Hear the wind blow!! Man can you ever.  Gale force winds have crimped our style.  That and waiting for the tire repairman.  When we dropped the trailer in Furnace Creek Ranch Resort (Death Valley) we discovered a very slick tire.  Momma is in a panic; I too am a wee bit concerned.  It is much too slick to hit the highway.  We’ve called for help.  We have a spare but not the equipment for making the change.

The primary part of my concern is the WHY?  What caused that one tire to wear so badly while the others seem to be normal?  And, should I expect it to do that again?  In discussing this with the RV Park maintenance guy (an expert, I am sure) we decided it must have been under-inflated.

$85 later I still don’t know the cause.  The tire repair guy suggested that the opposite tire being under-inflated could be the cause.  There is just too much speculation to nail down a reason.  We’ll head to Texas at the mercy of the tire gods.  If it happens on the road – Good Sam will come to the rescue. 

This is our second day in Death Valley.  We spent a nearly sleepless night worrying about that tire.  We did get out last night for a sunset and some evening light.  The drive to Zabriskie Point was a bust.  Either I am slipping or that spot is not all that the brochures proclaim.  I took a few experimental images and took off for the sand dunes in Mesquite Flats.  The drive was longer than the time left to make it.  We missed the sunset.  But, the Magic Hour was still upon us.

The Magic Hour is that short period of time (much less than an hour) when the sky is still blue and color is still visible on landscapes.  Some of our most treasured images are made during that magic hour.  You probably can find explanations with a Google search.  It is not something I am making up. 

The sand dune image is much less manipulated than it may seem.  I did some work in the sky but the sand and mountain are what the magic hour, small aperture, and long exposure gave me.  You really should give it a try.  Watch the sunset then stay a little longer.

Staying a little longer got me into hot water.  I forgot that Jane doesn’t carry a key to the truck.  She was locked out -  in the dark -  surrounded by strangers -  and getting a little upset.  Uh Oh.   My suggestion that she learn the key code didn’t make her any happier.  

Did I mention – it is HOT.  The Air Condition fan makes a lot of noise.  It is especially annoying when it clicks on and off as the AC turns on or off.  I set the fan to continuous run, which still makes noise but it is constant (like the surf  ).  I also set the AC to a slightly higher temperature.  With the fan on continuous, it was not possible to know when the AC was cooling or just blowing hot air.  Jane got to call me “Dumb Ass” for that one.  I think it made her feel better about being locked out of the truck.

We’re “winded in.”  It is ferocious.  The trailer is rocking and the dust (sand storm) is thick.  Even had we chosen to venture out in this, there is little to be seen or photographed.  Couldn’t be good for the cameras either.  Maybe Death Valley was a bad choice for this time of the year.  Problem is – the *&%$% wind is blowing too hard to pull the trailer.  We still have two night to go in the valley.  If this *&*^### wind continues we may have to stay longer. 

Later…

Made the effort this morning to get out early.  Set the alarm for 6 o’clock and actually paid attention.  Jane couldn’t manage it.  I encouraged her to stay in bed.  She only goes to make sure that I don’t fall or get lost. 

I drove to a higher altitude at Dante’s View.  It was majestic but very COLD!!!  I keep a sweat shirt in the truck but that was not enough.  I would watch the sunrise, see a picture, run to where I had a camera mounted on a tripod, snap a picture and dash back to the truck.  Not much happened there.  I headed for warmer climes.

There is a road very near our campsite called Artist Drive.  It is a great drive at any time of day and probably even better for later afternoon/evening. I’ve nearly convinced Jane to go exploring this afternoon.  It really is beautiful.  One small section is called Artists Palette. That is exactly what it looks like.  I did not know a mountain could be so many colors.  I took a few images in the flat light – the sun was behind the mountains – and made note of the good spots for my return visit.

Nothing earth shattering came of my loss of sleep.  It was warmer along the Artist Drive and I discovered Golden Canyon Trail.  It would be a good hike if the wind would settle a bit and the temperature would cooperate.  I don’t really relish returning to the spot in current conditions.  My honey for damned sure is not walking in these conditions,.

I’ve been editing and uploading a few pictures.  Boredom encouraged me to pay the extra fee for a day of internet connection.  Jane is reading.  We’re both satisfied – I guess.  She has a load of laundry but even making the trip in the truck requires fighting the wind to hold doors open and keep clothes in the basket.  I’ll probably hang here to help her with the basket … maybe. 

I think we are about ready for home. 

l8r

We are in Death Valley National Park and I am way behind on the America West travel articles.  We spent three nights in Yosemite National Park.  We left Oregon with regrets that were somewhat eased by our tour of the beautiful Northern California Coastline on Highway 101.

We turned left out of Yosemite, leaning toward Texas.  We have several more possibilities for adventures but all are east of us – on the way home. 

It is hotter’n hell here in the valley.  It is called Death Valley for a reason.  We left Lone Pine this morning after spending the night in a very nice commercial campground.  It was in the low 70s when we left there at about 10;30.  Our leisurely drive through the Mojave and across more of the Sierra Nevada Mountains brought us to Furnace Creek Ranch Campground and Resort in Death Valley where it is 111 at six o’clock.  Hot and Windy!!!

By the way, my Nikon seems to have healed itself.  Some of the electronics must have gotten wet?  It started working again the day after it got wet. I hope it doesn’t corrode in the future.

I took a few pictures on the way across the mountains and through the valleys.  It was mid-day and very bright.  I’ve been getting more and more use out of that gradated Neutral Density filter.  It makes the sky much darker by reducing the exposure by one stop in the upper half of the image – or to one side if you so choose.  The filter rotates just like a polarizing filter, which I have also used a great deal.  I’m getting a lot of vignette when using the widest angles.  That can usually be corrected in post-processing.  And, you can buy the extra-thin filters that have less of the vignette effect.

I liked that sun flare.  I think it adds to the feeling of how hot it gets here.

We’re relaxing in the trailer and trying to get oriented for an afternoon/evening expedition.  I’m thinking of Zabriskie Point or driving back to Stovepipe Wells to photograph the Mesquite Flat sand dunes at sunset.  Tough decision. 

Yosemite…

Our stay in Yosemite was filled with fun and excitement.  Getting there had some adventure but you can get into only so much trouble going so long without ever disconnecting from the trailer.  I’ve gone so long now without updating my notes that it is hard to remember what we did – that and I am getting too damned old to remember even what we had for breakfast. 

I posted about the terrifying drive across Highway 36 from 101 in Interstate 5.  I think we camped five straight nights without ever disconnecting.  All that driving with little sightseeing really eats into the fuel budget.  But, Jane says we are back into the black.

Our day trip along Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite was one of the best days of the entire journey.  We accidently came across Mono Lake, Got a great sunset over Half Dome, and drove through a forest fire on the way home.  I have pictures of Mono Lake and the Sunset but we were being hustled along (and were gladly hustling along) through the forest fire.

The fire was “officially” a controlled burn.  It sure was close to the road for being controlled,  And, some very tired and dirty fire fighters seemed to have been at it for several days.  Those guys certainly earn their money.

The fire was still burning right beside the road when we left Yosemite.  Tioga Pass was our way out of the park.  I was not certain we would be able to exit that way.  It had been closed for several hours the night before we left.

The red glow and purple clouds in the sunset over Half Dome (photo above) are partly from the forest fire and the smoke.  This image is from Olmsted Point.  I think Olmsted Point is about eight thousand feet, well above Half Dome.

In addition to all the excitement, Tioga Pass Road offers some of the most beautiful sights in the park, along with many trail heads for those who like their nature “Off the Beaten Path.”  We had a picnic “tailgate” lunch at Olmsted Point and made photo stops at Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows along with several unnamed sights. 

A toll fee is collected at the Tioga Pass fee station that is just a few feet short of ten thousand.  Needing fuel, we drove out to Lee Vining, eleven miles down the mountain.  Lee Vining is a major point on the tourism trail.  They offer everything an adventurer in the area could want – fuel, camping, gear, groceries.

It was there that I realized that the Mono Pass/ Mono Lake that I kept seeing mentioned was exactly the one I had wanted to see.  I had learned about it from reading the blogs of other photographers. 

We took a gravel road off US395 to the lake and stayed for the evening light.  The Tufa Formations are a mixture (reactions) of salt and other minerals.  The information on the lake itself states that it is a sister lake to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

Our first day in Yosemite was an orientation.  I spent some time ogling Ansel Adams prints that were selling for as much as $12,000.   We toured the Visitor Center, Indian Cultural History Museum – watched an Indian lady weaving a basket from tree bark – had a nice lunch (and ice cream) at the Degnan Deli, then drove the Glacier Point road. 

Glacier Point is a must-see sight.  It looks down on Yosemite Valley or, more appropriately, Tenaya Canyon, with Half Dome and several waterfalls as prominent landmarks.  It is the road to the South Entrance, Wawona.  Tioga Pass is the East Entrance.  We were camped in the west side of the park, Hodgdon Meadow,  just inside the Big Oak Flats Entrance on the highway from Manteca.  It was a long 26-mile drive into Yosemite Valley but all we could get when making reservations so late.  Thankfully, Jane called.  We had counted on a first come first serve arrival until hearing – “It ain’t gonna happen.”  Even then, we were able to get only three days rather than the four requested.  Weekends were completely booked.

We knew that the campgrounds were booked solid in summer but had failed to consider all the foreign travel to the US. We see a lot of Orientals every year.  Now, Italians, French and Germans are seeing America in large numbers. The guys who started the Rental RV Businesses must be getting slap rich. Anyway, we had to clear out on Saturday.

On our last full day we started late and spent the afternoon touring the valley on the FREE shuttle bus.  That was the day we hiked up to Mirror Lake.  That is Jane with the mountain reflecting in Mirror Lake behind her.  It was an ambitious hike (for us) but well worth the effort.  For most, it is an easy two miles on mostly flat, paved road.  Cars with handicap identification can drive to a parking area near the lake.

We watched rock climbers on the face of El Capitan as we left the valley on our final day.  We enjoyed watching them but were nearly as entertained watching everyone else watching the rock climbers.  Every time someone would stop and look up, a dozen more cars would stop to see what the first one was seeing.  Sort of like the “Bear Jams” in Yellowstone or Glacier.  Just a different flavor. 

I’ve skipped a lot of what we saw while sightseeing with the truck and trailer connected.  I’m remembering the Northern California Coast and viewing the mating elk in a field along Highway 101.  Jane objected to my posting of Animal Porn.  Maybe I’ll sneak it in later. 

The previous post discussed our last night in Oregon. We gathered some information on Redwood National Park that turned into Redwood National Park AND State Park – run by the state of California. Prices were ridiculous. We did a drive through – it surrounds Highway 101 – but passed on camping in the park.

The California coast is beautiful. Even more than beautiful, I guess. We drove the coast slowly, stopping often. At times we were right on the beach; other times we were high on a mountain looking down. It made up for the Redwoods disappointment. 

Our campsites between Oregon and Yosemite were nothing to write home about, just convenient wide spots in the road.  All were places with Pull Through sites; the kind that allow us to connect to hookups without disconnecting the truck and trailer.  Those are good for getting an early next-day start.  Early being relative – before noon for us. 

If anything good that has not been covered comes to mind, I’ll make an additional post.  Until then, We will be touring Death Valley.

l8r

We were on California Scenic Highway 36 through Six Rivers and  Shasta-Trinity National Forests.  Within a few miles we knew it was probably a mistake.  By the time we reached Dinsmore, it was confirmed.  We took a break and did the laundry. 

Of course the route was flat on the Atlas Map.  Not even the crooked road was obvious.  The narrow 10-mile per hour switchbacks and steep grades also did not show.   Soon, I had to reel in the mirrors to keep from knocking one off against a giant redwood that crowded the right shoulder or the other being ripped off by one of the world’s fastest logging trucks.  It was a very narrow road.

In addition to the mirrors, I had to watch constantly to keep the trailer in line with the truck.  It kept crossing the center line or running the edge of the shoulder – especially on those tight right hand switchbacks with no guardrail and steep drop-offs.  Absolute Terror.  And made even more nerve wracking by Jane’s muffled screams. 

I didn’t think to check the time.  It seems Dinsmore was about two and a half hours into the trek.  A signalman at a road construction site suggested that we buy diesel at Dinsmore; it was the only diesel between where we were and Red Bluff.  Did I forget to mention – Road Construction?!?!  The steep grades (mostly climbing grades) were slurping the diesel at a very quick rate.

We stopped for diesel and were pleased to find that it was less than on Highway 101.  We filled up for $4.29 a gallon.  I went for a cup of coffee and found a Laundromat.  Our plan had been to stop along the highway and do laundry before reaching Yosemite.  This was just great.  And, it gave Jane a chance to relax after all those “double-cheek seat cover pinches” getting this far. 

I found a great coffee mug in the little country store.  It said, “I survived Highway 36 … to Dinsmore, California.”  I need to get mine reprinted to say, “I survived Highway 36 … to Dinsmore, California, PULLING A RV TRAILER!!!”

The laundromat was of special interest.  Dinsmore is not a large town.  It is a store and service station … and that laundromat.  We decided that, if they applied, it would be listed in Guinness as the world’s most isolated laundromat. 

But, it was busy.  Jane had to wait for a dryer.  I don’t know where all those people came from.  There is construction on the highway and logging.  After watching the National Geographic Special on the Marijuana business in California – especially the “High Grass Gardens” in our National Parks and National Forests – we both had the same thoughts. 

Sighting Red Bluff brought a huge sigh of relief.  The drive had exhausted me.  We pulled into an RV Park just a few miles south of Red Bluff.

Getting here has taken a few days.  This will be our third straight night of camping without disconnecting.  We’re still nearly 250 miles from Yosemite but plan to get there tomorrow.  Last night (Sunday, September 25), before the terrifying trip across the mountains, we spent the night at the Ferndale Fairgrounds Campground,  Nothing to shout about but it served the purpose.

Saturday was the first time we were turned away from an Oregon State Park.  It was one of those that takes reservations and/or first come, first serve.  We arrived late and all sites were taken.  Our late arrival was due to our hesitancy to leave Oregon.  Even with the ever-present rain, fog and clouds, we enjoyed our time on the Highway 101 drive along Oregon’s coast.  Every view point and pullout had fascinating views.  So much so that we hardly bypassed any of them.  So, we were a late arrival at Harris Beach State Park.

Saturday, October 1 ,,,

We’re in Lone Pine, California.  We’ll spend the night here … internet, and full hookups, then drive into Death Valley National Park tomorrow.  We’ll spend three night there and head for Texas.

Had a great time in Yosemite.  I’ll try to get some writing done tonight.  til then,

l8r

We’ve landed in Oregon.  We’re at the beach and the sun is shining.  What a difference a little light can make in one’s mood. 

A quick stop at Cannon Beach Overlook convinced us that we are in the right place.  There was a little haze (fog) but the sun is burning that away quickly.  That’s Jane walking back to the rig with a smile on her face.  We really were getting weary of the Washington weather – fog fog fog, and rain. 

We’re in a state park on the beach – Nehalem Bay State Park, just a few miles south of Manzanita.  This will be base camp for exploration both to the south and back up 101 where we just came from.  We only paid for two nights here but are already considering another day or two.

A nice lunch and we were off on another adventure.  We first drove through the tiny town of Manzanita, looking for propane.  Nada!  Then on to Cannon Beach – the town.  There really is a beautiful town surrounding the beach and the world famous “Haystack.”

If you didn’t know already, the Haystack is one of the most photographed sea stacks along the Pacific Coast.  I think Cannon Beach (the town) is here because of the haystack and the group of smaller sea stacks along the beach.  It is the big rock at left, center.  You can just make out the town of Cannon Beach in the background. 

Ed Note: Click on the image for a larger view.

We didn’t find propane in Cannon Beach either.  Since we were so close to Ecola State Park, and there was a lighthouse view there as well as a great view of Cannon Beach, we paid the $5 entrance fee and drove in.

The view point for the above photograph is from the Ecola Point viewing area.  We spent some time there but had to drive another mile or so to Indian Head Beach for a view of the lighthouse.  After learning that the lighthouse is still more than a mile out to sea, I chose not to hike the mile or so round trip.  Jane did and said it was a good view of the lighthouse.

I stayed at Indian Head Beach, photographing a bunch of surfers and waiting for the sunset.  Indian Head is a very popular spot for surfers.  The group that I met had driven down from Canada for the surf.  The image to the left is one of the guys just learning to surf.

I continued to wait for Jane to finish her hike and wondering if she was going to make it back before sunset.  She did but barely.  I was already composing and exposing for the perfect sunset.  I wonder if there is any such animal.

Anyway, this is one that I like, mostly because of the backlighting on the crashing waves.  I took bunches trying to get the spray with the light coming through it.

We left there just as the sun was setting, heading for Seaside to find some propane.  After searching all over Montana and Washington for Elk, an entire herd crossed the road right in front of the truck.  I had to stop for them.  The big bull himself was the last to cross.  Very exciting.  But, too dark for a picture.

Nothing seems very far here.  Seaside is a short drive from Cannon Beach.  As a matter of fact, our entire drive from Ilwaco, Washington to our campsite in Nehalem Bay was less than three hours.  The compactness of the area makes it less expensive to drive both north and south to explore.

We found propane in Seaside and noticed several, what seemed to be, nice seafood restaurants that need reconnoitering.  We’re saving that for another visit.

It was well after dark when we got to the trailer.  Jane popped a couple of TV Dinners into the microwave and I downloaded and browsed through the images of the day’s adventures.  We’ll  plan tomorrow’s adventure tomorrow.

Tuesday Morning…

We slept late (again) and woke up with no plan.  Jane asked me but I had nothing to offer.  She suggested driving back to Cannon Beach and exploring the town (shopping ).  I drank some coffee.  Jane made breakfast.  The plan was set.  I packed camera gear and computer.  A Seaside McDonald’s lunch break was added.  Gotta have that internet fix.

I took a few images of the coastline from the Neahkahnie Mountain overlook.  Not great pictures in mid-day light but the point is how impressive West Coast beaches are.  We both had comments about how different the beach is from Texas beaches.  And the waves are huge.

We explored Hug Point on the way to Cannon Beach.  It has some nice subject matter for sunset/sunrise and seascapes.  We walked the beach and met a lady photographing the beach and her family using film.  That led to a short but interesting conversation.  And to our discovery that we had read the tide tables backwards.  We nearly got wet.

We pulled into the Tolovano Beach area of Cannon Beach and got a closer view of Haystack Rock.  It was high noon.  I didn’t bother with a photograph.  A little bickering later we drove on to Seaside for lunch and an entertaining group of old men who argued about every subject that came up.  McDonald’s is their gathering place.  They were hilarious. 

I got my internet fix (just a short one to check email and stock sales).  Our visit was well timed.  McDonald’s was having a “buy one get one FREE” sale.  We had two Big Mac meals for less than six dollars.

Seaside doesn’t seem to have as much to offer as Cannon Beach.  Plus, I wanted to see what was down the road in Tillamook.  Most of the small towns between Nehalem and Tillamook are less touristy.  It is mostly serious fishing and seafood markets, with a few Fresh Seafood Restaurants thrown in. 

We did stop in Rockaway Beach for some souvenir shopping.  Jane also discovered a really nice wood carving shop.  I had never heard of Myrtle Wood but learned that it is a local specialty.  The place we stopped was The Myrtle Wood Outlet.  There were lots of other types of wood and some very artistic carvings.  But what really got my attention was the Myrtle Wood Putters.  If I still played golf, I probably would have bought one. 

We were not well prepared and missed the most interesting part of Tillamook – the highway 131 loop.  Now, I am debating if we should return – before driving through with the trailer behind us?

We got back to the trailer at a decent hour and walked down to the Nehalem Bay Beach, which just a few minutes from our trailer.  It was quiet and peaceful but the rugged shoreline of the area is not so rugged at Nehalem.  But, I like the dunes and sea grass.  I may get a few sunrise pictures there tomorrow?

We’ve extended our stay another day, planning now to leave on Thursday.  Depending on our mood, the weather and interesting photo sites, we may extend again?

Thursday, September 22…

We left.  We’re still on the coast, in South Beach State Park, just a hundred miles south of Cannon Beach.  We’re moving shorter distances and making our stays shorter, trying to see more of the things that we have to miss when pulling the trailer. 

We did a lot after disconnecting.  We drove to the Yaquina Bay State Park and Lighthouse and walked out on the beach.  It was foggy, making photography difficult again.  There is just NO contrast on a foggy day.

The beach at Yaquina Bay is huge.  And, it is beneath a tall cliff that you have to hike down to get to the huge beach.  There are steps built into the cliff but you also have to climb up from the beach.  The beach is bare sand dunes.  It is a long walk to water over rolling hills of soft sand.  We had watched a show about life in the tide pools and Jane was wanting to see for herself.  There were no tide pools.  We later learned that they are at Yaquina Head State Park – not Yaquina Bay.

We drove in and toured the City of Newport.  It is a quaint but very active fishing village; said to be the largest fishing community on the Oregon Coast.  On a jetty that blocks the waves from the harbor is a large community of seals.  We could hear them barking.  It was so loud that I thought the Undersea Gardens, a local tourist attraction, was broadcasting the sound over a PA system.  Nope!  It was live. 

I was taking pictures of the boats and harbor when Jane yelled frantically for me to come see.  Again, fog killed the contrast but it was fun watching the seals – and hearing them.  The bridge lost in the fog was designed by a famous architect (according to the literature).  That name is a fuzzy to me as that bridge is in the picture.

We really enjoyed the drive through Newport and Jane made note of all the seafood restaurants that looked good to her.  Her favorites are the ones that leave the doors open for the flies to come in. 

We were headed north up 101, back the way we came from, to see the sights we had noted on the way past.  Depoe Bay is an interesting town.  Main Street is Highway 101.  Storefronts are along one side of the highway – the ocean on the other.  There is parking along the Bay for tourist to marvel at powerful waves crashing against the rocky coast.  Often, the waves crash hard enough to splash high above the highway.

We pulled off into several overlooks and viewing areas.  One of the most mentionable was Devil’s Punchbowl State Park.  I wish now that I had taken a photograph.  The fog had discouraged me so that I had started leaving the camera in the truck.  The rock formations at Devil’s Punchbowl are whatever word you can think of for amazing.  Jane described it pretty well.  The Southwest (or Monument Valley) in the ocean.

We finally made it to Yaquina Head State Park and its really nice lighthouse.  It was nearly sunset, however and the ranger at the entrance warned us that we had only a few minutes.  I grabbed a camera and practically ran to the lighthouse.  Jane stayed back and read about the Tide Pools.  That will be tomorrow’s adventure.  This lighthouse reminds me of so many others.  I will try tomorrow to get a better angle.

It was late, after dark.  That always mean we eat out.  Fortunately, we knew it would be late and Jane had already chosen our restaurant.  And, it was delicious.  Seafood in a fishing village can’t be beat.

This chapter has exceeded a reasonable word count.  Rather than edit, I’ll just close in the middle.  More,

l8r

Changing plans is what we do best.  We still are not in Oregon.  We drove right to the bridge crossing the Columbia River into Astonia, Oregon and changed our minds.  We’re in Ilwaco, Washington, camped in a State Park – Cape Disappointment – and sightseeing in the rain. 

This was our second unscheduled stop.  We spent last night in Westport on the Cranberry Coast.  The only reason I can think of is that we wanted to drive close to the ocean.  There was an option to turn right and go to the north end of the road (just to see what’s there) or continue following 105 through the cranberry bogs to Raymond and reconnect with US-101 South.  We turned right!

Westport is a fishing village at the tip of a narrow peninsula that borders the southwestern side of Grays Harbor.  For whatever reason we decided to camp there.  Partly because we wanted some good fresh-from-the-boat seafood.  We found a cheap, ill-kept RV Park run by a Korean man and his wife.  We hit it off pretty good.   His attempt to give us directions in broken English to a good place for a seafood dinner was entertaining. 

I got the trailer parked in a space that was badly in need of some electrical work, plumbing and TV cable.  No Sweat – it’s just for the night.  The Korean man took a liking to our trailer (or, maybe it was to Jane). 

When I finished disconnecting, Jane was escorting him through the trailer, explaining the finer points of our small trailer that was just a few feet bigger than his.  This really concerned me.  It reminded me of the time in Vietnam when we got into a big fight with some Korean Troops over a camera.  It ended in a shooting.  One of our guys shot the Korean who insisted that our guy take $100 for his camera.  I was relieved when the Korean guy didn’t offer to buy our RV. 

We got everything amicably settled and drove to the end of the peninsula, which seemed to be where all the action was.  We spent a lot of time “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” watching fishing boats and even spotting a couple of seals playing just a little too far away for a good photo.

We saw lots of starfish and were entertained by pelicans diving for their dinner and fighting off hungry gulls surrounding them.

The image of the seal is extremely cropped.  We spent probably an hour watching for the seals and waving at charter boats and commercial fishing rigs coming into the harbor.  But the seals never got close enough to fill the viewfinder with my 200 millimeter lens.

We took a self-guided, no idea where we are going, tour of the peninsula but ended up right back at the Westport Harbor.  The place we chose for dinner was way over-priced and under-deserving.  The food was good (really hit the spot) but was nowhere near worth what we paid.  Sometimes you just bight the bullet.

We turned in early but didn’t sleep well.  We were too close to a busy street with traffic all night long.  We were in no rush to leave, however.  The little Korean guy was so happy to have a paying customer (I guess?) that when asked about checkout time he said, “No time.  Stay long as you like.”  Hmmmm… It had to be Jane and not the trailer.  LOL

With diesel averaging in four twentyish range, we were thrilled to find a station selling diesel for $3.97.  I’m noting this because it could be something to remember when you travel.  The station was on the Shoalwater Indian Reservation.  It was not the first time we had found fuel to be much less on Indian Reservations.  Probably something to do with taxes?   If you are traveling near a reservation, you might make use of this tip.

Our plan had been (again) to move into Oregon.  We would cross the Columbia River on a long bridge into Astoria.  We had not selected a campground.  We had narrowed it down to somewhere between Astoria and  Tillamook, maybe Seaside?  Never happened!!!

Out of the blue Jane says, “Don’t you want to see that long peninsula?”  I’m not about to argue with the Travel Guide.  Of course I want to see that long peninsula.  She was talking about driving up that long, skinny strip of land between Ilwaco and Leadbetter Point.  I actually had expressed some interest in the drive.  I’ll have to share the responsibility for this change in plan.

Anyway, that is how we ended up in Washington for two days more than previously planned.  And, it could be three days.  We’re talking now about setting out the rainy weather right here.  There are two lighthouses that I would like to photograph.  We’ll decide that in the morning – maybe. 

We were parked here, The Cape Disappointment State Park and Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in early afternoon.  It was windy and overcast but not raining.  We stopped for lunch in Ocean Park.  It was a very good seafood meal; Jane had crab cakes and I had an oyster sandwich.  Expensive but Ocean Park is the typical tourist town.  Lots of lodging and lots of entertainment and lots of expensive.

We continued north toward Leadbetter Point – another state park – and enjoyed a drive around the historical town of Oysterville.  It seems that getting to the beach anywhere in Washington is controlled by the state.  Everywhere we tried to go required the Discover Pass. It is something that irks me but I complain about State Park policies in Texas too.

It was a pleasant drive and we actually enjoyed the quiet solitude of driving home in the rain and fog.  We stopped by the trailheads for both lighthouses here in Cape Disappointment but decided we had better make sure that our camping fee covered access to these points of interest.  No need to pay a $99 fine.  Besides, it was raining a little too hard for the length of the hikes.  We did find that our camping fee will suffice.  We’ll probably check the lighthouses tomorrow.

For now, it is after 10 o,clock, way past my bedtime.

Sunday, September 18 …

“Raindrops keep falling on my head.” 

It rained all night.  We decided that it makes just as much sense to stay here as to move in the rain.  Checking with the park staff, we found that it was supposed to start clearing this afternoon.  Didn’t happen!  But, we got the laundry done and had breakfast at a McDonald’s with Wi-Fi.  I got two more chapters of the blog uploaded and checked the sales record (stock agencies).  Not having the month I had hoped for but there are a few days left. 

We hiked out to the beach at Beard’s Hollow, site of many shipwrecks.  Really ironic story.  The US Government authorized funding for 13 lighthouses along this part of the Pacific Coast.  The ship hauling supplies for the lighthouse here (North Head Lighthouse) sunk just off Cape Disappointment, losing all the supplies and equipment.  True Story! 

We had hoped to hike along the beach and get pictures of North Head Light. It was just out of reach (sight).  We backtracked and hiked the regular path down to North Head Lighthouse in continuously heavier rain and a dense fog bank.  We got soaked getting a few pictures.  And, I am now trying to get the Nikon functioning again.  It got wet.  I can’t get it to work properly.  Seems to be something electrical.  I knew better than to get my gear wet.  The D80 is not as well sealed as the professional models – D3. 

We came back to the trailer to put laundry away and get dry – and warm.  Love that tomato soup and grilled cheese on these dank days.  We’re going to be fine.  And maybe the D80 will recover? 

I think we are on the last legs of our Washington visit.  We’re leaving tomorrow, rain or shine.  There is still time for a few more pictures.  Checkout isn’t until one o’clock.  Maybe the other lighthouse?  In any case, we’ll be traveling the Oregon coast.  There is a lot of beach between here and California – lighthouses too.

See you in Oregon.

l8r

Enough of my whining.  We moved this morning.  We’re settled now in Heart O’ The Hills Campground on the north side of the Olympic Mountains about five miles from Port Angeles.  We left Kalaloch with no firm idea of where we would spend the night.  A couple of state and county parks didn’t pan out.  We considered a couple of nights in a commercial campground but made a wrong turn (got lost) in Port Angeles.  I wanted to see Mount Olympus from Hurricane Ridge so this is where we landed.

The foggy mist hung with us through the night in Kalaloch. After spending a full day of doing nothing, we decided to move on.  The trip over was not as bad as the first paragraph may have made it sound.  Ruby Beach was good, again.  The big Sea Stack there was protruding through the fog.  It made a great photograph from the highway but, with the trailer in tow, I had to pull into the parking area.  I hiked down to the beach but from that angle the fog completely covered the stacks. 

I took a few more foggy beach photographs and returned to the parking lot.  You could see the stack peeking through the fog but the view was obstructed – big trees blocking the view.  Where is that chain saw when I need it? 

I settled for a closeup of this fox glove and we moved on up the highway.

The weather here is good.   We left the fog and mist behind as we turned inland and began the climb into the Olympic Mountains.  After parking the camper, we drove the 12-14 miles nearly straight up to Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.  It tops out at about 5300 feet.  The sun was shining; mountains were spotted with fields of fresh snow but several were hidden in the clouds. 

According to rangers at the visitor center, the day had begun completely fogged in.  It had cleared only hours before our arrival.  There still was a haze over the hills.  A ranger pointed out to me where Mount Olympus would be “if you could see it.” 

There were black-tail deer browsing in the meadows but not many flowers.  I took a few shots of snow on the mountains and headed back down the hill.  We wanted to see if the lighthouse at Dungeness Spit would be visible without having to walk the five-mile trail to the end of the spit.  It isn’t.  Bummer!  We’re not up to making a ten-mile hike (round trip) for a few lighthouse images.

Added note:  There is a great bird watching area all along the spit.  It is a National Wildlife Reserve.  It probably would have made some great photos had I only been up to packing all that gear.  No way to know what I might have missed but I won’t let myself dwell on the negative.  It is too hard to recover from a bad trip – so I am told. 

It was late when we left the Dungeness Spit so we stopped in Port Angeles for an excellent pizza and made it back just before dark.  We’re sure that tomorrow’s experience will be much more upbeat. 

LATER–

We had heard a lot about the Sol Duc Hot Springs area.  We got a late start and left Port Angeles headed east.  We drove back along highway 101, seeing things we had missed on the ill-fated tour of highway 112.  Crescent Lake offered the scenic views we had expected on 112.  Crescent is a beautiful lake formed from a landslide that split another lake into two lakes.

Postcard pictures and magazine articles stirred our interest in the waterfalls, salmon run and hiking trails in the Sol Duc Hot Springs area of the park.  Our first stop was a most exciting experience of watching Salmon make their way over the Salmon Cascades as they worked their way up river to their breeding grounds.  We actually got to see the real fish doing the real thing in a very real wilderness environment.  it was very exciting.  We both were like a couple of kids. 

It was hard to tear ourselves away from the salmon run, especially since I did not have a good picture with a salmon jumping the falls.  But we had plans to hike the trail to Sol Duc Falls. 

Rain had plagued us along the drive to the park and up the Sol Duc road.   We ate our picnic lunch in the truck hoping the rain would stop.  It didn’t stop.  It wasn’t a hard rain, however,  so we donned our Gore-Tex jackets and set off for the falls.

The round trip was nearly two miles.  We grabbed a trail guide that tried to explain the difference in the trees, ferns and flowers along the way.  A couple of spruce varieties had been added to the already confusing array of cedar, fir, hemlock, alders, etc.  Jane solved the problem grouping them all in her southern vernacular way as “Some Big Assed Trees.” 

We walked slowly and took pictures as we traveled.  With the light rain the vegetation was much more like a rain forest than our recent hikes in the Hoh Rain Forest. The moss and ferns have always been attractive photo subjects for me.  When I saw this small stream gurgling through moss covered stones with the bridge across it … I just had to get off the marked path.  I waded downstream a few yards until I was able to see the image I wanted.  As an afterthought I should have had Jane with her red jacket standing on the bridge. 

I should mention that I use both Nikon and Canon cameras.  The Canon (T2i) is the newest and gaining more and more respect from this confirmed Nikon man.  It is very light.  Paired with my Gorilla Pod support unit it is great for hiking.  I used the little Gorilla Pod and a cable release for the long exposure of the stream.   I still use the light (cheaper) kit lenses that came with the Canon.  I’m afraid that upgrading to the L Series Canon lenses will add a lot of weight.  That probably would make it and my old, reliable Nikon D80 equal in weight.  But, the Canon offers a very respectable video capability and a large increase in megapixel size.  Sad to say, the old D80 is spending more and more time in the camera bag. 

Other than a light drizzle, the hike to Sol Duc falls was easy. The trail was relatively flat and the walk easy.  We passed several long-range hikers along the trail, coming down from the high country.  They reported snowfall above five thousand feet, increasing risk of injury to the point that they aborted their extended stay plans.

Sol Duc is a large fall.  We could hear it some distance before arriving.  Despite the weather, there was a lot of traffic on the trail.  I had to be patient and wait my turn for pictures of the falls.  They are an extremely impressive sight.  This picture is at the falls but not of the falls.  I tried to get Jane to remove the hood but NO… “I don’t want to get my hair wet.” 

It was late when we returned to the truck.  The normal driving time back to our Heart O’ The Hills Campground should have been about an hour.  It took longer – much longer.  The late-day sun peeked through the clouds as we drove around Crescent Lake.  We kept stopping for pictures and just enjoying the view and the beautiful homes around the lake.  When we finally did start up the hill to the campground we ran smack into a spooky bank of fog.  It was just suddenly there and we could barely see anything in front of the truck. 

It was cold and dank when we did get home.   We ran the heater for a few minutes, just to chase away the chill then climbed under the down comforter to plan our departure. 

We decided to complete the Highway 101 circuit around the Olympic Peninsula, heading east out of Port Angeles and south along Hood Canal.  We’re settled now in Westport, Washington – an area known as The Cranberry Coast.  We’ll detail the journey in a later chapter.  Tune in again soon.

l8r

We’re camped on the coast, relaxing in our lounge chairs listening to the sound of the Pacific surf.  After two days of down time in Elma, Washington for laundry, showers, internet and rest, we moved into Kalaloch Campground on the Pacific Coast of the Olympic National Park.

It was a beautiful day.  We got setup and walked the beach and checked out the area.  We sat in our lounge chairs being entertained by ravens and Stellars Jays until a sudden gust of cold wind ended our beautiful day.  A fog bank rolled in and the dampness chilled us.  We moved inside and bemoaned my loss of some beautiful sunset pictures.

I dressed a little warmer and walked the beach anyway, carrying two cameras, two tripods, assorted lenses and shivering from the cool dampness.  It was eerie. People would suddenly appear and disappear in shrouds of fog.  The image above is a man flying his kite in the fog.  There was plenty of “cold” wind.

I took a few images, nothing very good, and hoped that the setting sun would add color to the fog bank.  It would peek through on occasion but never did anything exciting.  I did a closeup or two as I wandered aimlessly along the beach.

It was getting dark when I returned to the trailer.  No pictures to brag about but I can still hear the surf. 

Later -

The fog stayed with us through the night.  This morning everything was wet.  The light drizzle was more from the fog than any rain that was falling.  You could just make out the coast.  But we could hear the waves.  It is such a relaxing sound.

The mist was no deterrent, however.  Our plan was a trip into the rain forest.  We had a light breakfast and packed a picnic lunch.  The Hoh Rain Forest is in the mountains, a moderate drive up US101 from our campsite.  101 runs right along the coast for the first few miles.  We kept getting glimpses of the ocean through the veil of fog.

Jane had been told to make sure we saw Ruby Beach.  It is right on the highway.  We parked and took a short stroll down to the beach.  It is fantastic with all those huge rocks standing just off shore, shrouded in fog.  These rocks are called Sea Stacks.   They are the hard rock that is left when the ocean erodes the beach around them. 

I’ve seen these stacks in many photographs, mostly as sunsets.  I had never seen one in the fog-shrouded condition we were seeing.  I think I may have found out why.  Fog is really difficult to expose properly.  How do you get any contrast?  I’m working on it. 

As we left the coast and headed inland and upwards, the weather improved.  The mist gave way to clouds.  Then we saw patches of blue sky.  By the time we reached the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Hoh Rain Forest, it was perfect.  The layers of sweatshirts and Gore-Tex gave way to tee shirts.

I think we were both a little disappointed. We had not expected a jungle but had envisioned something a little more lush.  The rain forest here in Olympic isn’t much more lush that the thick vegetation we had seen in Mount Rainier.  Perhaps someone with a more learned eye should have guided us through our hike along the Spruce Nature Trail.  We enjoyed the hike and the park is beautiful.  It just wasn’t what we had expected.

Another point is the weather.  We expected rainy, muggy weather in the “rain forest.”  We had high contrast bright sunlight; just the opposite of expectations.  I needed the low-contrast light in the forest, not on the coast. 

We ate our picnic in the picnic area right next to Hoh Campgrounds.  We had decided early against camping there because of the isolation.  It was nineteen miles from 101, which is the route to all the places we wanted to see.

We were back on 101 much too early to head back to Kalaloch so we decided to see what Forks, La Push and Mora were all about.  We kept hearing about vampires and witches making Forks a tourist hotspot.   I guess we are old fogies.  It seems there is a book, movie and TV series about such things that we know nothing about?  Whatever it is, Forks is the “spiritual” center.

We refueled in Forks and headed west to the beaches at La Push and Mora.  La Push is the center of the Quileute Indian Reservation.  Like most Native Americans along the Pacific Coast the Quileute culture is centered on fishing and hunting.  The totem pole is an icon of Northwestern Native American culture.  This one is outside the local high school.

I should have mentioned that as we came closer to the beaches the foggy weather returned.  And, it got cold.  Jane stayed in the truck as I tried for a few pictures at the La Push Marina and harbor.  There was some commercial and industrial activity; tugboats and Coast Guard vessels in an out of the harbor.  But, even with those foregrounds to add interest the fog was overwhelming. 

I could see the Rialto Beach Stacks in the distance, very pale but I could make them out.  It wasn’t far (as the crow flies) but about eight miles in the truck.  We drove past the Mora Campground and parked at Rialto Beach.  Again, the beauty and interest is there, just too damned flat.  The fog hanging over us led to an eerie feeling that I was not able to capture.  Really disappointing. 

Jane and I bundled up in warm clothing and our Gore-Tex to repel the moistness of the fog.  We walked the beach toward a bunch of stacks.  It was like walking in a cloud; wet! 

As soon as Jane realized the tide was coming in “we” began to worry.  There are warning all along the coast about getting trapped by high tides.  I managed a few shots of the stacks and added one with Jane’s red Gore-Tex as foreground to add a little color and contrast.    We enjoyed the walk but were chilled before we got back to the truck.  It took some time for the heater to bring us back to normal.

It had been a long day and was getting dark before we left Rialto Beach.  We both were hungry and tired.  It was still a long way back to Kalaloch.  Stopping in Forks for dinner seemed a great idea.  It was.  It wasn’t a chef-prepared meal but the fried seafood was good and the restaurant was warm.

Tuesday, Sept 13 –

We’re spending another day in Kalaloch, planning our next move.  The weather is still yuck.  But, sitting here listening to the surf is relaxing – peaceful.  I awoke several times in the night and lay awake listening to the surf.  It is really accentuated in the quiet of the night.

Jane is reading.  I’m blogging.  We run the heater for a few minutes every hour or so.  It isn’t cold but the damp is chilling.  It gives me a reason to crank up the generator.  I’ll make another cup of coffee and bring the laptop battery back from the dead.

I should be editing pictures but find them too disappointing to fool with.  I keep hoping for a break.  It would be great to run back to Ruby Beach for some blue sky pictures – maybe a sunset.  We’ll see.

I think the plan is to move north tomorrow.  We haven’t decided on a campsite but are looking at places near Port Angeles.  I want to drive up Hurricane Ridge for an Image of Mount Olympus. 

We’ll start a new chapter with that excursion.

l8r

As we were dumping holding takes at the Saint Mary Lake Campground dump station, a volunteer ranger gave us two valuable tips: take Montana Highway 464 to Browning and there are fuel and shopping facilities west of the West Glacier entrance.  I found a Jiffy Lube in Columbia Falls, changed oil, filled up with diesel, refilled a propane tank and Jane replenished the food supply.  That stop did a job on Jane’s budget. 

The Jiffy Lube had a free Wi-Fi connection.  I was able to do a quick email check and see end-of-month Stock Agency results for my images.   We did well in August.  That should please the Finance Minister. 

We were setup long before sundown. I was able to get some afternoon images of Lake McDonald.  It is now on my list of Most Beautiful Places I Have Seen.  The lodge and cabins take up most of the lakefront in the Visitor Center area.  But, there are also Outdoor Activity offerings, touring information and shopping.  And visitors from the campsites can walk the shoreline.  I did.

I was able to set up a tripod and take the three exposures used here to process this HDR image with Photomatix and edit in my Photoshop Elements.  This was mid-afternoon light but the clouds filtering the light softened shadows. It is a good first impression of West Glacier National Park. 

We retired to the RV early, planning an early morning shoot and excursions to yet-to-be-determined places.

NEXT DAY

We slept in.  It was cold and the covers and warm bed were just too good to vacate.  We nearly missed the morning “generator hours.”  The park (most do) has specified hours for running generators.  We need that generator time to charge the RV battery and for running microwave and my computer. 

There are three two-hour generator periods during the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Two three-hour periods would make more sense.  It is easier to plan around two mandatory returns to the camper.  The evening hours should be later, as well.  Five to Seven is right in the middle of evening light – and too early for dinner.

The late start was probably a good thing: we both were tired and it gave Jane a chance to throw together a fabulous breakfast.  She sliced an apple very thin, basted it with butter and sugar and sautéed it in butter before pouring the pancake batter over it.  Dang!  That woman can cook. 

We ventured off on a back roads trail – the inner route to Polebridge.  Much of it went through landscape that still showed deep scarring from forest fires.  I know that we tend to photograph landscapes the way we want them to be, but there is a lot of damage done by forest fires.  It is, however, a blessing in disguise.  Over time, the burned out woodlands return with space for new growth and even more grazing and feeding for the wildlife. 

We visited Fish Creek Campground and had a picnic lunch overlooking Lake McDonald.  We watched a lady learning to fly fish and a couple launching kayaks for an afternoon paddle on the lake.  

Getting bored with that we returned to West Glacier and started up the Going to the Sun Highway.  We had already made the drive from East Glacier to Logan Pass.  The view from West Glacier to Logan Pass is a totally different environment.  Jane was fascinated with the Greenness. The forest were so lush and there was a thick bed of moss on the forest floor.

McDonald Creek comes down from the hills alongside the highway.  There are numerous beautiful waterfalls with parking pullouts at each site.  Waterfalls are another of Jane’s favorite sites.  I enjoyed them too but didn’t see the need to stop at EVERY one. 

We had not intended to drive all the way to Logan Pass but all the Ooooohing and Aaaaahing kept us pushing onward on very narrow roads, the last twelve miles of which were under construction.  Jane had accepted the daily driving chore.  I thought she would have a heart attack.  I drove back.  LOL

It was interesting to watch changes in vegetation and environs.  There was still green but much more rugged and missing the lush, mossy undergrowth.  Wildflowers abound on the upper part of the Going to the Sun Highway – mostly the mountain or alpine variety.  Jane did recognize several flowers but they seemed a bit different from the wildflowers in Texas.  Indian Paintbrush in the mountains is called Alpine Paintbrush. 

After climbing past the Loop Trail area there was a distinct difference.  We stopped at a place where I spotted this bunch of flowers with back lighting.  The only one I recognize is the golden rod.  I think the purple flower is call Fire Weed.

We skipped a lot of sites with late-day light on the return trip.  We had moseyed along at such a slow pace that we were losing generator time.  Jane had only 45 minutes of generator time to prepare a quick supper.  And, I barely got the new images uploaded to my file system before the “curfew.”

NEXT DAY – Saturday, September 3

We’re sitting in the trailer with the heater on.  Jane is reading and I am pushing the limits of my laptop’s battery.  The sun is up and shining bright but it was cold this morning.  We’ll make today’s exploration after the noon generator period.  I’ve be been out already but not successfully.

It was a cold disappointing morning.  I managed to roll out of the warm bed at 6:30.  It seems the sun takes longer to rise on this side of the park, probably because it has to climb over the mountains.  Anyway, I returned to a spot I had selected on yesterday’s excursion.  It was a mistake.  I was on the water (Lake McDonald) but the sun was stuck behind the mountains.  I’m guessing now that West Glacier is best photographed in evening light.  This is another HDR image, trying to save the shadows while emphasizing the light on the mountains and the levels of separation from front to back. 

I’m using two cameras for my images – my trusty old Nikon D80 and a Canon T2i (550D).  I’ve always worked with Nikon.  I added the Canon to the collection thinking I would get into the Video Production business.  It shoots High Definitions Video in addition to very good still images.  I’m practicing but not very good yet at video.  But, I am growing more and more fond of the Canon capabilities.  It is making the purchase of new lenses a much more difficult choice. 

We’ve decided to leave Glacier in the morning. We had a good afternoon of hiking and sightseeing.  We hiked back to Johns Lake and along McDonald Creek to the lower falls.  We may not have done everything but we’ve done enough.  Seven days in the area has us driving over already visited sites to reach unseen areas.  We drove to Logan Pass from both the East Side and the West Side.  I would liked to have some mountain reflections in Lake McDonald but it never got still enough.

We did get more nice waterfall pictures during the afternoon hike.  I was bored with waterfalls so processed this one using HDR to the max.  It takes on that garish look for which HDR is often associated but I enjoy the “painterly” effect.

All that hiking has worn me down.  I think I will put this chapter to bed.  It has gotten long enough anyway.  We plan to have all the modern conveniences at our next stop, internet, full hookups, cable TV, and Showers. I’ll add any additional thoughts when we get to wherever that may be.

l8r

This will be our final night in Saint Mary Campground in East Glacier National Park.  We have been here since Sunday, August 28.  The weather has been great until last night.  It started raining and has rained all day.  We sometimes need a day to relax and just chill.  This has been one of those days.  I plan to connect the truck and trailer tonight for an early start tomorrow, (Thursday, September 1).  We’re heading for West Glacier National Park, Apgar Campground.

We drove over to Many Glaciers today to take showers.  For anyone planning a trip into this area, Many Glaciers Campground has much more to offer than Saint Mary Campground.    You have to pay but Many Glaciers does have showers.  And, a small camping store, restaurant, and spectacular scenery.  . It also has reasonable prices.  The picture on the right is part of the lodges on Swift Current Lake in the Many Glaciers area (big bucks).

Saint Mary (the town) has a “Super Market” that wants $6 for a half gallon of milk.  The Finance Minister nearly flipped over that one.  Needless to say, we left the “Super Market” without milk. 

I think the big draw for Saint Mary Campground is that it is right on the Highway to the Sun – the most popular GNP activity.  It also has easy access to Lake Saint Mary, a photography hotspot.  This picture is an early morning (before 7) shot of the Lake Saint Mary shoreline.

A Visitor Information Center is located at the entrance to the Lake Saint Mary area of the park.  Free Shuttle Bus service departs frequently from the Visitor Center, taking visitors to Logan Pass where they can change to a shuttle bus that services the west side of the park.  The shuttle bus makes frequent stops along the way allowing visitors to board or get off at popular sites.  The entire trip across the Going to the Sun Highway is about 50 miles—one way.  The shuttle bus can certainly save a few bucks.  I managed, however, to negotiate driving the truck.  The Finance Minister understands that I have very demanding tastes in just what is a photograph. 

We also took a driving tour to Two Medicine Campground.  There is a beautiful (expensive) hotel and lodges and an Amtrak Station at East Glacier National Park.  It is at the intersection of US2 and MT49. Many of the guests arrive by train and rent cars.  There is a Budget Rental Agency connected to the Lodge. 

Two Medicine Campground is a few miles from the intersection on Highway 49.  Montana 49 is a scenic drive between US89 and US2.  The scenery from 49 is breathtaking.  The Two Medicine area also has a camp store and camping.  There is a snack bar in the camp store.  We had lunch and ice cream from a table overlooking Two Medicines Lake and mountain reflections.

We would recommend either Many Glaciers or Two Medicine as a better place to spend a few days than here at Saint Mary Campground.  Don’t get me wrong.  They all are “must see” parts of America.  I’m just saying that the amenities are better at the other two.  I didn’t take the picture – probably should have.  When you se Glacier post cards, calendar pictures, or fine art images – this is probably the image you see.  Overdone! 

As an aside, I should mention for younger people looking for a great summer job, employees are imported primarily from Europe – I think.  We met students from Spain and Germany, as well as American students from Washington and Virginia.  I’m not sure if the jobs are only for college students.  It certainly seems worth inquiring.

Getting here from Spearfish SD was relatively uneventful.  We did have a scare (again) when the fuel gauge warned us that we were about out of diesel.  That kept us from visiting the Little Bighorn Battle Ground (their service station was out of diesel) and led to driving on past Great Falls before finding a campground – Conrad, Montana.  We had passed the Great Falls area campgrounds before coming to a service station.

Our first view of snow-capped Rocky Mountain Peaks was from Interstate 90 in Wyoming.  It was 11:40 in the morning at mile marker 106.   I shot this through the windshield at about 70 miles per hours, calling it “Rocky Mountains doing 70mph.” 

We followed I-90 through Sheridan and into Montana but diverted to the more scenic US89 from Springdale through several small, Old West Towns to Great Falls.  We had planned to stop on the outskirts of Great Falls but ran so short on fuel that plans changed.  Conrad, Montana offered the first place we could find with showers and Wi-Fi.  Since we would be staying in the park (Glacier) with no showers, we decided to splurge on the last night before one of our adventure’s highlights.

A word about the trip from Spearfish to Conrad – We really enjoyed the wide open spaces of the rolling hills and miles and miles of golden fields of grain.  BUT … don’t take chances with the fuel.  Services are separated by great distances of golden fields of grain. 

There has been much more to our visit here in East Glacier than mentioned above.  We did see bears and mountain goats.  A black bear we saw up close but the mountain goat and grizzly bears were really nothing more than black dots and white dots on a mountainside  through binoculars or a telephoto lens.  Unfortunately, I have no photos of the wildlife to offer – YET.  We still have West Glacier to explore.

I prefer sunrise in East Glacier to sunset.  Perhaps it will be the opposite in West Glacier.  This is an experiment with HDR processing.  Even with the beautiful and soft light of morning, it is difficult to record the full range of shadow and highlight.  This is three images bracketed at one-stop intervals and merged in Photoshop Elements – after processing with Photomatix.

LATER…

A few additional tips: 

In addition to a container of gasoline for the generator, I keep a five gallon container of diesel in the bed of the truck, just for such occasions as our trip through the vast open spaces and golden fields of grain.

The Duck Lake Road (Montana 464) is a much safer, flatter, and better maintained route into the Many Glaciers and Saint Mary areas than taking the slightly shorter US89 route.  The 89 route sorely needs repair and is a white-knuckle drive.

Should mention also that the Free Shuttle Buses do service Many Glaciers and Two Medicine areas.

I’ll try to remember to contain a few more travel tips with the next edition of the blog.  For now —

That’s All Folks.

l8r

The picture is at some wide place in the road where we stopped for lunch.  I think it is on US89, just a few miles from Sundown Ski Resort in Montana.  Forest Service Campgrounds and BLM properties are our (Jane’s) favorites.  They are cheap and very seldom crowded.  I keep a small generator chained down in the truck bed.  We are fully self-contained, able to survive in the most desolate areas with all the necessary conveniences, not counting internet. 

Continuing our story, we left Wind Cave National Park headed for Badlands National Park and Buffalo Gap Grasslands.  Badlands and Buffalo Gap is a large area, reaching from  Interstate 90, south to the Sioux Indian Reservation. Pine Ridge and Wounded Knee are part of that area.  But, the actual chain of rugged hills is a thin wall that runs only a few miles on the north side of the park.  We spent just two days there in Cedar Pass Campground.   It was in the upper 90s in the Badlands.  We opted for electricity for running the air conditioner all night.  That brought the price of a camping sport to $28 but, we have the National Parks Golden Age Pass.  We get FREE entry into all the National Parks and National Forests AND … Half-Price on camping. 

The Badlands reminded me of the Painted Desert in Arizona.  The rugged rock formations are picturesque in good light but very repetitive – rocks, rocks and more rocks.  I was a little underwhelmed.  It is a real treat for geologists.  And, more and more is being discovered – reels and reels of ancient history.  I like knowing about this stuff but … it doesn’t take much to overdose. 

There is some wildlife. That is more my thing.   I saw mostly birds but did see a couple of mountain goats and a flock of turkey.  I think there are buffalo in areas to the south.

I rushed out alone on our first afternoon there, mapping out hot spots for a morning shoot.  Jane and I were up at six the next morning exploring.  We tracked down some fuel and a cup of coffee in the nearby town of Interior.  The sun came up while I was refueling the truck but we still made it to my first hot spot while the pink glow of morning light wrapped around the rocks.  Then, I got frustrated.   I was setting up my tripod and camera when a morning shower greeted us.  The light faded before I could focus on that pink, morning glow.

We moved on and the rain stopped.  We were on one of the boardwalk paths studying the geological and anthropological history when a bunch of small wrens seemed to be teasing us.  I went back for the camera and got this little fellow (Canyon Wren) to pose for a few images.

There are several viewing areas along the “Badlands Loop.”  Each offers a self-guided tour with different aspects of the badlands.  But, it got very hot, very early,  We chose viewing the Badlands from the comfort of our air conditioned truck cab.

I was finding it hard to concentrate on the rocks.  We had stopped in Wall, a small town on Interstate 90 that is the jumping off place for Badlands National Park.  A Ranger in the Buffalo Gap Visitor Center had peaked my interest in the Grasslands around Pierre, the Fort Pierre National Grasslands.  She had suggested that Sand Hill Cranes were resident there and that Whooping Cranes were just starting their migration.

We left the Badlands early in the morning after our second night of camping.  We made the jaunt east to Fort Pierre National Grasslands in just a few hours.  It got very confusing, however, when we entered the small town of Fort Pierre.  Someone had forgotten to mention the flooding.  The Missouri River had brought the area to its knees.  Nearly every business was affected.  The Fort Pierre National Grasslands Visitor Center had relocated to Pierre to share office space with other government agencies.  All access to the locations we wanted to visit was restricted.  And, there was no place to park a camper.  That was a wasted journey.  But, it was a learning experience. 

A nice young (younger than us) couple had noticed our plight as I wandered around what seemed to be a State Park.  They suggested that we give it up as a lost cause and continue our journey to Glacier.  Oh… they also were Winter Texans.  We had a short but pleasant visit and discussion of Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. 

We spent the rest of the day driving back toward Sturgis and Spearfish.  A hundred dollars of diesel later we found a nice campground in Spearfish.  The day ended on a pleasant note.  Spearfish is a highly touted tourist site in South Dakota.  There are several easily accessible water falls along the Spearfish Canyon Loop.  The next morning, after an aborted trip to see the eagles from atop a desolate hill not far from the campground, we headed for the scenic loop. 

The waterfalls in this picture is Rouglock Falls.  It is a short walk down a paved path after about a mile drive off the main loop.  Bridal Veil Falls was much higher but this was our favorite.  And, it was close to a nice restaurant. 

We had lunch at the Savoy Latchstring Restaurant and Lodge.  The Buffalo Stew and Fried Bread Sandwich was superb.  Jane had a large Quesadilla and neither of us was able to finish our meals.  For $26, tip included, we were able to watch an incoming storm from a beautiful, rustic Inn and make a second meal from what we had left.

We left South Dakota the next morning, taking Interstate 90 west through Wyoming.  We were refreshed, clean (Jane coughed up $29 a night showers and internet) and raring for the next adventure.  We are in Montana.  We plan to move into Glacier National Park tomorrow – Sunday, August 28.  That will be another story along with the rest of how we got here – Conrad, Montana.

l8r