Today was another traveling day. Our objective was to go from West Yellowstone to Billings, Montana. Martha put in a couple hours of work before leaving. Since she always checks the coverage maps with regard to Verizon and Virgin Mobile’s mobile broadband coverage, she knew we’d not have service for 90% of the first 90 miles.
Google Maps takes the route into the west entrance of Yellowstone, up to the Mammoth area, and then eastward to the northeast entrance which is near Livingston, Montana. While it may be the shortest route in terms of mileage, it isn’t the fastest way to get there. One can only average about 38 mph when driving in the park. At times, it isn’t that good. There are reasons. First, the maximum speed limit in the park is 45. Second, there are twist, turns, and steep hills to deal with in addition to a few rough sections of roadway where our federal dollars and low park fees haven’t covered maintenance. Third, it is necessary to keep on the lookout for the animals, which also means watching for stopped or very slow vehicular traffic of the human kind.
Our route took us up US 191 to Bozeman and the east on I-90 to Billings. Basically, it is downhill all the way. West Yellowstone is at an elevation of 6,650. For the 90 miles to Bozeman there is a descent of 1,850 feet to an elevation of 4,800 feet. From Bozeman to Billings through Livingston the descent isn’t as steep. The difference is 1,625 feet stretched over a distance of 120 miles. The drive, however, is beautiful all along the way.
The Gallatin River near Bozeman, Montana. It is fairly shallow and rocky and ideal for trout fishing. There are rapids all along the way.
Leaving West Yellowstone we passed back into the western edge of Yellowstone National Park for the first 30 miles. Though generally descending, there are still places where there’s a 6% grade in climb to the next hilltop. 191 goes through mature growths of conifers including pine, spruce, and fir trees. Several creeks are encountered either parallel to the road or by crossing them. All of them have water rushing downhill over rocks.
Passing out of the park the highway runs parallel to the Gallatin River from it’s mouth until reaching Bozeman. The canyons and valleys become larger. Dude ranches with horses and cattle appear on both sides of the road. Where the descent is more steep and the river a bit wider, businesses that offer white water rafting trips appear around Big Sky. This is considered the best area for whitewater rafting in the Yellowstone-Teton area. The first group we saw on the river were kayakers. Later we saw several groups in rafts designed for shooting the many rapids. Along the way there are anglers hoping to have a good catch of rainbow trout, brown trout, or mountain whitefish. The scenery, of course, is gorgeous as the trees and flowers also change with the lower elevations.
Once near Bozeman the mountains are less rocky and their peaks are miles away. It is different but, no less, worthy of a photo. Still photos just don’t cut it. To get the experience one should watch A River Runs Through It because much of the film was shot on location on the Gallatin River near Bozeman.
Not far from the river’s edge the view across the Gallatin Valley reveals cattle ranches and wheat farming with large fields watered by irrigation.
From Bozeman to Billings I-90 follows the BNSF rail line or the Yellowstone River. Big, rolling hills are encountered in the descent to Billings while passing through the Absaroke and Bear Tooth ranges.
The only bad thing about the trip from West Yellowstone to Billings is the temperature change. Yes, folks, we have encountered heat. Instead of a daytime high of 75 we arrived where the temperature was in excess of 95. The low overnight is 70 instead of 50. Welcome to life on the rolling plains and remembering how to perspire if moving very quickly.
We arrived at the KOA in Billings just before 5 o'clock. This is North America’s first KOA and they’re celebrating the 50th season. The campground is nice with several mature cottonwood trees around the campground as well as other deciduous trees and evergreen shrubs. It is obvious that improvements are made nearly every years. There is also grass; this is something we’ve missed for the last ten days.
We do have a few critical thoughts about this KOA. This is the first KOA where we weren’t escorted to our parking spot. The free WiFi here (provided through Tengo) is totally inadequate and difficult to deal with. Since Byron has had significant experience with wireless network it is disconcerting to him that someone would charge to set up what a fifth grader could do for free. It is also v-e-r-y slow reminding us of the days of fast modems. The last thing is the food. This KOA provides meals at a cost competitive with Cracker Barrel, Applebee’s, etc. The service, selection, and outdoor seating in the sun doesn’t begin to make it a good value. The beans were straight out of a can, the potato salad was the cheaper version from Sysco, and the little cobs of corn were water-logged and nearly cold. Martha’s brisket on a bun was pretty good. Byron’s rainbow trout was pretty dry and unseasoned. It’s a great KOA for a place to stay; just don’t bring your computer or eat the food.
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