Go West Road Trip 2012: Campfire cooking 101 & Geysers Galore!

Day 7

After our first night “camping” in the Cody Walmart parking lot, we set off for Yellowstone -- amazingly beautiful drive along the Shoshone River and into the Park. We checked in at Bridge Bay campground alongside Lake Yellowstone and set up camp. We were happy to simply hang at camp after covering 2800 miles over the last 6 days – gathered firewood, walked to the General Store at the marina, and cooked dinner over an open fire. Note to self – potatoes wrapped in foil and placed in the coals of a fire cook a lot faster than in the oven. After 30 minutes we checked the potatoes and they seemed to still be hard. Brandt stoked the fire and we cooked for another 30 minutes only to find black ash inside the foil when we pulled them out. We succumbed, turned on the generator, and cooked delicious baked potatoes in our RV microwave (12 minutes on the potato function). Brandt and Carter spent a chilly night in the tent (~30 degrees), but didn’t encounter any bears or coyotes, though you could hear coyotes howling in the distance and our neighbor’s dog (aka coyote bait) had a very close encounter within 20 feet!

Ipod monopoly (source of arguments -- now outlawed!)

Ranger welcome!

Courtney's artsy photo

Day 8

A successful first “dump” of our gray and black water (official RV terms) holding tanks and off to the Geyser region. We chugged over the Continental Divide and made our first stop at the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring – unbelievable colors and gurgling in the second largest hot spring in the world. We visited Old Faithful and lunched at the historic Inn. After navigating several buffalo traffic jams we made it to the Lone Star Geyser trailhead. As overrated as Old Faithful is the Lone Star Geyser was just as underrated. A beautiful 2.5 mile hike into the back country along the Firehole River ended with an amazing 30 minute eruption. We were as close as 50 feet with boiling streams of water running all around us. Everyone slept well after a late return to camp – thank you Lord for allowing us to enjoy your creation!!