We're Finally Seeing that Big Sky!

 August 19 - 22, 2021

Island Park, Idaho

Although we're surrounded by rain clouds for all of our 55 mile drive south, I never need the windshield wipers all the way from Ennis, Montana to Island Park, Idaho. Probably could have used a good downpour just to clean off all the bugs :-)

Henry's Lake State Park is one of several wonderful places recommended by good friends Steven and Linda (The Chouters), and this is our second time here. What a blessing to have days of drenching rain for the first couple days!

We have 50 AMP FHUs to go with our expansive lake views, but when hooking up I note a fault that won't clear no matter what I do from the inside. Bill switches us to 30 AMP which works fine. Maintenance checks it out and finds nothing wrong on the pedestal. When Bill tries 50 it's again a no-go, then the same when he plugs the 30 back in. Uh, oh! Quickly he finds the surge protector is full of water. Removing it gets us 50 and a sigh of relief. We'll pick up a new surge protector at our next stop. Whew......

Overnight rain gives us cloudy, not smoky, skies on Friday morning. I find a route for the south side of the lake, and from there Bill suggests we take Red Rock Mountain Pass. Turns out to be a brilliant idea!! 

It's also grandson Maximus' birthday - our sweet, gentle, second oldest grandchild. Time goes too fast!! Son Jeff's was earlier in the week, and we still have one more before August is over :-)

Happy Birthday precious boy!

This drive makes us feel like we're finally seeing what we were looking forward to for Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Unfettered views, healthy forest of Aspen and Pine, huge cattle ranches, a pretty lake inside a nature refuge, and of course those big skies overhead. 

The clouds open up and quickly the road is all slick mud and puddles. So fun :-)

Where the road goes over the pass, we're among the pretty Aspens.

Like often happens in this area, we find ourselves in another state during our day trip.

Lunch with a view. Mom doesn't look impressed with our invasion.

Giving Tessa some competition in the cute department.

Over the pass the views of the Centennial Valley open up forever.

Fluffy dog loves having the whole world to explore - it's so big out here!

Lots of room for zoomies. Too fast to catch most of them!

One of five pretty (and massive) gates along many miles bordering the multi-generation Grayling Centennial Ranch. It shares the 450,000 acre valley with a nature preserve, BLM land and three other large ranches. 

Upper Red Rock Lake, part of the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Must be 200 ducks visible from the little tent campground.

One of a few old homesteads in the valley.

Pretty views from the old corrals.

I love these pockets of hardwoods and evergreens along the lower hills.

The Red Rock that gives the road and lake their name.

See? Fun!!

I can't recommend this incredible drive enough - and it goes even further than we went if you get started sooner! We hope to take our friends out here when they arrive next week.

While I wouldn't normally make a trip to Yellowstone on a Saturday in August, with more rain and it being one of two days we have to go, we head for the park in the late morning. A stop for a mediocre brunch in West Yellowstone (like every meal we've had in this somewhat dumpy tourist zoo), and we arrive in the park about noon. A surprising wide open entrance is the pre-cursor for what turns out to be the least crowded visit we've had here. 

Although it's a mid-day start, we still do the full Grand Loop drive. There are a lot of miles through forest, which get old, but the loop takes us to many of the very best sights. 

 

The drive along the Madison River is a lovely west entrance to what is a lot of people's favorite national park.

Firehole Falls

Firehole Lake Drive is a great alternative to the always packed (today as well) boardwalk through Geyser Valley.

A lot of geyser activity today, fun to see this one shooting high in the air.

One of many along the trail spewing after a few bubbles. 

Muted rainy colors.

Our only Bison sighting. Like so many places we've been this summer, they're short-staffed today!

Upper Falls 

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is still the most surprising place in the park for me. The colors, although muted here, are stunning.

As much as I try to ignore the smell of fire, I have to admit that some of the "haze" is smoke and not mist from the rain.

The Yellowstone River cuts through these beautiful canyon walls, dotted with hot springs and steam vents. 

Our first and only wildlife traffic jam comes on our way out of the park.

At first we think it's the small herd of Elk cows beside a bridge.

But another 1/2 mile we find several vehicles pulled over along the river with binoculars and large camera lenses aimed at the mountainside. We find a spot to stop and get some help from those who have "found" where the animal is - two thirds up, to the red trunk, just to the right, see that black dot? Takes me a while to find him with the camera. At full zoom I finally find the black bear taking a nap.

This is our fifth trip to the park (we're so blessed), and definitely the least number of critters we've seen, but even with that and the limited visibility, it's a great day. The massive size of this park, with all of the diversity of flora and fauna and geography, means we will always come back when we have the opportunity. Having so little crowds (we didn't do Old Faithful or Canyon Village) made it even better! We woke up in Idaho, ate in Montana, and played in Wyoming - love this area :-))

Sunday morning I'm relieved to see blue skies behind the clouds. We had more rain and wind overnight and our air quality isn't bad. Laundry, house cleaning, cooking, and football get done. We're excited that Monday our dear friends will be joining us for the rest of our time here!