Snowy Wyoming

There was a lot of snow in Wyoming, but the roads were clear.  We had to keep an eye out for deer though. For pictures of the state, please click here. 

Wyoming statistics from netstate.com

1. Agriculture: Wyoming is cattle country. About 86% of the state's total agricultural receipts are generated by livestock products. 78% of total agricultural receipts can be attributed to beef cattle and calves. In terms of revenue generated Wyoming's top five agricultural products are beef cattle and calves, hay, sugar beets, hogs, and sheep and lambs. Beef cattle are, by far, the most important source of revenue in the state and in the livestock sector. Hogs, sheep and lambs, and to a lesser extent, dairy products (milk) and honey are also major livestock commodities of Wyoming. Among the states, Wyoming is a leading producer of sheep and wool. Wyoming also produces chicken eggs. Hay is the top crop in Wyoming. Sugar beets, barley, dry beans, and wheat round out the top five crops grown in Wyoming. Corn for grain, some greenhouse and nursery products, oats, and sunflowers are also grown in the state.

2. Manufacturing: Manufacturing in Wyoming is minimal. The state's most important manufactured product is soda ash. Ranking second is the refining of petroleum. Other manufactured products are metal containers, structural metals, dairy products, refined sugar and soft drinks, wood products.

3. Mining: Mining comprises a larger proportion of Wyoming's gross state product than that of any other state. Wyoming is the leading coal-producing state and a leader in the production of petroleum and natural gas. Sodium carbonate-containing trona is used to manufacture glass, soap and paper.

Wyoming is also a major producer of bentonite and other clays. 

4. Services: Unlike so many other states, Wyoming's chief services industry is not the community, business and personal services group. The most valuable services in Wyoming are government services (public schools and hospitals, military establishments). Ranking second is the transportation, communication and utility (oil and gas pipelines, railroads, telephone companies, electric, gas and water service) group of services. The third-ranking industry group in Wyoming is the finance, insurance and real estate group.

Jackson, Wyoming and on to Idaho Falls, Idaho

We stopped in Jackson, Wyoming at the Visitor’s Center. It’s a large building with a lot of information and a video to watch about the National Elk Refuge that is there.



We went through another pass. Glad we got through before it snowed. This road is a 10% grade.



The weather is taking a turn for the worse; they’re talking about rain and cold, and snow in the mountains. I’m glad we’re through the passes.  We went to Idaho Falls Walmart and there were 9 other campers there with us for the night. Guess nobody wanted to be on the road. It rained and was windy.  The weather forecast called for some upcoming cold nights so we checked for campgrounds in the area or in the Crater of the Moon National Monument (where we’re going).  We found a county park in Shelley, ID that is $20/night for 30/50 amp electric and water, dump station. It’s about 13 miles south of Idaho Falls.  I’ll do a separate post for that.

Peter Toth Indian Head

Click here for more pictures

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

We got to Colter Bay Campground in Grand Teton National Park about 7:30 in the evening as Yellowstone National Park had no openings for a rig our size.  I had been watching their website and the campgrounds weren’t filling up daily, but I guess its different on the weekends. So, that meant we move on to other places. We spent the day driving the loop and other side roads to see what we can see. There were a lot of bison and horses, but no bears.  One of the side roads is closed because there were so many bears in the area eating berries. The weather was great while we were there, and trees starting to change colors. It was hazy though because of the forest fires in Idaho and the one in Yellowstone.
  

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Yellowstone National Park in a day

We got to Yellowstone National Park northeast entrance about 9 in the morning and worked our way down the east side. We’ve been on the west side of Yellowstone before, seeing the hot springs and geysers. Unfortunately, there were no camping spots for our size rig open any more. I had been watching their campground web site to see how the campgrounds have been filling up and usually it was later in the day or not at all. But, for some reason, this was a busy weekend.  Even when we checked at Flagg Ranch south of Yellowstone, they were full also and said it was unusual. Our first mistake was going on a weekend. Second mistake was not calling to see if there were openings. We checked two forest service campgrounds near the Flagg Ranch, but they were full also. We met another couple at Flagg Ranch looking for a place to stay and ended up parking by them at Colter Campground in the Grand Teton National Park.

We did get to see some animals, but no bears. You can usually tell if there’s animals nearby as there’s vehicles parked along the road, with people taking pictures. Sometimes they cause a traffic jam.

We went to the Upper and Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

There was a fire on the west side that started by a lightening strike. We could see the smoke.

Click here for more pictures, including the brochures and maps of the Park. 

Beartooth Highway and Dispersed Camping

We stopped at Lake Ford Road on the Beartooth Highway where there is a meadow/parking area for dispersed camping, free, and stayed for the night. This is only about 9 miles from Red Lodge. We found this through the forest ranger in Red Lodge. The temperatures for this week are supposed to be highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s, so we should be okay. A couple of days ago Yellowstone had a low of 28. Curt did some walking around while I caught up with pictures and the blog and went through the many brochures and magazines we got from the visitor center and ranger station in Red Lodge for the Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone National Park. There is another camper here with us, and a couple that hiked in and are staying in a tent overnight. There was a couple driving ATVs when we got here. The bad thing about this area is, no Verizon cell service. We never stay anywhere without phone service, but decided to try it tonight.





We had no problem going up (or down) the Beartooth Highway. We drove in the morning, which I would advise if you don’t like traffic as there was more traffic as the morning progressed. We’ve driven roads with switchbacks before and you just have to be careful. There are spots to pull over along the way.  The highest stopping point is Beartooth Pass at 10,947 feet. I was surprised it wasn’t cold. We stopped at a dispersed camping area near Pilot Creek Trailhead for the evening. There were a few other campers that night and some cows decided to sleep nearby. The only disadvantage, again, was no Verizon cell service.



The Beartooth Highway officially opened on June 14, 1936. It is open seasonally from May to October, depending on the snow. It is 68 miles.

We didn’t realize there were bighorn sheep there until we saw the picture later! This is the International Summer Ski/Snowboard Camp at 10,737 feet. It has slopes of 15-50 degrees and is one of the North America’s old ski training areas, operated by International Ski and Snowboard Camp. It is generally open for skiing by late April and runs into early July with access to 3,000 feet of terrain unless there is insufficient snow.

We have been in so many national parks and forests in the past 3 years, and still have not seen a bear. We did buy bear spray, just to be on the safe side. Not that I want to come upon one while hiking; on the side of the road while we’re in the jeep would be better!

Click here for more pictures, including maps of the area. 

Welcome to Wyoming, Sierra Trading Post, Cheyenne, WY

                                   

Sierra Trading Post at Cheyenne, WY has truck and RV parking, and you are allowed to stay one night if you get permission from them. They have two different buildings; one is an order fulfillment center, and the other is an outlet store. They also have a nice walking area.

                  

The Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center is large and has a lot of displays and tourist information. There is a huge parking lot and a walking trail.The web site says there is an RV dump station and fresh water.

                               There is a geocache here that we never did find.