West 2016 WYOMING Rockdocking Adventure(s)

[Mas Tierra]

Greetings fellow Wyoming 2016 Boondocking Adventurers:
Mas Tierra yearned for "more land" but not before cementing friendships with this rag tag group.
Ray and Nancy did a yeoman's job of conducting this trip. We would never venture into the wilds of Wyoming without their expertise. Most valuable lesson (other than how to train an unruly dog) was......go ahead and explore, get off the asphalt, and forget water and electricity.
Traveluminum seeya in Texas enjoyed our break away to North Dakota.
Jen & Q so connected somehow.
Dave, Susan and the favored Mrs. Fig such a great hike. We have much to learn from Mr. Google. Hope to see u in the Beaver State. Call or PM me for eye consult.
Ed and Jan great to enter inner sanctum of your interstate.
Lilly and Me.....see ya at canopener and bring your recipes. Your crocheted gift stays in Ms. T.
Gearheart thank you for the flies and campfire serenade esp possum in the headlights.
Nvestysly hope to join u someday building homes.
Fred love the diversity you and the Alaskan brought to these cans.
Thalweg looking forward to Buffalo visit and thanks for leading us out of the mud blood and the beer.
Awesome trip awesome people awesome country.
One word description of this adventure........AWESOME.

[Burnside Bob]

Mas Tierra, thanks for the update. And nicely spoken. But don’t you owe us a fish story??


Day 2 Beaver Rim to Sawmill Creek above the “Sinks”

Our Beaver Rim venue had awesome views, but was exposed to the wind. While the wind died away as darkness grew, it returned later with trailer shaking force. Susan and I woke to a mostly normal scene, but others, who had left windows open and fans on, found dust coating everything.

A few thundershowers remained, the wind continued. Momentarily, a few rain drops fell.

Shower Wyoming style.


Westerly View.


Rim Breakfast Club.


Oh what to do? With the continued wind, most folks favored moving on. So we moved to Sawmill Creek. A stop for second breakfast at the Ox Bow in Lander, WY was called. One party decided not to continue so we were a group of ten airstream crews that partook of second breakfast.

En masse we climbed the road to Sinks State Park. This is an excellent road, evenly graded, paved, steep. After passing Sinks State Park the road climbs the canyon wall via 12 or so switchbacks. Finally breaking out above the canyon, we passed a reservoir and a really wonderful meadow surrounded by tall trees, our intended destination. Unfortunately, there were other boondockers, so we pulled off for a reconnoiter. An area right on Sawmill Creek proved suitably large and level to accommodate.

A group birthday celebration for Shelly was called for 5:30 that evening. Susan baked a cake, frosted it with melted chocolates, and then, with time on our hands, Susan and I wandered off towards a high point east of camp. The walk was easy, if a bit confounded by thickets of young aspens. We circled around behind the high point, cleared the aspen ground, and entered a rock filled draw. Nearly at the top, we turned around to realize a use road came half the way up the hill, by passing the aspen thickets.

Cake baker on the rocks.


Rock Photo. It was rockdocking, you know.



Our encampment from on high.



Time running out, we turned around without reaching the top—we had to bring the cake you know. We found quite a few wild raspberries, so we picked some for the birthday gathering. There were also red and black currants and bear berries (Arctostaphylos uvaursi), but they didn’t taste as good as the raspberries.


High Point from camp.


Well, I didn’t feel comfortable sticking a camera in everyone’s face, so no photos of a great get together anchored by bean dip and topped by birthday cake complete with candles. Fire danger was extreme, but the birthday girl quickly and efficiently extinguished the open flames, and we had a great time discussing all manner of topics.


Day 3. Sawmill Creek layover day.

Sunlight creeps into camp.


Today we had to take care of business. Our tow vehicle brakes had suddenly developed a horrible metal on metal sound. 2500 miles no problem, pull off into the sage for 100 yards, and what?? So Susan and I slipped off to Lander to look for a brake shop. As Ray reported, an expedition was mounted to climb the high point which achieved notable success.

We had our own success. On a straight stretch Susan stomped on the brakes, then accelerated. Lots of screeching followed by the sound of a rock bouncing around one of our wheels, then silence. We celebrated the resolution of our brake issue by buying lots of gas for the truck and ice and beverages for ourselves. We also stopped at the sinks, and gawked at the humongous trout.

Continuing back, three switchbacks into the big climb, we ran into a cattle drive. “Just push thru the cows” they said.


Family affair.


Boeuf a la hoof.


A leisurely afternoon ensued, followed by a second birthday party, this one for Danielle!! And more great conversation as darkness fell.

More to come.

[traveluminum]

watching Jan high stepping while screaming alerted me to the prairie rattler. Thankfully it didn't bite her or anyone else, since we were quite a distance from a hospital. here's one of the birthday girl, and maybe some of the 70% wind. Thanks again Susan for the delicious cake, and everyone else who made her 50th anniversary of her birthday special. a moose running by Mas Tierra's Airstream near Meadowlark lake in the Bighorns. One of the more famous areas of Wyoming. Maybe not as famous as a concrete groundhog, but famous nonetheless.

[traveluminum]

We made it home safely after 5 weeks on the road. We left Texas with temps in the 100's, and no rain in the past 8 weeks. We came home to temps in the low 90's, over 6 inches in the rain gauge, green grass, and a full pond. Wow, we need to leave more often. Thanks everyone for the memories, and we'll see y'all down the road.

[traveluminum]

Originally Posted by traveluminum

Attachment 270321watching Jan high stepping while screaming alerted me to the prairie rattler. Thankfully it didn't bite her or anyone else, since we were quite a distance from a hospital. Attachment 270322here's one of the birthday girl, and maybe some of the 70% wind. Thanks again Susan for the delicious cake, and everyone else who made her 50th anniversary of her birthday special. Attachment 270323Attachment 270328a moose running by Mas Tierra's Airstream near Meadowlark lake in the Bighorns. Attachment 270329One of the more famous areas of Wyoming. Maybe not as famous as a concrete groundhog, but famous nonetheless.

amazing 360 degree views in this great camp

[Burnside Bob]

Traveluminum, that moose photo is fabulous. Glad to hear you made it home safe and sound and thanks for sharing your photos.

Day 4 Sawmill Creek to Double Cabin, Absaroka Range

Today we moved. Most folks opted for breakfast at the Ox Bow in Lander, but some of us cooked their own. Susan and I were last out of Sawmill Creek, so we searched camp--Susan found a lamp from one of Unifreck’s bicycles.

The steep descent turned out really manageable and we could see Mas Tierra below waiting to see if we made it out. Thanks Piks! We rejoined the group in Lander. The road Lander-to-Dubois takes you thru the Painted Hills.

Yep, Watch out for Big Horns.


Curve ahead.


At Dubois we regrouped at the Nation Big Horn Sheep Museum. After everyone had fueled up, resupplied, and bought fishing licenses, we headed up Horse Creek Road into the Absarokas to Doublecabin.




A road less travelled.




Doublecabin encampment. Nvestysly off frame to right.


Doublecabin Panorama. Click to see larger image. We were joined by Thalweg, bringing our number back to 11.
pano2

Tonight was unbirthday night, for all of us people not having birthdays during the trip. More great conversation.


Day 5 Layover Day at Doublecabin.

Most all did the long ballyhooed hike to the Doublecabin guard station, which required fording the creek. A highlight was looking for petrified wood in the stream channel. Maggie found an amazingly beautiful piece, but most of us just found the cabin.



Six of us headed up the trail towards Yellowstone NP, but only Susan and I continued past the burned area into dense forest under increasingly threatening skies. Thunderstorms and rain swooped in, which rolled on for several hours. Finally skies cleared and both Maggie and Jan took some great photos of nuanced clouds and mountains. Perhaps they’ll share. Some of the highest mountains were white with snow or hail.


At the evening get together we learned the weather report was for more rain and thunderstorms, so the group decided to move to lower and warmer climes. Maggie passed out potholders she had crocheted. Thalweg needed to return home, and Mas Tierra and traveluminum opted to explore the badlands of South Dakota, so Ray passed out little wood plaques of participation. Awesomely thoughtful of Ray and Maggie.

More to come.

[Burnside Bob]

Day 6 Double Cabin to Grey’s River

Early that morning Thalweg made his departure, as did Mas Tierra shortly after.

Those of us remaining had a brief meeting. Last evening’s plan was to seek a lower and warmer site, with Palisades Reservoir the first choice. This was a ways beyond Jackson and a substitute for Granite Canyon, closed by the Cliff Fire. A group lunch stop in Jackson was called, with a meet up at the Calamity Bay Campground on Palisades Reservoir. And we were off.

First view of the Tetons from Togwotee Pass.


It just got better.


Another roadside buffalo attraction. Gearheart stopped here!



And before we knew it we were coming into Jackson. The visitor center is on the north side and I suggested a quick pull over as I just didn’t know where else you could park RV’s in town. There were 4 or 5 open spots for RVs but I said something about the visitor center being small for our group, which Susan interpreted to mean it wasn’t going to work, and she pulled back out.

And so ended our group lunch plans. Well, there is a multi story parking structure off of down town, but it isn’t RV friendly, although, skiers take note, ski bums are welcome to sleep in their rigs on levels 3 and above.

So, not wanting to try downtown Jackson traffic, we took the ‘Truck Route’ and soon were south of town where we pulled onto the shoulder just past a shopping center that did not have a single RV spot in its entire parking lot. Whew!! Such a deal. Gearheart pulled in behind us and Unifreck passed by, honking, as we grabbed a quick bite. Lunch at the Silver Dollar bar it was not.

Gearheart pulled out ahead of us, and we made our way down the Snake past Alpine Junction. We were almost to the Palisades reservoir when we received our one and only phone call of the trip (go T-mobile, I always knew you were the best). It was Nancy Ecklund telling us that VeeVee had made it to Calamity Bay Campground and that there were no openings, so the group was going to boondock along Grey’s River.

Pulling a “U” we went back to Alpine Junction where we saw both Gearheart and Unifreck resupplying.

The Grey’s River Road was paved only as far as the town limits, at which point it became a washboarded gravel road with a surprising amount of traffic. A few miles along we were totally surprised by Lily & Me going the opposite direction. We both stopped, and Maggie jumped out. We were only able to exchange a couple words as traffic collected. We felt badly for not being able to communicate about the latest change in plans, and hoped Maggie could quickly find a turn around and follow us on.

A few miles on, at the “Forks”, where the Little Grey’s River and the Grey’s River meet, we found Ray and VeeVee pulled over in a large flat surrounded by a few trees.

The Forks campsite.


Gradually the others appeared. First Gearheart, who had tire trouble, then Unifreck, Lily & Me, nvestysly, and 47Weewind arrived. And we found out we weren’t the only ones suffering from uncertainty. The upstart was one member departed into a symbolically setting sun.

That night we had another great round robin of discussion. Susan and I made our announcement—we, too needed to depart. If we stayed longer we would be further away from home and our nephew’s wedding.

Day 7 Grey’s River Layover

Come morning I did a walk about—the Grey’s River is beautiful. If I were a trout I would want to live in it.

Brrr, it was cold. As Ray noted, the trailers were frosty. Oh, and Ray, my volt meter gave your battery voltage as 11.45 volts. Mine was 11.89. The tow vehicles just don’t top ‘em off no matter how many hours of run time.

After breakfast we said our good byes and headed home. We miss you guys. Post more photos to show us what we missed!!

Dave, Susan, and Figgy

A last rock photo.

[The Ice Man]

On behalf of those of us who could not make this journey, I'd like to thank Burnside Bob and Maggie and Nvestysly for the pictures. Some people just have some natural talent for capturing the right scene from just the right perspective. I'm not one of them. Clearly you are. A huge THANKS.

As a family, we've camped Western Montana, Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming since 1971. We started with a VW van and a (very heavy) wax impregnated canvas tent. Let me testify that an Airstream is much better (whatever shortcomings we perceive in its design and construction).

We've gathered around our separate computer screens and, by phone, shared our memories of our various trips, prompted by your pictures. "We were in that exact spot!" Thanks to Ray, Nancy and Thalweg for the impetus and to all of you for your pictures.

Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down. Safe travels.

Once again, a huge Thanks.

[traveluminum]

Great pictures, Dave. Thanks for sharing! The marionberry preserves are delicious.

[Burnside Bob]

Thanks Ice Man and traveluminum for the photo compliments.

As an aside, Susan made up another batch of marionberry jam yesterday.

If we had gotten into open fire cookery, I was going to make a pork marinade using the marionberry jam as a base.

The original recipe I saw was by Gavan Murray and looks like:

1 lb Organic or grass fed pork loin
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (for roasting)

PORK MARINADE:
1 lb blackberries
2 shallots – minced
1 tbsp fresh sage – chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp agave (vary this amount depending on how sweet or tart the blackberries are)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth


Using jam, the berries are already cooked and sweetened, so you mix the ingredients less the agave but with extra balsamic and pour over your meat. I've had really good results and this marinade has also given me an appreciation for fruit based as opposed to spice based (salt, pepper, chili) marinades/rubs.

* * * * * * * *

For those interested, I posted photos of our adventures coming to and from Wyoming to our 'Smoking Hot Deal' thread with a run down on the 'issues' our trailer, the Phoenix, had during the trip.

[Ray Eklund]

I love the photographs. You would expect them to be coming from National Geographic and a large expense budget to visit, see and photograph for an upcoming issue. Some talent survived this Adventure.

For anyone interested in DOING an Adventure... and IF there seems to be an interest, I learned a lot from the Four Adventures, I survived. There is a definite sweet spot that people are expecting and I observed it from my perspective of Off the Grid and Base Camping on these trips. I could start a Thread and give a good run down of caveats and observations from my perspective of promoting independent and competent Off the Grid boondockers.

I tried to maintain the roll of a 'facilitator' getting independent individuals to a SITE and they use their imagination of 'what to do once there'.

Some adapted immediately. Gearheart... took to fishing Wyoming better than the locals. Nvestysly & BurnsideBob would take detours when appropriate and would say... 'see you when we get there'. ... and they did. Susan (Burnside Bob)... you still rate on top for moving that 27 foot trailer as a real 'farm girl'!

Unifreck went anywhere, any time and never missed a turn. No doubt from Jan following the detailed itinerary for each stop... or Ed. Jumping Jack, their very active dog who I renamed Jumping Jack, assimilated among the larger dogs in the wandering pack.

47WeeWind... wasted no time in squeezing into the best shaded spots... even when there were no trees. That is resourceful, as I see it.

VeeVee... Jen is independent, knows how to drive a Diesel Ford and would do anything for anyone... especially if you have a wet black nose and a tail of some sort.

MasTierra, traveluminum, Lily&Me and tmguffy found better options after the snow, hail, rain, fog and mud of Double Cabin... renamed by myself as Single Cabin and an Outhouse.

Thalweg had limited time and did a 'hit and git' out of Dubois.

In the west we wave and wish those departing... 'Good Rid...dence' for those departing sooner, than later. It leaves the more traveled road... less traveled. This is western lingo for those who come to dinner and leave before the 18 wheeler of hay needs to be tossed up and into the barn. Since the term varies in meaning from one empty spot in the road, and another... we missed them when we arrived at the 'End of the Trail'.

[unifreck]

Jan, Sir Guinness, and I have finally reached our home base in San Clemente (Cali) as we found so many locals and travelers calling our home state. What a fantastic trip boondocking in Wyoming with fellow AIRSTREAMERS from the east coast to the far reaches of the west coast and Canada. Ray and Nancy Eklund planned a great itinerary and allowed us to go as a group, or on our own, meeting in together as a group in the evening and spending the night safely as a group away from the maddening crowds of summer.
We got to know some great people and learned more tricks about safely boondocking and enjoying our wide open United States.
After the Wyoming adventure, we had the opportunity to tandem to South Dakota with "Lucious" and Danielle to see the "faces in the rocks" and helped celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Parks. Ice cream and cake anyone?

I would like to share some photos we have of our adventure, but don't know how to attach them to AirForums site. Would like some help or handholding to learn how to do it correctly.
AEW

[Burnside Bob]

Originally Posted by unifreck

Jan, Sir Guinness, and I have finally reached our home base in San Clemente (Cali) as we found so many locals and travelers calling our home state. What a fantastic trip boondocking in Wyoming with fellow AIRSTREAMERS from the east coast to the far reaches of the west coast and Canada. Ray and Nancy Eklund planned a great itinerary and allowed us to go as a group, or on our own, meeting in together as a group in the evening and spending the night safely as a group away from the maddening crowds of summer.
We got to know some great people and learned more tricks about safely boondocking and enjoying our wide open United States.
I would like to share some photos we have of our adventure, but don't know how to attach them to AirForums site. Would like some help or handholding to learn how to do it correctly.
AEW

Glad to hear you made it home safe and had more adventures along the way.

How I post photos on Air Forums is I upload the photos I want to use to my Flickr account. Once the photos are uploaded on Flickr I click on the photo I want to use. When it opens I click the "share" arrow. I select "BBC" and then the photo size I want. I then copy the displayed link info into my Air Forums post.

Generally I select the 640 x 480 photo size, as larger size images will not always display correctly on Air Forums.

Flickr is free and only takes a moment to set up an account. Once set up you can upload photos by clicking on the cloud-with-up-arrow icon upper right of screen. You then select images to upload from your file manager. You can then assign the photos to an album on Flickr if you wish. Don't forget to click the "upload now" button upper right of screen after you've made your photo selections or they won't upload.

Looking forward to your photos--Jan showed me some nice ones she took of the clouds at Doublecabin!!

PM me if you have any questions.

pano1

[unifreck]

Dave and Susan -----Thank you so much for the detailed directions to upload photos. I understood much of it, but need to get younger members of my family to "hold my hand, so I don't lose anything or embarrass myself by including anything not fit for public consumption.

We really appreciate your friendship, eagle eyes finding my rear bike light, and most of all yours and Susan's generosity in making MARIONBERRY (sp?) jam/syrup for all of us.
DELICIOUS!! We will be visiting you all on our next trip to the Great Northwest if we can arrange it. I owe You both lunch or dinner as a reward for taking the time to LOOK for anything left behind at our out of the way campsites. AEW

[Ray Eklund]

Some photographs of People, Places and Memories...

[Ray Eklund]

Thalweg was wanting to find a perfect campsite to view the August 21, 2017 total Solar Eclipse in Wyoming. Several campsites on the 2016 Adventure were in this area... just a year too early. Just schedule a sunny day... Brent.

Moran Junction, Wyoming to Jackson, Wyoming... would be absolutely wonderful.

The State of Wyoming is promoting this with stickers available at their Tourist Information and State Parks. The State is also printing stickers promoting this event. Another great promotion are the Antique Looking Stickers promoting Wyoming also given out now, at the cash registers... for free. I now have two on my propane cover. Some members on the Adventure started a collection at various stops. Each of these stickers are designed to appear from the 1930's and promote that area you are visiting. Excellent art work.

I am including the Wyoming map that has the Solar Eclipse path. I have also seen a national map, that shows the entire USA from the East to the West Coast.

[Thalweg]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Thalweg was wanting to find a perfect campsite to view the August 21, 2017 total Solar Eclipse in Wyoming. Several campsites on the 2016 Adventure were in this area... just a year too early. Just schedule a sunny day... Brent.

Moran Junction, Wyoming to Jackson, Wyoming... would be absolutely wonderful.

The State of Wyoming is promoting this with stickers available at their Tourist Information and State Parks. The State is also printing stickers promoting this event. Another great promotion are the Antique Looking Stickers promoting Wyoming also given out now, at the cash registers... for free. I now have two on my propane cover. Some members on the Adventure started a collection at various stops. Each of these stickers are designed to appear from the 1930's and promote that area you are visiting. Excellent art work.

I am including the Wyoming map that has the Solar Eclipse path. I have also seen a national map, that shows the entire USA from the East to the West Coast.

Yea, I've been pondering an eclipse trip. I've been trying to find a remote location, near the center line of the eclipse. Somewhere from about Alliance, Nebraska, to about Idaho Falls, ID. An area around Jackson Hole/Tetons would theoretically be nice, but there are just too darn many people around there. It's like Disneyland in the mountains. I know I could find a nice spot for one or two rigs, but I've been considering offering this up to a group trip similar to the 2016 Wyoming Boondock trip. So we'd need space for 10-ish rigs, and I wouldn't do it if I couldn't find a remote site. So I'll continue to ponder and research this over the Winter. If anyone would be interested in joining in on an eclipse trip, let me know. That would help me gauge the type of site that we'd need. Maybe there wouldn't be much interest and I just need a site for me, the wife, and the dog. We'll discuss this more in the Spring.

Here's a good website that shows the eclipse path: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogl...21Tgoogle.html

Brent

[Burnside Bob]

Susan and I are interested in a solar eclipse trip, although, thanks to your NASA map, it turns out we live in the total eclipse path. So you all could just come over to our place!!

But we were actually thinking of going to central Idaho. The center of the eclipse path lies just south of Stanley, Idaho. Here is a link to a map centered on a free boondocking campground which could accomodate 10 trailers. There are for-fee USFS campgrounds just to the West and to the SE on a lake (Chinook Bay Campground). All are within a half mile of the eclipse path center line. Redfish Lake Lodge is nice and, at a couple miles away, is within the eclipse path--full service bar, nice dining room, rental boats, big scenery, pretty civilized.

Map of campgrounds--should open in satellite view with center cross hairs on freebie campground--can change map type using drop down menu upper right. Zoom in and out using "+" and "-" arrows.
https://mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.p...04357&z=16&t=s

But if we were to travel that far we would go for more rustic venues--like a big loop thru Stanley, Challis, Salmon, Leadore, Idaho National Labs, Arco, Mackay, Sun Valley, and back to Stanley. We got a little taste of this area when we drove home from Grey's River. It is rugged, remote, empty with hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, botanizing, ghost towns, fossils, and mining ruins. There is a boondocking campground--I guess at one time an official USFS campground, now unmaintained, that is directly on the eclipse path centerline East of Mackay.

Here's some views from our drive by:

Mad Max Contraption at Reactor Museum, Idaho National Labs


Inhabitant of aforesaid Contraption:


Lost River Range north of Mackay, ID:


View from Doublesprings Pass Road:

[Thalweg]

Hmmmm, that Stanley Idaho area looks like an area worthy of some exploration. You might be onto something there Bob. And just south of Stanley is Obsidian. That sounds like a place worthy of some Ray Eklund geologic investigating.

I think it's too far out to plan right now, but we should talk in the Spring.

Brent

[Lumatic]

Stanley is a big crowded tourist area. I have stayed in Grandjean which is a little wsw of Stanley. It is in the National Forest and has a rustic campground with a hot spring fed pool called Sawtooth Lodge and a couple of miles further a National Park campground and hiking trails. Hot springs also on the Payette River which runs parallel to the forest road access. Other National Forest campgrounds in the area.