2018-21 Cody Wyoming to Helena Montana (Big Sky Country)

2018-21

views from Wild Bill State Park, Cody Wyoming

now that's a scenic view from my campsite
Bill Cody State Park, North Fork campground

Columbus Montana

Helena Montana

Cody Wyoming

Wild Bill State Park

Campground:  Wild Bill State Park, North Fork campground.  $17, no electric.  There are some with electric as well as reservation sites, I got a first come first served site.  All nice pull-thru sites, gorgeous views and about 18 minute drive into Cody Wy.

Campground:  Itch-Kep-Pe Park, Columbus Mt.  Free, water available at restroom.  Scruffy park on river, not well kept.  They ask for donations, but not required.  

Campground:  Lewis and Clark County Fairground, Helena Mt.  $21.oo  electric 30 amp.  Make reservations as the campground is not large and fills up quickly.  Water available but not at campsites

Cody Wyoming

(population of the State: 579,315 least populated of all the U.S. States)

I had a very nice time hooking up with Sue and Michael C in Cody Wy.  They were my neighbors at Desert trails in Tucson a couple of years back and it was so nice to meet up with them along the way.

They are another full-time couple that have opted for having two campers. A larger 5^th wheel which they will now use for longer stays (winter camping etc.) and have recently purchased a used travel trailer that is smaller and easier to travel with.

We did the trolley tour in Cody, which I would normally recommend in most towns that have one, but this was quite the tour.  The husband and wife team drove at breakneck speed through town during the 1 hour tour, never stopping except for the occasional traffic light.  No need to try and take pictures along the way as we passed each site without even a slow down. It was a very polished tour, but a bit rushed for my taste.

Trolley tour, 1 hour of non stop dialog, good stories

The next day, we did much better on our own as Sue and Michael first helped me out with what could have been a potential disaster.  My on board volt meter which is plugged into a regular outlet indicated I was getting 140 volts of power off of the inverter and new batteries.  After we printed out a second diagram of the proper set up for 6, six volt batteries for the solar system, which I assumed was set up incorrectly, we found out that it was configured correctly and Michael who has the proper electrical meters, (he is so organized) was able to determine that I was only getting 105 volts with the inverter turned on.  Seems my volt meter had gone bonkers.  What a relief.  

We had planned on taking an all day tour of a most scenic route, but ended up doing the South Fork route on the other side of the lake and mountain range from my campsite.  

Even with it a bit overcast, we three photographers had a grand time taking pictures, shots of an abandoned log cabin, finding a large concentration of Indian Paintbrush wildflowers and stopping at a snow melt river/stream to have a snack and drinks before heading on back for the day.  

Indian Paintbrush

Clouds added much dimension 

possibly a two or three room log cabin at one time

Sue had a good eye for seeing all the waterfalls

Gala, what a well behaved dog

Michael and Sue, what a fun day touring 

blue bells in the middle of a stream bed, how did they get here 

Later we would stop at a local Steakhouse for a late lunch/dinner with entertainment to boot.  Why do we always find food and drinks seem to go with every get together.

The next day we enjoyed a great happy hour, waiting for my friends Simone and B who were traveling through Yellowstone to join us.  They would arrive much later, missing the happy hour.  I parked them right behind my camper around 10:30 going on 11pm.  In the morning, I made a breakfast omelette/frittata, coffee, toast and banana slices.  Not much but it filled everyone up.  we had a great talk before they headed onto their next destination.  

I decided to head out towards Montana as the temperatures were expected to go up into the 90s today and the next couple of days.  Especially since I was not able to get an electric site at the Wild Bill campground.

Distance traveled:  113 milesMontana(population: 1.05 million as of 2017)

Another inspiring drive through massive rolling terrain, large ranches and farms scattered along the way.  The valleys were particularly green as much of this area is under irrigation.  i so wish I could pull over and take a ton of pictures, but with no shoulders or pull-outs along the way, or not it the right spots, they are all a part of my own memories.

I'm staying only one night at Itch-Kep-Pe Park, Columbus Montana as the sites, though ok, it has warmed up to a whopping 101 degrees today.  I tried to get a shady site, but it isn't helping at all.  I've run over to the local library, where I've been searching for a reasonably priced campground to go to next.  After much searching I've found a Fairgrounds in Helena Montana, Yippee, I'll be there tomorrow for at least 5 days.

The price of campsites has definitely gone up.  Average prices being a low of $35 and most are $40-$45.  And we are not talking resort type Rv parks.  The fairgrounds in Helena is a very reasonable $21 a night.

Montana has a lot of small casinos. Their slot machines either are poker or based on Bingo. Only the Indian Casinos are permitted to have table games.

first panorama shot 

Distance Traveled: 201 miles
Helena Montana (the State Capitol)
Population: approx. 32,000

A long drive for me, but I’ll be getting to a campsite with electric (30 amp) and should be very comfortable over the next week. A nice treat for my upcoming birthday which I’ll be celebrating on my own once again. Something I often do while traveling during the summer months.

Montana is big sky country, lots of farms that seem to go from horizon to horizon. Everything is green this year as Montana has had a fair amount of rain this spring and summer season. So nice to see every hill, valley and blade of grass displaying every shade of green possible. Along the way, wild flowers and weeds filling in spaces with grand splashes of yellows, yellow/orange and the blues of lupine.

I may take a drive back along the route I came, as there were a number of places and old buildings I’d love to take pictures of. Have you every done that? Towing a 32 ft, 10,000 lb camper behind my truck, I really had no opportunity to stop.

The Fairgrounds campground was full when I arrived, except for my one campsite, which I was able to get due to a cancellation. So lucky. Today, Sunday, all but one other camper have vacated. Leaving me with an empty and quiet campground. Love it.

More on Helena Montana and area next week.

Have a super great day..... you know I did already :)

More Photos:

Cody Wyoming.  (420 photos, with some from the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone heading to Cody)