Glacier National Park

Jumping for joy at Grinnell Glacier at Glacier National Park

After a great stay in Whitefish MT, it was time to make my way to Glacier National Park. As a national park lover I have always dreamed of visiting GNP. It has always been so highly recommended. I have probably visited Yellowstone NP at least 10 times but never have made my way north to this breathtaking piece of American beauty.

There was a fire next to the  Western Mcconnell Lake in the west side of the park. Unfortunately the western side of Going to the Sun Road  was closed so I had to drive the long way from Whitefish all the way around to the eastern side of the park.

I arrived at the Many Glacier Lodge in the late afternoon after a few hours of driving. The Many Glacier Lodge is very cool and ranks up there with with other great National Park Lodges that I have visited like the one in Yellowstone. It was windy and there were lots of fast moving clouds in the area. I was concerned about my photos this evening but they turned out to be some of the best I took in the park.

After getting settled in the Many Glacier parking lot I made some food then started exploring the immediate area around Josephine Lake. 

The inside of the Lobby of the Many Glacier Lodge was spectacular and held all the charm and grandeur that it should.  My dad would have loved to see this. He is also a fan of national park lodges. 

There were some great hiking trails around Josephine Lake and I enjoyed a nice 3 mile stroll.  It was cool and windy but I was quickly falling in love with this National Park. It is not nearly as busy as Yellowstone and I was seeing more wildlife excluding all the buffalo.

The next morning I got up and prepared myself for a day hike to Grinnell Glacier.  For quite a long time I have been wanting to get up close and personal with a glacier. Glaciers are retreating and who knows If I will ever get this opportunity again. It was time to check this bucket list item off!

Along the trail there is the megafauna. It is what the call the massive amount of vegetation and wild life that converges in this area. You will find Pacific Northwest, Plains, and Rocky Mountain plants and animals flourishing and intermingling all throughout the park.

The trail starts out with a some easy hiking along Josephine Lake. Narrow boardwalks were in place to help you get across the muddy and marshy parts of the trail.

At the end of Josephine Lake the trail forks up and presented some pretty steep and exposed trail.

Grinnell Lake down below. It really looked like something out of a fairy tale.

More exposure as you make your way across and up the cliff bands. 
I was seeing tons of wildlife in Glacier. Here is a mountain goat doing fearless mountain goat things. 

Look closely for the wild chicken. It was funny to watch it move along slowly pecking like a hen would.

The  bighorn sheep were all over and eating their fill of berries, currents, and leaves. They were not afraid of the hikers and giving us plenty of opportunities to get good photos.

My first views of Upper Grinnell Lake and Grinnell Glacier. 

Strange patterns left behind from the retreating glacier.

Upon arriving at the Upper Grinnell Lake there was a large rock area by the shore of the lake across from the glacier. Most of the visitors stopped here. You were close to the glacier at this point but I wanted to get close enough to where I could stand, touch, and feel it. To do this I had to make a tricky stream crossing at the outlet of the lake. The water was freezing and without my trekking poles it was very sketchy to cross to the other side where the glacier is resting. For almost the entire time I was there I was the only one that made the leap across the outlet of the lake. Cold water was waiting for me if I made a mistake jumping across the slippery stones.

It was a special moment to reach the edge of Grinnell Glacier. It was still very large and was alive. You could hear it cracking, dripping, trickling, and all around making a lot of noise. I took a moment to take it in and really enjoy my first glacier encounter.

The glacier was alive and very exotic. Dirt and debris covered the top of the ice. I wondered how long the rocks have been buried inside the icy tomb.

What a great day I was having. It was a bit crowded on the hike but on this side of the lake there was nobody!

Making my way back I ran into some more rams. This guy was majestic.

One of my best moose sighting ever! A very large bull and a cow. I was able to get some good pictures and video on my cell phone. This is one time where I wished I had a better camera. My Pixel 2 xl is a great phone camera but the zoom is lacking,,,, Go figure.

This evening it was time to celebrate my arrival and my first encounter with a glacier with this steak dinner. Ribeye steak, fried sweet potatoes, and a salad with fresh blackberries. The steak was cooked perfect and just seasoned with salt and pepper. It was as delicious as it looks! Bluetooth speaker and bear warning sign for ambiance.

The next morning I got up early and left the Many Glacier Lodge made my way to Logan Pass. I drove up the eastern side of the Going to the Sun Road and parked at the visitor center where I made some hotdogs, kim chi and ate chips and salsa prior to my hike.

I love saying that…. Going to the Sun Road!

I went for a quick hike on the Highline Trail. It was spectacular and gave me views of the west side of the park. Whitefish was way off in the distance.  

I had fun observing this silver marmot. He was shredding a ton of grass and taking it to his den. I remember the sounds of him ripping up the vegetation like a madman.

A great shot of the exposure on the Highline Trail. It really was not that bad and there was a cable you could hold on to for some extra security.

Gotta love the old shuttle busses at the top of Logan Pass. I believe they were restored and converted to electric.

It was time to head off and explore Hidden Lake. This turned out to be a great decision. Hidden lake is located just off the top of Logan Pass with the trail starting behind the visitor center.

All my pictures taken in Glacier National Park turned out unbelieveable with no editing. This place is just that amazing.

Hidden Lake was spectacular. After a short hike the wooden path ended at an overlook and after that the trail was rough and steep. I only saw a handful of other visitors making their way to the shore of the laek. By the time I got to the edge of the lake I had the whole place to myself. 

When I first arrived at Hidden Lake I explored the outlet and found these falls.

The outlet quickly dropped off and I could no longer hike down. You could see forest fires burning off in the distance south of GNP.

Then headed the other way and found a little trail that followed the south edge of the lake. It was a dreamy kind of trail and I kept expecting to see wildlife around every corner but only saw a few birds and squirrels.

I was blown away by the rich rugged natural beauty. GNP is my new favorite national park. 
This is such an amazing picture. One of my personal favorites. I love the contrast between the wildflowers and the mountains in the background. No editing here just natural beauty. The wild flowers were really popping for late August and I was so grateful for the clear day. 

One last shot of the van before making my way across eastern Montana. I had a great journey following  the Continental Divide all the way from New Mexico to the top of Montana in GNP. Glacier was the grand finale. In a way this was the end of the main adventure, making it all the way to Glacier was a huge accomplishment and a dream come true.

It was the end of August and this far north you could feel fall fast approaching. What a beautiful country we live in and for the first time in my life I was starting to realise how big it is.

Whitefish!

My magical minivan that takes me to magical places. 
My research told me that Whitefish was going to be a stellar mountain biking destination. Whitefish has several large trail networks including a bike resort. While the town definitely has a resort/touristy vibe its a good one. I stopped by the local bike shop to get the skinny on camping and riding and found out dispersed camping is a bit different out here. Even with the shops advice it was tough to find a good camping spot but I was thankful they took the time to point me in the right direction. This will be my last town stop before reaching Glacier National Park.


                                             A rare peek inside the captains quarters.








After searching around on the dirt roads for a while I settled on this small D shaped pull out off the side of one of the forest roads. It ended up working out great. There was hardly any traffic and it was nestled right next to the trail. The spot was nice and flat and ended up not having to level to van. 

Whitefish is working on its own network of trails that should oneday surround the lake and town. The trail is well manicured and very flowy.

The climbs were gentle and the descents were fast. The trail was built with mountain bikes in mind.  The vegetation here is amazing. The air was smokey and there was a good bit of both hiker and biker traffic but everybody was having a great time. 

Views of my second ride on the Whitefish trail.

More ripping well made singletrack. The Whitefish Trail had neal little side trails you could loop up.

Just a hint of fall in the air. It is late August and I am far north almost to the border of Canada.

Little Beaver Lake

I met a nice middle aged lady at this overlook and we talked about my travels and she told me how she moved to Whitefish from Central California. She was a bit bothered by the smokey air and very afraid of bears.

After spending a couple nights camped next to the Whitefish Trail it was time to move on. I had some time to burn so I stopped into town and and walked around. It was the weekend and the town was busy! A festival was kicking off nearby to benefit the local trail system. I ended up cooking dinner at the train station while listening to bands playing off in the distance. There was a nice patch of grass with a picnic table where I cooked up some burgers near the tracks.

 Whipping up bacon burgers with sweet potatoes, peppers, and onions.

I headed out to the Talley Lake area in the Flathead National Forest. I found a campsite up a narrow dirt road deep in the trees. I ended up staying here for a few days to ride the Reid Divide trail that was recommended to me by the Whitefish LBS. Then ended up waiting out a 2 day storm that was slowly moving thru.

After a long fairly easy dirt road climb I reached the start of the Reid Divide Trail.

You cross a burn area on a short climb along the ridge.

The single track was very tight and at some points it turned into a green tunnel.

The trail turned downward and it was a fantastic descent. Fast, rough, with lots of rocks and roots to negotiate. The vegetation and trees were flying by as I made my way down the ridge. 

Zipping along lush singletrack near the end of the Boney Gulch Trail. This turned out to be another top ride I discovered and should have ridden it twice. 

A crappy cold front moved thru and it rained for hours with a little snow mixed in. During the breaks in weather I would get out and do some hikes on the narrow double track that winds thru the Flathead National Forest.

This storm turned out the be a huge blessing. The winds and rain  cleared the heavy smoke from the air and for the first time I had crystal clear views in Whitefish. My next destination is Glacier National Park and I did not want to visit this beautiful park with all my views socked in by smoke. It turned out I was in for a real treat! Hear I am packed up and ready to leave after my wonderful stay in Whitefish Montana. I would definitely come back. 

Clark Fork River Trail – Vanlife

Riding the Clark Fork River Trail outside of St. Regis Montana.

Cherries! These were the best cherries I have ever had. I got them at a road side stand in the small town of St. Regis. I also purchased a very good latte (the best one in Montana!) from a little drive thru stand but did not get a picture of the delicious hot beverage.

Another awesome free campsite! This one was along the Clark Fork River along off of State Highway 35 while I was making my way to Whitefish. It was only a few miles from the start of the Clark Fork River trail. A 20 mile out and back ride following the beautiful Clarks Fork river.

“Living in a van down by the river”

I thought I had escaped the wasps and the aggressive wasp situation at the campsite by Fish Creek was a one time thing. Nope! I was wrong. The yellowjackets were here in full force here along with their friends the giant yellow jacket killer wasps! It was time to fight back. I had a good cell signal here and was able to find a couple of Youtube videos of how to trap the wasps. I looked around, gathered some materials, and made several traps. The traps seemed to help keep the numbers down and if anything it felt good to fight back. My traps were catching 100s of them including a few yellow jacket killers.

 The St. Regis Trail was excellent. very flow with punchy short climbs and long gentle descents. The views were excellent.

This is the trailhead at the opposite end from where I started.  The trail was going by fast and it was time to turn around and head back.

 SNACKS!
Another view of the Clarks Fork river on my way back to camp. This was an excellent ride and would highly recommend it if you are ever in this part of Montana. 
Choo Choo!!

Riding Chilcoot Pass Loop – Epic Backcountry MTB

Riding through the fireweed on the Chillcoot Pass Loop

 With a quick stop in Missoula to get some resupplies that included a trip to Costco. I cooked food in a city park and checked out the bank of the Clarks Fork River. Missoula was a big city and very busy. The city was blazing hot and socked in with wildfire smoke. It seemed to be making everybody uncomfortable including myself.

 I headed northwest and found a free campsite about an hour away at the Big Pine campground. I was tired from driving and running errands in Missoula. It was relieving to run into a free developed campground with a table and pit toilets. The Clarks Fork River was rushing off in the distance along with the chatter of many other campers taking advantage of the area.

This is a very common view from inside my van with me sitting on the futon. This space felt very good despite how small my campervan is. My fridge, cook system, propane tank, table, and water dispenser, all work amazingly well. Everything fits snug and stays well organized.

This night I was studying the route for tomorrow’s bike ride. So far my rides have been pretty mild except for that 40 miler in Steamboat. Back in June Paul and Becca came down to my hometown of Colorado Springs and visited me while I was pet sitting for my friend Mike. We were scheming up ideas for the summer portion of my van trip and we came across the Chilcoot Pass Loop in the Lolo National Forest northwest of Missoula.

Great Burn – Chilcoot Pass Loop

I didn’t take into account the difficulty of this route at the time, but after reading the description of this double black ride on MTB Project in a bit more in detail I knew I was in for a challenge. This route was super remote and included long water crossings, steep hike a bike, overgrowth, and difficult route finding. Even though the route is just  24 miles, the guide recommended to pack for full days ride and be prepared for an epic backcountry adventure!

The next morning I made my way to the trailhead at the end of Fish Creek Road. It was a bit disorienting finding the start of the trail. I misjudged the start and crossed Fish Creek needlessly and got my feet soaked right away. After about a mile I found out I was heading the wrong direction and crossed Fish Creek again to find the proper start of the loop.

After finding the correct trail I was treated to 2 or 3 additional creek crossings in a row. Unfortunately these are not the type of creek crossings you can ride. Just get used to your feet being wet on this  adventure.

The singletrack was immediately lush and overgrown. It was hard to find my flow on this trail. There was a ton of tree fall that needed to be negotiated a little more frequently than I like. Progress was slow right of the bat. But this place is different. Since leaving Butte Montana the vegetation has changed to a more Pacific Northwest feel. This was my first time experiencing a wet lush forest like this.

Along the way I was treated to a neat series of small waterfalls. The miles were hard earned but the rewards were plentiful!

The wild flowers were in full bloom in a rare open meadow.

I fell in love with this ancient cedar tree. This one had a rather large trunk. Sporadically I would get dank stretches of singletrack zipping through the old growth ceder trees. It was quite the treat. I felt my senses heighten as I traveled deeper into this exotic backcountry.

Look at this little garden of eden that I found! I had to stop here and take a few pictures. Being from the dry climate of Colorado I am not used to seeing so much green. Click this picture to enlarge. Its worth it!

Immediately after the garden of eden, the trail forked sharply uphill and the steep hike a bike began. Not only did the terrain require hike a bike, but the trail was completely overgrown and tough to follow.

After about 2 – 3 hours of hike a bike the vegetation cleared and I could see the summit of Chilcoot Pass. I also had my first encounter with bear grass! They were more beautiful than I imagined and  felt elated to be close to the top. I remember letting out a big hollar of relief!

After cresting the top I was treated to views of the Great Burn.  I was literally on the border of Idaho/Montana..

Making my way across the ridge of the pass I had to stop and take lots of photos. It was spectacular up here and I felt very remote. 

After a brief traverse it was time to start descending. Thank goodness! I was beat and ready for a change of pace.

Some steep loose switchbacks took me down to Sesame Lake. I was getting hungry and needed a break after that tough hike a bike to the pass. Lunch by the lake side seemed like a great idea.

Sesame Lake was gorgeous. It looked deep, dark, and cold.

Little did I know there was a female moose splish splashing in the lake next to me while I was eating my lunch. Somehow I didn’t notice despite all the nose she was making. I caught this shot and video as she was heading off into the woods. Still, it was another great wildlife moment.

After a short climb past the lake, the trail starts descending again but it’s hard to make quick progress. Fallen tree after fallen tree combined with tough route finding in thick overgrowth.
.

Fireweed up to my bars!

More amazing old growth cedar trees and ferns. I was blown away by the beauty of this forest.

After what seemed like an eternity the trail opened up and I was able to make quicker ground.

I came across this bend in the creek and the water was crystal clear with a tint of emerald green..

Cedar planks like this were common across the muddy parts of the trail.

I was blown away by this ride! Truly an epic MTB backcountry adventure. It felt exotic. With breaks it took me 8 hours to complete a 25 mile loop. I was beat!

When I finished I said to myself how I was thrilled to have completed it,  but knew it was a route I would never want to do again.

After the ride I made my way to a dispersed campsite that I spotted on the way to the trail head. It was the perfect Montana campsite except for one thing. The wasps! I was setting up camp and noticed that there were no mosquitoes. I thought it was to good to be true until I started cooking. When I brought out my food a yellow jacket showed up. Then another until I had a swarm of a couple dozen wasps harassing me and crawling all over my food. Then, what I call the yellow jacket killer came out. This was an all black wasp with a couple white dots on its back. It was much larger. About 3 times bigger than the yellow jackets. When a certain number of yellow jackets would show up the giant yellow jacket killer wasps would appear and attack the smaller yellow jackets. Occasionally I would see one of these giant black wasps flying off with a yellow jacket in its mandibles.

I did take a dip in the creek but for the most part I had to hang out inside my van to avoid the mass of intimidating wasps out my front door. I could no longer cook outside. Being from Colorado I have seen my share of wasps but never in such hordes and so aggressive. Little did I know this was the beginning of the Great Montanna Wasp Battle of 2018.

Mountain Biking and Vanlife on the Continental Divide

After leaving Bozeman I had to make a decision to head to Helena or Butte. Both had good recommendations and great trail systems but due to a more reliable recommendation I went to Butte. Just before you hit town I came across this campsite off Homestake Pass. Thinking back this was the best campsite out of them all. Not because it was the prettiest, not because of the awesome trails, not because of the crazy hot weather, and not because of all the wildlife. Really what it was is… I am hitting the peak of my trip. My mind and body are in harmony with my new lifestyle and everything is easy, everything is meant to be exactly the way it is. Every moment captured with time slowing down right in front of your eyes. This is why I am here, this is why I quit my 6 figure career, this is the best version of myself I have ever seen.

It was a hot few days in Butte. Temps were reaching close to 100 degrees and there was a massive mayfly hatch when I arrived and set up camp. The 1000s of mayflies really didn’t bother me. It was cool to see mother nature do its work producing the perfect conditions triggering the mayflies to all hatch at once.  I would sit here reading my book and watch the little trout pick off mayflies one by one off the top of the little stream I was camped next to. I kept hearing the trout breach the water, snatch a mayfly, then plop back into the stream. Paul if you are reading this thanks for recommending Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. I really enjoyed it!

 So after getting settled into camp it was time for a bike ride. I headed out to ride section of the CDT as an out and back. I came by this little shack that I was unsure of its purpose.

I immediately fell in love with the mountain biking in Butte. Gentle climbs flowy descents and smooth singletrack all the way. It was dry and hot and reminded me of the riding back in my home town of Colorado Springs.

I hit the heat of the day and after about 14 miles I decided to head back to camp and recharge for a earlier ride the next day. 

 

The next day I set myself up to get out earlier and dodge the heat. The day started with a long stiff climb up to the Continental Divide. The climb was fun but the views were stifled by smoke from wildfires everywhere.

After some fast descending I ended up at some railroad tracks that would take me back to Homestake Pass. Did you ever see the movie Stand By Me? I was reminded of the scene in that movie when the group of kids decided to cross a rail bridge thinking it was safe but having a train show up when they were half way out! Well luckily that never happened to me. It was pretty clear that this railroad was closed and no longer in use after some clues such as vegetation and dirt covering parts of the track.

Then there was this really cool tunnel.

And back to Homestake Pass. I was really happy with this ride. This loop turned out to be a highlight of the trip. My road trip had a Continental Divide theme and here I was again having fun on the mountain crest that parts the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic ocean. 

After a couple of days of riding it was time to take a chill day. I was really feeling this camp spot. The area was very dry but this little oasis I had was green and lush and had the little stream trickling by all day and night. If you can find camp next to water it always is a bonus. By this time the mayfly hatch had dwindled down and the little trout were no longer feasting.

There was a perseid meteor shower this evening so I stayed up and made my way to a nearby hill to watch the shooting stars. With all the smoke in the air I could not see a thing. I did have an encounter with a rather large owl that decided to silently swoop the top of my head in the dark. It was quite the experience! I was standing on the hill in the dark, when at the last minute I noticed a silent owl swooping directly at me. It just whooshed over my head and I felt the air move as the beautiful creature flew by. I got the message and since I wasn’t seeing the meteor shower anyways I decided to hike back to camp. On the way I met this little amphibious feller.

The next day it was time for some more biking. I made my way back onto the CDT trail and pushed further to loop up some smaller trails across from Homestake Pass.

On the way up I met a thru hiker by the name of Zebra. I could quickly gleen where she got her trail name by the tan lines left from KT tape over her knees. She was very nice and I could tell by her accent that she was from Europe. I did not get exactly where but my guess would be from Germany. She was eating her last few gummy bears and I could tell she was hungry. I offered some food and she politely declined but when I mentioned that I had pistachios I saw her eyes light up! I then handed over my bag of pistachios. What a great moment between me and Zebra. I congratulated her on her thru hike and that there was just a little bit left to go. I let her know that one day I also aspired to be a thru hiker before parting ways. I really regret not getting her instagram handle or at least a photo of Zebra.

The CDT trail near Butte is very MTB friendly. There is a 100 mile loop you can do that circumnavigates the town that would be great for bikepacking or the annual endurance race they run on it. 

Midway through the ride I busted out these sardines packed in hot sauce. They were very good and will be bringing more of these on my adventures.

I am really on a roll with breakfast here. Why have 1 or 2 strips of bacon when you can have 8????

Top it off with some artesian maple syrup.

There were cows grazing in the area and this is one of my favorite pictures with the cow in the background while I am making fried chicken. There should be a caption saying “Eat moar chicken”

Bozeman Montana – Mountain Biking and Vanlife

After 8 days in the Beartooth Mountains it was time to make my way into Montana. Here I am on the Beartooth Highway taking a selfie by the state line marker. 

My first stop in Montana was the fast growing town of Bozeman. I took a stroll downtown and bought a new book.

 I also stopped into this Burger Bobs on main street and ate out for the first time in a couple of weeks. The burger was just ok but it was nice to be around people after being isolated in the Beartooth Mountains for so long.

 After competing laundry and getting resupplies I had some time to kill and made my way to a local park.

In the park there was a pond that the local kids were playing in. It was really hot and a perfect day to play in the water. 

 These ducks were diving and feeding off the bottom of the pond. I really enjoyed watching them disappear then magically reappear a few moments later. With time slowed down from vanlife I was able to enjoy little moments like this.

I was having a great time exploring Bozeman and made my way to the Farmers Market. It was hopping and there was a display of the local first responders and some excellent homemade carmel corn and kombucha!

This SWAT transport vehicle looked tough! Kids were climbing all over it. All the locals seemed to be really having a good time and and were friendly. Lots of folks riding bikes.

I walked around to snap some pictures and stayed for the local orchestra while they played their top 10 most requested songs. After the event It was hard to find any dispersed camping around Bozeman so I stayed at the Walmart.

 
After a good night’s rest in the Walmart parking lot I made my way to Leverich Canyon for a highly recommended mountain bike ride.

The Leverich Canyon loop was fantastic. After a steep climb I was rewarded with a very flowy down hill with small jumps and berms. It was a thrilling trail but not very long. Also the road to access the trailhead was pretty rough and steep at times. Out of all the sketchy roads I took on in my van this was the worst. I attempted and ended up retreating and parking lower down about a 1/2 mile from the trailhead.
Leverich Canyon Trail


After riding Leverich Canyon I headed to Hyalite Canyon to look for a dispersed camping spot. This is a large National Forest with what looked like lots of good free camping options. After checking out some of the spots that I found on freecampsites.net I found they were all filled up. Even arriving on a Wednesday dead smack in the middle of the week several free dispersed spots were full. There was lots of pay campsites but that was not what I was looking for.  This place was packed and I was getting frustrated not being able to find a campsite. I had to push to the far end of the canyon and camp in a small pull out off of the forest road. It turned out to be a great spot and was right by the trailhead for both Emerald Lake Trail and the Palisade Falls Trail.

I really enjoyed my time at these falls. I spent about an hour here taking pictures and enjoying the mist on my face from the tall falls. There were only a few other visitors and had some good solitude right by the face of the falls.

The next morning I did a quick ride up to Emerald Lake. Emerald Lake trail was fun and didn’t take long to get to the top. Emerald Lake was actually green!

 Panorama of Emerald Lake.

 After my ride I took this picture of Hyalite Lake on my way to leave Bozeman. It was big and there were massive amounts of people fishing, camping, and boating.

Fishing in the Beartooth Mountains Wyoming – Vanlife

The Absaroka/Beartooth mountain range is a pure slice of heaven. I have been coming to this area on and off since the early 2000s. I would usually stay at a old hunting cabin located in the Sunlight Basin about 30 minutes away but we would frequent Fantan and Sawtooth Lakes which offer stunning scenery, excellent fishing, and seclusion. I had camped on national forest land a couple miles off the Beartooth Highway near the entrance of these lakes. I found a grassy campsite overlooking the Chain Lakes below. The pic above is my first morning in the area. I woke up early to pee and took this beautiful shot. No editing required.

I was treated with a waterfall by my campsite. Did I mention this is grizzly bear country!

Also the mosquitos were in full force. I had dealt with some bugs in Steamboat and Jackson. Some mosquitoes in the Winds. But noting like here in the Beartooths. These mosquitoes must work out in their down time as they are very aggressive, resilient, and fast. Also they have the numbers. Lucky for me when I was in Pinedale I picked up a head net at the local gear shop. Also I had constructed a screen door for when my van slide door was open. It worked great and kept the bugs out while I was chilling inside.

Here is an evening shot of my campsite. Since this was grizzly country I would clean and pack up all cooking gear after every meal. It was kind of a pain in the ass to keep setting up and stowing my kitchen but I wanted some peace of mind.

Ah the whole reason I am here… Trout! Here are my first keepers from Fantan Lake. When I resupplied for the Beartooths in Jackson I only bought a small package of chicken legs for a week long stay with the intention of having several trout dinners. I stayed for 8 full days and had trout dinners 6 of the 8 days. Nice!

So after catching my fill of trout at Fantan Lake I did a short off trail hike up to Cliff Lake. As many times I have been to Fantan lake I never checked out this one just a short distance away. It was evident why the lake was called Cliff lake with the rock outcropping lining one side of the lake.

Taking a look back at Fantan lake.

One of the Chain Lakes off in the distance.

This was one of a few nice evenings. Most of my stay was filled with turbulent weather to include rain, wind, snow, and groppel.

Taking it all in.

My next fishing trip was to Sawtooth lake. This lake is always windy but its a good sized body of water.  You can see the sawtooth rock formation in the background that gives this lake its name.

Fishing was slow going so I made my way to the inlet of the lake and found this neet little waterfall cutting through the granite.

After about 3 hours of casting into the wind and not catching anything, I wanted to call it quits when I decided to  give it one more shot casting along a sandy beach from one side to the other. After about 10 casts… Boom.. The fish started biting and caught these 3 brookies.

My favorite dish I made while on the road. Trout and Bacon Quinoa Bowl.

What looked like a break in the weather it was time for a mountain bike ride. I decided to check out the Morrison 4wd road that traverses a bald high alpine section of the range. This was my first lake encounter called Top Lake.

After some woody rocky riding in the lower elevation forest I broke treeline and proceeded up and down rolling alpine hills. The only thing up here was wind blasted trees.

The weather was not the best. Rain was quickly moving in and I pressed on with haste.  If you can’t tell, the weather was very finicky during my stay in the Beartooths.

Despite conditions I was certainly having a great time and got a KOM on this route!

This was the end of the road for me and time to turn back. You can see the Sunlight basin down below. If I was to continue on there would be a lot of descending down to the bottom of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River down below.

Some peat bogs off in the distance. This was a fun out and back that I would recommend. It was a great way to experience the backcountry in this beautiful area.

What a lovely sunset after a wicked storm that rolled through. I kept my camp tidy at all times!

I ran across a fly fisherman in a parking lot when I took a quick ride on my bike to Long Lake earlier in the week. I asked the man how fishing was and he said it was ok at Long Lake but Nite Lake was where he was catching the nice sized trout. After waiting out some weather I made my way over to Nite Lake. It was just a quick 20 minute bike ride from my camp on the other side of the Beartooth Hy.

With a little persistence the nicest trout of my trip were hitting! I was catching tons of fish during my stay in the Beartooths but I was only catching 6″-12″ trout. These were at least 14″!

Jackpot! I caught a nice string and cleaned them by the lake to be cooked later. I was using my spinner rod with a Panther Martin lure. Tried and true.

After a wonder 8 full days of staying at this site (I could have stayed for 14 days for free)  it was time to move on. Everything all packed up nice and tidy, I snapped one last shot of my van and the Chain Lakes off in the distance.

I had visited the Beartooth Highway many times but never traversed all the way to the Montana side.

The highway was amazing and it turned out to be one of the most spectacular high alpine drives I have experienced.

Grand Teton/Yellowstone National Park – Vanlife

 #vanlife  😎 Seriously. This is such an iconic vanlife photo! I have not mentioned this yet but I do have a name for my van. I call my van Ody One. Or Ody for short.

 I hit GTNP just at the right time. I rolled in after a day of resupplying in Jackson and was treated to calm lakes and mirroring views of jagged peaks that reminded me of the alps in Europe.

Soak it up! That is the Grand Teton peak off in the distance. Grand Teton translates  “the big tit”!

 So I stealth camped in my van in an undisclosed location and woke up early to hike to bradley lake and catch some fish on my birthday! Thats right, its my birthday! Its my birthday!

 Ok, not going to complain here. The Tetons are amazing.

This way… To the lake….

Yeah, I caught some fish… On My Birthday!!!!

 I wish I knew the name of this rushing creek but I don’t.

 So here is my birthday dinner. Fresh caught trout over jasmine rice. With a large salad. So I do need to correct myself. Technically this is the day before my birthday, July 27th. The following day will be my birthday but I wanted to celebrate today since I knew I would be driving most of my actual bday.

 I was treated to the BEST sunset of the adventure in GTNP! This was my 5th National Park this year! Nice!

 So the next day it was north through Yellowstone National Park making this National Park number 7. I have been to Yellowstone so many times. Seriously I have been to this National Park so many times I cannot count. Its probably between 10 – 12 visits. So anyways, I really did not spend much time in Yellowstone and just wanted to make my way through to my next destination. The Beartooth/Absaroka Mountains.

I stopped for a quick picture along Yellowstone Lake. Yellowstone Lake is the largest  natural high altitude freshwater lake in the US. I was able to make a few phone calls and catch up with a few close friends and family. Cell service was few and far between in the National Parks. Something you get used to on the road.

Sulphur Caldron

You are pretty much guaranteed to see buffalo in Yellowstone.

 And a little bit of National Park humor to finish the post. Taken from inside one of the bathrooms in Yellowstone NP.

Jackson Wyoming Vanllife

I arrived in Jackson on a Monday and realized how busy but beautiful this town was. When I was a teenager I briefly drove through Jackson with my family but barely remember the town and Teton National Park.  Taking a peek at my mountain biking trails apps there were some good rides right from my camp. This is my free campsite off of a dirt road near Mike Harris campground. I am actually camped in Idaho on the Idaho side of the Teton Pass. What a great spot this turned out to be. It had creek running nearby, huckleberries, butterflies, and white tailed deer that made a visit. 

 A friendly butterfly visiting my camp. It was hard for me to meet people on the road so I was grateful for any type of company.

 Blueberry paleo pancakes, 2 fried eggs, and bacon to fuel up for a ride.

On the radar is Mail Cabin Trail. After a quick jaunt peddling up the highway I was treated to lush singletrack in peak wildflower season.


I am not going to lie. This trail is very tough. It started with some gradual climbing but after a few miles turned to steep hike a bike up to the ridge.

 Large talus field on the way up.

Once the hike a bike was over the trail descends down with brief climbs along the ridge with sweeping views both left and right. It was gorgeous up here! After a few more miles on the ridge the trail forks on a steep downhill that took me right back to camp. This ride was a blast and would highly recommend it.

After a chill day in the van reading Survivor, I found a short ride from my camp. These trails were freshly cut and very fun. I was stoked!

It was almost as if Gnomes came out the night before and groomed the trail for me.

Loam…. Loam for days…
The trails I ended riding this day were Rush hour (I went OTB overshooting a small bridge on the way down), Nemo, and, Grumpy. Grumpy was one of the funnest, coolest, little trails I have ever ridden! It is a true gem for being just 1.7 miles. Ride it if you can. 

Backpacking trip to the Wind River Range – Pinedale Wy

Ahhh! That sweet sweet vanlife! One of the many times I stayed in a Walmart parking lot. I haven’t shopped at Walmart in years but since I have been utilizing their free camping so I thought it would be only fair to purchase some groceries. I did end up getting my first batch of cherries at this Walmart and it started a cherrey craze all the way to Whitefish Montana. But other than the cherries, Walmart groceries are packed with disappointment. Generally I would sleep great no matter where I parked. I had complete privacy with my window coverings and by turning on the fan and maybe some music the space inside my van would be its own little cozy world. The Walmart parking lots were always busy with campers in the back of the parking lot.

 You really see the whole gamut of nomads and RV/Vandwellers. Here is a jellyfish van parked in the Walmart in Rock Springs Wyoming. It was hot as hell here!

Thanks for sending my hat and thanks for the gift card Mike! It was nice to get a little care package on the road.

Here was a campsite I found off of freecampsites.net that was just a few miles from the trailhead. I stayed here for about 4 days total. 

Earlier I had made my way to Pinedale and got some resupplies and prepared for a 3 night 4 day backpacking trip in the Wind River mountains in central Wyoming. I had been dreaming of this hike for years after following several hikers recommendations in the past.

 After a good nights sleep I got up early and was on the trail by 7am. I was very excited for this hike. I had planned a large loop crossing 2 major passes and a side trip to the legendary Titcomb Basin. I brought my bear canister and felt the large load of food, water, and a full pack. Me being excited I put it into high gear and trekked into the Bridger Wilderness.

Immediately I was treated with spectacular views of the range.

 Wind River Range is full of granite and water!

 It was lake, after lake, after lake along this hike. The beauty wasn breathtaking.

Lots of tributaries and streams. I love the light colored granite that forms the range. Coming from the Pikes Peak area of Colorado I am used to seeing the pinkish colored decomposed granite that dominates that area, it was refreshing to see such pretty rock all over the place.

 The trail was well constructed and bobbed its way in and out of lake basins. I must have crossed 10 lakes by this point!

 Can you see the beautiful Titcomb basin off in the distance. Here I am nearing the evening at Seneca Lake with the ‘13,751 Fremont Peak off in the distance.

Unfortunately I had to pull the plug on the hike and camp much sooner that anticipated. About 6 miles into the hike I was cruising along with my earbuds in when I notice a sharp pain in the arch of my foot. I take a few more steps, then again, a very sharp pain! I knew something was wrong immediately and took a break to rest my foot. After a short break my foot was still hurting and made the decision to camp at a Seneca Lake and call the day after only about 10 miles. I had planned to hike about 20 miles that day but looking back my body was not ready for that much distance with the load I was carrying. Also I had some new shoes (Altra Lone Peaks 3.5s) that barely had any arch support with the stock insole. Later I put a pair of green Super Feet inside the Altras and they have been great ever since. So long story short I had to cut my 3 night 4 day trip down to a 1 night 2 day trip. In the long run it was a great decision to call the trip, rest, then make my way back to my van the next day.

 I had a lot of time that day after pitching camp and just enjoyed the views of Seneca Lake, listened to music, and took some pictures. I also snacked a lot since I had a bunch of backpacking food I would no longer need.

 It was a good campsite and enjoyed the sunset. I always enjoy a good sunset.

 That next morning I was up early and made my way back to my van. I was disappointed that
I did not get to do the whole loop that I planned and missed out on Titcomb Basin but still was very impressed with what I did get to see and really enjoyed my time the best I could. My foot was hurting on the way back still and I was reassured I made the right call.

I had brought my Tenkara fishing rod on this trip and was having trouble catching anything until I tried my hares ear lure at Beauty Lake. 

I ended up catching 2 little brookes and was pretty satisfied to have finally caught something. 

I took a day to rest in my van and made one more day trip to a lake nearby called Long Lake. It was a steep 3 mile hike to the lake. My foot was still sore but I could tell it was already getting better after a days rest. I brought my spinner rod down here and fished for a couple of hours. It was windy and the fish were not biting.

So after 4 days at the Winds it was time to make my way north to Jackson Wyoming. One of my vanlife strategies is to try and arrive at a new camping location mid week and avoid the crowds on the weekend. I was looking to arrive in Jackson on a Friday but decided to pull over at this peaceful spot just off the highway in between Pinedale and Jackson to burn a couple of days before arriving in the busy town of Jackson. It turned out I was tired from all the excitement in the Wind River Range and needed a couple of days to chill out anyway. I spent 2 days resting and reading the book The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. This book had me on the edge of my seat and turning pages for hours. It had been a long time since I  have read like that if ever. Thanks Paul for lending me one of the best books I have ever read.

On my way to Jackson Wyoming I stopped along the Hoback River and threw out a line. I caught this carp. It was a shock how ugly this fish was after catching beautiful trout all these years.Yes I thew this guy back!