Fall 2018 update for the Ramblin Ruis
Well as we look back on the 6 months since we last posted an
update time is truly flying right on by. If anyone is still out there we will
try and catch you up on the happenings of the Ramblin Ruis. Since we last
updated we have finished our second year at Yellowstone Fishing Bridge RV park.
This was another enjoyable experience. Paula and I decided that this year we would
prioritize what we wanted to see this year that we did not get to last year.
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| Lone Beaver having a snack |
On the list of the things to do were the Beartooth Highway, Bighorn
Mountains, Bechler Ranger Station (in the far southwestern corner of Yellowstone)
and kayaking on the Henry Fork of the Snake River to name a few.
The Beartooth Highway is a winding road that has 11 major switchbacks
as you climb to the summit of 11,000 feet.
This is one of the last roads that
opens in the greater Yellowstone area because of the snow fall each year. The views
from the top are spectacular and still somewhat cold even in the middle of June.
As the saying goes what goes up must come down and so we did come down and down
and down as we traveled to Red Lodge MT which is a town nestled in the
mountains on the north end of the Beartooth Highway.
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| Bearthooth where the highway gets its name |
We had a wonderful lunch
and then headed to Buffalo Wyoming for the night. We traveled through the Bighorn
mountains on this trip which are very impressive and rugged mountains. If you
have ever traveled on I-90 in Wyoming, the Bighorns run south of the interstate
for miles. We were also hoping to see moose as this was an area our friends had
seen 25 on one trip and another friend saw 50 on a separate trip. We were able
to see 1 bull and 2 cow moose along the way. After a restful night sleep in
Buffalo we headed back west to the park back over the Bighorns which on this stretch
were covered with alpine forest and lots of high elevation ponds and lakes. Then
we dropped back in to the prairie and the high desert as we headed back to
Yellowstone.
On another excursion we started on a picnic lunch down south to
the Lewis lake area. After we ate I started driving south where we stopped at
the headwater recreation area for some fuel. After fueling I decided to check
out the dirt road that leads to the most remote part of Yellowstone which is
Beclher Ranger Station. I had no intention of driving the fifty miles on the
dirt washboard road, but it was a nice bumpy trip even though we only saw a chipmunk
along the way (oh, did I mention that it took
4 hours to travel the fifty-mile dirt road).
The ranger station was very remote set back in the woods and was located
near the Bechler River.
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| Cave Falls on Bechler River |
Beautiful remote area. Once leaving the ranger station
we took the paved roads back to the west entrance of the park and back home.
Check that one off the list.
Our days in the park were interrupted this year as a major road
construction project was started on the Cody Road which runs right by our campground.
Due to this we had some traffic delays from the construction so we decided that
we would buy a satellite dish so TV could take the place of the every day
disruptions of the road construction that made it an inconvenience going out in
the park. Dish network has a program that is designed just for RVer’s where you
pay month to month for service and you don’t have to sign a service contract
which is nice. The only ones who seemed not to notice the construction was the
5 or 6 resident bull bison that traveled up and down the road daily making
frequent stops in the entrance of our campground.
As I may have mentioned in an earlier post our staff was most
all returners and it was again an enjoyable time working with such a diverse
group of people. We again had our holiday meals and cook outs and yes Jim made
lots of homemade ice cream.
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| Eat at your own risk |
Something new this year was Paula and I started
playing Rook on Wednesday nights with Carolyn and Gary Cooper some of our
returning friends from outside Knoxville Tn. These games were held in the break
room at the office and started out as friendly games to pass the evening away.
Paula had limited experience playing Rook so everyone helped her with a refresher
course. But as the weeks passed and she became more proficient the intensity of
the friendly games increased. We wrapped up our Rook games the last weekend of
the season at the employee pub over Pizza and the games ended in a tie. The championship
game is scheduled for the summer of 2020.
During the first weekend of August we were able to get a
kayaking trip together in Idaho on the Henry Fork of the Snake River. We did
this with Jimmy and Sandy Affholder and Ed and Judy Lonsdale who were returning
coworkers. This was a five-mile peaceful float (once we separated from others
at the launch point) on a very steady spring feed river.
We saw lots of birds,
eagles, ducks, otters but we took a back woods fork and missed the moose and
calf. Afterward we had a nice meal at the local Mexican restaurant located on
the banks of the river. We have had our kayaks with us for two years and this
was only the second time we have put them in the water. The only kayaking
inside the park is in Yellowstone Lake which has an average temperature of 42
degrees in the summer.
This year we had several
folks from southside Virginia pass through Yellowstone on their family vacations.
It was nice to see them and catch up on what was happenings in Pitt County and
Dan Vegas.
Late in the season we got to witness the circle of life playing
out among the wild animals of Yellowstone. We got word of a bison carcass along
the Yellowstone river that the bears had been spending some time on. So, after
work one afternoon we road down to the Hayden Valley and found the carcass with
two grizzly bears trying get filled up before winter and hibernation time. The
older of the two bears was on the carcass and the younger of the bears was
patiently waiting his turn. As the time passed the young bear began to pace
around the older bear on the carcass. Then the younger bear wondered up the
river bank a short distance. I began scanning the area for wolves or other hungry
critters. At that point I noticed a large bull bison standing up under a tree
watching the younger bear who was watching the bison. Then at this point the
bison started walking slowly and methodically toward the downed bison carcass. The
younger bear tried to confront the bull bison even sitting up and waving his paws.
Not deterred the bull bison continued until he was at the carcass. At this time,
it seemed the bull bison was out numbered but he continued and ran the two
bears off the carcass. Amazingly without a fight, then for what seemed like forever
(10 minutes) the bison walked slowly around his fallen comrade as if he was
paying his final respects. He would occasional pause and stare at the bears as
they continued to move up the ridge away from a confrontation. Then as just as
methodically as he came to pay his respect he wondered off down the river bank
undoubtedly glad he wasn’t on the menu that day. Once he cleared the area the
younger bear returned to the carcass to get his turn as the older bear disappeared
over the ridge.
As the season wrapped up we had a final meal together in the
office the night before we left. It was bittersweet as we enjoyed each other’s
company and remembered the good times of the season. We all planned to return
in 2020 to the refurbished and newly renovated Fishing Bridge RV Park.
This year Paula and I were able to secure a job in New Mexico
which started on October 1. So, with only 3 weeks down time we decided to rent
a car and drive back east and store our camper in Montana. This was a whirlwind
three weeks in which we planned to visit family and friends while in Virginia
and North Carolina. We stopped along the way and saw Scotts Bluff National
Monument in Nebraska and were even able to catch a baseball game in Cincinnati
Ohio between the Reds and Dodgers. But mother nature had some other ideas as
Hurricane Florence hit southside Virginia area while we were there, so we got
to see family and some friends but not as many as we would have liked.
On September 29th we arrived in Las Cruces New Mexico
where we will call home for the next 6 months. We are working at the local KOA campground.
This area is full of agricultural, pecans, cotton, red and green chilies to name
a few which is very surprising being in the desert. We have tried to adventure
out at least once a week to take in the area history and culture.
As most of you know Paula and I have been involved in the OCC
shoebox ministries of Samaritans Purse for the last 15 years or so. Thankfully
we were able to find an OCC collection location here in Las Cruces which we
were able to volunteer at this year. We met some nice folks and were very blessed
to be able to help out.
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| Home Sweet Home View Of Organ Mountains |
On Thanksgiving Day we had a huge lunch with all the work campers
at our location. Each family brought something, and we had a traditional turkey
and all the fixings.
As we reflect over this
past year we are truly blessed and thankful for our health and all the opportunities
that have come our way.
So I will leave you with this thought, enjoy today and all that’s
in it because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
Until next time
Allen and Paula
Ramblin Ruis
