Buffalo Bill Country - Buff at Big Horn National Park and On To Devil's Tower

Great drive to Cody, Wyoming, home of Buffalo Bill and the nation's rodeo capital.  Had been here with family back in 1990 en route to Calgary, Alberta, Canada where I was starting up a new business enterprise (Physician House Calls of Alberta).  My two children were young, just five and seven and they got a kick out of the white water rafting and rodeo.  Cody was always a favorite of mine, as there is a strong persona about it that appeals to me.  My son Dane, came close to being named Cody, but in the end, Dane won out.

Found a camping spot at the Buffalo Bill State Park, about seven miles west of Cody by the reservoir. Love the colored buttes in this part of the west,

Campsite at Buffalo Bill State Park, WY

especially has the sun goes down and the cliffs with their variegated colors change dramatically as the sun drops and receding.

View back of campsite at Buffalo Bill State Park

Once again, however, the campsite was too close to the highway to get away from the noise of the big rigs passing through at speed.  This campsite was a bit exposed and with only three campers in the 1/4  mile loop I felt more vulnerable and took the precaution of bringing the pepper spray into the Go for  the overnight period.

Upon entering Cody, I couldn't help but notice a lively looking establishment called Cassie's.  I had to text Cassie and joke with her that I wasn't aware she had secretly made such a non-traditional investment in this part of the west.

Cassie's Bar & Lounge, Cody, WY

When first driving into Cody, I recognized Wyoming Rafting from my prior trip in 1990, and on a lark went in and signed up for a 1.5 hour rafting trip down the Shoshone River which was running high with all the rain they had been receiving.  I put two layers on top expecting to be a bit chilled during the ride downriver.  We bussed it down to the river which was only minutes away from the office, and I was put in the front of the raft to help paddle.  It was partially overcast and the sun would pop out occasionally.  A number of the passengers had not chosen to get rain slickers from the company, and were quite cold from the water splashing up and around when crashing through the waves generated from the rapids.  About half the passengers left the rafting experience after 30 minutes and were dropped off at a designated spot.  The balance of us now in lighter rafts made fast time despite headwinds downriver.  The Shoshone was running at 6,500 cubic  feet per second, with the reservoir 95% full, with many trees standing in water.

Our guide did a great job of navigating and we apparently did well under his command paddling as necessary to position the raft to safely maneuver around eddies that could potentially flip the raft. My only issue was the cold water on my hands which resulted in my Renaud's kicking in, leaving my fingers white and numb.  Took 10 minutes under warm water upon return to get the blood circulating properly again and to bring  feeling back.

The next morning I broke camp in about an hour and headed east driving through Ten Sleep Wyoming, where I had a somewhat bland lunch of chicken Parmesan.  Ten Sleep is a small burg, with no grocery store.  It got it's name from the Indians.  Back in the day, many Indian tribes would pass along this route between gathering places, and Ten Sleep was actually ten sleeps (overnights) between Grey Bull and another major meeting place.  The trip on to Bighorn National Park was highlighted by canyons cut out from rushing rivers with multi-colored towering buttes standing watch above.

I was thrilled to see along the way, a low wooden barn with a sod roof that was slowly disintegrating back to nature.  Am sure there were many more in past years before modern roofing materials found their way to these isolated parts of the west.  I found Sitting Bull campground without effort about twenty miles from Ten Sleep and found my reserved site #6 overlooking a large meadow that rose up to a forested area bisected by a fast flowing mountain stream.

Campsite by meadow - Sitting Bull Campground, Bighorn National Park, WY

Soon after setting up camp I went exploring the area on my mountain bike, then took the car up the highway to see a chapel in the woods the park host had mentioned.

Tranquil Chapel in the Woods - Bighorn National Park, WY

This Episcopal chapel for travelers was nestled amongst the pines in the open area, and there was a tranquility there that was awe inspiring.  It was a simple affair, surrounded by a wood split rail type enclosure, with wooden plank seats and a simple wooden alter with cross.   Way to go to be closer to God!

I travelled along the same dirt road gaining elevation as it climbed through open meadows, and turned off to go to a now abandoned fire watch tower that was built by the CCC in 1942.   I climbed the tower and had an uninterrupted panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.  Sans mosquitoes and with a warm sun to bask in, I couldn't resist going au naturelle.  While I did capture this event digitally, I chose to only share with my wife, since the typical reader would undoubtedly see more of this person than they would want to see. And at any rate this is a "G" rated communication tool:) Viewing of said pic would have to come at the discretion of Andrea, while I remain in absentia somewhere in the hinterlands of America.

1942 Fire Watch Tower, Big Horn National Park, WY

This is one of only three fire watch towers from this era left standing in the Big Horn Park.  These towers were manned over the summers usually by couples, and were the principal means of gathering information on fires during that time period before satellites made them obsolete.

Further along the dirt road, I came upon an abandoned log cabin with it's roof caved in from past winter snows.

Rustic-dilapidated log cabin

It was so melancholy looking and I wondered who would have put such an effort into building a small cabin in such a remote location.  There was evidence of  a corral, so horseback was probably the mode of transportation at the time of construction.

With my exploring satisfied for the day, I returned to camp and settled down in my lounge chair overlooking the meadow for a glass, make that two, of Viognier wine with the last of my cheese snack crackers.  The evening brought rain and I snuggled down into my winter sleeping bag as the temp dropped to 35 degrees overnight.

Made some coffee broke camp and headed east out of the mountains through Power River Pass at almost 10,000 ft. elevation.

I was above the clouds as I descended to the plains below and it was ethereal from that vantage point.

View down from Powder River Pass

Along the way, small herds of elk could be seen up in the meadows.

I pointed the SUV towards Devil's Tower, a unique geologic entity in the middle of relatively flat open country. up flow that later was surrounded by sedimentary rock, which has since eroded away.

Devil's Tower, WY

Upon entering you couldn't help but be entranced by the ubiquitous prairie dogs.

Ferret Food

I thought what a treat our old ferret would have.  She would have thought she had died and go to heaven to see all those four footed creatures laid out like a smorgasbord before he.  Took a short drive down the road to Sundance, not of Robert Redford fame.  This town was more typical of a cattle oriented town in the west, stolid if uninteresting.  The bank building says it all.

Stolid Sundance State Bank

Still is had a quaint bar/restaurant which I took advantage of.

Longhorn Bar and Restaurant, Sundance, WY

I concluded a long day's drive through boring, flat, Iowa in Worthington, MN where after going in to five  different hotels, I found one, the Comfort Inn that had a vacancy.  Go figure.  Didn't think I would have any problems finding a place, but by the time I arrived, with the time change to Central Time, it was 8:30PM and the standard fare of hotels at the interstate were solidly booked out.  Am looking at about a 6-7 hour drive today, June 17th, to Rhinelander where I will lovingly throw my arms around a sprightly 95 year old lady, called Bettina; my mom.

Spokane, WA and on to Yellowstone National Park

Monday June 8th broke bright and beautiful in Spokane.  Following one of those delicious real showers at the Monahan’s I progressed from cool downstairs to the first floor which had taken on some of the heat from the previous day and night, but was still comfortable.  As I entered the kitchen and looked out front, Beth in running gear was heading out for the same three-mile run we did previously.  I proceeded to turn on the coffee pot to get the day going chemically, since I didn’t choose to run and crank up the body through a run.  Dick and Liz soon arose and we reviewed my drive plan for Three Forks, Montana.  

Actual leave time turned out to be 7:30 AM, when I steered the Highlander and attached Go from their driveway on 38th St.  Spokane and the Monahan’s were super hospitable, and I was sorry to see them in my rear view mirror.  

The drive East was through the mountains and a relatively low level pass into the farmlands below. Montana looks like it must still be getting some rain, though crops were being irrigated with the large overhead sprinkler systems on wheels. After listening to Lawrence and the Arabs for a few hours via DVD, I arrived in Three Forks, and picked up a few supplies at what looked to be one of the few grocery stores, then found the Headwaters State Campground a few miles out of town. It may have been out of town, but was definitely within earshot of I-90.  Had a nice pastoral campsite in close proximity to the bathrooms and went exploring with my bike down to see the three rivers that come to a confluence in this area.  The rivers are the Madison, Gallatin and Missouri.  

Since the campground had no showers, I decided to find a secluded spot and stripped off for a quick bath.  The water was relatively warm and running fast, so it was necessary to stay close to shore. To the best of my knowledge, I bathed in the Madison River which was a short bike ride through pasture type land from the campsite.  Drove back into Three Forks for dinner and had a nice salad and glass of wine in the renovated Sacajawea Hotel. They did a beautiful job restoring the property and I would want to stay a night in the future, albeit with my lovely wife Andrea.

Boyd on side lawn of Sacajawea Hotel

Read for a while that evening then called it a night around 10PM with the sky still partially illuminated from the sun that had not long ago moved on to illuminate another part of the globe.  

Arose Tuesday early, and was visited by a young bunny.

Baby Bunny at Headwaters Campsite- Three Forks, MT

I then decided to head out to the West Yellowstone entrance as I was unsure of where the Flagg Ranch campground outside Yellowstone was located.  They didn’t answer any of my calls at the front desk so had to wing it.  Took a good 10 minutes to enter the park along with a throng of other vehicles. I learned at the visitors center, that the road that normally would allow me to drive to Old Faithful then exit from the south entrance was closed so I chose to drive to Canyon, where I picked up some info on hiking.  The rangers strongly suggested I rent or purchase bear-spray, since I would be hiking alone.  I took their advice and $49 later had a large but slender can with a specialized nozzle and holster.  Bob Pawlishyn, my friend from Hilton Head had worried that I had no protection, and with this, I have everything I need.  I doubt Bob was thinking of the bears, but this would be equally effective from 20’ on any human that threatened.  

Oh the Bison will roam

With a speed limit of 45 it took some time to navigate to Canyon, and the traffic was stopped along the way due to a pair of bison wandering along the road.  I went on to explore the North Rim of Yellowstone Canyon, and the upper falls. Quite a spectacular canyon with multiple hues of colored stone from yellow, through orange to red. Near the upper falls was a pinnacle of rock upon which nested, you guessed it if your are from Hilton Head, an Osprey with chicks that were just coming out of their shells. There were numerous cameras focused on the chicks since it is unusual to have a vantage point from above the nest.

I determined from the ranger at the Back Country Hiking office that my campground was located 2 miles south of the south park exit in Wyoming.  With this knowledge, I headed south, eventually getting on to the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Hwy, that took me directly to Flagg Ranch where I checked in and got the lay of the land and my campsite.  The campsite is somewhat dense packed with others, and close to the highway so there is considerable road noise to contend with.  This seems to be a common thread amongst campsites, probably as they need to be convenient to the highways. There were threatening clouds and thunder as I pulled in, and I quickly set up camp, which was just as well, as the heavens opened up shortly thereafter with me inside enjoying a glass of wine and listening to the large raindrops pounding away at the tent material.  

The rain eased off enough for me to go to the lodge and have dinner of bison taco salad at the bar, before I returned to the campsite and went for a short walk behind the camp.  While walking, I came upon a totally relaxed young male mule dear,

A relaxed Mule Deer behind Headwaters Campground - Flagg Ranch

just content to observe me as I walked past from some 50’ away.

Wednesday at 5:30AM I was out of the Go and in my car to explore the gravel road to Grass Lake. I wished to see if I could spot any wild beasties along the way.  It was foggy, and but for a few birds, didn’t see anything other than some remote campsites in the Targee Forrest.  These I found out are first come first served, and with Flagg Ranch only a few miles down the road, a good deal at $0.00 per night.

Found the Kapiti Trail Head and after changing from jeans into hiking shorts and shoes headed out on the trail.  Came across a pair of wary elk

Pair of Elk along Kapiti Trail to Clear Lake

soon after starting off across large, green meadow lands.  They kept their distance and I proceeded on to Clear Lake about a mile down the trail.  This is a beautiful blue-green lake which happens to be acidic, so bathing is ill advised.  

Boyd by Clear Lake

I then took the route to Lily Pad pond and on to Artists Point on the South Rim of the canyon. Hoards of people there but beautiful views of the Lower Falls.  

Upper Falls and a Hilton Head Hiker

The ranger spoke of how the canyon was unique in the world as is was created from a lava flow, softened/weakened by geysers, and eventually carved out in a mater of a century 14,000 years ago with the end of the ice age.  That amazed me, as it is some 1,000 feet deep. Also of note, is that under normal snow conditions, you can't enter to Artists point till July, but this years meager snowpack had already melted which afforded me the opportunity to explore the area.

From Artist's Point I continued to follow the South Rim trail to Uncle Tom’s trail which descends some 500’ via 328 steps to a viewing platform close to the Lower Falls.  

Upper Falls, Yellowstone Canyon

The trail was rated for 45  minutes, however even at 8,000 ft. elevation I surprised myself by ascending in seven minutes to the top. The trail then proceeded along the South Rim to the Upper Falls where you could see tourists on a platform across on the North Rim.  Also of note was some serious snow still banked on the cliffs not far from the falls.  I looked for what I thought I remembered was a trail that transects the Clear Lake Trail back to Kapiti Trail Head, but after going back and forth for a while, I gave up and retraced my hike to Clear Lake and back to the trail head. I was one tired puppy with somewhat sore heals, upon conclusion of the 12 mile hike.  Beer and snack time upon return to the Highlander since the cooler was keeping things at a nice cold temp even while away for a few hours.  

On the drive South, came upon more of the Mud Caverns,

A cauldron of hot springs and mud

and a huge male Elk along the road,

At least here I can say " nice rack"

which had stopped traffic in both directions.  The Elk still had all of it's velvet on the antlers and was quite a sight to behold, therefore the traffic jam along the roadway. Was pretty exhausted when I got back to the Go, so took a quick nap before cleaning up for the day with a pleasantly warm and long shower. Had dinner at the lodge again as it is so convenient, and it was threatening rain, which just makes dinner outside a drag.

Last Day In Yellowstone and on to the Grandeur of Grand Teton National Park

Decided this needed to be primarily a driving day today as the 12 mile hike yesterday to Clear Lake and on to the Lower and Upper Falls of Yellowstone Canyon had worn me out a bit with some heels that were a little sore.  All things considered however, the lightweight Merrell boots Andrea and I purchased while in North Carolina before I left on the trip have worked out very well.  I would recommend them as I have encountered no blisters which is a blessing.  I was thinking back to hiking in Nepal when I was 22 years of age, in double soled Indian moccasins.  They were comfortable for the average walk but totally lacked arch support and were a bitch in the cold of the Annapurna Base Camp ay some 14,000 ft. In those days the alternative (unless you deemed yourself a self-respecting Hippie like me), were heavy leather hiking boots that often had to be well broken in with multiple blisters along the way. 

Heading north again, I saw workman taking down the sign that the bridge to Old Faithful was out, so asked, and they said it was supposed to open at 7AM.  Since it was then 6:45, I changed plans spur of the moment like, and instead of driving to Tower-Roosevelt and Lamar Valley, detoured west to Old Faithful.  The geyser did erupt on schedule around 8:15AM, but the area was shrouded in clouds, so the net effect was less than exciting as the steam from the geyser blended so well with the fog from the clouds. ^th century when it became unmanageable, and Congress then chose to have a monopoly concessionaire, which is still primarily the case today.  Lots of lodging right at Old Faithful should one choose to accommodate oneself in style.

A subdued looking Old Faithful in the clouds

I did hook up with a guided ranger tour through Geyser Hill with its bubbling pools, timed and untimed geysers and colored calcifications from the thermophiles (bacteria that like hot water conditions).  After a talk about the history of Yellowstone, which at least for the white man, started in 1872.  It was at this time that Congress sent an expedition to the area, based on rumors from trappers that there were steam geysers in the area.  Soon this to be the first national park.  There were then numerous concessioners in the park till the turn of the 20th century when Congress decided a monopoly would be best.  There is a great deal of nice lodging right at Old Faithful for those willing to pay the piper.

After leaving Old Faithful, I turned north on the Grand Loop Rd. towards Madison where I first came in from the west entrance.  From there I drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, but only after a considerable wait along the way.  Large mudslides had closed the road and big earth moving equipment was trying to clear the way.  Did see a young black bear along the way. 

Young Black Bear near roadside

You inevitably know that there is exceptional wildlife present when there are 40-50 cars parked haphazardly by the roadside often with rangers directing traffic.  So it was in this case. 

Mammoth Hot Springs is indeed mammoth, with multiple flows covering encrusted travertine rock along a stretch of perhaps a half mile.  I climbed up to the most significant flows and did marvel at the orange coloring of the rock from the thermophiles. 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Old flows were a bright, bleached out white which provided a great deal of contrast to the palette of rocks.  Many of the tourists were paying more attention to the Mule Deer across from the hot springs than the springs.  It does show how starved many of us are for nature, in that we will spend a good deal of time and effort trying to photograph the creatures, who in some cases have become inured to the crowds of people and their vehicles. 

From the hot springs it was a pleasant drive through the mountainous terrain to Tower-Roosevelt and on to Lamar Valley, which is a positive must-see.  Saw another black bear, multiple pronghorn antelopes

Pronghorn Antelope by the roadway

and elk along the 5 miles I ventured into the valley.  Best times to visit are in the early morning and at dusk, when it is said you can see numerous wolves and bear out foraging for their food.  I have yet to see any wolves, but haven’t been out in the Lamar Valley at the right time to observe them. 

It takes me too long to drive there from the south entrance to be there as day is breaking unless I arose at 3AM.  I arrived back at camp around 5:30, tired from my ten hours stopping off and driving around Yellowstone.  Cleaned up with a shower within the context of the customary stalls with their white plastic shower curtains.  Gotten into the routine of cleaning up in the evening post hiking, then on to the lodge for dinner and a glass of wine, while uploading pics from the camera and phone.  They say they have internet, but I haven’t been able to get on the limited bandwidth from the satellite connection.  Dinner at the lodge has now become a nice, albeit more expensive routine, than trying to fix something for myself at the campsite which for two days had been getting rain in the evenings.  It is staying light here now till around 10PM, but I am generally turning off my Kindle around 9PM (nothing new there J).

This AM, June 12^th,  I tried to get on the internet at the lodge, but again to no avail.  I left around 6:30 and turned the SUV south toward Grand Teton National Park.  Before too many miles passed, the sights of the Tetons just blew me away,

The Tetons

especially against the alpine lake waters.  I pulled off at the String Lake Trailhead and had a nice leisurely hike around the lake for an hour and half while texting a few folks with current pics and talking to David Love on the phone. 

Had a quick snack by the String Lake picnic area then drove further south with the goal of getting to Jackson Hole, WY. 

String Lake and Teton in background

Jackson Hole has a special place in my heart.  In 1971, returning from the Rose Bowl, Conrad Johnson, a young lady who must remain nameless (because I can’t remember) and myself, got a drive away car in L.A. that needed to be driven to Chicago.  It was a big Olds, with a huge 8 cylinder engine, with all the bells and whistles of the time.  I well remember coming out into Nevada and finding no speed limit at the time, so we hiked it up to 110 MPH and made tracks.  We had a set number of days and miles to get to Chicago.  All that being said, the snow was beckoning, and Conrad had friends living in a trailer in Jackson Hole.  To make a long story short, we disconnected the odometer, and made for Jackson Hole where we had a great time skiing, and drinking beer that was made in 55 gallon trash bins within the trailer.  The problem came trying to get back on to the interstate.  The snow kept coming and we ended up being stranded in Fargo North Dakota for a night of Pinochle at the at hotel bar.  We had told the owner of the Olds that the Interstate was closed, which it definitely was, but then we were over a hundred miles from the Interstate at that moment, with a few hundred extra miles on the car before the odometer was reconnected.

Well, back to Jackson Hole. I drove into Teton Village which is now quite glitzy in comparison to 1971, and bought a ticket for the aerial tram which didn’t exist when I was last here.  $32 later I had a ticket and went up to the top of Rendezvous Peak at some 10, 770 ft.  It was a spectacular view with those awesome, bright, clear blue skies.  Grand Teton Peak was showing it’s majesty at over 13,000 ft. 

Grand Teton

The downhill runs were ridiculously steep, and I can only think that this is not the area I skied back in the day, with only jeans as protection from the cold.

Another View from  atop Rendezvous Peak

Had a nice lunch at the Mangy Moose Restaurant and Bar, then rence S. Rockefeller Preserve which has some great displays and history on the Phelps Ranch that was donated to the American People in 2007.  On the way back came across a nice Moose.

Mr. Moose

Following this treat, made my way back to the Flagg Ranch campsite where I proceeded to open my lounge chair, pour some Chardonnay and enjoy the balance of the afternoon sun and warmth.

It's the morning of June 13th, and I am off early to hike up Death Canyon.  What a great hike with views of Phelp's Lake, staggeringly beautiful creek and snow still present in the valley's niches.

Phelp's Lake

The inveterate hiker at Phelp's Lake Overview

Came across a party of four  who were rock climbing.   I hiked the 4 miles to the Static Peak Junction, also called Alaska Basin, with a log patrol hut, horse rings and corral. The only creatures to be seen on the way up were some curious Woodchucks and ground squirrels,besides the ever present Robins.  On my way down, a runner of 20 something in just running shorts and water pack came jogging up the hill I had just traversed while breathing heavily.  He asked about the views further up and I told him they were  spectacular with the rushing creek.

Rushing Creek in Death Canyon

He said he had only limited time as he had to attend a wedding in Teton Village.

I proceeded down and found the runner and three other hikers at the Phelp's Lake overview.  One lady was still breathing heavy and was discussing the large brown bear that was in the middle of the trail that she turned away from.  They hesitated to proceed, so I took out my handy bear spray and led the way down.  We had no incidents and didn't come across the bear.  Hiked the rest of the way down with the runner whose name is Kyle, and who lives in Burlington, VT. He is an ultra marathoner, and therefore this energetic training style!

The 8.5 mile hike covered uphill elevation gain of 2100 ft. and I completed the hike in 3.5 hours.  Have now made my way to Jackson, where I got the car washed and am presently in Starbucks completing this post, which of necessity requires the internet.

Quirky Ashland to Laid Back Seattle then on to Spokane, WA

I forgot to include a small piece on the play we attended Saturday night, A Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neil.   One long (3.5 hours) but very memorable play done in the round.  Great theater with excellent repertory actors.  Talk about a dysfunctional family, this one had it all, alcoholism, depression, repression, drug addiction, and it's not even about a current day family but takes place in the mid 20th century covering a day in the life of a 2nd generation Irish Catholic immigrant family.  Phenomenal character development and execution. I crawled into bed at midnight and slept the night of the dead till morn.

I cleaned up with SUV and GO before our dinner previously mentioned at Smithfield's, and took to bed at a reasonable hour so I could be prepared for the long drive to Seattle in the morn.

Monday broke warm and clear, and I left Ashland around 7:30AM, heading north and West to Portland with it's multitude of rivers and aquatic environments complete with very large and well turned out houseboats.  Turning north from Portland it was a pretty undramatic haul to Mercer Is. in the middle of Lake Washington just across from Seattle.  Rolled in around 4PM and Doris has just returned from her job teaching at the local elementary school.  Mercer Is. is a beautiful albeit expensive enclave with beautiful homes including the 9-home enclave that Paul Allen of Microsoft carved out for himself.  We had dinner and drinks at a local bar/restaurant and then returned to Byron's home for the night.  I also connected with Carolyn Fancher, a  cousin who has set up a Chiropractic Clinic in West Seattle.  We agreed to meet for breakfast in West Settle on Wed. morn.

After breakfast, Byron (By) who had taken the day off from his consulting job and I, wended our way to downtown Seattle and Pike Place Market,

Byron Stuck & Boyd - Pike Place, Seattle, WA

Inside Pike Place Market

where we had lunch at Copacabanas, a Cuban/Spanish themed restaurant on the 2nd. floor overlooking the market which was crowded with tourists.  Following lunch By took me down to see the fish throwing ( a hallowed tradition at one of the local fish stores) and a brief tour around the balance of the market including the first Star Bucks.  By was having some muscle issues so I spent the afternoon catching up on pics and blog, then Doris and  By took me to dinner over in West Seattle at Salty's, a restaurant with wide open views across the harbor to Seattle.

Boyd, Doris and By from near Salty's - Seattle Behind

 A great dinner was consumed and we returned home.

I left Mercer Is. at 8AM for a 8:30AM meeting with Carolyn at her clinic, a very nice, homey affair well situated on California Ave. in West Seattle.

Carolyn's Chiropractic Clinic - West Seattle

Carolyn Fancher & Boyd by Joe's - West Seattle

C

We drove about 15 minutes to "Joe's Endolyne" restaurant and had a leisurely breakfast over a couple of hours.  Carolyn shared some personal stories including how she got to know Patch Adams,the famous clown physician and more about growing up in New Jersey.  After dropping Carolyn off at the clinic, I headed back to Seattle and the Space Needle.

Space Needle - Seattle

Found good free parking on the street ( a rarity) and went to the EMP Museum that was developed by Paul Allen due to his love of music and film.  Took in a great display of the original Star Wars costumes,

Darth Vader

then wandered through the horror and sci-fi film section, toured a large room with all the American electric guitars and ended up learning to play the drums at the sound lab on the 3rd. floor. Also took in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  Visitors Center which confirmed the outstanding work they are doing in public health around the world.

Had a great steak dinner with By and Doris and then headed to SeaTac airport at 9PM to pick up Beth Gasiorowski called to tell me she had just landed.  She was supposed to have come in t 10:30 in the morning but her flight from Charlotte was cancelled.  She had booked a room at the Sleep Inn which was only blocks aways and we spent a quick 7 hours there with an abbreviated breakfast before driving east to Spokane.  Got progressively drier as we went east through the Snoqualmie Pass at around 4,000 feet then down into the Columbia Valley to Spokane.  Drove straight to Dick and Liz Monahan's home (Beth's Aunt and Uncle) where we were warmly greeted and feed lunch.

John Gasiorowski, Beth's brother joined us and we all went for a walk

Dick Monohan, Beth & JOhn Gasiorowski and Liz Monohan - Spokane

in downtown Spokane ( a town of about 350,000) and took in the Monroe Street Bridge

Monroe Street Bridge over  Spokane River - Spokane

Another selfie by Spokane River with Beth Gasiorowski

and Spokane River by the Washington Electric Power Company building which sits like a bulwark near the river.  Even though the river is down considerably, it still had an impressive flow with a massive amount of water churning around the rocky hillsides and over the spillways.

Friday May 5th and Beth and I drove to Riverside State Park and the Pitcher and Bowl, with John pedaling his bike the 30-40 minutes out to the park which sits at the edge of Spokane.

John by SUV and Go at Riverside State Park

We went on a five mile hike along the river and into the pine forest abridging the river, crossing over a very picturesque swinging suspension bridge along the way.

Swinging Bridge - Pitcher and Bowl - Riverside State Park - Spokane

Had a nice night characterized by beer, wine and other consumables that are available in Washington.  Made for a pleasant evening under the full moon and I slept well till morning with temps hanging in overnight around 45-50 degrees.

We got up Saturday and after a quick breakfast John ( a professional bike mechanic and avid mountain biker) took us on an 11 mile mountain bike ride.

John & Beth Gasiorowski Mountain Bike Riding near Spokane River

 Had some great fun going down hill and up and over some thank you moms.  My bike was skipping a few gears so John said he would show me how to adjust the next day.  After getting back to camp and showering, we went shopping for more beer and wine primarily, and then proceeded downtown to the Elks Fest, a music festival in a blocked off section of Spokane.  This was the Elk Fest's 11th year.  Some funky bands withe the caliber of the music improving as the afternoon wended it's way to evening.  Great people watching, especially the young who came out sporting all sorts of tattoos, haircuts, and clothing styles.  There is a definite Washington, west, quirky chic hereabouts.

We returned to camp around 6:30, and consumed more beer and wine.  Also managed to demolish a bar of dark sea salt chocolate, which then kept me up till 2AM after some late night revelers walked down the hill past our campsite.

Sunday AM found us breaking camp and returning to the Monahan's.. We had a delightful lunch including some wraps of olive tampenade and provolone cheese.  After lunch John showed me how to adjust my gears, then proceeded to work for 1.5 hours on the Thule bike rack which had seriously gouged Andrea's bike where the bracket holding up the bikes clasps the aluminum frame.  There were multiple issues with the Thule, including a loose brackets that had to be disassembled and tightened with an Allen key, re bending the teeth which are part of the assembly with cams that holds the brackets to the cross bars and figuring out a way to protect the bikes from the mechanism that holds the frame upright where the rubber grippers had partially disintegrated.   We put old bike tires around the frame and this along with the other fixes John did, seems to have stabilized the rack for now.  The entire rack will have to be replaced likely with a Yakima we identified today while at REI.

Soon, we will be taking Liz, Dick and John out for dinner as a thank you, and I will then assemble my clothes which were being washed for tomorrows departure for Three Forks, Montana and my next campsite.