The Lunch Box Journals

Volume Overview: I always lay out a proposed route for each journey before leaving my home base in Billings, Montana. Part of the fun is the months of research and planning prior to departure! This spring’s trip is a bit abbreviated, but the plan is to dash west from Billings to Portland, Oregon, for some business; head down the west side of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to Yosemite National Park in California; cross the mountains heading east to Reno/Sparks, Nevada; trek through the northern deserts of Nevada up to Twin Falls, Idaho; explore the Jackson Hole area of Wyoming; and then head back to Billings through Yellowstone National Park and Cody, Wyoming. Let’s get rolling! As mentioned earlier, the weather has created several changes in the “plan.” Chapter 12 was intended to be the last chapter of this journey, but I just wanted to share the unexpected treat that happened on the last leg as I woke up in West Yellowstone to 6 inches of snow…

Salt Lake City, UT to Billings, MT(I-15 to Idaho Falls, ID; US-20 to West Yellowstone, MT; Enter Yellowstone and turn north, exiting at Gardiner, MT; US-89 to Livingston, MT; I-90 east to Billings, MT)

Heading north from Salt Lake City the weather is actually not too bad, a few showers now and then, and when I get to West Yellowstone the showers have let up. As Augie and I go to bed it’s starting to rain again but the forecast says that the temperature will stay above freezing so I am feeling optimistic about being able to head across the park to Cody, WY, in the morning. Foolish me! When I open the door to take Augie out for his morning walk, this is what awaits me! The Lunch Box sleeps under a blanket of heavy wet snow and the snow continues to fall…

I waited until about 10:00am, thinking that the snow would let up and the roads would be better before setting out, still hoping that I might be able to go east across Yellowstone National Park and exit out to Cody, Wyoming. As I left the RV Park in West Yellowstone and turned onto the road to the entrance to the park, I realized that just perhaps, another change in plan was in my future. In the middle of a snow storm in May, one would not expect a traffic jam here in the middle of the forest!

Turns out that the reason for the long lines is that the rangers were explaining road conditions to each vehicle. The storm had closed down roads throughout the park and they had no idea when they would reopen. People could go to Old Faithful, but then have to turn around and come back and/or you could go 15 miles into the park to Madison Junction and turn north to get out of the park at Gardiner, MT (though extensive road construction was occurring on that stretch). I decided to go ahead to Madison Junction, brave the road construction north to exit the park at Gardiner, then going on to Livingston and east to Billings (home base). Let’s hear it for flexibility!

Most of the traffic either turned around to go back to West Yellowstone or headed to Old Faithful so once I actually got into the park the traffic was almost non-existent, which lead to great pictures of winter.   The 15 miles between West Yellowstone and Madison Junction didn’t have much car traffic, but it was jammed with buffalo! All of these pictures were taken along the way from inside the safety of the Lunch Box. Just the day before another tourist had ignored all the warnings about staying away from the wildlife and had gotten gored by a buffalo while posing for pictures. It always amazes me how people think that the warnings don’t apply to them!

The buffalo just kept lumbering by, seemingly ignoring the traffic nearby. And I am not kidding when I say nearby, note the side mirror of the Lunch Box in this picture!

Aside from the buffalo, it was just a beautiful drive through a winter wonderland. Of course, being that we’re in Yellowstone, occasionally a waft of sulphur-laden steam from a bubbling hot spring drifts across the pristine snow. Enjoy!

And with that, this journey of the Lunch Box ends. I will probably hang around Billings for most of the summer, enjoying the good weather before heading out on another epic adventure in early September.  Stay tuned for the next volume of The Lunch Box Journals!

As always, thanks for coming along with me…

Larry