Day 26 Buffalo Bill State CG Cody, Wyoming Buffalo Bill Dam, Miniature City, Old Trail Town

Captain’s Blog
Sunday
June 28, 2009

Again, we woke to another beautiful sunny day. The nights have been very cool (in the 40’s) but great for sleeping. We drove the eighty miles to Cody, Wyoming, a place we hadn’t considered stopping until Kelly told us not to miss it because there was a lot to see and do there. We took her advice, did some research and decided we should add this stop to our itinerary.

First up was looking for a campground all of which were overpriced with the sites crowed together and pretty close to the center of town and highway. We opted for a state campground nine miles outside of Cody with sites on a reservoir with the snow- covered mountains as a backdrop. There are no utilities but the scenery and quiet make up for that. What a great find and we could not believe we got lucky again and found another little piece of heaven to enjoy. After setting up, we had lunch outside and enjoyed our surroundings.

A man from another site came to visit, talked non-stop, was very opinionated and reminded us of Archie Bunker. His visit broke the calm we were enjoying and caused us some stress. We are not used to dealing with bigoted people. I finally, but politely excused myself and told Ron we needed to get into to town to the visitor center before it closed. The man left and went on to voice his opinions to another camper that had just arrived and was trying to set up his campsite.

On the way back into town we came upon multiple EMS vehicles and police cars. We noticed a motorcycle actually imbedded broadside into the side of the mountain. We didn’t see a covered body so assumed that the person was taken away by ambulance. I can’t imagine anyone surviving that crash. The motorcycle was high up the mountainside and there were no skid marks to indicate braking.

We arrived at the visitor center, but unfortunately it had just closed. We stopped at the Old West Miniature Village. The Old West lives on at the village through thousands of 2.5 inch high figures that trace the history of Wyoming and Montana from the 1600’s to the late 1890’s.

The diorama covers 7000 square feet with scenes of buffalo being driven over cliffs, mountain men competing at the Green River Rendezvous and Sioux warriors besieging a stockade trading post. Other scenes include that of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, (Custer’s Last Stand), miniature railroads, wagons on the Oregon Trail and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Proprietor Jerry Fick has spent most of his life collecting and making the figures in the collection. The portrayals are historically accurate and the diorama is the largest in the U.S. to depict Wyoming history.

Also housed within the museum are many Indian artifacts including a Native American cradle board, from the Sitting Bull family as well as a knife and sheath carried by a Sioux warrior during the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn.


Our next stop was at Old Trail Town. Bob Edgar, a native of the Wyoming Big Horn Basin, had developed an interest in archaeology and history as a young boy. He worked as an archaeologist for the Buffalo Bill Historical Society in Cody and realized that the old historical buildings and associated materials were rapidly disappearing from the landscape of Cody.

In 1967 he began work to gather historic buildings and relics to be displayed at a site on the west side of Cody. This was the area Buffalo Bill and his associates had chosen for the first town site of “Cody City” in 1895.

Many of the buildings were taken completely apart, moved and rebuilt in the new location. There are 26 buildings that date back from 1879 to 1901 on the site of Old Trail Town. There are 100 horse drawn vehicles and a collection of memorabilia and authentic Indian artifacts at the site.

The town is very well organized and really gives one the feel of what it must have been like to live in those days. Among the buildings we toured was the cabin that was the rendezvous for Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and other outlaws of the region. If nothing else this entire trip has served as a huge history lesson for us, one that could not have captured the essence of the times in a book.

We passed the site of the motorcycle accident on the way to the Buffalo Bill Dam and noticed a memorial had been set up at the site of the motorcycle crash mentioned earlier. A grim reminder of another life lost.

Next it was on to the Buffalo Bill Dam and Shoshone Project. As the Union Pacific Railroad stretched across the Great Plains in the late 1860’s hundreds of pioneers sought their fortune in he west. As more settlers moved in the need for a dependable supply of water became evident.

In 1897 and 1899 Colonel William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody and his associates acquired from the state of Wyoming the right to take water from the Shoshone River to irrigate 169,000 acres of land in the Bighorn Basin. In 1903 the federal government stepped in to help with irrigation development and the Shoshone Project became one of the first federal water development projects.

Against all odds and many setbacks, mostly weather related the Shoshone Dam, later renamed the Buffalo Bill Dam was completed after five years of construction. When completed in 1910 it was the highest dam in the world at 325 feet. Because of its historical significance the dam was added to the national register of Historic Places in 1973. It is also a National Civil Engineering Landmark.

In 1993 the beginning of a dam modification took place to raise the dam an additional 25 feet to create an additional 20,000 acre-feet of reservoir storage capacity. An additional 25.5 megawatts of power generating was also added. CLICK FOR VIDEO:
The water rushing over the spillways was incredible with a beautiful rainbow bouncing across the water. The sound of the rushing water tremendously loud and served as a reminder to us of the force and power of the water flowing beneath the walkway.

Day 25 Perry’s RV Park, Beartooth Highway, Chief Joseph Highway, Downtown Red Lodge, Montana

Captain’s Blog
Saturday

June 27, 2009

We were up and out the door by 9 AM to traverse Beartooth Highway and all its glory. Ron got some video of two deer outside our MH window. Around 5:00 AM. One was watching every move he was making. So far, no moose sighting. I guess that’s good. The temp was 46 degrees when we left and as we climbed the mountain the temp continued to drop to a chilling 35

degrees with 40 mph winds. Despite the chilling temps spring flowers were everywhere.

Words cannot describe the beauty of what we encountered and the spectacular vista. I think our mouths were hanging open at every turn and all we kept saying was WOW!!!!! Pictures cannot take in the beauty of the place because you have to experience it to believe it. I don’t know what else to say except, spectacular, stupendous, beautiful beyond imagination. A place that makes you feel miniscule against its size and glory. The landscape goes on forever and ever and the vastness of it, indescribable. The East Summit, the highest peak on the trail was 10,936 feet, and was also the coldest and windiest.

Along the route we ran into a group of runners in an eight-mile uphill race. Good luck to them because it was a very steep uphill run. There were motorcyclists, a corvette club and many bicyclists along the highway. Hopefully they were able to take in the beauty and enjoy it as much s we did. We also ran into a summer snowboarding/ski class. Let me tell you there is no way we would have gone down that slope!!!!

Just before turning on Joseph’ s Highway we passed over a bridge with an incredible waterfall. There was no stopping on the bridge so we turned around and found a lovely trail leading to the falls. Of course we took the trail and were not disappointed. The falls were nothing short of monumental and, running at warp speed, the falls were like a huge foaming caldron. What a great find.!!!!!

After completing that 60 miles of the Beartooth Loop ( many more miles run through Yellowstone) we continued down Joseph’s Highway offering vistas of a different kind. The mountain ranges were very different then those at Beartooth but no less spectacular. Behind the peaks of the mountain range on Joseph’s

CLICK ON VIDEO:

Highway you could see the snowcapped peaks of Beartooth. The altitude was lower and the air warmer but the switchbacks along the route no less challenging. Ron was glad he didn’t attempt the ride in the MH towing our Jeep. We stopped for lunch at a viewpoint, enjoying the view and the quiet.

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway is so named because this is the route that Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perce took through the Clark’s Fork River and out into the Bighorn Basin the Fall of 1877 during their legendary flight from the U.S. Army. The route is now a popular trail for wildlife migration and for American Indians journeying from the region west of the Continental Divide to the Buffalo hunting grounds of the Great Plains.

Dead Indian Hill overlook at the summit offers views of Sunlight Basin, Absaroka Wilderness, the Clarks Fork Canyon and the Beartooth Plateau presenting a panorama of soaring heights, plunging canyons and vast valleys. Look closely at the roads and switchbacks in the pictures. You can double click on the pictures to make them larger. Sunlight Creek is on the highest bridge in Wyoming and walking across the bridge gave us a fantastic view of the gorge between the granite Beartooth Plateau to the north and the volcanic Absaroka Mountains to the south. The total triangle with the start and end at the CG was 142 miles taking us six hours to complete; well worth every mile and minute.

We then visited the town of Red lodge. It’s a very interesting and pretty little town with many old buildings and unique architecture. (Notice the beautiful police station- we’re trying to say away from them).) Red Lodge was a mining town for many years and fell to its ruin after the mining industry closed down. It then became a stop on the way to Yellowstone and is now a hot spot for tourists with all the usual tourist trap stuff and high prices.

While in town we saw three different brides/grooms and wedding parties. The first was being transported in a covered wagon and the groom wore jeans and a tuxedo jacket, the bride a simple cream - colored dress. They were dropped off at al local saloon for their reception. The second bride and groom were dressed a little more formally and were having their photos taken in the middle of the street. The third pair were the most formally attired entering a church to be wed. It was a busy wedding day in Red Lodge. Might I add, all the brides were very pretty and grooms handsome.

The most interesting character from Red Log was “Liver Eating” Johnson who became the sheriff of Red Lodge for time. The descriptive title resulted from his terrible rage and subsequent revenge after a band of roving Indian warriors massacred his pregnant wife while he was on a trapping expedition. He determined it was the Crow Indians responsible and then he determined to kill as many Crow as possible and to eat a part of their liver. He carried out his gruesome oath with a terrible vengeance, killing dozens of Crow warriors and leaving their mutilated bodies as warning to fellow tribesmen. The Crows handpicked twenty of their most fearsome Warriors and instructed them to leave their villages and to only return upon the death of Johnston. Johnston eventually killed all twenty of the Warriors, the last one nearly fourteen years after they began hunting him. (Johnston was 6’4’’tall , weighed 250 pounds and was a relative of Buffalo Bill)

Johnston also served in the Calvary but was severely reprimanded for taking the scalps of Seminole and Cherokee Indians who fought and died in battles near Newtonia, Missouri, where the Seminoles fought for the Confederates and the Cherokees for the Union Army. After discharge from the Army he returned to his mountain life and later became a Marshall In Red Lodge. He died in 1900 at a veterans’ home in Los Angeles and was later interred at Old Trail Town, Wyoming.

r0n NOTE:

The Owner of the campground was somewhat of a colorful character. He lives in San Francisco during the winter and hear at Red Lodge from June thru October. He is putting a lot of money into this Campground via upgrades and landscaping, it is a grate place right on the creek. He sold his 8 auto repair shops in San Fran and it looks like he is putting his efforts into this campground. He also stated he would move out hear but his wife would divorce him.

ANYONE INTERESTED IN SEEING ALL THE FOTOS CLICK ON THIS LINK:

http://share.shutterfly.com/view/flashShareSlideshow.jsp?sid=8AasmrFi1asmQf

Day 24 Perry’s RV Park Red Lodge, Montana Pictograph Cave State Park

Captain’s Blog
Friday
June 26, 2009


We left the campground around 10 AM this morning heading towards Red Lodge, Montana. On the way through Billings, we stopped at a Calebra’s and I bought a comfortable pair of sneakers. We were allowed to leave our MH in the parking lot so disconnected the car and headed 5 miles back to Pictograph Cave State Park.




The area was beautiful but the pictographs difficult to pick out. Unfortunately, we forgot the camera but click on the link to the website and then click on park images for some nice shots.

We arrived at Perry’s RV Park just in time. Shortly after arriving a huge storm rolled in with torrential rains and thunder and lightening. After the storm we took a short hike around the park and along the creek behind the campground. The area has been bombarded with torrential rains and all the rivers and waterfalls are running fast and hard. The immediate area is beautiful and you can see snow capped mountains in the distance.


CLICK ON VIDEO:


Tomorrow we plan to take the Beartooth Highway to view and enjoy the vistas that we have been told are spectacular.
I almost forgot. On our arrival at Perry’s the owner warned us about a bull moose who has been in the park causing some problems. He told us that the moose jumped over his golf cart and that another moose had attacked and broken the arms of two people down the road this week. We’ll be keeping a lookout for that moose and watching over Jewel.

Day 23 Garryowen, Montana Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monumen 7th Ranch Campgroundt

Captain’s Blog
Thursday

June 25, 2009

Woke this morning to clear bright blue skies. The projected temp for the day is 100 degrees. Yes folks, 100 degrees. It will be the first hot day we’ve had since we left. Everyday up until today has been perfect in the mid 70’s and breezy.

Today is the 133rd anniversary of the battle of Little Bighorn so understandably the park was loaded with visitors as well as several Indian Tribes performing a variety of cultural ceremonies. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is huge covering many miles of territory.

We opted to drive the 10 mile round trip along the route of the battlefield. Five miles South of the monument is the Reno-Benteen Battlefield where the battle of the Little Bighorn actually began.

Little Bighorn memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their ancestral way of life. In the valley of the Little Bighorn River on two June days in 1876, more then 260 soldiers and attached personnel of the US Army met defeat and death at the hands of several thousand Lakota (formerly known as Sioux) and Cheyenne warriors. Among the dead were Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and every member of his immediate command. Although the Indians won the battle, they ultimately lost the war against the white man’s efforts to end their independent, nomadic way of life.

Prior to 1991 the battlefield was called the Custer Battlefield National Monument. The name change to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument was a major step in the move to be more inclusive of Native American participation in the battle. “Peace Through Unity” became the adopted name.

Along the route are grave markers for both the fallen warriors and US troops. White marble military headstones signify fallen US troops while red granite signify fallen warriors. It is unknown exactly where the warriors fell during the battle because their bodies were removed from the site immediately after the battle. Since 1999 markers have been placed for warriors from several different tribes that participated in the battle of the Little Bighorn. The area is beautiful and well maintained. I would recommend this stop to everyone. The history is remarkable and to look over the battlefield and realize the monumental efforts put forth by both sides leaves one speechless.

At the five mile mark there was a trail called the Reno-Benteen Entrenchment Trail that we had started. Along the trail are 18 markers signifying significant aspects of the ridge and the happenings that occurred. At this point it was after 1PM and the sun was broiling us. The temp in the direct sun was 107 degrees. We decided to stop the hike and return later in the day when it cooled off. We then headed to the museum and watched a brief film covering the high points of the battle. Back at the MH we cooled off, ate lunch and waited for the outside temp to drop.

Around 6:30 PM we headed back to complete the trail. The temp was still 90 degrees but more tolerable because the sun was not high in the sky. We got to the monument and to our surprise there weren’t very many people around and the visitor center was closed. Ron figured we had enough time to drive to the trail and finish the hike before the park closed.

The speed limit in the park was 15 MPH and guess what – Ron was doing 25 MPH.


Once again we were stopped by law enforcement – the park police!!!!! He was also an American Indian and gave us a warning instead of a ticket. He held us there long enough so that we didn’t get to finish the trail because the gate to the road leading to the trail was closed by the very officer that stopped us. Before leaving we stopped at the National Cemetary within the park that overlooks the rolling hills and valleys. Well, here we are two days in Montana and stopped by the police twice. Well, it was back to the RV at the posted speed – of course.

Day 22 Little Bighorn National Park 7th Ranch Campground

June 24, 2009

We left Devils Tower and chose to take the less traveled route 212. We drove for many miles before seeing another vehicle but did see lots of horses, cows, sheep and elk. The views were outstanding and one could see for more miles then I would guess. It was a great route and one we would recommend to anyone traveling this part of the country who like us enjoy the beauty of nature.

The few towns (three I think) were small and far apart. One could blink an eye and miss the town. Unfortunately for us we did run into a problem in Lame Deer, population 67.

The road signs are not very clear and there is a four - way intersection with a blinking light in the center of town. The speed limit goes from 65 mph to 35 mph without notice and at the blinking red light is a stop sign. Well, both Ron and I saw the light but not the stop sign. By the time he has seen the sign and tried to slow down it was too late. Although slowed, we went right through that stop sign. Thank God the people waiting at that intersection did not try to cross. Unfortunately, there was a patrolman at the intersection and we were pulled over. Luckily, the officer understood the situation and let us go without a ticket. He did tell us another officer was hit at that intersection the night before. He wished us a good vacation and we were on our way again.

We arrived at the 7th Ranch RV Park. The park sits in the middle of the Little Bighorn Battlefield. It is where the 7th Calvary was located, hence 7th Ranch. The campground overlooks the rolling hills and valleys of Little Bighorn and the snow capped mountains I the distance can be seen from anywhere in the campground.

We’re slowing down a bit and enjoying the country. After driving over two-hundred miles we didn’t feel like doing much so didn’t go out sightseeing after arriving at the CG. We hung around and planned for the next day. The weather has been spectacular and we feel very fortunate that the weather gods have been on our side –so far.
This is usually the point in our trip that we would be turning around to head home. It feels strange not to have to do that but liberating as well. I’m feeling a little guilty about being on the road for so long – but Ron isn’t so the road trip continues.