Tag Archives: US-14/16/20

2013_07_26 (Fri) Grand Teton N. P.

We left the Green Creek Inn and RV Park at 7:30 AM and headed for the East Entrance of Yellowstone N. P. (YNP) for the third time in four days. The 32 mile drive is different each time based on sun angle, clouds, and direction. We see it differently, and have seen different things, each time. As before, we drove the 27 miles from the East Entrance to Fishing Bridge. We passed through and headed southwest along the lake on the Grand Loop towards West Thumb and Grant Village, 21 miles distant. We drove through Grant Village to have a look but did not stop.

The JDRJMP Visitor Center closed due to sequestration. Stupid Congress.

The road south from Grant Village leads to the South Entrance 22 miles away, which is the northern gateway to the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway (JDRJMP) and Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). We could see the Tetons by now, and they were almost unreal. We exited YNP and entered the JDRMP around 9:30 AM and stopped at the JDRMP Visitor Center. It was closed (due to sequestration cuts) but GTNP maps and information sheets were available.

A view of the Teton Range. The haze is smoke from western forest fires.

We continued down the JDRMP towards the north end of Jackson Lake and the Colter Bay area. We stamped our “Passport” at the Visitor Information Center and took in the view. Colter Bay is one of the developed areas in the park. There is a major RV campground is located here, and there were lots of people out and about.

Linda looking at the Tetons from Signal Mountain.

We continued on towards Jackson Lake Junction and drove in to the Jackson Lake Lodge area but did not go in. We drove the main loop in a counter-clockwise direction, traveling south along the east shore of Jackson Lake. We took the Signal Mountain Road to the top of Signal Mountain and were rewarded with wonderful views of the Tetons to the west and the Snake River Valley to the east.

Another view of the Tetons from Signal Mountain.

Grand Teton from the Jenny Lake Overlook.

At the North Jenny Lake Junction we took the side road that leads to Jenny Lake Lodge. This road afforded the best (closest, most intimate) view of Grand Teton and the surrounding peaks and valleys. From there we continued on south towards Moose Junction and the Moose Entrance and stopped at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, a newer building with fabulous architecture, views of the Tetons, and exhibits.

The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center near Moose Junction.

From Moose Junction we headed south to the Gros Ventre Junction to drive the Gros Ventre Road to Kelly and the Antelope Flats Road back to the main road, which is US-26/89/191. The Gros Ventre Road runs along the northwestern edge of the Gros Ventre River which is the northwestern boundary of the National Elk Refuge. Although there are supposed to be about 15,000 Elk in the NER, we did not see any. We did see bison on Antelope Flats Road.

We rejoined the main road and headed north along the eastern edge of the Park through the Snake River Valley towards the Moran Junction Entrance. This drive affords more distant views of the Tetons, but we did not take many pictures. It was afternoon by then and the combination of slight backlighting and the thick smoke haze from western forest fires did not make for good photographs. From Moran Junction we returned to Jackson Lake Junction and the Jackson Lake Lodge. I called Steven, our intrepid co-leader from our recent Habitat For Humanity build in Sheridan, but I got his voice mail. Steven had been at Colter Bay Campground with his family for the last two weeks and we thought we might catch him. (As it turns out he was still in the park but had “gone fishin”.)

We had gone into several other Lodges along the way, but had not found the (old, famous) one I remembered from my visit here 50 years ago. We went into the Jackson Lodge this time, and there it was. From the lobby you walk up a flight of stairs to a sitting room with a west facing wall of tall windows that frame Mount Moran opposite Jackson Lake. This is one of the classic lodge views of the national park system. There is a restaurant adjacent to this lobby with windows facing the mountains. I remember fondly eating there on my childhood visit. The restaurant is pricey, but we would have gladly dined there if there had been anything on the menu we could eat. Alas, there was not.

Headed back to Wapiti on the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway.

We traveled about 250 miles in the car each of the last four days, 1000 miles total, 75% of it in federally managed areas. Today we were only outside federal property for the few miles between our RV park and the eastern edge of the Shoshone N. F. on westbound US-14/16/20. This stretch of US-14/16/20 is known as the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, and is worthy of a visit in its own right.

The sign makes it official!

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_21 (Sun) On The Road Again

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We slept in this morning. We needed the extra rest before heading out. Linda got the interior of the coach ready to travel while I prepped the exterior/systems. I dumped the black and gray waste tanks and added fresh water to bring us up to 2/3 from 1/2 tank. We try not to haul around the weight of waste water, but like to have enough fresh water on board that we could boondock unexpectedly for at least a few days if we the need arose.

Most of our Habitat For Humanity team planned to leave this morning, but none of them pulled out at sunrise (as many RVers are want to do). Folks were out and about and wanted to have one last conversation, and one more chance to say “see you down the road”, before leaving. There was talk of a reunion build next year, and I suggested that we all e-mail Steven and ask him to arrange that. Peter D stopped by and thanked us for staying with him while working with HFH. No matter how long the farewells, eventually there is nothing left to say or do except turn the key and drive away. We pulled out of our spot at Peter D’s just before 10 AM MDT.

I had scoped out the Exxon station at I-90 exit 25 yesterday in case we needed to add diesel fuel. They had just what we needed: convenient to the highway exit, a truck lane with easy access, dual large-nozzle pumps, and no overhead obstructions. We had somewhere between 5/8 and 3/4 of a tank of diesel fuel. I don’t like to get below 1/4 tank, so conservatively we had 3/8ths to 1/2 of a tank of useable fuel. We have a 235 gallon tank, but I treat it as a 200 gallon one, so I figure 25 gallons per 1/8th tank.

Past calculations have indicated that we get about 6 mpg, so I figure on 5 mpg, again being conservative, and especially today as we have never driven the bus through high mountains before. That works out to approximately 125 to 150 miles per 1/8th tank of fuel, or 375 to 450 miles based on what we currently had on board. Our trip from Sheridan to Wapiti was calculated at 240 miles, so we had enough fuel on board to make that distance and still have sufficient reserves for an emergency detour or layover. As we would be crossing the Bighorn Mountains, we did not want to carry unnecessary weight, so we decided we did not need to top off.

Perhaps it’s a holdover habit or frame of mind from when I used to fly airplanes 35 to 40 years ago, but I think such calculations are necessary when traveling in a vehicle that cannot just pull into the next filling station or convenience mart, assuming there even is one along the route, and fill up the fuel tank. Generally speaking, the bus likes to stop here the big trucks do. Not only is access good, but truck stops turn over their diesel fuel frequently, so it is generally fresh.

We got on I-90 at exit 23 and headed south to Buffalo where we picked up US-16 headed west over the Bighorn Mountains. As previously posted, we had been advised not to take US-14 from Sheridan to Lovell as the grades are a little steeper and there are more switchbacks and hairpin turns, and fewer turnouts, than on US-16. Having driven US-14 and US-14A in our car, we accepted the recommendation.

Going uphill into the Bighorns on US-16 west.

US-16 was a dramatically beautiful drive, but it was no walk in the park. The road was good pavement with wide lanes, good signage, and lots of pullouts, albeit not always exactly where I needed or wanted them. I had not driven the coach in mountains prior to this leg and US-16 started climbing as soon as we left Buffalo headed west. It took me a while to figure out what gear to put the Allison 755CR (ATEC) transmission in, what RPM to try to hold, and what exhaust manifold temperatures, engine coolant temperatures, and vehicle speed to expect from that combination. The engine got up to 210 degrees on this initial climb but I was able to find a pullout soon after and let it cool off. That is the upper temperature limit for the heads, and I did not let it get that hot again. The engine continued to run well all the way to our destination, so “no harm, no foul” (I hope).

Yes, that is snow on them thar hills.

With no prior mountain experience in this coach we really did not know what to expect from the Detroit Diesel 8V92TA engine. Now we do, and I admit I was disappointed, which is to say, I was hoping for more performance. It is, after all, a turbo-charged 450 HP 2-cycle diesel. That sounds like a lot of engine, and it runs well on flatter ground, but in all fairness it was pushing a 40,000+ pound bus that was pulling a 4,000 pound car from 3,600 ft. ASL to 9,600 ft. ASL in a relatively short distance on a somewhat warm day. On the plus side, it got us to Granite Pass at 9,630 ft. ASL, although I was in first gear turning 2,000 RPM and going about 20 MPH at that point. Still, it got us there.

The altimeter app on Linda’s Samsung Galaxy S III; very cool, and so was the outside temperature.

Going down the western side of the Bighorn Mountains on US-16, real slow.

What goes up must come down. I have attended enough seminars at RV rallies to know that “whatever gear you use to climb the hill is the gear you use to descend the hill.” I also knew the rule about braking on downgrades; “apply them hard to get your speed down quickly and then get off them to let them cool; do not ride your brakes or they will overheat and fail.” I followed both rules coming down the western side of the Bighorns. This stretch of US-16 has an 18 mile long section of frequent (perhaps continuous?) 6% grade.

Our engine has a two-stage transmission retarder instead of a Jacobs (Jake) Brake. I have never driven a vehicle equipped with a Jake Brake, so I don’t know well they perform, but I rate the transmission retarder on our Allison transmission marginally effective. At best it was not able to hold our downhill speed in check without the frequent application of the brakes. At one point we started to get a slight bunt smell and I pulled into the next turnout to let the brakes cool. I checked the passenger side front brake rotor with an infrared remote sensing temperature gun and got 750 degrees. The passenger side tag axle brake rotor was about 600 degrees. I couldn’t check the drive axle brakes because of the physical configuration of the dual wheels. At another turnout I was slightly nose down and the emergency/parking brakes would not quite hold the coach, so I had to sit with my foot on the brakes while they cooled.

As on the climb up, I was often in 3^rd or 2^nd gear going down, and on the steepest descents I was in 1st gear going 16 to 20 MPH. What I finally figured out was that I could let the RPMs get up to about 2,200, apply the brakes until the RPMs dropped to about 1,700, then let off the bakes and let the MPH and RPM creep back up, and then do it all over again, and again, and again. The DD 8V92TA redlines at about 2,350 RPM, so that is a figure not to be exceeded, and is generally best avoided.

I have to admit that this was a stressful drive, not made any easier by the fact that it was past noon with bright sunshine heating up the front of the coach and no ability to use the OTR bus AC as we already lacked power for the climb. Add to the mix that the chassis battery BAL (balance) light would flash on occasionally, indicating a possible problem the Vanner equalizer, and well…it was work. But it was still beautiful.

We made it over the Bighorn’s and rolled through Tensleep headed for Worland. We rolled through Worland too, but noticed what appeared to be a very nice museum. It had a large statue of a Mastodon out front, so we presume the museum was dedicated to the natural wonders of the Bighorn Valley. Apparently the Bighorn Valley has produced some world class dinosaur fossils. Alas, we were anxious to make time and get to our destination, so we Nick Russell’d the museum and said we would have to return some day to see it.

The Bighorn Valley looks like the desert southwest in places.

US-16 joins up with US-20 at Worland whence they head north to Greybull. This part of the drive was similar to the drive we did from Lovell to Greybull over a week ago. The landscape is desolate but stunning and the road goes up and down long, rolling hills. US-16/20 joins US-14 at Greybull and turns west towards Cody. This part of the drive was relatively flat and visually less interesting than what we had seen up to that point. It didn’t help that it was hot and I was tired, so I finally turned on the OTR bus AC.

We could see the Absaroka Range ahead of us, but it became more distinct as we neared Cody. US-14/16/20 goes right through the heart of Cody, so we got a good look at the town as we drove through at 25 MPH, one of many RVs passing through. Cody appeared to be a historic town with a modern vibe. We decided we would take one of our days and drive to town and check it out.

US-14/16/20 continues west out of Cody and follows the Shoshone (Shoshoni) River through the Shoshone Canyon/Valley 50 miles to the East Entrance of Yellowstone N. P., where all three highways reach their western terminus. Our destination, however, was the Green Creek Inn and RV Park in Wapiti, about 18 miles up the road from Cody. Cody sits at 5,000 ft. ASL and Wapiti is at 5,700 ft. ASL, so we were climbing gently the whole way.

The three tunnels of Buffalo Bill Dam (middle tunnel not visible).

Not far out of Cody we drove through three tunnels in quick succession and reached the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir. We made a note to stop at the Visitor Center on a trip back to Cody (in the car). The reservoir is large, with lovely water, surrounded by rock cliffs and dry, brown hillsides. The contrast was striking. There is a Wyoming state park along most of the north shore of the reservoir with two campgrounds, both of which were mostly empty.

Green Creek Inn & RV Park with Smith Mansion in the background.

Green Creek Inn & RV Park with Smith Mansion on the hill in the background.

Wapiti is more a dot on a map than an actual, distinct town, but it has a post office and one of the oldest continuously operating schools (currently K-5) in the nation. The Green Creek Inn and RV Park is on the far western edge of what is considered Wapiti, just past what claims to be the last filling station before reaching Yellowstone N. P. It also sits in the shadow of the Smith Mansion, a very recognizable landmark on this route.

Parked in our site. The Smith Mansion is right there!

We and another RV had to wait a short while to get into our sites while someone else finished unhooking and pulling out, but Jeff (the owner) got us both parked. We then went about our usual arrival/encampment routine. The Green Creek Inn and RV Park is a basic but nice place in a dramatic setting, and we have a 50A full-hookup site (one of two). Our rig won’t fit in the campgrounds at Yellowstone N. P., so we will be driving there in our car. Green Creek was the closest RV park to the East Entrance we could find.

The view to the north from our site.

The Smith Mansion was built by Lee Smith starting in 1973, and he worked on it until he fell to his death in 1992. It is a log structure, more imagined than designed, and presents a striking image up on its hilltop setting. Some of the timbers were harvested from nearby forests devastated by wild fires and it appears from a distance that other materials were probably salvaged. It has fallen into serious disrepair over the last 21 years, made worse by vandals. It is posted “private property” and is not open to the public at this time. There is a trailer parked on the property with a caretaker/guard. There is a foundation trying to raise funds to preserve, restore, and complete the house, as explained on their website. The foundation was started by Smith’s daughter and her husband, but there is no indication of who actually owns the house/property, or who else is involved in the foundation.

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Tag Archives: US-14/16/20

2013_07_26 (Fri) Grand Teton N. P.

2013_07_23 (Tue) Yellowstone N. P.

2013_07_21 (Sun) On The Road Again