Campervaning in the USA.
Campervaning in the USA.In the US they are "RV's" (Recreational Vehicles), to the rest of the world "Campervans".
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"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." - Paine [1737-1809]
Part 6 - Wyoming - Junk, Hoback River & The Big Tits NP.
WARNING - In the Section on the Grand Tetons, there are photos of large bare female breasts if you scroll down. Don't even read this page if the sight of big tits offends you. Consult a psychiatrist urgently! All other photographs on this page are original © photos taken by the author. Unfortunately I didn't take the photos of the big tits.
SONPS (Safe Overnight Parking Spots) AKA "Boondocking" in the USA. - Symbol
Fuel in Wyoming is cheaper than Utah, gasoline in Green River was $1.26, further along the back roads into Wyoming $1.48, so fill up in Green River, we didn't. We followed I80 west to exit 83 and took WY372 across to US189. This is a desolate boring drive through oil field country.
The small towns such as La Barge along the way are prime examples of rural deprivation and poverty, unappealing shanty towns where most of the inhabitants live in mobile homes or RVs. The only thing there seems to be a lot of is JUNK, everywhere! The only things to break the monotony along the way were a few herds of deer along the roadside.
Along US189, not so interesting country. ©
There are no SONPS from Green River to beyond Marbleton, and we eventually boondocked in a roadside parking bay on US189, on our way to Jackson. We are heading for The Grand Tetons (The Big Tits! I love big tits!) and Yellowstone NP, and any other route would be a better one than this, totally boring from Green River on. Sometimes you have to accept a third rate SONP, but at least it's free, and you don't have to make bookings and follow a schedule.
The west of the US has some areas of unrivaled natural scenic grandeur, interspersed with miles of monotony, but as far as the man made, or built, environment is concerned, it is with very few exceptions, a cultural and aesthetic desert, as barren as any place on earth. Even the major towns are with few isolated exceptions architecturally sterile and repetitive, concrete blockhouse commercial and unremarkable stereotype houses, and RV parks. The mythology of the Wild West, and its history, has a strong romantic appeal particularly to Americans themselves, but if this was once the land of Buffalo Bill, Hopalong Cassidy and The Lone Ranger, then much of it is remembered as a fantasy, for the modern reality now appears to be a bleak and impoverished existence for many of those who still inhabit the small backwater towns.
There are here in the west the true modern equivalent of the mediaeval surf class, living in shanty houses, or old no longer mobile homes and RVs that probably haven't moved in ten years, inevitably surrounded by so much junk that it looks, in some really bizarre cases, as if they live in a rubbish tip, surviving on welfare and food stamps. I'm glad I'm just passing through!
It is, in my opinion, for the appreciation of the natural environment, magnificent scenery and wildlife, and for those things alone that the international tourist would come here.
13/5/2002 Monday, US189 Parking Bay, WY.
Although the area itself where US189 passes is rather boring, we are surrounded by the distant high peaks of the continental divide, and the scenery improves rapidly as we head towards Jackson WY. After joining US191 which runs with US189 the scenery is again interesting, and we begin to follow a river, and there are trees. Trees are an unusual sight after weeks of desert!
After entering the Bridger -Teton National Forest we come across an excellent SONP (boondock). A short way (maybe several 100 meters) before mile marker 115, where US191/189 crosses the Hoback River at a bridge just meters before the Teton County Line (marked by a sign) a track leads off sharply to the right, and follows the Hoback River on the opposite side from the road. It is probably an old road section. There are no signs, (in May 2002) although there are numbered campsites, possibly an old campground abandoned for some reason, and we decide to stay for a day or two. We can camp beside a river for free and catch up on minor maintenance jobs on Bounder, Sharon can do her scrapbook, and housekeeping and washing, and its FREE! There is another National Forest campground about half a mile further along towards Jackson, on the left of the road, which of course was still locked up.
We are in no hurry to head further north into The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone NP as it is still not yet summer and some areas are still closed. In fact the "lock it up" mentality which has picnic areas and forest campsites still closed in mid May, is a bloody pain in the arse. A few more Americans ought to invest in a good pair of bolt cutters and show the lock up manic bureaucrats what do do with their dammed padlocks and "closed" signs!
An Aerial view of The Grand Tetons!
We have come further, far quicker, than we intended, as many of the scenic highlights have been only that, and there have been few really appealing places to camp for a few days. This boondock beside a river, complete with trees and relaxing atmosphere is vastly superior to many of the barren, locked up and closed, so called fee area campsites we have passed in the last few days.
14/05/2002 Tuesday, Hoback River, Bridger -Teton NF, WY.
It must be the thought of being near the Grand Tetons (French for Big Tits, and originally named by French fur trappers. I love the French view of things!) that inspired a wonderful dream last night. I recall vividly dreaming of a group of naked women in a race, all endowed with magnificent tits. Some holding their breasts as they ran to keep them from wobbling too much, others with huge tits swaying rhythmically. One black woman had enormous elongated nipples on firm unusually pointed protruding tits. Freudians would probably interpret this as phallic symbols seeking the breast. Being a breast fetishist from way back, as well as an amateur student of Freud, I must say I enjoyed it all immensely. The recall of such details of a dream must be because of an intense personal interest in the subject, that is, like most men, I'm a breast fetishist.
The Grand Tetons - from the South!
Apart from the above diversion, we enjoyed an undisturbed night, with little passing traffic on the other side of the river.
Hoback
Riverside Boondock, Wyoming, where all this titillating stuff was writ. ©
Cursed be the damned cheating and incompetent auto mechanics, who have crossed my path, may a thousand head studs snap off, and may all their nuts be burred and cross threaded for a hundred years. That's apart from all the customary plague and pestilence usually accorded to such despised toe rags in any good curse!
Today I did my own oil and filter change. Simplest and cleanest ever with the special sealed oil collection pan I bought in Wal-Mart for $6.88, and a filter for $1.97, and oil at $4.17 for 5 quarts. Even changed the oil in the Onan generator. Now I know it's done right, without any cheating or overcharging, almost setting fire to Bounder, or simply doing nothing and still charging more than promised. I have all the oil in the old oil bottles and I'll leave it at a service station for proper disposal. Mileage 24,434. We have done just over 3000 miles in Bounder and although this is the minimum oil change interval, and it looked almost new oil when we took delivery, now I know it's right and can let it go for 6,000 miles next time. So if you buy Bounder, you'll know it has been properly serviced. Even greased the suspension with the $9.95 grease gun also from Wal-Mart.
Bounders MPG has improved to 7.78 since the fuel pump was replaced, we must have been loosing quite a bit of petrol for a couple of days.
15/5/2002 Wednesday, Hoback Riverside Boondock, WY
More relaxing, cleaned all the tail light lenses and fixed one that wasn't working,
time to work on this website, I love being able to do as we please, and no hurry
to be anywhere, and no one to tell me what I have to do, that's why we like
campervan holidays.
When we have particularly enjoyed a campsite as in the present case, it is our custom to clean up the rubbish that the peasants ("pisants", who are truly revolting, all over the world, and in the absence of a contemporary supply of horse thieves should all be strung up!) have left behind them. We have done this in Spain, in Australia, and other places, and today we spent a couple of hours picking up small pieces of rubbish that had been left around this otherwise delightful site. This is a free campsite, and this is our payment. User fees be dammed.
16/5/2002 Thursday, Hoback Riverside Boondock, WY
Time to move on from this delightful free place of rest and head to Jackson.
There are a number of suitable roadside boondock spots along US189 heading towards
Jackson, including a large view area on the RHS a few miles along from where
we camped. However the spot we found appeared to be the best in the area.
Jackson is very much a seasonal tourist town, with an old west theme of boardwalk footpaths and period architecture. Lots of shops selling tourist junk and expensive trinkets that we never buy and aren't interested in. I remember it from 1978 when we spend a night here on our way from The Grand Tetons NP to Twin Falls Idaho as quite an impressive place, because it then almost completely followed the theme. It has grown a lot and some parts of the new don't blend in with the old theme. It is the only town of any size we have come across in since entering Wyoming, which is a sparsely populated state with under half a million inhabitants at the last census in 2000. Petrol was $1.46 a gallon, 21 cents dearer than in Green River.
We needed to restock food and found an Albertson's and a Food Town supermarket. Shopping at both we found the Food Town to be cheaper and that Albertson's was again relatively expensive, an impression developed after several visits to their supermarkets in various states on this tour.
You should fully restock your van with food and fuel in Jackson if heading north to the Tetons and Yellowstone, everything will be dearer in the parks, although there are stores selling fuel and most things you will need in both parks, at a price. Gasoline $1.44 in Jackson $1.56 in Tetons N P. There are no major towns in the parks area apart from Jackson. If approaching from other directions restock at the last big town such as Cody if coming from the east, Butte or Billings in Montana.
The best value in supermarkets appears to be at Wal-Mart Supercenters, and it is worth really stocking up your vehicle with non perishables when you come across one. The last we saw was in Vernal Utah.
After shopping
I called the travel insurance company in Sydney regarding Sharon's medical bills,
only to find all the papers we posted on April 29th haven't arrived, and we
had apparently been told to send them to the wrong address. With all this bungling
we have to now photo copy it all again and send off another lot, this takes
up the rest of the afternoon. It's late and seeing another RV in Albertson's
car park, I decide to ask the manager if it is OK to park overnight. No
problem, so there's a good boondock in Jackson. Potable
water can be obtained from a tap at the side of the Sinclair gas station on
Broadway, the main highway through town.
Dollar Parity, the concept that despite the exchange rate, what costs a dollar in Australia still costs a dollar in the USA, and which I have mentioned before, is proving to be generally fairly true as we gain more experience of food prices in the US. You can count on spending as many US dollars on food as you would Australian Dollars at home. So as it will cost you A$2 to buy US$1, your food costs, assuming you buy much the same things here as at home will be about double what you usually spend.
Of course for Americans visiting Australia it means that almost everything will be half price, compared to US costs.
Some things are cheaper in the US. A bottle of bourbon whisky is around US$7 to $9 unless you insist on buying big name brands, which aren't any better that lesser known US distilleries, you are just paying for the name. Try some of the cheaper brands, they are excellent such as Walkers Deluxe or Early Times Bourbon. Californian bottled wines are available at dollar parity prices of $4 to $10 a bottle, and Carlo Rossi brand wines come in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) glass jugs for around $7 on special to $9, are about the best value for money. The cost is comparable to the dollar parity cost of Australian cask wine at about A$10 a 4L cask.
Because it was late by the time we got through the day we had our first Wendy's hamburgers, about $2.40 to $3.50 each and chips at $1.10 a small serving, extends the dollar parity concept to fast food, which we don't often go in for. Buffet meals at around $8 a head are probably the best bargain, and are widely available in the cities.
17/5/2002 Friday, Jackson WY The
public library provides a good free Internet service in Jackson. The Grand
Tetons NP starts only a few miles north of town, although the entrance station
is further north. Some of the campgrounds are STILL closed, but the one at Signal
Mountain is open, and charges $12 a night. There is an RV dump station
and potable water, accessible without having to stay at the campground.
There were still some vacant sites in the late afternoon and we decided to stay,
only our fourth paid night since starting this tour.
Jenny Lake, Grand Tetons NP ©
Signs along the road near the park boundary say no camping, but there are a number of side roads and turnouts off the main road, and if the rangers don't bother to check them all religiously every evening to hound people out, they would be worth trying as boondocks. Pick one that is well off the main road and not visible therefrom. As with all NPs there will not be enough campsites in the park during the peak summer season and it seems just bureaucratic nonsense to go round hassling RVs for parking in safe places well off the traffic lanes. The National Parks would be better off if they sacked half the rangers and spent more on campground facilities and offered cheaper camping.
Although we have a one year National Parks pass the ranger at the entrance station isn't satisfied with that and wants to see additional identification! First time in any NP we have been to. Obviously they are all told that revenue raising is the most important job, and heaven forbid that anyone should get away with loaning out their pass to a friend or relative. The fee to enter the park is $20 per vehicle for a weeks pass, but even to go in for half a day it is the same, if you don't have an annual pass (which costs $50).
The rangers come around the campsite to check on payment slips (which you attach to a post with a large bulldog clip supplied) and remove the slips, about 8AM, and when we arrived the previous evening it was around 5PM and self registration applied. Timing is everything.
The Grand Tetons, from the park road. ©
Signal Mountain Camp has pleasant treed individual sites (limit 30 foot vehicles) but a small number of them are barricaded off for restoration and repair, meaning they need half a yard of crushed rock and a few hours work by rangers with rakes and shovels to fix up. Get some of the rangers out of the visitors centers and do some useful work. There are fire rings and BBQ grates (on the ground) and a picnic table at each site, but you have to supply your own wood, which means bring your own as you aren't allowed to gather wood in the park, despite the fact that they have to have fuel reduction burning in many parks, and away from the campsites there is so much fallen timber that you can hardly walk among it in some places. The design of the BBQ means that you need to start a bonfire to cook anything, and we found them impractical. Many Americans do start large blazing fires in these fire rings at night, but more for a sort of campfire wilderness ritual than cooking. The National Parks service ought to reconsider the design of BBQs and use an elevated small partly enclosed firebox with an efficient flu that would not only be at the right height to cook on, but would be far more fuel efficient and thus release a lot less smoke and air pollution.
The main scenic attractions are the mountains, wildlife and the lakes, and there are a number of walking trails. The free maps and park newspaper provided at the entrance station give few details of the walks, they seem to expect you to buy additional information, even after paying to enter. Most walking trails are concentrated around Jenny Lake and Colter Bay on Jackson Lake. The best time to see wildlife is early morning or evening in the two hours before sundown. To see the wildlife get off the main tourist road. Where wildlife is seen on the main road tourists stop their cars still in the traffic lanes with little concern for safety and get out to take photos. There must be quite a few accidents in the busy summer period.
18/5/2002 Saturday, Signal Mt Camp, Tetons NP WY. Melting
snowdrift remnants still lie around the campsite, and the nights and early mornings
are still very cold, although the days are pleasantly warm if the sun is out.
Boondocks
in/near Tetons NPRefer to the free National Park map given out at the entrance stations to locate the following boondock spots in or close to the park.
Apart
from the main roads through the park, there are side roads where you can get
away from the summer traffic jams, and we decided to explore the Pilgrims
Creek Road (several miles south of Colter Bay Village). It's a little rough
and corrugated in places but taking it slow our 28 foot Bounder made it easily,
and in about a mile and a half you come to a hunters camp at the end of the
road. On the map the road is marked as continuing into the National Forest but
the National parks administration with their cursed lock it up mentality have
put a gate across the track and from the regrowth no one has ventured beyond
for years. It is a pleasant place beside a river, and I am sure you could
camp here undisturbed in an RV for at least a night. I can't believe rangers
would come in here hounding tourists out in the evening. In any case if they
did, use this answer, our son, daughter, cousin, aunt or whatever has gone walking
and we are expecting him/her back about sundown, then we are heading into Jackson
to our motel. Give no hint that you might spend the night there and you'll be
OK. Here we met an informed American couple scouting for boondocks who gave
us lots of information on other places where you can stay FREE near or in the
park, which we are about to reveal to you.
Pilgrims Creek, remote road in Tetons NP. There is a hunters camp and horse yards there, so why not an RV or two for a night. ©
The best is along the Pacific Creek Road which leaves the
main road a mile or two north of the Moran entrance station. This leads six
miles to the National Park boundary and the Teton National Forest, and
along Pacific Creek where you can camp free for up
to 16 days. The road is paved for part of the way and then becomes
a bit rough, but OK for RV's if you are experienced at rough road driving. Just
go SLOW! Just beyond the NP boundary there is a large grassy park like area
extending along the creek for a mile or two, where there are many tracks in
to campsites.
Coyote tracks along the Pacific Creek Road, near our boondock ©.
Pacific Creek, Park like boondocking spots extend for a mile along the creek. ©
We explored a number of sites and boondocked at one close to the
creek. A herd of several dozen Elk passed by only 200 meters from our camp,
but were frightened off by a car on the road before I could get any good photos.
There are numerous animal droppings and clear tracks abound including Elk, Moose
and Cheater. Frequent signs warn that this is Grisly Bear country. At the end
of the road where walking and/or 4WD trails start there is a National Forest
Campground, with a sign "US Fee Area", though what the fee is I don't
know. It was half flooded with waters from the melting snows, and the areas
that are free further down Pacific Creek are much nicer anyway.
Another area
to boondock is at the end of the Schwabacher Road (west off the main
road further south towards Moose Junction, although this is in the NP and ain't
fully legal. Well damn their regulations, there aren't enough campsites in the
parks anyway so what are people to do. It is just an overnight boondock, no
trees or shelter, but excellent views of the Tetons. It can be seen from the
main road, so wait until dark before you park there to ensure you aren't disturbed
by over eager beaver rangers. Good all weather dirt road into the parking area,
also used for raft launching for river trips on the Snake River.
Another spot
is in the Teton NF along the Shadow Mountain Road just outside
the national park boundary near Antelope Flats accessed via Antelope
Flats Road which leaves the main road a couple of miles north of Moose Junction.
There are herds of Bison to be seen along this road, particularly at night,
and in the early morning. Many more free NF campsites into the hills, but 4WD
is recommenced in all but dry summer conditions. There are also turnouts along
Antelope Flats road where you can boondock overnight and look for Bison.
Along the
road through the National Elk Refuge north of Jackson, that runs along
the north side of Flat Creek, a shot distance after in leaves the refuge
and enters the Teton National Forest. No Elk seen, not very attractive
boondock, and it's 4WD to get down to Flat Creek, where there may be better
sites.
Elk on Pacific Creek Road, Teton NF. (Taken from our camper van window).
19/5/2002 Sunday, Pacific Creek, Tetons National Forest.
We awoke to the sight of two Elk grazing along the roadside about 75 meters
from our van. Still bleary eyed I was able to get a couple of photos, some out
of focus, as was my vision at this still too early time of the morning. The
days are sunny and warm, we are wearing shorts some of the time, even though
there are still some small snowdrifts around.
Few cars come along the road all day, until near evening when some come out looking for wildlife. Just like back home, or even a short distance from StMark's Square in Venice, few tourists stray far from the beaten path. Most people are sheep, and just follow the leader. So we see no more Elk today.
20/5/2002 Monday, Pacific creek, Tetons NF.
At
dawn there are Elk grazing on the creek flats not far from our camp, and a large
herd crosses the creek and back, but too far upstream for photos. We decide
to return to Colter Bay and walk around Swan Lake, and depart around 8AM. Along
the Pacific Creek road we encounter two Moose and are able to get some good
photos at close range. Moose seem to be less flighty than Elk, even walk towards
Sharon on the road as she walks toward them to get a photo, not more than fifteen
yards away.
Moose on Pacific Ck Road. ©
Swan
Lake loop is about a 3 mile hike and allowing time to linger to take photos
it takes about 3 hours. We see trumpeter Swans, Sandhill Cranes, Moose, and
quite a lot of bear tracks.
Bear, front paw print, Swan Lake Trail.
Later
in the afternoon we drove back to Jenny Lake to do the Hidden falls walk of
about 5 miles round trip, which takes around three hours. We walked the trail
starting at 5.30PM. While the falls were quite spectacular as the warm weather
has been melting snow quickly, they are as the name implies hidden from clear
view among trees, and difficult to photograph. This trail is heavily trafficked,
and the only wildlife we saw were three very tame Yellow Bellied Marmot that
would come to within a meter of us. Other walkers reported seeing a Grisly Bear
at a distance of 400 meters around Moose Ponds, and we were told of Moose sightings,
but you would need to go in the evening to see anything as during the day there
are too many people and while it is a pleasant walk there would be better areas
to see wildlife that are not so often frequented by humans.
An almost tame Yellow Bellied Marmot on Jenny Lake, Hidden Falls trail. ©
After completing the walk we wanted a place to boondock not too far away, and on the way back noted a small boat launch area on Jenny Lake accessed by a dead end dirt road from the Lupine Meadows Trailhead road. However there is a very narrow bridge shortly after the road turns off the main park road a mile or so south of the Jenny Lake junction, and we didn't want to take Bounder across it. If you went there in the late evening I doubt you would be hassled by rangers. So as this wasn't suitable for us (but would be OK with a smaller vehicle) we headed for the Antelope Flats road by going south through the park entrance station to Moose Junction, and north on US191. Although it was dark we found a remote turnout on the plains along the National Forest access road and boondocked there for the night. It was too dark to find our way into the Teton NF and select a good boondock where we may stay a couple of days.
21/5/2002
Tuesday, Antelope Flats WY.
A very changeable day, sun, rain and snow!
At our boondock on Antelope Flats Road we breakfasted with a view of great thundering herds of Bison sweeping majestically across the plains, against a backdrop panorama of unparalleled grandeur of the snowcapped Teton Range. Because we are boondocking, all this is FREE, while the great proletarian masses are paying inflated accommodation charges in lodges, probably to see nothing as good. Dare to be different!
Bison on Antelope Flats.
In
fact there were dozens of Bison, and they were "thundering" out of
a pine forest onto the plains, presumably some were late for breakfast and were
afraid it would all be eaten before they got there, just like the tourists in
some of the lodges! Driving back to the main road later we saw five herds of
Bison, two smaller and three with around thirty animals in each.
The road leads on to NF free campsite, on the border of the NP and NF, and then
divides, we took the track to the right. There are more free NF campsites up
into the sparsely timbered hills, and we considered them to be much less attractive
than Pacific Creek, despite the excellent views of the Teton Range. They are
dry camps and the sparse timber leaves them exposed to wind and weather. The
road was easy in our 28 foot van, but would require 4WD if it was wet and great
caution should be exercised if taking an RV up there. As none of these campsites
were greatly appealing we decided to head back into Jackson and out into the
National Elk Refuge and along the Flat Creek Road. There is certainly a place
to boondock where the road degrades into a 4WD track, which may lead down to
the creek, but was a real 4WD track and too tough for Bounder. If you have a
4WD this may be a good place to explore.
Bounder on the NF tracks above Antelope Flats.
Americans may think we are crazy where we take a 28 foot RV, but we know the limitations of our vehicle, take it easy, and have over 25 years experience in real 4WD conditions back home in Australia. So when we say a track is navigable with an RV, bear this in mind, you may not be comfortable doing it, and if you misjudge the situation you could end up with a difficult and expensive recovery operation, or worse damage your vehicle or injure yourselves or others. Know your limits, and check carefully, conditions of tracks change with the weather, and over time. Walk the ground along and off the track in a National Forest where you intend to drive and park, to make sure you won't get bogged! Learn the different soil types and how they will likely react to rain in case it rains overnight, you could find yourself stuck on soils that become slippery with a little rain.
The National Elk Refuge is in fact the only place in this area where we haven't seen any Elk. Most of the country accessible from the road is treeless recovered farmland, and I don't think any self respecting Elk would be caught dead in there at this time of the year, as it is primarily a winter refuge. What can be seen from the road is not a very appealing habitat, perhaps the area along the Gros Ventre River is better. At this time of year Elk are more frequently seen in the NP or in the Bridger-Teton NF, at places like Pacific Creek, if you are quiet and wait at the right times of day, early morning and evening.
The weather has deteriorated to rain and sleet and as we are so close to Jackson we decide to do some shopping and browse around the Big K Mart. It is interesting to note that on almost every item where I remember prices from Wal-Mart that K-Mart is more expensive. No wonder Wal-Mart is expanding everywhere. We boondock again in Albertson's car park.
22/5/2002 Wednesday, Jackson WY. Heavy
snowfalls overnight blanketed the surrounding hills and strong cold winds have
returned with plunging temperatures. We decide to drive north into The Grand
Tetons NP and boondock somewhere for a day or so until the weather clears and
we can again see the scenery.
There is a propane dealers in Jackson, Suburban Propane, and following the usual good advice of going to a dealer rather than getting propane (LPG) at a service station we seek them out only to find that the profiteering bastards want $1.99 a gallon. I tell them that's ridiculous and excessive profiteering and I won't pay it, and leave, to try the Texaco Service Station on Broadway, where it is $1.80 a gallon. Propane has varied from $1.00 a gallon up in various locations.
The Jackson Texaco has an RV dump station, and water labeled non potable, but remember the Sinclair gas station has potable water free.
Heavy
snow is falling as we drive north this time taking US189 instead of the western
road via Jenny Lake stopping at the Schwabacher Road boondock for lunch.
You can't even see the Tetons in the snow storm. Schwabacher Road leads from
US189 to an area of river channels where there are a number of beaver dams and
a parking area where you could try boondocking, with some interesting short
walks.
Beaver dam on a channel of the Snake River, Schwabacher Rd, Tetons NP. ©
Further north
on US189 Deadmans Bar Road leads down to the Snake River. Although
is is marked 4WD advised, it is clearly an all weather car road and the 4WD
advisory is complete bullshit, even to relatively inexperienced bush drivers.
Bounder made it with ease and the steep sections are bitumen! Some 4WD road!
There is a parking area not visible from the main road for boondocking. We debated
if we should stay here but decided to press on to Pilgrims Creek, this proved
to be a mistake.
Opposite the
Cunningham Cabin Historic Site there is a road leading east into the
National Forest and areas where you can camp free legally for 16 days. A herd
of Bison were grazing near the intersection. The road leads up the hills to
campsites and in dry weather is a 2WD road, unfortunately with the snow and
rain it had become a 4WD road and I almost got Bounder bogged. Pressing on one
bridge too far, we almost slid off the road into a ditch on slippery mud. Fortunately
I was able to reverse out of the predicament and not blot my copy book. In almost
40 years of driving vehicles in arduous road conditions all over Australia,
I have never gotten myself into a position where I could not extricate myself.
Today I was afraid I had done just that, but experience prevailed and I had
stopped just in time to be able to back out without bogging or sliding off the
road. So take my advice advisedly in terms of your own ability to assess conditions.
I'm doing with a 28 foot RV what a lot of inexperienced people wouldn't do with
a 4WD.
Further along US189 there were herds of Elk grazing in the heavy snowfall, and we passed on to our next potential boondock, along Pilgrims Creek Road where we had been a few days ago. Unfortunately with all the rain and quickly melting snow the creek was running a banker and had overflowed turning the road into a river. Being undeterred I walked the road to check the situation as the surface was very stony and driveable even in bad conditions, leaving Bounder in Sharon's care in the roadway. I was confident that nobody would be silly enough to try to follow me, but I was wrong. Two cars and a ranger arrived and Sharon refused to move Bounder because of her inexperience in driving it and the fact that the road ahead looked like a river. So they waited until I returned and after explaining that I was looking to get to the National Forest to camp I drove away, and they all followed. So either the rangers always check these side roads or they did so because of the rain.
It is a bureaucratic nonsense that you can camp for 16 days in the immediately adjacent National Forest, or on BLM land, but they wont let you even park overnight anywhere in the National Park, except in the often inadequate capacity campgrounds. It has to be a revenue raising racket, and all Americans ought to rebel, just like you did with King George and the tea! Boondock everywhere Americans.
This being the last potential boondock, as we didn't want to return to Pacific Creek due to the heavy rain making the ground too soft and boggy, we decided to head for the Colter Bay campsite and pay our $12 for our fifth night of paid camping since starting the tour. The cute young ranger at the entrance (wouldn't mind snowing on her Grand Tetons!!) advises us that the snow may continue for a day or two yet according to the forecast. So we may stray a couple of days, as there is little point touring when you can't see anything.
23/5/2002 Thursday, Colter Bay Campsite, Tetons NP, WY.
More snow overnight and some short heavy falls this morning. The generator starts
acting up and I eventually track the problem to a defective isolating terminal
switch on the house battery earth. Going high resistance and preventing the
generator charging the house battery properly. Temporary repairs by jury rigging
the connection to the battery until I can buy a new terminal. In the process
I almost blow up my 240 Volt inverter I brought from Australia to run my new
computer. Smoke pours out, and I'm afraid its buggered by a voltage surge when
I disconnected the house battery while the generator was running. However despite
the smoke, must have partly fried a transformer, it still works and the computer
power supply isn't harmed either. What a relief!. Next time I'll have to remember
to unplug the inverter before fiddling with the battery charging system.
With some improvement in the weather in the afternoon I am able to attempt resealing around the windscreen which has been leaking for the past few days. I get one half done but don't have enough sealing compound to do it all, so we will see if it works and then do the drivers side after I get some more sealant.
24/5/2002
Friday, Colter Bay Campsite, Tetons NP, WY.
Still snowing and heavier than ever with the biggest snowflakes yet. With the
altitude and the cold the generator starts to run too slow to charge the battery.
The manual advises reducing the fuel air mixture at altitude, by adjusting the
main jet 1/8 turn, and this and altering the air intake to the winter position
seems to fix matters. Coming on top of yesterdays problem with the battery isolator
switch causing charging and generator starting problems, and it all being unfamiliar
equipment, it was all starting to get a bit confusing, even to an engineer.
Bounder at Colter Bay NP campsite.
Mid
morning we go to the visitor center, where there is an interesting museum of
Indian artifacts and Sharon buys some Jewelry from a Shoshone Indian woman who
is hand crafting jewelry in the visitors center.
The weather forecast is for gradually improving weather over the weekend, so we decide to drive back along US189 towards Jackson to see the sights that were obscured by cloud two days ago.
We visit Cunningham's Cabin, a genuine early 20th century log cabin which belonged to a settler in the area who was instrumental in the establishment of the Grand Tetons National Park.
At Blacktail Ponds overlook we stop to admire the view and go walking and decide to stop for dinner and observe wildlife, seeing a Coyote and a Moose, and a nocturnal Homo Tripodicus Erectus. By the time all this is over it is late and as no one has come to bother us we boondock here for the night.
Unita Ground Squirrel, at Cunningham's Cabin. ©
25/5/2002
Blacktail Ponds, Tetons NP, WY.
An early start enables us to spot Bison, Elk, Moose, water birds and Sandhill
Cranes along the road as we drive north, and to shoot some early morning light
on the Tetons across Jackson Lake.
Heading north
towards Yellowstone, we find the Grassy Lake Road along the Snake River
near the Flag Ranch is closed for beat management, so we can't explore the reported
good boondocking sites.
Yellowstone has five entrances connected by several large road loops, so there are various ways you can choose to make your way through the park, Coming from the south we decided to head for the Old Faithful Geyser area first.
The Tetons across Jackson Lake in the early morning.©
The Grand Tetons National Park and the surrounding National Forests offer outstanding scenery, opportunities to see a range of wildlife and offer a range of hiking and wilderness experiences. Highly commended for inclusion on the international tourists RV itinerary.
"Spiritual force is stronger than material force; thoughts rule the world." - Emerson [1803-1882]
Photos © (Taken with a Minolta Dimage 7 digital camera.) Route maps yet to be added.
Next - Part 7 Yellowstone NP.
Back - Part 5 Utah 1
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