Big Sky Montana, here we come

Rianne

Rianne

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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I've never been to Yellowstone. Booked a week at the end of August. The airfare was great. We're leaving from our small local airport, one stopover in Chicago to Bozeman, MT, round trip for 2...$1200 all taxes, etc included. We won't have to drive to O'hare, park (very expensive), and all that hassle with traffic. What a deal!

I am beyond excited to experience Yellowstone. There will be 4 of us. The heights frighten me a bit. My DB and DSI talk a lot so they'll keep me busy while we drive through Beartooth Pass.
 
Have fun! Don't worry about the heights - We drove the western portion of Beartooth Highway and I don't remember it being too bad. We'll be right behind you - in late July.
 
None of it feels "high" except the falls overlooks on the yellowstone river, tower falls, etc. Those are easy to avoid.
It all feels "spectactular"!! have a great time :)
 
I hope we see wolf packs. I hope the buffalo block the road. I'd love to see a grizzly bear, maybe with her cubs. I want to be reassured places like this still exist and are protected. Yeah, Europe is cool and historic, but nothing trumps natural beauty created over millions of years. I over philosophize sometimes, sigh.
 
Rianne said:
Yeah, Europe is cool and historic, but nothing trumps natural beauty created over millions of years. I over philosophize sometimes, sigh.
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As someone born and raised in Switzerland, I completely agree! I have seen stunningly beautiful vistas in the Alps, but places like Yellowstone take the cake in many respects.
OP: good on you for taking the trip - you'll love it!
 
I hope you have a great time. Here is a clip from winter of Montana Highway Dept. opening up the pass. When I was a little guy, it scared me to death to travel the Hwy.
https://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/beartooth/
 
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Since heights bother you, sit behind the driver. If the drop off is on your right, you won't be right next to the window looking over the edge. If it's on your left, there's the other lane between you and the drop off.
 
Rianne said:
Awwww, thank you for that. I'll be under the seat on lots of drugs calming me down.
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I meant no fear for you in posting that. It is a beautiful drive try to relax and enjoy the beauty. I wish you the best and a fun trip.
 
August is OK. What you will see is a group of people gathered around somebody with a telescope set up, big binoculars etc. They were so generous to show others the wolves and bear in the distance. The wolves in particular will be out of view to the naked eye most times, but readily available with magnification.
For me, the magical times are early and late, May and September. May for baby buffalo laying on the warm pavement blocking the road, the baby moose.
September for the elk in rut at Mammoth hot springs resort. Stay at Mammoth at the end of the summer season if you want to be surrounded by elk.
 
skyking1 said:
August is OK. What you will see is a group of people gathered around somebody with a telescope set up, big binoculars etc. They were so generous to show others the wolves and bear in the distance. The wolves in particular will be out of view to the naked eye most times, but readily available with magnification.
For me, the magical times are early and late, May and September. May for baby buffalo laying on the warm pavement blocking the road, the baby moose.
September for the elk in rut at Mammoth hot springs resort. Stay at Mammoth at the end of the summer season if you want to be surrounded by elk.
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We’ll be there from August 27-September 3. Maybe perfect timing for the elk!
 
Yellowstone is a wonderful and unique place to visit. We should go back there one more time.

I have not been through Beartooth Pass. I drove to Yellowstone from Cody on the east side. I used the towed car to tour Yellowstone while parking the RV in a campground as the base.

I then visited Grand Teton to the south and went further west.

Looking at the map now, I see that there's a lot of areas north of Yellowstone I have not been through.
 
Went to Yellowstone and the grand Tetons in early June. Saw a ton of bison everywhere. I heard that you see wolves in the fall. Also saw elk and bears. It was so beautiful!
 
I had not been to Yellowstone for a long time, since before they reintroduced wolves to the park. A few years ago I was there in the Spring and was surprised to see two wolves crossing the road near where we were parked.
 
Glacier is a beautiful place also. Here is a MT crew removing snow from the Sun Highway. It will be open in June for visitors.
https://youtu.be/VfaBZV6wqVI?t=26
 
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I have been to Glacier NP, both the East and West entrances, and was too early both times to take the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Of the Montana towns, here are the ones I have visited in my RV trips (not in any order): White Fish, Kalispell, Bigfork, Missoula, St. Mary, Shelby, Helena, Butte, Bozeman, Billings.
 
We went to Yellowstone in 2019. Mainly to see the geysers since we were on our way back from spending the summer in Alaska and saw plenty of wildlife up there. Wonderful area.
 
If you like geysers, I recommend a trip to Iceland.
 
street said:
Glacier is a beautiful place also. Here is a MT crew removing snow from the Sun Highway. It will be open in June for visitors.
https://youtu.be/VfaBZV6wqVI?t=26
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I must admit, that is very cool. I love the dedicated workers making sure those roads are opened safely. I should be fine on the roads. We drove the Tioga Pass from Yosemite years ago. I thought it was amazing. The flat open field on top full of spring prairie flowers blew me away. If I remember correctly, it was June before they could safely open it.
 
I drove through Tioga Pass twice in my life, many years ago.

One time, it was snowing in June, and the lakes there were still partially frozen. Very cool!
 
Rianne said:
I must admit, that is very cool. I love the dedicated workers making sure those roads are opened safely. I should be fine on the roads. We drove the Tioga Pass from Yosemite years ago. I thought it was amazing. The flat open field on top full of spring prairie flowers blew me away. If I remember correctly, it was June before they could safely open it.
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Yes, the landscape is uncreditable beautiful. Yes, June before any of those passes are open.
 
We have a cabin a few miles away from Yellowstone…. We visited the park a couple weeks ago and saw a ton of everything (elk, deer, buffalo, moose, grizzly and black bears, etc). The closest grizzly we watched was only 25 yards away from the main road.
 
RetiredAt49 said:
We have a cabin a few miles away from Yellowstone…. We visited the park a couple weeks ago and saw a ton of everything (elk, deer, buffalo, moose, grizzly and black bears, etc). The closest grizzly we watched was only 25 yards away from the main road.
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The grizzly is amazing to watch. Not sure if you ever were familiar with the orphan twins that their mother was killed. They survived on their own till they became problems with humans. I seen them in the wild many times and was a sad ending for them.
 
Rianne said:
I am beyond excited to experience Yellowstone. There will be 4 of us. The heights frighten me a bit. My DB and DSI talk a lot so they'll keep me busy while we drive through Beartooth Pass.
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So happy for you. DH and I visited a few years ago - my first time. Saw bison blocking the road several times, as well as folks getting as close as they dared and taking photos -- against all the advice. Witnessed a group of wolves through a very kind person's high-powered binoculars.

Like you, I am not real keen on heights, but DH did a wondrous job driving the Beartooth Highway. When I peeked, it was amazing. Plenty of motorcycles passed us.

Looking forward to your report.



I hope to return to Yellowstone one day. We stayed in three different areas of the park. It was such a wonderful, amazing experience.
 
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