I got a great night's sleep. Temps dropped fast after sunset...into the low 40's I think. My gear kept me warm and comfortable and I got a good 8 hours. In the morning it was oatmeal and espresso and then the zen ritual of breaking camp. I got a couple of photos on the way out of the park, but the air was heavy with smoke from a considerably distant forest fire. The Tetons look pretty fuzzy in those shots.
Signs said it was 28 miles to Yellowstone...but that is to the gate. It is a big park. I made for the west side of the park so I could re-visit Old Faithful. I believe I was 5 - 7 years old the last time I saw it. The old lodge is a fantastic work of log art. After a stroll around the geysers surrounding Old Faithful, I headed north in search of Paint Pots. I found some but not the same ones that had scared the dickens out of me when I was a kid. I was pretty unsettled by those narrow, unrailed wooden walkways over pools of boiling, acidic stew. The walkways are a little safer now. I found "Artist's Paint Pots" which were indeed several different colors. Not the spot I remembered, but I needed to press on.
My travel time was working out to be much longer than predicted by the GPS and I was getting worried about making it to Red Lodge with plenty of daylight...so I altered my planned route to take me across the center of the park rather than over the top. The route took me through the area where the big Yellowstone fires burned some years ago. I saw what looked like a bunch of above ground pools hidden back in the trees along the way. They seem to be caches of fire fighting water.
I arrived at the north east corner of the Great Loop awfully late. Several extended stops for road work multiplied the effect of the pervasive sub-45 mph route. I got a tank of gas and headed for Red Lodge in a spattering rain, hoping skies would clear further east. They didn't. I soon stopped to put on full rain gear and swapped my tinted shield for a clear one...and pressed on.
When I crossed a large meadow on the east side of the park I came across the park's Bison herd. They seem to enjoy playing chicken with cars on the road. I think they get extra points for bikes. I stopped well short of them to see what they had in mind. One trotted up to the edge of the road about 50 yards ahead and seemed to dare me to come closer. When a couple of cars went by unmolested on the other side of the road, I decided to give it a try. I was prepared to use the "Dog Getaway Maneuver" trick if needed (Dog Getaway Maneuver: Approach slow but accelerate away quickly as the dog closes to intercept. The idea is to throw off his aim.) but it proved unnecessary. He stayed put. But once I was past him, several others farther off the road headed my way at a light trot. They too held short but probably could not have intercepted me anyway.
As I got within 10 miles of the park exit, the rain picked up and temps fell to the low 40's. It was clear that crossing Beartooth Pass en route to Red Lodge would be extremely dangerous and absolutely no fun. It is said to be one of the "Must Ride" roads in America, but not when you cannot see 50 yards off the highway. I punched up nearby lodging on the GPS and found one candidate about 12 miles farther on. I began working on my "Oh please, I don't want to die out there. Let me sleep in a broom closet." speech. Fortunately as I entered the first village outside the park, Silver Gate, I saw the Grizzly Lodge had a Vacancy sign out. I pulled in and asked for a room. $80 and worth every penny. No cell service and no Wi-Fi. The proprietor of the nearby convenience store was reported to have Wi-Fi, so I trotted down there to send Jan an update but he offered to let me use his phone. Didn't ask for a penny. Pretty darn nice. The cafe next door was recommended for dinner. It looked rustic but the fare is top notch. I had a fantastic trout with red potatoes. Outstanding.
My first task after dinner was is study my maps and revise my route to fit present realities. A visit to Glacier National Park is definitely out. If the weather clears tomorrow, I will go ahead with the trip across the Beartooth Highway (after the snow that is said to be falling there tonight melts away) but my next stop will be Missoula rather than Glacier. I should be able to reconnect with my planned route in Kettle Falls after that...assuming the weather cooperates. We shall see what tomorrow holds...
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