gearupforcamping

Yellowstone National Park
I have taken my family camping all over the United States, from coast to coast, from the northern lakes to the gulf and from the Smokey Mountains to the Rockies. We started out with the tent, elevated to the pop-up camper and graduated to the pull trailer. Our budget wouldn’t allow us to the next level. But in all the places we’ve seemed to go there was always a place we always came back to, and that was Yellowstone National Park. It was like every other year we’d head back to see the wonders that the park had to offer.
Yellowstone National Park is set in the Northwest corner of Wyoming and bordered by Idaho and Montana. There are two entrances to the park from Wyoming; the east entrance which is about 50 miles from Cody and in the Wapiti valley area and our favorite place to camp before heading into the park. The south entrance is about 60 miles from Jackson and is in the Grand Teton National Park. The fee to the Grand Teton Park will get you into Yellowstone. There are three entrances from Montana; the west entrance is at West Yellowstone Village, a northern entrance near Gardner and a northeast entrance near Cook City.
Now there are 2.2 million acres of the park and a lot of places to see. Plan to spend at least two days there but three days would be the ticket. Even if you do not camp inside the park there are many places to stay outside and the fee will get you in over a period of time. If you have a large motor home the best place to camp inside the park is at Fishing Bridge RV Park. No matter how big or small your camping unit it is best to call ahead and get a reservation. You can find a camping spot if you are there early without a reservation but it can be touch and go. If you cannot find a camping spot in one campground they will call another campground and hold it for you.
One of our favorite places to camp is at Mammoth Hot Springs. There the campground is out of the way of the small community but close enough to restaurant, gift shop and the hot springs. The camping spots are not packed together and because of the bushes and trees they give you a feeling separation. One year we were sitting in front of our camper and a coyote came trotting by. A heard of elk are in the area and many times they will come right into the community and graze on the grassy area. One thing to remember is that these creatures are wild. I’ve seen people try to send their kids up close to these beautiful creatures so they could take pictures of them. Of course, this is a park ranger’s nightmare and they are Johnny on the spot when elk are in the town. It is quite a hike up the path of the hot springs but it is worth it. If you have someone with you that cannot make the hike you can always drive to the top of the hot springs.
Indian Creek Campground is another nice place to camp. It is a very quiet place to be with a stream nearby, trees to shade you and rolling prairies of native grass. You may even see a coyote wander by also. There are almost 500 grizzlies in the park and if you are on look out you are more than likely to see one even if it is over on the next hill. Pack your binoculars.
At one of the campgrounds one year, we were camped next to a fellow with a night camera which he set up because some kind of cat, a links, bobcat, or bigger, were seen earlier in this campground. Unfortunately, we had no visitors that night.
We have been back many times to see Old Faithful gushing out her hot water and steam from the earth below. We have walked the board walk through the hot, bubbling pools and watch the small geysers unexpectedly erupt from their pot holes. We would go inside the lodge and see how it was put together from the big timbers and I have never have seen a fireplace as big as the one there. We never miss the chance to go to the stores, buy souvenirs, and of course, buy a big helping of that delicious ice cream. Around the lodge area there is an educational center where a ranger will answer questions and there is always a chance for the kids to become a junior ranger.
The Lower Falls are as beautiful and majestic as ever. Pictures can still be taken near Painters Point and you may even see someone painting the falls from that point. At the falls overlook you can hear the pounding of the water over a hundred feet below but on the other side you can hike down to get another view and maybe even see some snow as late as August.

Don’t forget to stop by Fire Hole Canyon and be sure to have your swim suit along. The river is fed by the geysers and the water is comfortable. The river winds through boulders and when the boulders are very close together the river rushes you through them like you are on a water slide. The kids will love it.
There are so many things to do at the park; hike, backpack, fish and visit the museums and visitor centers. Be sure to watch the video of the park fire in 1988 and what effect it had on the wild life there. You will be surprised. If you are ready and able to go camping, by all means, do so, and if you looking for some camping gear, catch my website, www.gearupforcamping.com. I’d love to help you.

MY FAVORITE CAMPING SPOTS

I remember the first time I saw her. She was across the room when I entered. There were a number of others there and conversations were all over the room. I walked across the room to get a closer look at her. She was beautiful! The usual introductions were made but I was mystified to say much more than “hi there”. Our eyes met and we just faced each other looking, watching, and staring, without conversation.

That was the beginning of our relationship. Here I was, happily married; father, and even a grandfather, and I, falling in love again. Do I dare tell my wife my feelings for this person in my life? I have always been honest and open with my wife. She has been my soul mate for years. We have the same interests which include traveling and where ever we traveled it usually involved camping. Visiting the United States was a passion for us and while traveling to places all over America there were some places that we continued to return to. These were our favorite places to visit again and again.

Here I was, imagining myself taking this beauty with me on these trips that I had taken my wife and children, even my grandchildren. I could imagine taking her to Yellowstone to witness Old Faithful gushing out its hot steamy water from beneath the earth. I could take her on a walk along the board paths and around the boiling and sulfur smelling pools of hot water. We could camp at Indian Creek Camp Ground where we could see acres of grassy fields and watch an occasional coyote wander by. We could go for a swim at Fire Hole Canyon where the water is warmed by the geysers and the river rushes through the giant boulders carrying you through them like a water slide.

I could take her to Jackson Hole where we could horseback ride through the many trails or white water down the Snake River in early summer when the water is high and the rapids measure their strength against the rocks and boulders.

We could drive the coastline of California and walk in the sand at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. I can show her the bluffs where I played as a child, climbing the cliffs, walking the paths and digging foxholes. I could show her the place where Jackie Briggs slipped off the lower path and fell 30 feet straight down to the rocks below and broke both legs. I remember running to his house terrified and telling his parents and while his dad and friends went to rescue him, his mother, with loving calmness, helped me take off my silver six shooters, hugged me and sent me home a block away.

We could travel up the Poudre River Canyon and camp at Glen Echo Resort on the Cache la Poudre River. There we could fish for the Brown and Rainbow trout or hike the trails in the Comanche Peak Wilderness, the Rawah Wilderness, the Neota Flat Tops Wilderness or the Roosevelt National Forest. We could hike the trail leading up to the American flag that someone has put up in honor of our vets.

We have seen a lot of each other lately and our relationship has blossomed. I manage to get away and visit her about noon during the week days. I cherish these visits and I drive to her home with anticipation. I enter through the garage and go in the house through the side door and there she is. I walk over to her, take her in my arms and tell her: Olivia, my sweetheart, great-grandpa has you now and mommy can leave for work.

BACKPACKING IN THE BACK COUNTRY – WILD AND DANGEROUS

A few years back I was camping with my wife in one of our favorite places in Wyoming. It is the Wapiti valley between Cody and the east gate of Yellowstone National Park. I left the camper at dawn and started up the north fork of the Shoshone River which comes out of Yellowstone Lake and flows down to Buffalo Bill Reservoir and Dam just west of Cody. The Cutthroat trout are the native fish there and that was what I was after. I arrived at my favorite spot with anticipation knowing that every time I arrived the river would have changed since the last time I was there. Sure enough, the spring rains and the melting snow increased the river flow, piled rocks in different places and split the river in two different places also.
It wasn’t long until I caught a couple of trout for the evening meal and headed back to the truck. As I approached my vehicle I observed a young man, in his twenties, walking up the highway with a backpack. He waved, flagged me down and asked for a ride up to his car which was 4 or 5 miles up the road. While driving to his car he told me he was from New York and every summer he takes his vacation and backpacks into a place he had never been. He had trekked from his car into the back country for 4 days towards Cody. He didn’t seem too concerned that he was in grizzly country when I asked him if he had seen the “grizzly country” signs along the highway. I was dumbfounded that this fellow, by himself, would backpack into wild and treacherous country by himself and yet I had felt admiration for him.
Now, I have not sighted grizzlies outside the park but I have seen their tracks in the sand along the banks of the Shoshone while fishing. Grizzlies have been known to come into the campgrounds of the park during the camping season. Why not, the elk come there too.
It just seems surreal to trek through this wilderness, pitching a tent, catching a cutthroat, cooking it over a campfire and then snuggling into the sleeping bag for the night without a care in the world and alone.
Yes, ever so often, while working on my website, GearUpForCamping.com, I think back to that young fellow and wonder where he trekked this year. Was it Glacier National Park, the Redwoods or Sequoias, or was it the slot canyons of New Mexico or Utah. Next summer he’ll be out there. Yes  he will,  and he will be …….ALONE.

Hiking to Hidden Lake

I think I was born a hundred years too late.  For if I was born in the 1800’s I would would have hitched up my wagon, headed out west and conquered the wilderness.  My love of the outdoors has always been deep seeded in my bones and I was blessed to find a soul mate who loved to travel this beautiful country as much as I.

Our vacation trips always managed to be somewhere over a thousand miles away and usually to a national park.  With those trips we took our four girls, who equally enjoyed traveling to new and distant places.  But it didn’t stop there.  Six out of our seven grandchildren have gone on vacations with grandma and grandpa and we’ve cherished every moment of it.

During those trips we would manage to find a place to hike and no matter where you would go there is a place to hike.  On this occasion it was in Glacier National Park.  We decided to take two of the granddaughters instead of just one grandchild at a time.  They were sisters and their mom said that they have some difficulty getting along, particularly in close quarters such as a camping trailer that we had.  And one of them was very particular about what she ate.  This was going to be a new experience.

Glacier National Park is one of the most beautiful places on the planet and my wife and I have always loved the Rocky Mountains.  From west end of the park to the east end is a fifty mile windy road called Going-to- the Sun Road.  It has very sharp curves in it and cliff over hangs and sheer drop offs that would be an eye opener for the very first time traveler.  As a result camping vehicles more than 21 feet in length, including the pulling vehicle, cannot travel the road.  So we camped outside the park and headed up the road and stopped at the Logan Pass visitor center, the highest peak in the park at 6640 feet.

There we could hike to Hidden Lake which was only a mile and half away, or so we thought.  In the spring the lilies would push through the snow and would brighten the country side with their bright yellow pedals.  But this was August and the lilies were replaced by other varieties of alpine flowers and plants.  We started up the steps of the boardwalk and figured this hike was going to be a piece of cake. But as we leveled off and started along the side of the mountain the boardwalk stopped.  Now, there was but a narrow and rocky path, not to difficult, but sharing it with other hikers coming back the other way was sometimes a challenge.

The mountain air was crisp but the sun was out which made a great day for hiking. We met a few mountain goats along the path and they didn’t seem too interested in us but only to nibble on the alpine grasses.  We were hiking on the side of the mountain that had about a 30 to 35 degree slope to it which did not seem to be much of a problem until we reached the snow.  Snow had covered the path and it was about a hundred yards long. People would traipse through it following the path as best they could. The girls were not teenagers as yet and I was hesitant in going any further but they insisted they could do it, so we began trudging through it.  One slip off the path and one could slide a hundred yards down the mountain.

We managed through the snow, on through the path, and finally made it to the edge of a cliff and there it was.  We had gone 1 ½ miles to an overlook of Hidden Lake.  We were several hundred feet above it, about a half mile away, but it was beautiful.  To get down to the lake itself would have to follow a path another 1 ½ miles.  In 2007 a 22 year old Michigan man tried to take a short cut to the lake and as he was trekking he fell 15 feet to a ledge below. From there it was another 100 foot drop and he was stuck there for a long while and it took hours for him to be rescued.  Oh, how I longed to have my fly rod with me.  The lake was blue and shimmering in the bright sunlight.  After lingering there for about 30 minutes we headed back and all I could think of was that I had to come back there again and this time with my fly rod.

We finally left Glacier, camped a couple of nights at Flathead Lake where the girls caught fish for a resident there who paid them 50 cents apiece so he could use them as bait for the very large lake trout. From there it was on to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole.  Ah, but that is another story.

As for the girls, not once did they argue and they ate what was cooked out on the grill. Man, I love this country, and especially my grandkids.

I spent the thanksgiving holidays at Lake Barkley National Park for our yearly family reunion. As I walked from my cabin to another cabin to visit relatives I couldn’t help but think what a wonderful time to spend walking in the woods with this cup of coffee in hand and listening to the wildlife. However, actually camping out there in the woods, with a cup of coffee in hand and the smell of smoke from a campfire makes all the difference in the world. We had a great thanksgiving dinner at the lodge the day before with turkey and all the trimmings. Aw, yes, the food! This is the time of the year to let go and eat.

One of the great things about camping is the food. There is nothing like cooking breakfast, outside, in the brisk morning air with that cup of coffee in hand. So, may I list some of my tips of food while camping?

Breakfast; nothing beats the smell of bacon and eggs in the morning. Add some hash browns and a cup of hot cocoa, tea or coffee and you have a great meal to start the day. The next day you can fix some blueberry pan cakes, maple syrup and ham or sausage. Of course there are the quick cereals for those who don’t like big breakfasts, if they eat breakfast at all. But even a quick hot cereal can get you started in the morning. Boil some water over the campfire, throw in some instant oatmeal and raisins, and you are ready to go on that hike.

Lunch; this, to me is snack time. I need some energy food, so I will pick a bar or trail mix with a mixed juice. Cheese and crackers with soup will do the job, especially if it is a cool day. Chips or popcorn can make up a good snack.

Supper; this is meat time. A nice juicy steak over the campfire, corn on the cob wrapped in tin foil and roasted to perfection. This is my type of camping. Did you notice I didn’t add any other side dish. Save enough room later that night for the marshmallows. Roasting marshmallows over the campfire can complete the perfect ending of a day outdoors. This last summer I spent several nights around the campfire with my grandchildren, roasting those marshmallows, sticking them between graham crackers and a Hershey bar for smores. The grandkids can eat smores like they are going out of style. One is enough for me. Then there are the don’t forget items. Cooking oil or spray, butter or margarine, salt and pepper, a spice kit and bottled or canned beverages will serve you well. And don’t forget the milk, bread and honey.

Now, I know this is a lot of food to pack for a camping trip and not necessarily practical for the backpacker, since the tent, sleeping bag, and stove must be part of the carrying package. I’ll be glad to address that issue later on, but this is the season for those delicious foods.

For me,now, it is sitting back in my easy chair, warming my feet to the fireplace inside my winter climate home, thinking about camping next summer, enviously thinking of ya’ll in the warm climates still enjoying those hikes and campfires.