May 26th 2012

We are now in Dubois, WY.  It's been snowing for the past couple of days since we got to the Yellowstone/Grand Teton area.  It's been a number of days since we've been able to have internet/WIFI so, again, we'll have to abbreviate some so you don't get too bored...

We last posted from Eureka, CA after traveling up along the Pacific Coast Highway.  The loooong winding roads finally brought us to the top via tall redwood forests and steep cliffs down to the ocean.  We found a campsite within the Redwood National Park called Jedediah Smith Campground.  I (Josh) personally think that we had the best spot in the area.  It was the last spot down along the river.  A small path led down to the water where we could take Harbor off leash and allow him to swim...as long as he dodged the snakes that kept skirting out of the rocks.

 It's easy to tell from the picture above how dark the forest is.  Once inside that line of trees it stays pretty much "night" during the day.

         

(These elk really didn't care we decided to pull over and watch them) 

From the Redwood National Park we continued our way up the coast.  Taking a break in Molalla, OR at a not-so-impressive campground where the host tried to set us up at a spot so she could spy on us more easily, we did take a noteworthy stop at the famous Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, OR the next morning...I promptly got a decent stomach ache from all that sugar.

 The following night we stayed along the Lyre River in Washington.  The Native Americans thought it to have a musical sound to it.  Apparently, later, the European settlers agreed...as did we...It has this constant flow that has many different tones going at once.

While we were at our camp along the Lyre we got in contact with our friend Blaise who is currently working up in Alaska but has a summer house close to where we were in Port Angeles, WA. So, with the lure of a house with a kitchen, shower, couch, and actually even a hot tub along the Straight of Juan De Fuca, we took the short drive there without thinking much further.

(We took a drive to Forks so Annie could see some of the "Twilight" attractions.  One, amongst the vampire tours, was Bella's truck from the movie)

So, after being spoiled for a night, we pulled ourselves away from the house and pushed on.  It was here, in Port Angeles and Forks that we started to get rain and significant weather.   After short stop in Spokane ,WA to rest, we then headed to Glacier National Park.  Although cold and raining, we made the best of it.  Finding what appeared to be one of the only tenting campsites open in the park, we set up shop and were quickly reminded by one of the rangers that a bear had made an appearance at the campground just the day before.  We had a great view of Sprague Lake...

  I took the 2 mile hike up to Avalanche Lake the next morning before we started our daily drive.  Although still raining and cold, I made my way up along the snowy/muddy trail to be greeted by a giant pile of bear poop.  It looked very fresh too.  So after I decided it wasn't warm enough to be VERY recent and keeping in mind the good work I'd just done hiking all the way up there, I stayed there alone at the lake to try and hook some trout.  I think I did more checking over my shoulder than I did casts, but just to stand there in the lake all by myself up there was pretty neat.  I was able to take a couple shots with my phone too...

I was told by 2 rangers about 45 minutes later when they brought up a group of what looked like high schoolers that a bear and her two cubs had been hanging out yesterday right were I was fishing that morning. Also, a guy had been trapped in the small outhouse at the entrance to Avalanche earlier as well.  The bears walked around him in the outhouse for quite some time while he videotaped the incident.  I guess the rangers got a viewing of the video later that day.

I dried off in the car, turned on the seat-heaters and tortured Annie with my horribly smelly feet, which had just be released from their waders and we took the drive south towards Yellowstone.  Stopping once in Livingston we then took the following day to drive through Yellowstone as it was very close to the park.  The entrance to Yellowstone from the north is pretty great...

About 10 minutes into the park we saw quite a few deer and bison.  A bear also cut across the road on his way up a steep hill on the other side.  He was so fast cutting over and up along the woods that it was tough to get a picture but we managed an out-of-focus silhouette of him... 

(The bison are pretty "whatever" about you being there)

 Continuing through the park we eventually made our way to Old Faithful and took a walk around the geysers.  We stopped at a falls along the way.

Yes, all that sulfer does smell...

 Old Faithful was a little late past the "4:15ish" time that a ranger told everyone.  It was very windy and cold and after standing outside for an hour waiting it was amazing we still have use of our extremities.

After that day of touring was done we slept in West Yellowstone last night and then took this morning to take another drive through the park to see what we weren't able to get to previously.  We also wanted to head to Grand Teton National Park as well which is just south of Yellowstone.  We got another showing from a bear today as well.  This time it was a larger grizzly bear chomping on some food along the river.

Exiting though the south gate, we then drove down to the Grand Tetons.  An old cabin which was left over from the 1880s as part of a larger encampment still remains along the road.  Harbor was happy to check out the condition of the rooms inside...

So we are still ducking the rain and snow here in Dubois.  Our next official stop is going to be the Badlands, Crazy Horse, etc. in South Dakota.  It's roughly an 8 hour drive from here so I can't say confidently that we'll make it all in one shot tomorrow.  We're going to have to find out.