Advertisement
Published: August 27th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Sunset
Keyhole State Park (Bates Motel) Warning: Long blog ahead. What can I say, I had some time to blog into a word entry and copy/paste.
Below is a typical camping day. Last night (08/26/07) was a hotel night. "The Pollard" in Red Lodge, MT. Very nice. We had a queen bed (nice), running water (though Jim took a tepid bath cause he was impatient and wouldn't wait for the water to get hot). Breakfast included (full hot breakfast). Last night we had bison spring rolls, a lovely salad (Jim had chowder) and we had our first real dessert on the trip (vanilla creme brulee that was very tasty). And we have wi-fi (in the lobby anyway). So, being on the trail ain't so bad. Whoohoo. John arrives in 2 days. The 25 mile/day hiking can begin.
Lets go through a typical day with Jim and Susan, from Susan’s perspective.
When camping (the recorded day below was a camping day and on 08/18/07): Wake up. Go pee (all pit toilets thus far). Find the least disgusting and smelly articles of clothing to wear for the day. Eat breakfast unless anxious to get hiking (then it’s a cliff bar on the way to the trail). Break camp if
Happy Campers
Story, WY (Thanks to KA/AW) moving on (involves deflating my pillow and my Big Agnes sleeping pad). Stuff pad and sleeping bag into appropriate stuff sacks. Discuss and/or argue about plan for day and best route. Make small talk with camping neighbors. Go hike or walk or sightseeing or find a coffee shop to send out blog or something else just as exciting (i.e. find auto parts place in Custer to get windshield wipers; find post office to send out postcards to best friends; okay, just kidding, we haven’t mailed any postcards yet; or maybe we have and I don’t want your feelings to be hurt cause you haven’t received one). Today (again 08/18/07) we went to the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore and back at camp. I recommend both even though they are “touristy.” Neither was terribly busy and both were very informative. The scale of both, but particularly the Crazy Horse Memorial and sculpture, is just incredible. Our meal this evening was instant potatoes (garlic and butter flavored) and “pre-cooked in a sealed packet and found near the canned tuna fish”, teriyaki tuna fillet (I served it heated up in saucepan with Old Bay seasoning and pine nuts). We are still experimenting
Dinosaur Tracks
Jim Walking Like A Dino with some food items to see what is good and easy/quick to heat up. Washing up the dishes with camp soap and doing a hot water rinse. Finishing off the evening with some herbal tea and cookies for dessert by the campfire (trying to get Jim to save the Scotch for a cold night while backpacking, though I have only been minimally successful with this). I am now in longsleeves and it is supposed to be around 60 tonight. And it is a little strange to be using the laptop at a campsite. I also spend a fair amount of time mocking Jim for rearranging the tarp over the tent many, many times. We then spend time discussing what day it is and where we will be going and what we will be doing in a few days. Go to sleep aobut an hour after it gets dark (we are allowed campfires in Custer State Park which is very nice).
08/25/07 Well, pretty much the same as above, but a different place and different hike and different food. I did cook pancakes, banana, and eggs this morning, thank you very much (getting a wee bit tired of powered milk and cold cereal). It was pretty chilly yesterday after hiking up to Medicine Wheel which was almost at 10,000 feet. I changed from my shorts to fleece (pants and jacket) at the Burgess Junction Visitor Center (very nice and helpful ranger who is also a birder like Jim and warned me it was going to be chilly as we ascended a couple more thousand feet). Very warm today (about 80). Nice hike down into a canyon today. Jim was definitely channeling our dear friend Gene. Lets just say a “manway” would have been welcomed. Yet our “deerway” did help us along our way.Yesterday (08/24/07) was a special time for Moose and I’ll let him tell a little about the day. And we are looking forward to “Bear” meeting us in just 4 days. Yep, that’s right John, you too must have a travel name. And we picked it for you. Seemed more appropriate then “Pika” (which we saw our first one yesterday). And our Honda Accord has named herself. She will from this time on be known as Rattler. Special note to our “birding friends,” Jim is seeing lots of new birds. I on the the other hand offer helpful information like “there is a blue one” or “oh look, a little brown bird”. Jim evidently hates little brown birds cause they are hard to identify. Just sounds like lazy birding to me and I know Karen will agree. I did purchase a book about edible plants, flowers, etc.. so I’m trying to become knowledgeable in that area in the event it is needed. And with “I like to find my own way and who needs a trail” partner, you just never know.
Squirrel
For the record, we have gone off-trail 5 times (and one of those was just barely). Four of those it was impossible to get lost because it was open territory. So I don't think I'm in the Gene league or even close. Yet.
Moose
Advertisement
Tot: 0.207s; Tpl: 0.027s; cc: 13; qc: 60; dbt: 0.0803s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
jack
non-member comment
Western birds
western birds would make my eyes pop out of my head. I've never even seen Peterson's guide to Western birds. though I did see a scrub jay once long before I paid much attention to birds