Day 21

Finally made it to Oregon!

Eastern Oregon was just as dry and arid as we expected. I was surprised at how often throughout this trip we came across the Snake River. As dumb as it sounds it snaked its way along our path even through the desert areas. We finally saw its end when it met up with the Columbia River and we drove through the Gorge. Hitting Portland at 5 on a weekday was sub optimal so we stopped for dinner on the outskirts and headed on in for the home stretch.

I guess we never mentioned the snafu dealing with our destination. Our reservation for 30 days was entered into the one of the two systems they were using as just 3 days (even though our email confirmation said 30). The employee who messed this up was fired for a variety of mess-ups including ours. The owner was distraught and had no clue what to do about not having a spot for us with pretty much every site in the state booked up. Side note, if you want to RV in Oregon in the summer (maybe ever) you need to book way far out. Long story short, the owner called some of the long timers who had spots but were elsewhere on vacation and got us three spaces we could use throughout the say at no cost to us.

After 4931 miles and 128.5 hours of car time we are glad to be settling down… It has been an amazing trip and we are ready to start the next chapter of our lives.

Day 20

Our battery died again... Had to back up the truck to it and charge it up a bit to do some dished and get ready for the road again. Woke up a bit hung over too… The air seemed a bit different though. When we headed on out it was super hazy. We asked the park host if there was a fire and it turned out that there was. Coincidently it was just a bit south of Jackson where we were riding yesterday caused by lightning without much rain. Guess that was why the horses were sniffing around so much and easily spooked.

On the way into Jackson we stopped by the National Museum of Wildlife Art for a quick peak. We checked out the sculptures on the outside and got to see a couple on the inside without doing the full pay-for tour. The rough textured brass work was awesome to see. If you are ever in the area I would recommend stopping by.

The drive was not too bad to Boise. Leaving Jackson there was quite a bit of an incline but the rest was easy going. We were shocked at how much of Idaho seemed to be just desert. Found a nice place just past Boise called Country Corners RV Park. The owners were quite friendly and the accommodations were great. Glad to have full hookups again!

Day 19

For a day that started with not having a clue on what we were going to do, a lot got done.

It all started with a drive into Jackson, WY with no clue on where we were going, so we wondered, letting ideas of breakfast lead us. We found a historic log cabin that the owners turned into a restaurant. Enjoying the coffee and breakfast, we watch the town come alive.

We joined the bustle and found the visitor center. We asked the host about finding another trail ride, but a little less commercial. She gave us the perfect hint, look for outfitters. We called one of the two sites and one actually had an opening for a half day ride.

We drove down a 15 mile dusty gravel road that ended in a camp that was set up with canvas tents and nestled next to a stream just yards below. Me met both of the camp hosts, Mark and Mark. Each spend 8 months of the year here taking people on rides and big game hunts. Mark had picked out saddles and horses to match us. Jason rode Rusty, a tall quarter horse that was just as goofy as him. I had Gussy, short little lady with a bit of a grass belly like me, and I am not going to lie, I think I fell in love with this horse. The trail was beautiful, we crossed more streams than I could count and ascended up the mountain. Along the way, we where among some of the largest Aspen trees I have ever seen. You could see the scares from the black bears scrambling up to the tops. The meadows were filled with large yellow daisy like flowers. The best part of the trail was that half way through, the guide let me lead while Jason and him chatted away the day.

Half way through the trail we had a sudden rain and it passed just as quickly as it arrived. It produced quite a sight, we were at the top of the mountain at this point, so we could see the lightning as it crackled in the distance. As we descended the mountain, our horses were smelling around and Gussy became a bit spooky, even spooking at a few rocks and shadows. Later we found out the lightning had produced some fires in the same forest we were riding in. We never saw any of this, but we heard by the next morning, it had burnt over 2,200 acres.

While driving back we found a crowd of people stopped by the river just a mile from our camp. So we pulled over to find out what everyone had spotted. Just yards away from the bank’s cliff there was a full size bull moose in velvet wading in the water picking up mouthfuls of greens. Just up stream from him there was a beaver swimming up current.  I don’t know how we were so luck to see two rare sights.

That night we did not let the fact that we drained our power on accident by leaving on the water pump dampen our mood, but instead sat by the fire and cooked a wonderful meal of seared pork tenderloin in the dutch oven and caramelized Brussel sprouts with shallots. As we ate dinner in the dancing firelight we sat back and stared off into the night.

Day 18

After that exiting previous day of hikes and wildlife sightings we hit the road again going further south. We stayed in the Grand Teton Nation Park technically but were outside the gates, not sure how that works but it was a good site. We stayed at Gros Ventre, which I was pronouncing “Gross Venture”, but turns out is pronounces “Grow Vaunt” (French for Big Belly).

We headed into Jackson Hole for the afternoon and boy was that town commercialized. We were expecting a more quaint and homey town, but it was actually more of a ritzy up-scale ski town. We headed to the local rodeo which had some bulls, which seemed to be a bit too familiar with what to do and didn’t buck worth a damn. The horse events were great though. Time for a little two stepping at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

 

Sheep Scramble, with a million kids

Day 17

This was the day to explore the Teton National Forest. The day before one of the park employees at the visitor center recommended her favorite hike to us, so off we went. On our way we found a crowd of people staring off into a cluster of trees. After many attempts, I finally spotted the prize, a female moose.

Once we arrived at the trail head I was in a bit of a panic mode. The trail head was overflowing with people. If anyone knows me just a little, they know I am not a fan of crowds. We finally vultured a spot to park and then decided to just give the trail a chance. After a half a mile of constantly having to step aside for hikers going the opposite direction and listening to overly loud hikers we abandoned this trail and sought out another.

We took out our map and found a more remote trail. Before we let our boots hit the trail again we found a great lunch spot. We enjoyed some local brews and ate some creative pizza while overlooking majestic mountain tops.

We traveled down a dusty gravel road winding down a valley and we spotted a moose in the stream that followed the road. After many excited pictures we continued on our way. There were several trail head options and after checking out a few on this dusty road we settled on one that started at the Rockefeller Nature Preserve. We walked to the building that had wooden arches and perfectly combined a rustic appeal with modern curves and large glass windows. Just behind one of the large windows was a model of the mountain range placed exactly as you saw it out the window. Winding through the halls we found the sound room. A childish smile spread across my face as the sound of rain encompassed me. Bring me back to the moments when I would walk outside to our shed and sit on a cot and daydream while listening to the rain hit the roof and fall from the trees. It was pure joy.

The trails started right out the back doors of the museum following a mountain stream. There were many cascading waterfalls and blooming flowers. The mist from the waterfalls created a permanent smell of rain. We finally hit the junction where we broke off from the heavier traveled trail and ascended up to a ridge line. The view was worth the climb. We did not see another hiker on this trail and it felt as if we had the mountain to our self. This reclusive trail ended at Phelps Lake, where there was a welcoming stone platform with benches, so one could take in the views.

The way back to the camp was exciting. We saw our first and only bear of the trip. It was sipping water from a puddle near Pilgrim Creek. It was a juvenile black bear, starting to fill in its adult frame. 

That night we felt content with the beautiful surroundings sitting by our fire that was nestled in the woods.

Can you find the moose?