Day 9 - Sheridan, Wyoming to Glacier National Park

Day 9 - Sheridan, Wyoming to Glacier National Park

Not a whole lot to talk about from this part of the trip. It was a long, long travel day. We left at 8 am expecting to do an 8hr 15min ride (according to the GPS). But, road construction along the way was throwing us off schedule. Not that we really had a schedule. Our goal for the day was simply to get there, setup camp, eat dinner and get to bed early.

Aside from the construction, the ride was uneventful. It was pretty bland from Sheridan to Billings. But after Billings it started to get pretty again. One of the most notable things I noticed during our travels is how much the landscape changes from State to State. The lanscape colors, the actual vegetation and the types of livestock on the farms, which is probably the only thing that keeps you interested at points. Some of the parts of these drives were tough. Long, straight, flat highways with open fields on both sides is mind numbing.

But, as we got past Billings the landscape started to change a lot. We could see mountains to both sides of the car. We were heading through Lewis and Clark country so it was very mountainous in the background and rolling hills in the foreground. There was this thick haze that was hanging in the air throughout the ride in the southern part of Montana. We later found out this was smoke from the wildfires raging in the East of the state and the far west near Helena. So, we called our live GPS (Mark) and asked him to do some research before we commit to heading all the way up. Really didn't want to get stuck at Glacier because we can't pass through the fires. It looked like things were under control and we were unlikely to be affected by the fires, but the smoke in the air had an ominous feeling to it.

On we went, through all these tiny, tiny towns in Montana. Then came the Rocky Mountains. We got far enough North/West to be beyond the fires and the sky's cleared. The Rocky Mountains came into view with their snow topped peaks and their imposing size. It felt like we weren't getting any closer to them even though we were driving right at them. They seemed to be frozen in place for a long time. But as we got closer the views become more and more breathtaking. We all just sat in the car and stared, talking about all the various things you can see on the mountains.

Well, just over 9 hours later we arrived in the park with an even more amazing view. The campgrounds are very different here in Northern Wyoming. You drive into the campgrounds, pick a site that you like and then walk back to the board and put your money in an envelope to pay for your stay. There are care takers on sight who come around later to check in with you, but for the most part it is on an honor system here. We picked a site that has a beautiful view of the mountain range right in front of us. So, after pitching the tent, we went off in search for food. The resort restaurant was a little out of our price range ($38 was the least expensive meal). I think you were paying for the view of the mountains more than the food. So, we went down to a little sandwich shop and not only had a great sandwich, but we were highly entertained by Peter from Slovakia. After dinner we headed back to the sight to enjoy our quiet time and the beautiful view around us.

When we got back, there was a nature show in process, put on by a local man at the outdoor amphitheater which was right in our sites' backyard. So, we not only had a great view, but we also had some entertainment. They we saw the head ranger drive up because one of the sites broke the "Big" rule; do not leave any food out on the tables unattended. We now find out that this campground is a very "active" bear site and the rangers are trying to not introduce the bears to people food. So, the rules are strict and if you break them you are escorted out of the grounds. Apparently, one of the campers left food out and went to help someone else start their campfire. His big mistake was ignoring the call from the Ranger. Anyway, the rangers also told us that there is a bear sighting daily at this campsite. The kids were excited to see a bear, but I was a little more cautious...I got my bear spray ready!!!!

Ok, off to bed we go. This will be our first morning where we can sleep in and enjoy a slow start. After driving 3298 miles in 9 days I think we deserve it!