sign “for Sun Valley take Elkhorn road”, so we did. After a lot of driving around the back roads not knowing were we were I was getting extremely frustrated & annoyed. We did see the Dollar Mt ski area & lifts right down at road level, it is the beginner or intermediate hill. Finally came to a large busy parking area with police directing so I asked. Turns out there is a Wagon Days parade today, lots of closed roads. He directed us to the Sun Valley Village area. Once there we parked & wandered around the Village. It is sort of like the Whistler Village idea park in a large lot, then get around on foot. Two places we checked for lunch didn’t open until supper time. We finally found somewhere to have lunch, at Gretchun’s, (named after a US ski team champion), in Sun Valley Lodge, built in 1936 when the resort was opened. We ate out on the covered patio looking at an ice rink about 30 feet away that had some figure skaters in their show outfits practicing as well as public skating. As it was now just before 3PM we wandered back to the car & headed home. At home I went to the nice heated pool while Sheila drove off to find Shoshone Falls and maybe swim in the nearby lake. After swimming I sat & we all chatted until after dark. Sheila finally returned well after dark. Yvonne got her a bowl of soup/stew & we played bridge again before turning in.


Sun Sept 4 Day 7 another nice day
Today we pull out & head for the Craters of the Moon National Monument camp ground. Dumped Blk & grey tanks & filled fresh water tank. Out Anderson Camp RV @ 11:25 @ 143210 and into Flying J @ 11:37 @ 143226 to fill up, then back onto hwy 93 @ 11:50. Arrived craters of the Moon 1:25 @ 143359. Stopped at visitor centre & did a ranger talk then off to the campground. Rod & Vicki had already arrived & picked out a nice spot. Unhooked and went around the loop drive stopping at the North Crater Flow Trail (.3 mile = .5 km), then at Spatter Cone trails, I went up one, (both trails under 300 feet long), & Sheila went up the other. At Inferno Cone Rod walked up the cinder cone to the top, (elevation gain 164 feet), but I didn’t as ground was fine particles which could have unsecure footing on the way down. We finished the loop drive and came home. After supper we went down to the ranger talk at the Amphitheatre, it compared food & cooking to the volcanic area, it was quite interesting & fun.


Mon Sep 5 Day 8 sunny & warm all day & even into West Yellowstone
Rod & Vicki left early to have their battery &/or propane system checked out. We drove down to the Spatter Cones & walked the trail to the volcano cone, (snow cone). It was quite steep & loose cinders, going up was OK but coming down required small steps & lots of leaning on my hiking pole pushed into the cinders. It was fine, just slow. While I came back Sheila walked further over the loose cinder footing on the edge of the volcano cone. I walked up the other Splatter Cone from yesterday that Sheila did. We then drove to another short (.5 mile) hike and returned home to have lunch & leave. We pulled out @12:40 @ 143360, pulled off hwy for 10 mins as Sheila wanted to see St Anthony town. We pulled into Wagon Wheel RV in West Yellowstone @ 4:10 @ 143657. Everyone was here already. After supper us & Paul/Yvonne went for a walk and then played Bridge.