Rob Saker's Blog

I drove out to Jackson Hole directly, in one very long day.  I thought the experience would be akin to ripping off the band-aid.  Getting out of Dodge and quickly beginning my vacation.  I wanted to take my time driving back, exploring places and meeting people.

Day 1

I left Jackson early on Thursday morning, intending on spending a little time driving through Grand Teton and Yellowstone.  I was not disappointed.  Yellowstone had received more snow on the southern road, and the scenery was magical.  There is this long stretch of unbending road in southern Yellowstone that I captured.  I could have parked my car in the middle of the highway as the traffic was that infrequent.  It was questionable whether this road would be open.  Yellowstone received 14″ of snow the next day, so I believe this was the last day of the year this road is open.

I made the north side of Yellowstone Lake, which I hadn’t explored in great detail.  I stumbled across this grizzly and as I was taking pictures of him, heard wolves howling behind me not more than 1/2 mile away.  Cold grey sky, snow on the ground, alone.  Eery feeling.  From what I can tell, the central and southwest corners of Yellowstone have a high percentage of bison.  The northwest area appears to have more Grizzly.  I maintained a good distance, as only this summer a photographer was mauled by one of these bears.

Continued through the eastern pass, which had more snow than the south and made it to the gate.  Was in high mountains, but was still surprised when I nearly ran into a herd of bighorn sheep.  They paid me no attention and continued to graze as I snapped pictures.

I think the lower Eastern Gate is a great drive.  I can only compare it to Gardiner, which it clearly bests, and the Southern Gate (to Grand Teton).  The Southern Gate is also incredible, but you’ll make that drive when you visit Grand Teton.

Once out of the mountains – or so I thought – I had intended to drive towards the Bighorn area.  My impression of this area, where Custer was last spotted alive, was rolling prairie with some valleys.  Little did I suspect this would be the most terrifying portion of the drive.

The Bighorn area is named after the Bighorn Sheep (see above), which reside at high altitude.  Mountains.  The Bighorn Mountain range is a series of very remote mountains.  The entrance to the mountains features a gate, which they close when the pass is too laden with snow.  If the name of the area, Bighorn, wasn’t clue enough the gate should have been.  I did not take many pictures from8 this region as I was focused on not sliding off the side of the road.  High passes were covered with snow, the area was under a 45 MPH wind advisory, and the ice covered corkscrew roads down the mountain had no guard rails.

This appears to be a great outdoor adventure area.  I captured this helicopter lifting skiiers to remote locations.  The only other people in the area were hunters that were braving the frigid weather to shoot something.  I’d like to return in warmer weather.

I continued east out of this range, passing Devil’s Tower from the distance (sorry, no UFO sightings) and made Rapid City that night.

I lodged at some hotel/waterpark in Rapid City.  I unknowingly made reservations the same weekend and at the same hotel as the AKC Dog Show.  My co-pilot received all sorts of attention with people commenting on his great stature, and Gus played to his audience by prancing around the lobby.  He sleeps all afternoon, but was on his game for his audience.  The night was spent listening to barking from all these show dogs, while my faithful non-competing companion kept quiet.  Good dog.

Day 2

I made out for Mt. Rushmore early in the morning.  There really isn’t much to do at Mt. Rushmore than take a couple pictures.  It’s impressive, but I liked it better when it didn’t have the massive attached parking structures.  It loses part of it’s appeal, that is how this sculpture contrasts with nature.  It’s Disney-ified, which is fine if that’s what you’re looking for.  I wasn’t.

I did enjoy the Needles Highway route out of the area, winding through roads and narrow tunnels through the Black Hills National Forest to Custer State Park.  Met a nice family with a 2-year-old daughter that wanted to see Gus in Custer State Park.  They had reserved a cabin, but had been pushed back a week in their reservation date.  The park normally stops renting cabins this week, but held one open for them.  They had the entire park to themselves, excluding the bison and other animals.

Soon after CSB, I arrived at Wall, SD.  Wall is the home of the infamous Wall Drug, which is one of the few remaining tourist traps in this part of the country.

South of Wall is the Badlands National Park.  This is an area formed by erosion over millions of years, and the erosion over multiple layers has exposed the various colors on the rocks.  I’ve never been anywhere else like this area.  I remember this as a kid, but that was in the Summer with 100+ degree heat.  It’s much nicer in the 60’s, although it’s still essentially a big snake pit.  I saw one rattlesnake and maintained a very safe distance.

At one of the scenic overlooks I saw this rabbit which made no effort to run when I approached.  I’m not known for my bunny whispering abilities, so I credit this little creature with amazing courage.  He just sat and watched as I took pictures from a few feet away.  I named him Frank, as he clearly deserves some personification for his fearlessness.

Just outside the park is the Minuteman Missle silo exhibit.  This area is dotted with missile silos.  I suspect we got the idea from the other tunnel dwellers of the area, the prairie dogs.  The prairie dogs are dwindling in population, but not from the things like bubonic plague that they carry.  Not wanting to deplete the population further, or catch the plague, I kept Gus at tight rein.

The remainder of the trip was fairly uneventful.  Driving across South Dakota is a very dull, long drive.  I arrived home, having driven 2,700 miles through 5 states, 3 national parks, at least 5 mountain ranges, and seen bison, all sorts of birds, elk, deer, ground squirrels and other squirrels, prairie dogs, antelope, grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, snakes and one mighty squirrel hunter.  A very satisfying trip.

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