Tag Archives: Prevost H3-45

2013_09_18 (Wed) Under A Harvest Moon

I was up early this morning to check e-mail and work on my backlog of blog posts. The WiFi at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds is excellent; our WiFi Ranger is picking up nine open fairground signals, with five of them quite strong. Even so, WiFi always works better when fewer devices are trying to use it.

A 1948 Spartan and aour1990 Prevost.

Linda was up in time to go to the registration building at 8:00 AM with the intent of reserving one of the pavilions adjacent to where the GLCC chapter is parked. Alas, they were both taken. She and Vicky scouted out the ones that were still available, selected one, and reserved it for our Thursday evening pizza social and business meeting. We will be meeting at the Elkhart Noon Optimists building, 603 Locust St, by the big blue Fish Fry sign. While they were taking care of this I brewed a pot of coffee using two parts Ethiopian Yirga Cheffe to one part Columbian decaf, a very nice blend that cuts down a little on the amount of caffeine. When Linda returned we had a light breakfast of her very yummy homemade granola and fresh orange slices.

Don and Sandy Moyer’s restored 1948 Spartan bus conversion.

Mid-morning Linda, Fonda, and Vicky drove to the Shipshewana flea market, which is only open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I took that as an opportunity to wander the fairgrounds and photograph the arrival and parking activities. Today was the official beginning of the 2013 GLAMARAMA and motorhomes arrived all through the day. The arrival and parking process appeared to go quite smoothly, which makes for a good start to a large RV rally. The all-volunteer parking crew put in long hours, but were patient and cheerful throughout.

Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds.

While I was wandering around I found Ron and Meredith Walker’s Prevost XL-45. They just joined our GLCC chapter this past summer, but are not camped with us at this rally. Ron is the conductor of the Frustrated Maestros, who are doing several scheduled performances during the rally, so the FM chapter is their primary focus while they are here.

A motorhome approaching the fairgrounds entrance from the east on IN-34 / Monroe St.

They were home but rather busy. A muralist was air-brushing a mural on their rear cap and their front entrance door was partially disassembled. Meredith had me check out the mural and then Ron filled me in on the door situation. The main door handle had failed that morning while he was outside talking to someone, as a result of which he was locked out and she was locked in. They managed to find a technician who was able/willing to climb in a bedroom window and disassemble the door enough to get it open. I looked at the mechanism to see if there was anything I could do to fix it. There wasn’t, of course, but I told them I knew someone who might be willing/able to help.

Welcome to GLAMARAMA at the Gate 5 entrance.

I returned to the GLCC camp to see if Butch would be willing to lend some assistance to fellow GLCC members. He was, of course; RVers tend to be helpful to other RVers when they can, but converted bus owners really tend to look out for one another. We went back over to the Walker’s coach and Butch determined that a weld had failed. While he couldn’t fix the latch on the spot we realized that the whole mechanism could be unbolted and moved out of the way so it couldn’t engage the latch pin on the door frame. Ron did the work, and that temporarily removed the lockout problem until they could get a new latch assembly from Prevost. In the meantime they could lock/unlock the door from inside or outside using only the deadbolt.

The staging area where towed vehicles get unhooked.

When the ladies got back from Shipshewana we pulled our camp chairs into a circle by Butch and Fonda’s MC-9 and spent a relaxing afternoon visiting with our fellow GLCCers. While we were sitting there, Frank and Sandy Griswold arrived in their Prevost H3-45 Vantare conversion along with Dean and Cindy Chipman in their Holiday Rambler Endeavor motorhome. A bit later Scott and Tammy Bruner arrived in their MCI MC-12 conversion. This completed our set of nine GLCC rigs that would be camping together for the duration of the rally. Our chapter had originally requested 8 spots, but the parking crew did a great job of getting nine coaches parked.

The holding area where RVs are queued for entry and escorted to their sites.

During the afternoon conversation someone asked how long we had owned our coach. That’s when we realized it was our 4th anniversary; we purchased our Prevost H3-40 on September 18, 2009. We met the owner at a restaurant in western Pennsylvania, gave him a certified check and got the title. The coach was at Creative Mobile Interiors (CMI) just south of Columbus, Ohio where it had been sitting for about two years. The owner had taken it there for service and then decided to sell it instead of fix it. CMI allowed him to leave it there while they advertised it on their website and tried to find a buyer. I described some of this story in the cover/centerfold article of the February 2013 issue of Bus Conversions Magazine.

A caravan being assembled for entry. They will be parked together.

We eventually broke for dinner and a little quiet time before heading over to the opening ceremonies. Linda made a simple green salad and a bow-tie pasta dish with olive oil, garlic, onions, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. The Arcturos Late Harvest Riesling from Black Star Farms in Michigan’s Leelanau peninsula was the perfect accompaniment. Their late harvest Riesling and pear wines are two of our all-time favorites.

A different kind of motorhome, called a Class D, with a fancy paint job.

A group of us from GLCC walked over to the evening activities building around 7:00 PM and were greeted with handshakes and hugs by Jon and Sondra Walker, Charlie Addcock, and Jane Roush. That may not sound like a big deal, but it was. Hugs are an Escapees RV Club tradition, not something we had ever seen before at an FMCA rally. When Charlie and Jon were elected to national office they promised a new tone and new direction for FMCA, and it appears they are putting themselves behind that in a very personal way.

The Frustrated Maestros performed from 6:45 to 7:30 PM. The opening ceremonies began at 7:30 PM with Dane Bailey, The Singing Auctioneer, as the master of ceremonies, a role he will be performing for the duration of the rally. We had the usual opening consisting of an invocation, Canadian national Anthem, and U.S. national anthem, the posting of the colors by the local VFW color guard, and the chapter parade. There were 12 chapters officially in attendance. Notably by their absence were the Michigan Knights of the Highway, who formerly ran the GLASS rally. Dane then introduced Jon Walker, the FMCA Senior National Vice-President, who welcomed everyone. Jon was the GLAMA president and FMCA area vice-president until this past July when he was elected to the senior national vice-president office. He and Sondra are well-liked and well-respected within the Great Lakes area, and remained as the co-rally hosts for this event along with Jane Roush. (Jon and Sondra are also members of our GLCC chapter and Jon was our National Director for a while.) Jon announced that we had 469 coaches in attendance, although Vicky told us that one more had arrived. (Pat and Vicky were the official coach counters.)

FMCA National President Charlie Adcock was introduced next and said a few words. Charlie is a very enthusiastic, upbeat guy, as is Jon. Charlie administered the oath of office to Jane Roush, who was elected as the GLAMA president when Jon resigned to take his new national office. Charlie acknowledged the long list of VIP attendees, which certainly helped the rally coach count. The rally was budgeted for a break-even point of 400 coaches, so everyone involved in the planning and execution was very pleased with the turnout. I suspect that many of the VIPs were here as a show of support for this first ever attempt by GLAMA to organize its own rally.

With the opening ceremonies concluded Sgt. Daniel Clark, The Singing Trooper, was introduced. Dan is a former U. S. Marine and retired Massachusetts State Trooper, but has been singing since he was a child. He was clearly a trained opera singer and mentioned that he spent time at Tanglewood. He did a very tightly constructed and energetic show of patriotic and sentimental American favorites, ending with a medley of U. S. armed services theme songs, including the one for the U. S. Merchant Marines. The evening’s activities concluded, we had a leisurely walk back to our coach under a harvest moon.

And that is part of why we go RVing.

2013_08_17 (Sat) BTTB Rally – Day 3

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We continued to have a good weather streak for our rally. Cool temperatures overnight made for great sleeping and the brisk morning air made the coffee taste especially good at 7:30 AM. The breakfasts are simple, help yourself, affairs with enough variety that everyone can find something they like while no one is burdened with fancy preparation. A toaster and bagels ensure that a warm breakfast choice is available.

Carl and Cara Muntean’s MCI MC-8.

As soon as we left the coach to get coffee, a distance of 40 feet from where we are parked next to the pavilion, we realized that two additional buses had arrived since we turned in last night. Carl and Cara Muntean’s MCI MC-8 was parked alongside the other building, and behind the building we could just see the nose of a late model Prevost H3.

Coach Quarters (Mike Middaugh) Prevost H3-45 Marathon Executive Coach.

The Prevost turned out to be the 2007 H3-45 executive coach that belonged to Coach Quarters from the Columbus, Ohio area. Mike Middaugh had the coach in the Detroit area representing Prevost and NASCAR at the Woodward Dream Cruise, and came on up to our rally when he was done with that work. Mike is a member of GLCC and CCO.

A water distribution manifold, Marathon style, where function becomes art form.

This particular H3-45 is a Marathon conversion with an interesting history. It was in a bad accident and was further damaged while being towed under a low overpass. It was considered a total loss, and Coach Quarters acquired it. Mike, however, has been in the converted coach business for a really long time and knew how to get it repaired and back in service.

Marty explaining to Graciella who John McCann is and what it meant for his campaign to use this H3-45 executive coach as their presidential campaign tour bus.

The final result was a very nice executive coach that Coach Quarters rents out for day use by up to 14 people who need to conduct business while being driven somewhere. The coach is used to represent Prevost at events, including the Woodward Dream Cruise. For example, Prevost is the official motorcoach of NASCAR. The most famous use of this coach, however, was as John McCain’s presidential campaign bus.

The H3-45 galley features high levels of craftsmanship and style.

Mike positioned the coach by the pavilion and opened it up for rally participants to see, including the interior, the engine compartment, and all of the bays.

Late morning I drove Linda back to our house as she had agreed to babysit our 8-month old granddaughter this evening. I contacted our driveway contractor to see if he’d had a chance to come look at our problem. He had been there, and had already formulated a game plan for fixing it that involved some additional material with finer particles to help lock the gravel in place followed by compaction by some heavy roller. Due to current commitments it will take a week or so for him to get back to the house with material and equipment. I drove back to the rally site and arrived around 2 PM.

Don tracked me down to see if I was still interested in going to see Bill’s bus barn. I was, and so were three other folks plus Don. He arranged with Bill for us to head over. Bill’s barn has doors on both ends, and a concrete floor with a pit. The pit is not full length, but more than adequate to work on the underside of one end of a bus at a time. It’s a “pole barn”, but the main poles that support the 12 foot ceiling are set in from either side, with lower sections on either side for storage. I’ve looked at enough bus barns at this point to see that a concrete floor with a maintenance pit is probably a necessity. It would also be nice for it to have an 18 foot ceiling so I can work on the roof, and be long enough for a 45 foot coach with a car attached behind it. A pull-through design with access roads on either end would also be nice, but not necessary. What I don’t think we need is the extra square footage for storing as much stuff as the barns I have seen.

GLCC president Larry Baker (standing, rear) conducting a chapter information meeting immediately following dinner.

From 4:00 – 5:30 PM was the official “open house”, although most of us had already seen each others’ coaches earlier in the rally. Dinner was pot luck, with grilled chicken provided as part of the rally fee, and there were lots of good things to choose from.

Pat Lintner, GLCC National Director, addressing the members.

Immediately following the meeting GLCC president Larry Baker held a brief information meeting. Pat Lintner, the chapters National Director, also spoke and gave a brief update on the national convention that was held in Gillette, Wyoming in June and the upcoming GLAMARAMA rally scheduled for mid-September in Goshen, Indiana.

CCO meeting about to convene following the GLCC meeting. President Mark Reid seated, right.

As soon as the GLCC meeting was done most of us moved our chairs over to Mark Reid’s coach for a CCO business meeting. There was discussion of the upcoming Halloween rally in mid-October, and further discussion about rallies in general.

Some of the CCO members at the meeting.

All of the RV groups/chapters we belong to are facing the same challenge of getting members to host and attend rallies. No doubt the two things are related and determined in part by peoples’ personal financial circumstances and their general feelings about the economy. This seems to be a particular problem for groups that are formed around common interests, such as converted buses, rather than a limited geographic area, although even geographic groups are struggling. Several of us continued to discuss this informally after the meeting, but no one seemed to have a full grasp of the problem or any really good ideas as to what to do about it.

As with every other evening of this rally, the temperature cooled off quickly after the sun went down. Someone had a “Chinese lantern”. They lit the firepot and turned it loose. The flag at the rally site indicated no wind, but as soon as they turned the lantern loose it took off to the west. It rose to quite an altitude and we estimated that it was moving west at 20 – 30 MPH when we finally lost sight of it. Most folks turned in for the night after that except for a small group that stayed up and talked until sometime after midnight.

2013_07_23 (Tue) Yellowstone N. P.

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We were up a bit earlier today, anxious to be on our way to Yellowstone National Park (hereinafter YNP). I had been to YNP twice before today; once with my parents and sister in 1965 when I was 13, and again in 1989 with our son when he was about to turn 11. Today was my third visit, but what made it special was that it was Linda’s first.

US-14/16/20 on the way to the East Entrance of YNP.

Most of the 32 mile drive from Wapiti to the East Entrance of YNP is through the Shoshone National forest. The road (US-14/16/20) follows the Shoshone River up through a deep, rugged valley of the Absaroka Range, climbing from 5,700 ft. ASL in Wapiti to 6,951 ft. ASL at the East Entrance. The Shoshone N. F. begins just west of Wapitii and is designated the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway. It provides a spectacular scenic drive through the Absaroka Range. The road was very good and was easily drivable at the 50 MPH posted speed limit.

Sylvan Lake on the East Entrance road into YNP

After using Linda’s “Senior Access Pass” to gain entry to the park we continued on to the Fishing Bridge area 27 miles farther down the road, driving over 8,530 ft. ASL Sylvan Pass before the half way point. The road descends down to the northeastern shore of Yellowstone Lake and then runs along the edge to Fishing Bridge on the north shore of the lake.

Yellowstone Lake looking NW towards Fishing Bridge. ~7700’ ASL.

Fishing Bridge is one of the four “developed” villages in YNP, and we stopped to check it out. It has a Visitor Information Center, General Store, filling station with auto/RV service, and an RV campground. Nearby is a long E-W bridge that crosses over the Yellowstone River as it flows north out of the lake. In times past folks were allowed to fish from this bridge, hence the name of this area, but no more. The waters in this area are a prime spawning ground for native Cutthroat Trout. Bridge fishing was decimating their population, and was halted many years ago, along with a ban on fishing the first six miles of the Yellowstone River.

A vintage White Motors Yellowstone bus!

From Fishing Bridge we had access to the rest of the park. The road system in YNP consists of a large figure-8 in the center of the park, known as “The Grand Loop”, with entrance roads coming into it from the north, northeast, east, south, and west. For our first day in the park we decided to drive the lower half of the figure-8 in a clockwise direction. It is not possible in a blog post to describe everything we did, or include photos of everything we saw, in a single day in YNP, so I will simply outline our itinerary and include a few photos. Perhaps a Picasa web album will appear at some point in the future with a more compete visual record.

An MCI MC7(?) Yellowstone bus, one of six left in the fleet.

Traveling clockwise from Fishing Bridge we traveled southwest and then south along the west shore of the lake to the geothermal area just north of Grant Village. While here we saw a Yellowstone MCI MC7(?) park bus in the parking lot. The driver was a young lady and she told us that they had 30 of these buses at one time but only six are left and they are going to be sold next year. She thought they would sell for about $1,700 and she was saving up to buy one to convert to an RV! She thought they were going to replace them with MCI “D” models, but wasn’t sure if that meant 102D3s or something else.

An older Prevost H3-45 operated by Le Bus.

We saw a lot of 45′ tour buses in YNP. The vast majority were Prevost H3-45s, both 4- and 2-windshield vintage, although the 4-windshield coaches were newer than ours and almost certainly had DD Series 60 engines. We also saw a few Setra, VanHool, and MCI coaches.

A geyser at the edge of Yellowstone Lake in the West Thumb area. Even the lake is geothermally active.

Crossing the Continental Divide.

Continuing on from the Grant Village area we drove to the Old Faithful area, crossing the Continental Divide, which runs from the southeast corner of the park to the western boundary south of the West Entrance. The Old Faithful geyser is the centerpiece and namesake of a geothermal basin that contains over 50% of the geysers in the world. It is also the most developed place in YNP, and the most crowded. I don’t know the actual figures, but it felt like most of the people in the park were there.

The cabins at the Old Faithful Lodge. I stayed in one of these 50 years ago.

We had lunch at the Old Faithful Lodge cafeteria. The cabins I stayed in 50 years ago are still there, behind and to the left of the Lodge, and are still NPS brown. We strolled around the area, finally selected a vantage point, and waited for the eruption of Old Faithful, and it was worth the wait.

The Old Faithful geyser in action.

Patience is more than a virtue in YNP, it is an absolute necessity. We eventually extracted ourselves from the gridlock of people and vehicles at Old Faithful and continued on towards Madison. Just before getting to Madison we took a small one-way side road through Firehole Canyon. It was a “gorgeous” drive, in every sense of the word. We did not realize that towards the end of this road was the Firehole River Swimming area. Lots of people did, however, and it was mobbed with cars parked along the road such that it was barely passable.

Artists Paintpots from above.

We did not stop at Madison and continued on north towards Norris. We stopped at Artists Paintpots and hiked up onto a high hill for a view down on the geothermal features. Like the Old Faithful area, Norris is also an extensive geothermal area within YNP, but apparently lots of the folks who were not at Old Faithful were at Norris. In other words, there was no place to park. (This turns out to be a common problem throughout the park at this time of year and even though park regulations do not permit stopping/parking on the roads people park wherever they can and sometimes impede traffic as a result, especially if there is a wildlife sighting.) One of the downsides to not staying in the park overnight is that it takes a certain amount of time to get to and from the place; in our case approximately 90 minutes from Wapiti to Fishing Bridge, our point of access to everything else. Even if you leave early and return late, this limits your time in the park, and pretty much rules out being there at dawn or dusk, which are ideal times to see the park (good light) and wildlife (that’s when they are most active). Although the park is open 24/7, and people are out driving on the roads at night, it is not a good idea, and this is when most accidents occur.

Lone Bison on a hill south of Canyon Village.

Twelve miles east from Norris is Canyon Village, and this leg of the Grand Loop is the crossover of the figure-8. On the drive over we took the Virginia Cascade side road. These side roads are usually narrow, twisty, and one-way. They provide an opportunity to get off of the Grand Loop road, away from the traffic and crowds, and close to some special feature. In this sense they are a more intimate experience, though not on a par with backcountry hiking. Canyon Village is the developed area just north of the Yellowstone Falls and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. These are major features of the park and require a significant amount of time to see. They are also best seen in the morning, so we headed south towards Fishing Bridge.

The Bison go where they want, when they want; it’s their park, not ours.

The Grand Loop runs along the west side of the Yellowstone River through a prime wildlife area, and we finally encountered a sizable bison herd at a spot where there is a broad grassy area. We also encountered a major traffic jam. Bison are certainly something that people come to see, but it took us about 40 minutes to go a mile or so. When we got to one of (overcrowded) pullouts we saw lots of people with spotting scopes and cameras with telephoto lenses, all mounted on tripods. Glancing in their general direction we finally saw the focus of their attention; a Grizzly bear moving north along the high bank. Although Bison are large, wild, unpredictable animals, and potentially very dangerous, it’s the Grizzly bear and the wolf that most capture the essence of Yellowstone as a wild place. (BTW: YNP is a truly international destination. We heard plenty of people speaking languages other than English, and Asian tourists were numerous, or at least more obvious based on appearance. We also talked to some of the young folks working food service, and except for the cashiers, most did not appear to be native English speakers.)

Eventually we got back to Fishing Bridge where we topped off our tank. On the way back to the East Entrance we took a side road up to Lake Butte Lookout, which we missed driving in. From this vantage point we were able to see the Tetons 80 miles to the south. The drive back to Wapiti was in the gradually fading light of evening, and it was dusk by the time we got back to our coach around 8:15 PM.

2013_07_12 (Fri) The Bighorn Mountains

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Our normal work schedule for HFH is Tuesday through Saturday. The schedule was changed due to the activities connected to the Sheridan Wyo Rodeo (pancake breakfast, bed races, parade, etc.) and we had today off in exchange for working next Monday. Angel was throwing a Bar-B-Que after the parade and our HFH team was invited for lunch. One of the challenges we face when doing group activities is that our food choices are often limited, and sometimes non-existent, unless we bring something. Such were the food offerings today.

The change in schedule was fortuitous for us as the closing on the sale of our old house was scheduled for 10:00 AM EDT today back in Michigan (8:00 AM MDT in Sheridan). Our daughter handled the signing of documents on our behalf, but we wanted to be available by phone or e-mail in case anything came up. Everything was arranged properly, and shortly after 9:00 AM (our local time) we got the “thumbs up” that the transaction was concluded.

Linda and I opted out of the Wyo Rodeo activities and went for an all-day drive through the northern Wyoming Bighorn Mountains. US-14 and US-14A are National Scenic Byways that we wanted to see, but we had been told, and read, that they were not friendly for large RVs and should be avoided by larger/heavier rigs in particular.

Coming into the Bighorn Mountains on US-14

US-14 connects Ranchester and Dayton, Wyoming on the east side of the Bighorn Mountains to Greybull, Wyoming on the west side. It has numerous switchbacks and some 7% and 8% grades, but is used by semis, as we saw today. We also saw four full-size Prevost buses (H3-45’s) during the day, so we know vehicles that size can use this route if they have enough power to go uphill and good enough brakes to come back down.

US-14A warning sign at Burgess Junction.

Part way across US-14, traveling east to west, is Burgess Junction. US-14A starts at Burgess Junction and goes north and then west to Lovell, Wyoming. It has numerous warnings at both ends and along its full length for semi’s, motorhomes, and any other vehicles pulling trailers. Like US-14, it has switchbacks and tight turns, but the road is good and seemed wide enough to be drivable. In fact we saw a couple of semi’s along the way (climbing eastbound and going real slow.) The major hazard is a 13 mile stretch on the west side of the range that features long stretches of 10% grade going downhill when traveling west. There are several mandatory brake check areas, and a couple of runaway truck stops, which always give one pause for thought.

Observation Point on US-14A.

The summit of this drive was Observation Point at 9430 feet ASL, between Burgess Junction and the turnoff to the Bighorn Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark. The Observation Point turnout provides the first view of the Bighorn Valley that lies between the Bighorn Mountains and the Absaroka Range on the eastern edge of Yellowstone N. P. Clouds were blowing up the side of the mountains from below us, and it was refreshingly cool.

View SW from Observation Point.

Open range above 9000 feet!

Approaching the Medicine Wheel turnoff. FAA facility on top of mountain.

The car, with Linda at the wheel, handled the road just fine. Besides the scenery, which was great, one of the reasons we went this way was to see the Bighorn Medicine Wheel, an archeological site that is still in use by Native Americans today. To get to the Bighorn Medicine Wheel site, we took a steep, narrow, curvy, dirt road 1.5 miles to a U. S. Forest Service station. Four-wheel drive is not necessary, but four-wheel stop is.

USFS station at the Medicine Wheel.

From the station parking lot there are two gravel roads, one to the FAA facility on top of the mountain you see driving in, and another one that goes to the actual Medicine Wheel. The road to the Wheel is closed to all vehicles except those displaying handicapped tags, so we hiked the final 1.5 miles. The USFS station is at 9500 feet ASL and there is some up and down before reaching the Wheel at 9,956 feet ASL, which makes it the highest medicine wheel in North America. The sun was intense when not obscured by clouds and parts of the road were exposed to wind, which was strong. The air temperature was very cool, but we walked briskly and were comfortable.

A view from the road hiking to the Medicine Wheel.

The final climb to the Medicine Wheel.

Yup, we were pretty high up.

Note: We forgot to bring jackets. Rule number one about any mountains, always bring adequate clothing. Rule #2; wear adequate hiking boots or shoes. Rule #3; bring water. We missed on all three today, L but I was recalled having learned some years ago in wilderness survival training that most cases of hypothermia occur between 40 and 60 degrees F, particularly when people get wet (or sweaty) in a windy situation.

An aerial view of the Medicine Wheel (from a display board).

The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is an archeological site because its construction and initial use pre-dates any written record or oral history of the area. The best estimate is that it was constructed around 1200 C.E. by people who had subsequently disappeared from the region long before “modern” Indian tribes moved in. It is made of rocks placed on the ground in the shape of a wheel 80 feet in diameter with 28 spokes, making it the largest medicine wheel in North America. It has a rock cairn at the center hub, and six smaller cairns spaced around the perimeter. Its origin and purpose are unknown, but the nature of the site suggests that it served both astronomical and spiritual functions, and it is the later that continues today.

Approaching the Medicine Wheel.

The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is worth the trouble it takes to get there, but like many archeological sites, you might be underwhelmed if you don’t understand what you are going to see and appreciate when/where/how/why it was built.

The spokes and cairns of the Medicine Wheel.

The view to the west from the Medicine Wheel.

Besides the Wheel itself, we experienced being above the tree line and above the base of some clouds. The views were magnificent in all directions, and although it was hazy to the west, we could clearly see the Bighorn River valley spread out below, and the Absaroka mountains of the Yellowstone N. P. area on the other side of the valley over 100 miles away.

Bruce at Medicine Wheel.

As we backed out of our parking spot I heard a loud screech. I got out of the car and checked each wheel position as Linda moved the car backwards and forwards. The screech was coming from the passenger-side rear disc brakes. I tapped on the caliper with my hammer and gravel fell onto the inside of the wheel rim. I repeated this until I stopped getting gravel. Linda tested the brakes again, and they were fine, another example of a potential problem resolved. We pulled out and headed for Lovell, Wyoming, the western terminus of US-14A.

Brake check ahead on US-14A!

The drive from the Medicine Wheel turnoff going west is where US-14A becomes a challenging drive with a long stretch of 10% downhill grade. There are brake check turnouts, and runaway truck ramps, and just to make matters more interesting, as if the scenery weren’t distracting enough, it’s open range.

10% grade on US-14A!

More open range on US-14A!

As we came out of the mountains into the Bighorn River valley, we left the Bighorn National Forest and entered the Bighorn Recreation area. The river is obviously dammed somewhere and we crossed the reservoir and headed towards Lovell.

Bighorn River Recreation Area Reservoir.

Before we got to Lovell we stopped at the Bighorn Recreation Area Visitor Center, and made some follow-up phone calls pertaining to our house sale. By then it was almost 2:00 PM, so we found a Blimpies Sub Shop in Lovell and split a veggie sub. Wyoming 37 heads north out of Lovell along Bighorn Canyon, which we would have liked to see, but our return route to Sheridan was via US-14, so we took US-310 south to Greybull, Wyoming. Although not marked as a scenic drive, this stretch of US-310 was very interesting. Except along the Bighorn River and Shell Creek the valley is arid and reminded us of the dessert southwest; stark but beautiful in its own, otherworldly way.

Heading into Shell Canyon.

We headed east on US-14, and stopped in Greybull to change drivers as Linda’s right hip and leg were bothering her. (This tends to happen if she drives for too long.) We crossed the river and started climbing back up into the Bighorn Mountains. As we got into the mountains we found ourselves following Shell Creek along the floor of Shell Canyon. This stretch of the highway was very dramatic, and the roadway was somewhat narrower with tighter blind curves. Eventfully the road left the floor of the canyon and climbed up the sides of the mountains, getting more and more dramatic with each bend in the road, the canyon walls and mountain peaks still looming high above us.

Shell Canyon.

Shell Falls Visitor Center.

On both US-14 and US-14A we often had the road to ourselves, and even the scenic pullouts were often empty. Thus we were surprised when we came upon the Shell Falls Visitor Center. The large parking lot was almost full and the place was crawling with people. (So that’s where everybody was!). We pulled in anyway and watched a Trafalgar Tours Prevost H3-45 disgorge a large number of sightseers. (We saw four 45 foot tour buses on US-14, so large RVs can obviously do this route as long as they have the necessary power and braking.) We waited in line to get our “passport” stamped and then hiked around the site, which was actually quite stunning.

Nearing the top of Shell Canyon.

After leaving Shell Falls, the road continue to climb and the canyon eventually gave way to the broad mountain meadows that cover the top of this part of the Bighorn Mountains. The grade on US-14 reaches 7 – 8% in places, but takes more miles to change elevation than US-14A does.

On top of the Bighorn Mountains (almost).

We went through Granite Pass at 9033 feet ASL, and started our descent towards Burgess Junction, and eventually Dayton, Ranchester, and finally back to Sheridan. The whole trip was approximately 240 miles and took about 9 hours.

Although it was 6:00 PM when we got back to Peter D’s RV Park, four members of our HFH team were having an extended social hour so we poured a couple of glasses of wine and joined them. Dinner could wait.

The Phase Place

Welcome to the next phase (hosted by QTH.com)

Tag Archives: Prevost H3-45

2013_09_18 (Wed) Under A Harvest Moon

2013_08_17 (Sat) BTTB Rally – Day 3

2013_07_23 (Tue) Yellowstone N. P.

2013_07_12 (Fri) The Bighorn Mountains