Monthly Archives: June 2014

Giant Springs

Yesterday’s weather forecast called for a six-hour dry spell between 9am and 3pm. I took advantage of the break in the rainfall and got on my mountain bike at 11am.

After I crossed the Central Avenue bridge, I followed the River’s Edge Trail north, then east as the Missouri bends that direction. I rode at a steady pace until I passed under the 15th Street bridge and stopped at the Black Eagle Dam.

Black Eagle Dam and Falls

Below the dam are the Black Eagle Falls, the first of five falls that make up the Great Falls of the Missouri in Montana. The Black Eagle Dam was first constructed of wood in 1890. It was a timber and rock crib dam, the first to supply hydroelectric power on the Missouri River. In 1926, it was rebuilt with concrete, which still stands today. The original structure is still there, submerged behind the current dam.

The dam is 782 feet long and 34.5 feet high. It houses three turbines that can generate up to 18 megawatts of power. The dam can generate power from the flow of the river, without creating a storage reservoir behind it. Thus it’s called a “run of the river” dam.

The falls downriver from the dam drop over 26 feet. Meriweather Lewis was the first white man to see these falls. The name “Black Eagle” came from an eagle that Lewis saw nesting on a island below the falls.

A few hundred yards downstream, there’s an iron sculpture next to the path. It depicts Lewis and Clark with their guide, Sacajawea, looking at the falls.

Lewis and Clark with Sacajawea

View of Black Eagle Falls from the sculpture

There are many interpretive placards along the River’s Edge Trail, giving short history lessons. I photographed a couple of examples. Click on the placard photos to enlarge and read them if you’re interested.

Montana mining history

Smelting operation

Along this section, the bike trail is high above the river. I could see dirt trails below, near the banks of the river.

Dirt trails by the river

I came to a fork in the path. To the right, it passed under Giant Springs Road. To the left, it continued along the river. I stayed left. A short distance later, the trail forked again. To the right, it ended at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center parking lot. On the left, the trail made a rough descent to the river.

I took the left fork and rode down to the river. There was a mixture of dirt and paved trails along this section. I rode into the Giant Springs State Park. The Giant Springs are an amazing sight. Fresh water flows up to the surface into a large pool. It reminded me of Yellowstone in a way, but this water was cool, clear and pure.

The water temperature is 54 degrees Fahrenheit. It originates from snow melt in the Little Belt Mountains (where the Mumbro Park cabin is located). Giant Springs is formed by an opening in the Madison aquifer. The water comes to the surface and forms a pool, which drains 150 million gallons of pure, fresh water into the Missouri River daily. Some of the spring water is diverted and bottled for human consumption. It’s also used to supply fresh, cold water to Montana’s largest trout hatchery.

Placard at Giant Springs

Look closely and you'll see three streams of water shooting to the surface

Look closely and you’ll see where streams of water shoot to the surface

Water shooting to the surface of the pool and flowing over the rocks to the Missouri

Water shooting to the surface of the pool and flowing over the rocks into the Missouri

The pool of water rushing over the rocks into the river is an amazing sight. I tried to capture the beauty of it.

Giant Springs

A guy walking by asked if I wanted my picture taken at the springs. Why not? It didn’t add anything to the beauty factor though.

On the way back I stopped at the Knicker Biker bike shop downtown. I bought spare inner tubes for our road bikes and a few energy bars.

I came back to the RV park at 1pm. It was an enjoyable two-hour ride. Donna and I had our lunch outside at the picnic table while the sun was shining. Donna went out for a walk and I walked a couple of laps around the park. I chatted with some folks. I found out both tour groups currently in the park are bound for Alaska. I think they will be pulling out this morning. Once the tour groups leave, the park wifi should become usable again. In the meantime, we’re burning through our Verizon data plan.

Donna walked for about 45 minutes, then went back to work on her laptop. The rain returned around 4pm and hasn’t let up since then. We may have a small window – maybe an hour – of sunshine this afternoon. The weather guessers have been right so far and they say the weather should start clearing up and warming up tomorrow.

Rain Falls in Great Falls

We were shut-ins for most of the weekend. Thundershowers and rain damped our enthusiasm. During a few of the breaks in the precipitation on Saturday, we walked laps of the park.

Adventure Caravans assembled another tour group here at Dick’s RV park. They’re joined by another tour group called Fantasy Adventures. This filled the RV park again. We had a couple of quiet days in between the groups. While the park was fairly empty, the wifi worked great. Now that it’s full, the wifi service is spotty. I don’t know the details of these tours.

Yesterday, we had a break in the rain showers. It looked like we would have dry conditions for a couple of hours before the next bout of thundershowers. I pulled Donna’s bicycle out of the trailer and pumped up her tires. While I was filling the tires, I found the front Presta valve was broken. I replaced the inner tube. After I pumped up the rear tire, the thumbscrew on the Presta valve broke off! I put a cap over it and Donna was able to ride. The valve will fail the next time I pump up the tire though.

Inner tube with Presta valve – Google Image

Donna rode 3 miles out to Broadwater Bay Park where her bicycle race starts. She rode the race course which is 25 miles. The climb up Eden Road was tougher than she anticipated with several steep climbs and long uphill pulls. After the turnaround, though, coming back on Eden Road was faster than she thought it would be. It’s a grueling course, but her elapsed time overall was close to what she expects to do in the race.

The rain showers returned before Donna made it home. She rode in the rain from the Central Avenue bridge. While she was out, I caught the Moto GP race on Dish Network and squandered my chance for a bike ride.

Later, we had another break in the weather. I rode the scooter to pick up a few groceries. While I was at it, I bought a six-pack of beer. It’s a beer from Bayern Brewing in Missoula, Montana, called Dump Truck Extra Pale Summer Bock. There are so many craft breweries nowadays and countless styles being brewed. It’s fun to try something new, but I would prefer to experiment at a brew pub where you can order a sampler flight. I had no idea what an extra pale summer bock would be like. It turned out to be a fairly strong (6% ABV) lager with the yeast contributing to a bitter finish.

Last night, I was able to fire up the grill and grill fajita-spiced chicken thighs before the rain started up again.

Today’s forecast calls for about a six-hour window of sunshine before we hunker down for another 48 hours of thunderstorms and rain. When we looked into Donna doing the race here, I remember reading that the average rainfall for Great Falls in June is two inches. It’s their rainiest month of the year. So it’s not like we didn’t expect to have some rain. But it looks like this rainy weather will clear up later in the week.

After I dump and flush our holding tanks this morning, I want to ride my bike east on the River’s Edge Trail. While I’m out, I’ll buy spare inner tubes for our road bikes.

Freaky Friday

We awoke to the sound of raindrops drumming on the roof yesterday morning. Actually it was the second time the rain woke me. Around 3:30am, I was awakened by wind gusts, heavy rain and lightning.

That’s how our freaky Friday began. Yesterday was the only Friday the 13th on the 2014 calendar. It also happened to be a full moon. It was the first full moon on Friday the 13th in 95 years. It won’t happen again until 2049.

The weather kept us hunkered down indoors for most of the day. It rained off and on with brief periods of sunshine in between. I saw a guy in the park washing his motorhome. When it would start to rain, he would go inside. As soon as the sun came out, he was back at it. I took a walk and asked the guy if he knew it was going to rain every time he started his wash job. He said this was his first opportunity to wash since he left Florida – 2,200 miles ago. Rain or shine, he was determined to remove the road grime.

I’m planning to wash our coach, but I’ll wait for the weather to clear. The weather guessers are calling for rain showers or thunderstorms daily until Thursday. The temperatures will warm and the skies will clear then.

When I wash the coach, I’ll also polish the alloy wheels and replace the lug nut covers. I lost one of the covers on the rough road to Page, Arizona. Some of the covers are pitted and are starting to corrode. I ordered 40 new chrome plated stainless steel lug nut covers from Amazon. The nice thing with Amazon Prime (besides the free shipping) is that my credit card is linked to my Amazon account. When I place an order, it automatically looks up my credit card rewards statement and asks me if I want to pay for the order with rewards points! It’s like getting stuff for free.

I also ordered a tire pressure gauge. I check our tire pressures regularly. I keep hearing how wonderful the Accutire digital gauge is. It’s inexpensive, accurate, lightweight and doesn’t take much space. What more could I ask for? When it arrived with the lug nut covers on Thursday, I checked it against the analog dial gauge I’ve been using. They read within 2% of each other. Most people believe the accuracy of a digital readout – especially one with 0.5 increments. I don’t believe digital is inherently more accurate. But, this site had me believing the Accutire.

Around 5pm, the skies cleared once again. We had an opening in the weather with blue skies and sunshine. Donna and I walked down 13th Avenue SW to the Beacon Icehouse. This is a bar that looks like a real dive from the street. I’d stopped in the other day and knew it wasn’t a dive at all. The place is clean, well-kept and has some history. There’s a framed poster on the wall describing the original bar in the 1930s and all of the ownership changes and significant happenings since then. It was interesting to read the ups and downs of the bar that coincided with the local economy.

Stage set for karaoke at the Beacon Icehouse

View of Sun River from the deck of the Beacon Icehouse

When we returned to the coach, Donna made crab cakes for dinner and we ate outside, enjoying the sunshine.

The forecast calls for a high temperature of 58 today! I think I need to find a good book to read. I’m hoping the weather guessers have the next four days wrong.

River’s Edge Trail

I studied a street map to get a better idea of how Great Falls is laid out.

The Missouri River bends through town. The river flows north, then east. The downtown area and much of the city lies south and east of the river. This part of town is fairly easy to navigate – it’s mostly a grid with numbered avenues running east-west and numbered streets running north-south.

The river throws a monkey wrench into the scheme though. North and west of the river, some of the roads follow the river’s contour. There are only four bridges crossing the Missouri. On the west end, the Sun River flows into the Missouri from the west and only has two crossings. You have to know where you can cross the river or you’ll find yourself at dead ends.

Yesterday, Donna and I went out on our bicycles. We rode separately though – Donna on her road bike and me on my mountain bike. We both crossed the Sun River on 6th Street and followed the bike path to Central Avenue West. We crossed the Missouri on a bridge constructed for pedestrians and bicyclists. The bridge is made of wood. It’s wide and well maintained.

Map of the River’s Edge Trail system

Bridge on bike path across the Missouri River

Donna headed north and then east on the River’s Edge Trail. I rode south. Although most of the trail is dedicated to cyclists, walkers and runners, there are a few areas that are on roadways or through parking lots. It can be confusing at times as the trail runs into a large parking lot with no clear direction of where to pick up the trail again.

At one point on my ride, the trail crossed a train track next to the police station. I rode through the police parking lot and guessed at the direction to take. I rode down a street, across the tracks again toward the river. I found the trail at the end of the Broadwater Bay Park.

The bike path took me along River Road. I climbed the hill at Overlook, past the Visitor Center and found a gazebo in a park, overlooking the city. You can see for miles from this overlook.

Gazebo overlooking Great Falls

View to the northwest from the gazebo

I rode down the hill to the Visitor Center. There’s a sculpture and placard there that I took pictures of.

Sculpture – Explorers at the Portage

Placard with excerpt from Meriwether Lweis' journal

Placard with excerpt from Meriweather Lewis’ journal

On the ride back, I stopped and took a picture of a striking building on the east side of the Central Avenue bridge. It’s called the Milwaukee Station. It has a sign on it that says “Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Ry.” It’s not a train station anymore. It’s occupied by various businesses and office space.

Milwaukee Station

As the name implies, much of the River’s Edge Trail runs along the Missouri River. The scenery was beautiful, but some areas of the trail had excessive amounts of goose droppings.

Missouri River

I rode past the Milwaukee Station, north to Gibson Park. There’s a large pond and fountain there and also a small amphitheater. I saw a man setting up equipment. He told me there would be an event later called “Live at Five.” His band would be performing original compositions.

Setting up for “Live at Five”

As I retraced my route back to the RV park, I stopped at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway yard. There was a rail snow plow on a track there. Removing snow from the train tracks is a formidable task in the Rocky Mountains and across the great plains. Most of the time, a simple wedge or blade plow is pushed by a locomotive. Sometimes though, there’s too much snow for this method. In extreme conditions, they use a rotary snowthrower that chops up the snow and throws it clear of the track. Rotary rail snowthrowers are expensive and require much maintenance, which is why they are only used in extreme conditions.

The old plow I looked at was made in the 1940s. It’s weight is stenciled on the side: 280,000 pounds. It appears to be in service still as it had recent inspection stickers.

Rail snow plow

After my ride, I had lunch and showered. Then I rode the scooter back to the Visitor Center and picked up a couple of maps. The lady there gave me directions to the Parks and Recreation office and also showed me where I could find more convenient shopping.

From the Visitor Center, I went to the Parks and Recreation office to obtain more information about Donna’s bike race. They gave me a map of the course. Then I crossed the river at 9th Street and stopped at Albertson’s. The woman at the Visitor Center was right – this is an easier store to access from Dick’s RV Park.

I came back to our site and picked up Donna. We rode the scooter over the bicycle race course. It starts out at Broadwater Bay Park, then goes south along River Road. This is fairly flat and very scenic. After about four and half miles, Lower River Road becomes Eden Road. The course climbs up Eden for nearly a mile, then it continues to gain elevation through a series of rolling hills. The short climbs are followed by short descents, but overall, it continues to gain elevation to the turnaround point. The rolling hills mean there are some climbs on the way back, but it should be fast coming back down Eden. The total distance is 40 kilometers or about 25 miles.

Last night, I grilled bacon-wrapped filet mignons and sweet potato fries for dinner and we ate outside at our picnic table – a great way to end a great day.

Bacon-wrapped filets and sweet potato fries

RV Caravans

The day started off cold with light drizzle yesterday. We had to run the heat pumps – it was 58 degrees in the coach when I got up. It remained overcast and breezy for most of the day. The sun came out in the late afternoon, but the thermometer never rose much above 60.

Donna spent most of the day working at her laptop. I puttered around, handled a few tasks online and wrote the government a check for my second quarter estimated taxes. Grrr.

Around 2pm, Donna and I went for a walk. We walked on the bike path and crossed the 6th St. Bridge over the Sun River. Today I want to get my bike out and ride the bike path down River Drive. I’ve been gaining weight since I hurt my neck in Mesa. I need to ramp up my physical activity. I don’t believe there’s any magic or mystery when it comes to weight loss. The equation is simple – increase your activity and decrease your intake. It works every time.

When we arrived at Dick’s RV Park, it was almost full. There are two caravan groups here. They are both run by a company called Adventure Caravans. RVers enroll and pay a fee to join the caravan.

One of the caravan groups is following the Lewis and Clark Trail. They started in St. Louis, Missouri. They arrived here on Monday, their 26th day on the road, and pulled out yesterday. Adventure Caravans organizes the route. They make all of the campground reservations. They have tour buses that take the group from the campground to various points of interest along the way. They have social gatherings most evenings and some meals are included. This caravan tour finishes in Warrenton, Oregon after 46 days on the road.

The other caravan is just starting out. Dick’s RV Park was their meet-up location. They spent a couple of days here, going through orientation and preparing their rigs for travel through the Canadian Rockies to Alaska. They’re pulling out as I type this. This caravan lasts 59 days. Adventure Caravans provides staff in two motorhomes – one that leads the group and another that follows. If anyone has a problem or mechanical breakdown, the following staff stops and helps them. The cost of this tour for two people with a motorhome is $8,895.00.

I think we’ll continue to see the sights on our own. Donna and I don’t get too excited about guided tours. We prefer to move at our own pace.

Yesterday, I rode the scooter over to Albertson’s grocery store and bought a fresh wild Copper River sockeye salmon filet. Donna topped it with a mixture of mayonnaise and fresh-dried dill from her mother’s garden and I grilled it on foil. Donna sauteed vegetables and pierogies on the side. It was a great combination!

Sauteed veggies and pierogies

Copper River sockeye salmon with dill-mayo

Today, the weather guessers are calling for high temperature of 80 degrees with a chance of a thunder shower this afternoon. Other than getting out on my bicycle, I don’t have any plans for the day.

Mumbro Park

My last post left off with us arriving at Mumbro Park on Saturday afternoon. We took a tour of the compound. Bob added another bunkhouse since the last time I was here. Presumably, it’s for the grandkids as it had a sign proclaiming it as the Kid’s Cubby.

I was filled with memories of the magical times I’ve had here. We walked around and I told Donna stories. I was so preoccupied, I didn’t take many pictures. We looked for the keys to the cabin, but couldn’t find them. I found the back window unlatched and climbed in. Once inside, I read the cabin instruction manual (for visitors) and realized we didn’t search the right area. After I unlocked the cabin from the inside, Donna found the keys!

Main cabin at Mumbro Park

Once inside, I retrieved the keys for the outbuildings. Shirley asked me to check all of the buildings. We walked over to The Annex, which is the bunkhouse I always slept in during hunting season here.

The Annex

Bob added a wood-burning stove to heat the place. Back in the ’90s, we had to rely on long johns and a good down sleeping bag.

Behind the cabin is a wood-fired sauna. Bob built it the second or third year I came here. I did some of the work helping him frame the door – Bob always had a task for us. I wish I had more pictures of the place. To use the sauna, you build a fire in the special stove. After an hour or so, the sauna is very warm. Lava rock sits on top of the stove. You ladle water on the lava rock and the sauna fills with steam. After a long day hiking in the woods, the sauna is heaven.

While we stood outside the sauna and I described to Donna how it works, we had a visitor. A long-tailed weasel came out from under the sauna. He stood upright on his hind legs and looked at us as if to inquire, “Who are you and what are you doing here?” He scurried over to some building material nearby and ducked into a section of three-inch pipe. The opposite end of the pipe was next to where we stood. He poked his head out of the pipe, confident in his safe position of cover and looked us over again. Then he ran off, under The Annex and down into the aspen patch behind the cabin.

Long tailed weasel – Google file photo

Bob has a number of bird houses on the property. There were tree swallows and bluebirds flying in and out of the houses. A few of them seemed curious about our coach and flew up to the window, hovering briefly before turning away.

Coach viewed from the front of the cabin

On Sunday morning, Donna and I hiked up the ridge on the south side of the cabin. It was a steep climb and we felt the 5,900-foot altitude. We followed game trails created by elk and deer criss-crossing the ridge. Eventually we made it to the knob on top and came to a small clearing. We talked quietly while hiking, hoping to spot deer or elk. I told Donna to look for a shape or color that looks out of place, or movement. That’s how you spot game animals in the woods. You’re not likely to find a deer or elk standing in the open. But you might see a part of the animal. When you see something unusual, stop and study it. It might be a leg or a flickering ear or an antler. Then you realize there’s an animal concealed, waiting for you to pass.

As we began to hike back down, Donna spotted something. She found an antler shed by a buck mule deer.

Donna’s mule deer antler find

We continued down the steep ridge. We didn’t see any deer or elk. At one point I thought I heard a cow elk calling, but we weren’t able to locate the animal in the woods.

At the bottom, near a spring, Donna grabbed my arm and stopped me. She said look at that bird. It was a ruffed grouse, right on our path. Donna has a good eye for this stuff.

Ruffed grouse in center of photo, near a spring

The hike up and down the ridge took about two hours. We had lunch back at the coach, then walked down to the pond and fished. The pond is called Maude’s Pond – I don’t remember the story behind the name. The pond is stocked with trout. The last time I fished there, I had to hide behind a tree to bait my hook to keep the fish at bay. We didn’t have that problem this time around. Donna and I were skunked without a bite.

View of Mumbro Park from Maude’s Pond

At first, Donna wanted to keep the antler she found. Later, she decided to add it to the pile of antler finds at the fence corner.

Pile of shed antlers

As incongruent as it may seem, on Sunday afternoon I fired up the generator, dialed in the Dish satellite receiver and watched the Formula One race. As nice as it was to be off the grid, I can still enjoy my race programming!

On Monday morning, before we we left Mumbro Park, Donna saw a yellow-bellied marmot cross by The Annex and climb on the fence post to sun himself. He relaxed there for awhile, totally unaware of us watching him from the coach. Later, Donna walked to the highway (about one and three-quarters of a mile). There’s a narrow gate at the end of the road and a sharp left turn which could be a tricky exit for a 40-foot coach. She came up with a plan for how to get out without any mishaps. It worked out fine and we were soon on our way up US89. I expected an easy drive of 80 miles or so to Great Falls. I knew we had to make a tough climb up King’s Hill, but other than that it should’ve been easy.

After we descended from Kings Hill, the terrain changed. We left the forest behind and were driving through rolling hills. This is cattle ranch country. The wind picked up and became a fierce cross wind. It was a tiring drive.

When we finally made it to the junction of US87, there was a rest area across the two-lane highway. I needed a stop. Directly in front of us, the parking area had a sign that read “exit only.” I thought I had to go right to enter the rest area. I turned right and found out I was wrong. Now we were heading east when we wanted to go west to Great Falls.

Some of the two-lane highways in Montana stretch for many miles between towns or side roads. I wasn’t happy about heading east toward Lewistown, many miles away. After 10 miles, we found a truck repair shop with a large dirt lot. I pulled in and turned around. All the while, I was fighting wind gusts and the added 20 miles was a real downer. But Donna and I agreed that the best thing to do in these situations is to remain calm and patient until the right opportunity to correct things appears.

We made our way west on US87 and Nally (our Rand-McNally GPS) guided us to Dick’s RV Park where we’ll spend the next two weeks.

Dick’s RV park is situated on the west side of Great Falls, next to the Sun River. The Sun River joins the Missouri River less than a mile from here. Outside of the park entrance there’s a paved bike path. The path becomes the River’s Edge bike trail. It follows the Missouri River for 26 miles east through half a dozen parks, ending at the Rainbow Dam.

Yesterday, Donna rode the bike trail. While she was out bicycling, I rode the scooter to town. I made a stop at a grocery store (Albertson’s) and an auto parts store. I needed cleaning supplies as I intend to wash the coach while we’re here.

Clouds formed in the afternoon and we had brief thunder showers. This morning, it’s drizzling rain. The forecast calls for a cloudy day with a high of 65 degrees.

White Sulphur Springs

I haven’t posted since Friday. I think this was my longest lapse. I had good reason – we were off the grid completely for the weekend, no Internet or cellular service. Throw in a couple of travel days and there you are. I’ll have to break the update into a couple of posts or it will be too long.

On Friday, Donna rode her bicycle into Yellowstone National Park. She rode all the way to the Madison campground and back – a round trip of 28 miles. On the way, she had a close encounter with two bison, one on either side of the road. She had to ride between slow moving cars to shield herself. She rode through most of the turn-outs and view points. In one turn-out, she spotted a bear across the river. It was a black bear. Despite the name, black bears come in a variety of colors. They can be blond, cinnamon, chocolate or jet black and every shade in between. This happened to be a sizable cinnamon colored black bear. Donna snapped a photo with her cell phone.

Cinnamon black bear

When Donna returned from her ride, we walked into town. It was lunch time, so we stopped at the Taco Bus. It’s an old Bluebird bus converted to a Mexican diner.

Taco Bus

Inside the Taco Bus

We ordered enchilada verde plates and dined al fresco at a table in the sun, next to the bus.

We wanted to walk through town and wander through some shops, but thunder clouds suddenly appeared. The weather in the mountains can change very quickly. We walked to the grocery store, bought a few goods and quickly returned to our coach. We didn’t want to be caught out in a downpour. I loaded the scooter and Donna’s bicycle in the trailer.

Saturday was a travel day. We did the usual routine and hit the road by 10:30am. We headed north on US191 through the Gallatin Range.

US191 along the Gallatin River. Snow covered peak in the background

US191 along the Gallatin River with snow covered peak in the background

We had two goals for the day. Our first stop was at the WalMart in Bozeman. We stocked up on groceries there. We dry camped at this WalMart last year. I also filled our fuel tank in Bozeman.

From there we drove east on I-90 past Livingston to US89 north. There wasn’t much traffic on US89. We enjoyed the scenery and amused ourselves by counting the antelope and deer we saw along the way. Our next stop was White Sulphur Springs. I told Donna about the motel and spa there. They have hot mineral water pools there. For a fee, you can soak in the mineral water.

I used to come to this area every year in late October and spend 15 to 20 days hunting big game in the Little Belt Mountains. While we were in the area, Jim Birditt and I would make a couple of trips to White Sulphur Springs to do laundry and soak at the spa. In late fall, it can be very cold here. Jimbo and I always soaked in the enclosed pool.

Things have changed. The enclosed pool is the same, but they’ve added another outdoor pool with jets. The water in the pools comes from natural hot springs. The pools are different temperatures, ranging from 96 degrees to 105 degrees on most days. They completely drain the pools every night and allow the springs to refill them.

Board indicates temperatures of the pools

Donna enjoying the jets in the 102-degree pool

Murals on the walls of the pool area

Before we left West Yellowstone, I was able to reach a dear old friend on the phone. When I used to hunt big game in Montana, we stayed in a cabin north of White Sulphur Springs. Bob and Shirley McBride own about 160 acres of land within the Lewis and Clark National Forest. It’s not uncommon for land to be privately held within public land areas. This is known as checkerboarding. In some areas, every other section is privately held (a section is nominally a square mile or 640 acres). Most of the private sections were originally railroad grants to develop the west.

Bob McBride is a Montana native – I think he grew up near Big Sky. He has an engineering degree and was commissioned in the Navy as a Seabee officer. I don’t think there’s anything that Bob can’t fix or build. When he bought the land, there was an old cabin on it. It wasn’t much of a cabin really – just walls without a roof. There was no floor and the interior was full of cow manure. Over time, Bob rebuilt the cabin, then started adding buildings. He built a log barn. He built a bunkhouse called The Annex. The Annex is where Jimbo and I slept on our hunting trips. He built a wood-fired sauna.

Bob always had a task for us when we came out there. He was always building or working on something.

When I talked to Shirley, she said we were welcome to come out to the cabin. No one was there and she didn’t expect anyone to come while we camped there.

We drove north from White Sulphur Springs about 15 miles. I haven’t been in this area since the 1990s. A few things have changed, but it’s not too different from what I remembered. I found the dirt road that leads to their land. I pulled off in a turn-out on the opposite side of the road. I wanted to walk in first and make sure I could get our rig through the gate. The road is tight and as you enter from the highway, it immediately turns 90 degrees to the left, followed by a 90-degree right turn through a gate.

I decided to go for it. But, I had a problem. I couldn’t turn around from the turnout we were in. The two-lane highway was too narrow and didn’t have a shoulder. I had no choice but to drive north in search of a suitable turnaround. I wasn’t feeling too good about it. I couldn’t remember much development until the town of Neihart, 21 miles away.

Eight miles later, I saw a motel on the left with a parking area the encircled the building. We were able to turn around and head back to the cabin. With some careful maneuvering, we entered through the gate. The first thing we saw was an antelope walking in front of us. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an antelope here, only deer and elk.

The road to the cabin

The two-track dirt road meanders through a couple stands of pine trees. We barely fit through a few spots. A mile in, we came to the gate marking the entrance to Bob’s property.

Gate at east end of Mumbro Park

The compound with the cabin is called Mumbro Park. I don’t remember the story behind the name. We passed through a few gates on the way in. I told Donna the rule – if it’s open when you come through, leave it open. If it’s closed, close it behind you.

The cabin sits nearly two miles in from the highway. It’s totally remote. No cell service, no Internet connectivity, no electricity. The kitchen in the cabin has a spring-fed sink with good water. Other than that, there’s no plumbing. Everything is heated with wood-burning stoves and there’s a big old wood-burning oven and stove top.

I turned around in front of the barn and parked in a fairly level spot.

Parked in front of the barn

We couldn’t hear anything but the sounds of nature. There were tree swallows and blue birds flying around us. The view out our windshield was amazing. I took Donna on a tour of the place. That will be in my next post.

Windshield view

Yellowstone National Park

We unloaded the scooter yesterday and rode into Yellowstone National Park. Our America the Beautiful pass allowed us entry without paying the daily fee ($20 for motorcycles). Shortly after entering the west entrance to the park, we were in Wyoming following the Madison River.

I saw a couple of photographers on the side of the road and pulled into the next turn-out. We saw what they were photographing – there were elk across the river. We saw a few cow elk and yearlings. Then I saw the smallest calf I’ve ever seen. I guess I haven’t spotted elk this early in the spring before.

Cow elk

Cow and calf

At the Madison Junction where the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers join to form the Madison, we turned right and headed south to the geyser basins. We stopped at the Lower Geyser Basin and walked around the boardwalk loop. The colors are amazing. The water in the geyser pools is so clear, you can see every detail of the bottom. There are pools that reach deep into the earth and the water becomes blue.

Blue water and brown/orange deposits

Darker blue in the deep pockets

The mineral content and organic materials create different colors.

Minerals and organic matter combine

Many colors

There was a pool of clay that was bubbling and boiling. Mud spouts were thrown a few feet into the air.

They call the bubbling clay Artists Paint Pot

The steam coming out of fumaroles had a slightly sulphurous odor.

We continued south and climbed to the Upper Geyser Basin. The traffic was fairly light – I’ve always come through the park in the summer before. At the peak season, the traffic is unbearable. We were told in town that we are here at the right time. Next week, the crowds arrive. Having said that, I still had to pay attention and ride with caution. People driving in the park lose all sense of the rules of the road. If they spy wildlife, they will suddenly brake and hang out the window with a camera.

At one point, a pick-up truck pulling a trailer suddenly braked to a stop in front of us. A bull bison was walking on the side of the road, Donna was getting uneasy as the bull headed straight at us, eight feet away. I accelerated around the truck and got out of there. We had a few more episodes like that during our day in the park.

We rode up to the visitor center to see Old Faithful spout. Old Faithful blows every 60 to 110 minutes. The park rangers predict the next spout based on the strength of the last eruption. We arrived at 12:45 pm. The next spout was predicted at 1:13 pm. We found a seat on a bench and ate the lunch Donna had prepared as we waited for the show. Even though it isn’t peak season, there were many people at the center.

People waiting for Old Faithful to do its thing

The first time I saw Old Faithful was in the summer of 1966. My grandparents took me to Yellowstone on our way to visit relatives near Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Old Faithful always makes a couple of false starts, shooting water and steam a few feet into the air intermittently. Then she blows with a roar.

Showtime!

Old Faithful at full power

In the square mile of the Upper Basin around Old Faithful, there are 150 geysers.

On the way back down, we stopped at Fountain Flat Drive. We hiked on the Sentinel Trail. There were bison everywhere we looked, including some very large bulls. Bull bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. They are the heaviest land animal in North America. We saw a herd with calves grazing in the sun.

Bison herd with calves

At one point, we had to leave the trail as a bull came walking toward us. Bison are mostly docile, but they are wild and unpredictable. Bulls have been known to charge when people approach too closely.

A large bull bison resting in the sun

On our way out, along the Madison River, we saw a yearling elk feeding in the grass.

We had fine weather all day, with clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures. I could see clouds forming in the west though and the forecast called for thundershowers after 3pm.

Upon our return, I could see a few scattered thundershowers around the RV park, but it didn’t rain here until after 7pm – just as we sat down to eat dinner outside.

More scattered thunder showers are forecast for this afternoon. Tomorrow we’ll head north. I have a stop planned for a couple of days, north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. We’ll boondock on Bob and Shirley McBride’s land by their cabin.

The Road to West Yellowstone

We’re at the Buffalo Crossing RV Park in West Yellowstone, Montana. Here’s how we got here.

We pulled out of the Salt Lake City KOA on Tuesday. I stopped at the Pilot/Flying J Travel Center and topped off our tank with 52 gallons of diesel fuel. From there, we hit I-215 and merged onto I-15 which took us past the Great Salt Lake all the way to Idaho Falls, Idaho. We took a break at the welcome center after we entered Idaho. We picked up a free Idaho road map there. I like our GPS, but I still like to have paper maps as well. We had crosswind from the west most of the day on the 215-mile drive.

Northern Utah was wide open and the traffic was light. The speed limit in rural northern Utah was 80 miles per hour! Donna didn’t see the first speed limit sign and didn’t believe it when I told her it was 80 mph. A little while later, she saw a sign and snapped a photo.

Speed limit on I-15 in northern Utah

We weren’t traveling anywhere near 80 mph. I stayed in the right lane with the cruise control set to 62 mph. I posted about tire pressure and tire failures before. Another cause of tire failure is excess speed.

Most trailers, including cargo trailers, travel trailers and fifth wheel trailers, are equipped with tires designated as “ST” type tires (Special Trailer). ST tires have higher load ratings than passenger car (P type) or light truck (LT type) tires. However, ST tires are rated at a maximum speed of 65 mph. Many people do not realize this and tow at speeds that exceed the tire’s rating. This can cause the tire to overheat. Over time, an overheated tire will fail. It may take hundreds of miles, but it will fail. Most people will blame the tire for the failure because they don’t understand the design limitation.

Our cargo trailer is equipped with load range C, ST type tires. I may exceed 65 mph momentarily to complete an overtaking maneuver on the highway, but I don’t drive at sustained speeds over 65 mph. The tires on our coach have a H load rating and a maximum speed rating of 75 mph.

We often see vehicles pulling trailers blow past us at speeds in excess of 70 mph. We also see boat, cargo, and RV trailers on the side of the highway with tires blown out. Tire Rack® has an excellent article about trailer tire load and speed ratings here.

On Tuesday afternoon, we pulled in to the WalMart parking lot in Idaho Falls. Donna phoned ahead and secured permission for overnight parking. We found a level spot on the southwest side of the lot. Donna shopped for groceries. I bought some real beer, not the 3.2 stuff they have in Utah. While Donna was shopping, I returned to the coach. The wind was blowing at 25 – 30 mph from the west. The coach became engulfed in a dust storm. Dust came in an open window and every crack or crevice it could find. I moved the coach to another spot, out of the direct path of dust blowing from a field.

Yesterday, while Donna slept in, I had breakfast at the Subway shop in WalMart. Donna was still recovering from her trip to Phoenix and needed a few hours of extra sleep. We pulled out of WalMart a little past 10am. We merged onto US20 and drove through farm land.

North of Ashton, Idaho, we quickly gained 1,000 feet of elevation and entered the Caribou – Targhee National Forest. Road construction slowed us down through a couple of sections in the national forest. We could see the Teton Mountains to the east, in Wyoming, at times. It was beautiful country. The leaves on the aspen trees were a pretty shade of green against the darker evergreen trees.

We pulled into West Yellowstone just past noon yesterday. For a town with 1,300 residents, it’s a hopping place. Tourism fuels the economy. There are hotels, restaurants, two grocery stores and bars. Of course it also has the obligatory tourist traps with collectibles and T-shirts. The Chamber of Commerce has a large parking lot with bus and RV parking. Tour buses stop there throughout the day.

When we drove up to the chamber parking lot, we were confused by the Buffalo Crossing RV Park sign in front and the RV parking. We pulled in and parked. We didn’t see an office for the RV park. We saw the RV park with RVs in it to the south, but we couldn’t access the park from the lot we were in.

We pulled back out on the road and drove past the IMAX cinema and found the RV park entrance. There wasn’t any signage. All afternoon, after we set up, we saw other RVs make the same mistake as us. They need to put up a sign at the actual entrance.

View from the driver’s side of our coach as we set up

It was raining off and on as we were getting settled in. The temperature was in the 40s. Later, around 5pm the sun came out as the skies cleared. It warmed up to the 60s as predicted. This morning we have blue skies and abundant sunshine. Donna and I are going into Yellowstone National Park on the scooter and plan to do some hiking there.

Bernoulli’s Principle and Your RV

When we checked in at the Salt Lake City KOA, we were warned about high water pressure. They told us that the water pressure can run up to 120 psi here. Our escort told me a couple of horror stories of hoses blowing up like balloons and plumbing leaking inside of coaches.

It’s not unusual for municipal water companies to run high pressure through the main water supply lines. Sometimes it can be as high as 200 psi! They need high pressure to supply high rise buildings or other elevated dwellings. Building codes require inline water pressure regulators to prevent lines from bursting, causing damage and potential for injury.

WalMart, RV Stores and some RV parks sell cheap brass restrictors that they call regulators. This is very misleading and somewhat dishonest in my view. I noticed our neighbor hooking one up when he pulled in today and I thought I should post something about it.

Our neighbor’s “regulator”

Back in 1738, a fellow named Daniel Bernoulli published a treatise called Hydrodynamica. In this publication, he gave us Bernoulli’s Principle.

Without going into fluid dynamics equations, I’ll give a simplified explanation of why these restrictors should not be called regulators. Bernoulli tells us that when a fluid flows through a restriction, velocity of the fluid increases. When velocity increases, pressure decreases.

The brass restrictor in the photo above provides restriction in the water supply to the RV in question. When a faucet or shower valve is open and water is flowing into the RV, the restrictor causes the velocity of the water to increase as it flows through the restriction and the water pressure drops. So far, so good, right?

I see two problems with this set-up. First, the restriction reduces the amount of water coming into the coach. The flow rate may not keep up with the demand at a shower head, for example. This is an inconvenience.

The second issue is more than an inconvenience – it’s a recipe for disaster. When the faucets and shower valves are closed, water no longer flows through the restrictor. No flow, no Bernoulli Principle. Pressure will equalize on both sides of the restrictor. Now you have unregulated static water pressure. Whatever the pressure is on the input side of the restrictor is equal to the pressure on the output side. The plumbing inside the RV is at full main pressure until water starts to flow again. Not a comforting thought as you lock up your RV and head out for the day.

What’s needed is a proper pressure regulator, such as a Watts regulator (also called a water pressure reducing valve). This is what’s used on residential plumbing. The Watts regulator is a true regulator. The pressure will remain at the specified setting, regardless of flow. It also doesn’t restrict the volume of water. The 3/4″ Watts regulator that I use can flow over 30 gallons per minute with the pressure cranked down to 25 psi! I keep mine set at 45 psi.

3/4″ Watts pressure regulator

The drawback to the Watts set-up is cost. You can get the restrictor type for about $12, but remember, it doesn’t protect your plumbing when the water isn’t flowing. I think I spent about $80 for a residential watts regulator and fittings (I posted about it here). To me, it’s worth it, because I know I won’t have my plumbing blown out by excessive pressure.

While Donna was out bicycling yesterday, I brought the ladders out. I used the smaller ladder to debug and clean the windshield. The Brillo Bug Scrubber has become a new favorite product. It cleans bugs off glass effortlessly.

I used the big ladder to climb onto the roof. I lubed the gears on the TV antenna (it was getting almost impossible to crank up and down) and checked the holding tank vents. The way the vent covers are attached and caulked into place, I couldn’t inspect visually. I probed the vent tubes with a long plastic zip-tie and didn’t find any obstructions.

When Donna returned, we emptied the contents of the refrigerator and freezer into coolers and turned off the unit to defrost it. RV refrigeration isn’t frost-free. We have to perform this task every few months. Donna says it’s a great excuse to clean the refrigerator.

I prepped the trailer for travel. Everything is set, I only need to load and tie down the scooter this morning.

Last evening, Donna prepared blackened Baja fish tacos for dinner – one of our favorite dishes. They were so good!

Blackened Baja fish tacos

After dinner, we took a walk through the park. We talked with a couple that are on their first extended RV trip. They’re new to RVing and are having a blast. I’m starting to feel like an old hand when I talk to people who are just starting out and have many questions that I’m able to answer.

We saw a couple of interesting rigs. The first was a fifth-wheel trailer and what made it interesting was its size. It couldn’t have been more than 20 feet in length. It’s the smallest fifth-wheel I’ve seen. I bet it’s really maneuverable.

Compact fifth-wheel rig

Then we came across something totally unique. It was an old Mercedes Benz truck chassis converted to an RV. We met the owners and talked with them briefly. They’re from Austria. They started their adventure in Buenos Aires, Argentina and have made their way to the US. Their trip will take them to Alaska. Once they reach Alaska, they’re undecided on what to do or where to go next. I didn’t get their names. Between their rudimentary English and my pidgin German, we barely communicated.

Mercedes Benz truck chassis

Mercedes Benz RV conversion

We’re moving out this morning. We plan to stop overnight in Idaho, somewhere between Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Tomorrow, we’ll set up in West Yellowstone, Montana. I may not post for a day or two, depending on Internet access and time available.

Flying The Koop

…from real estate to wheel estate and back again

Monthly Archives: June 2014

Giant Springs

Rain Falls in Great Falls

Freaky Friday

River’s Edge Trail

RV Caravans

Mumbro Park

White Sulphur Springs

Yellowstone National Park

The Road to West Yellowstone

Bernoulli’s Principle and Your RV

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