Hi All,
We just finished our summer 6 state excursion. Started after work on July 5 and drove to Durango in time to go to Steamworks for a late dinner. Next day we drove through Cortez and Moab, picked up some beer and gelato at the Moab Brewery, and landed at the middle Provo River below Jordanelle reservoir. The plan was to fish a little that evening, but everyone was kinda beat so we just set up camp and relaxed.
The next day was spent fishing (fairly fruitlessly) on the middle Provo. Water was running a little high but nothing outrageous. This is the third time I've fished there with little luck. It's a beautiful river but I just don't seem to know the secret to catching fish there.
The next day we were up at 4 AM for the longest day of the trip. Jackson for a quick breakfast, then up through Teton National Park
Then into Yellowstone.
I want to fish here, but we were short on time
The touristy spots, Old Faithful (got there with 5 minutes to spare)
and the Grand Prismatic Spring
Saw a few bison, and then through Gallatin valley in a light rain to Bozeman.
Having a fourth grader along paid off, as we got into all the national parks for free! Find yourself a fourth grader.
Spent the next day in Bozeman with friends that teach at MSU. The Museum of the Rockies is hands down the best dinosaur exhibit I've ever seen. And as an added bonus, they had an awesome guitar exhibit as well (I had no idea Gibson Acoustic was located there).
A short hop to a rented cabin on Flint Creek near Philipsburg
where we relaxed for several days with family, fished Flint Creek and Rock Creek, and visited (several times) my favorite brewery ever.
Then another short hop to Missoula for a few days, just relaxing and visiting our favorite spots - KettleHouse Brewery, Big Dipper ice cream, the farmers' market, the carousel, the Double Front, and the Old Post - climbing the "M", and floating the Clark Fork. A trip to the new Forest Service museum was a bit of a disappointment, as we found out it was just the future home of the Forest Service Museum. Maybe next time...
The next two days we hung out in Couer d'Alene and Post Falls spending the kid's inheritance on skid plates, suspension, and a ladder at VanCompass. What a great bunch of guys there and their stuff is really nice!
On to Boise, where we spent a day at the museums, the downtown river park, and the Basque village.
Then to Moab, where we stayed at Dead Horse Point. At the overlook
we saw the dirt road down below and wondered how on earth do you get down there?
Into Canyonlands (again, free!) and an inquiry at the gate led us to the Shafer trail switchbacks (we didn't get a photo at the top so I borrowed this one from forum member twolost).
The first off road in the new van! Down the switchbacks and out Potash road to Moab.
How great to go down in and not just look from the top!
After a false alarm for a lost phone (it had slid under the rear seat by the inverter) and a late lunch in Moab (at the brewery again), we pressed on to Farmington for the night. Great views of Shiprock lit up in the sun with a huge cloudburst behind it, but no good photos turned out.
The trip wound down and we got back home this last Sunday, tired, happy to be home, and sad to be off the road.
PigPen
AWOL
2008 GMC 3500 SMB
Priscilla
Linear Mode
