Bozeman, MT

Today we were at the Ford dealer at 7:45 to have the "check engine" error light problem investigated. The intermittent problem was found to be the EGR valve so it was replaced under warranty......saving us $329! We then had an early lunch at Subway, stopped at Home Depot, fueled the truck & did some grocery shopping and were home by noon. Lazy afternoon, Judy did some house cleaning while I was on the PC and cleaned the truck inside. Temps were in the mid 80s before the afternoon thunder storm rolled in at 4pm breaking up our outside rummy game.

We have noticed that we have not seen a Michigan RV for 6 or 7 weeks. Where are the MI RVers?

If the rain backs off I should have the chance to wash the truck this evening.

Yellowstone & now Bozeman, MT

Sunday we sat by the park office in the morning bidding farewell to most of our HitchHiker friends as they pulled out. At noon we joined 8 other couples that stayed over for a Yellowstone bus tour looking for wildlife. We did the northern Yellowstone loop and several side roads. We returned at 8:30pm and had a chicken box lunch. In all that time we saw lots of bison, few hundred of them in the Lamar Valley. We saw one large bull elk and one coyote. Some claimed to have seen a wolf resting in downed trees at a rivers edge. We did see lots of nice scenery.

Monday morning we said good bye to a few more HitchHiker friends and started out of the mountains. We made the 120 mile trip north to Bozeman, MT and arrived a little before noon. We are planning on spending two nights here and have the trucks intermittent "check engine" error looked at Tuesday morning.

G&G Rally ends

Well, the G&G Rally has ended. We slept in this morning and went to a ride into Idaho and stopped for a nice lunch at a restaurant then on the way home we stopped and did the laundry. At 5pm we joined the gang for happy hour and took a double batch of beeritas. At 6 we had another pot luck followed by the rally closing. We had a good time. Most of our friends will be pulling out in the morning but we are staying another day to take a wildlife bus tour into Yellowstone in the afternoon and evening.

G&G Rally (Geezers & Gysers Rally)

When I started posting the pictures they were all together & organized, but not now!

Well, it's been a week since my last post & we have been busy. Saturday we moved to Lionshead CG 7 miles down the road for the G&G Rally. We are now in West Yellowstone, MT. Sunday we sat around the office and enjoyed the sunshine and watching all the HitchHikers pull in. Judy set up the book exchange. There are 42 rigs here from around the US & Canada....and one from England. Don't ask me how they towed over here. Sunday night was the welcoming burger cookout and I was 50% of the flipping & cooking team. Monday we went to the dutch oven demo and in the evening we attended the BFF (best forum forever) pot luck. I must have ate too much as Tuesday morning I wasn't feeling too well so missed the breakfast in a bag and darn it....the bloody mary taste off! I had the HOTTEST bloody mary, even Jeff (Mr hot pepper) couldn't drink it. We put a few items in the rummage sale....and brought them back. Tuesday afternoon we had the first Haulin' HitchHiker membership meeting (I'm the secretary/treasurer) and had the honor of NuWa's owner & CEO attend. In the evening we attended the big pizza party. Wednesday we chartered a bus & 9 couples spent the day exploring, we went to Virgina & Nevada City (tourist traps) and took a train ride from one city to the other. The best part was traveling the back gravel roads. We returned in time for another pot luck dinner & birthday party.....everyone brings a present (some serious & some not) for an exchange and you can either take a new present OR take one someone has already opened. That was fun. Thursday Judy & I did the lower Yellowstone loop after the morning cowboy breakfast. In the evening we all went to the rodeo, that was fun too! Then some of us went out for a late dinner. Today we had a pot luck Hors d'oeuvres then a really good prime time variety show by several of the attendees. We have also been doing a lot of visiting with old friends and meeting many new ones from the NuWa Owners Forum. Need time to rest!!

Earthquake Lake & a CLEAN truck & trailer

Yesterday we rode to Earthquake Lake. In 1959 an earthquake caused the large landslide in the first picture. Many campers were killed that night and there are still 19 people buried in the slide. It damed the Madison River forming the new lake which extends 2 or 3 miles beyond what you can see in the bottom picture. We then rode into West Yellowstone and had lunch at Arbys, did some grocery shopping, fueled the truck and stopped at Lionshead CG where the HitchHiker rally is . I took a few pictures & posted them on the NuWa Owners Forum so the others can get an idea of the rally site.

This was the second time we fueled the truck since the check engine light came on....and now it has gone off again. Still somethings not quite right. Mark....there's a NAPA auto store in West Yellowstone so the next time we are in town I'll see if they can read any error code(s). Today we spent 6 hours washing the truck and trailer. It's been 2 months due to all the rain and traveling we have been doing since leaving Alabama. I sure hope the rain holds off tomorrow until we make the 5 mile trip to Lionshead. It is sprinkling now!!

Reed Point, MT & Island Park, ID

Tuesday was a travel day with an early start at 8:10am, we covered 340 miles in six hours to Reed Point, MT. A fair amount of the time the expressway followed the Yellowstone River. We have only driven further one time in the last two years. The weather was cooperating with a fair amount of sun and running through 3 or 4 rains storms. Only one stretch of strong headwinds for about 10 miles. We stayed at the same RV Park last year, a small mom & pop place beside the expressway. The population of 96 claims to be the sheep herding capitol of the US.

Today, Wednesday, we traveled about 100 miles on the back roads through the Rockies. The road followed the Madison River into Idaho and we had only one climb when the truck slowed to 30mph in second gear cresting the peak. She did her work today. Jody.....the check engine light came on again yesterday

but didn't go off when i got diesel like the first time. There's no Ford dealer around here so we'll stop in Bozeman, MT after the G&G rally next week to have it checked out.

We are staying here for 3 nights before traveling 5 or 6 miles over the Targhee Pass Saturday to Lionshead CG & the G&G rally with about 50 HitchHikers. We went for a walk around the park and there are 4 other HitchHikers here but none going to the G&G rally so we invited them. We were told they had 4" of snow here Saturday. It's 62, lots of big white clouds so limited sunshine and a good wind blowing, feels like 52 out there.

Casper, WY Pioneer Museum

Sunday we made the 245 mile trip up to Casper, WY. All went well and we arrived in time for me to watch the last 75 laps of the race at MIS. Monday Judy went to Curves & we had the truck's oil changed then went to the Pioneer's Museum. It's a national park documenting the various trails & hardships the pioneers used to travel from MO to OR & CA. I like my RV travel better than theirs. I have to say that we have had 2 days of sunshine & blue sky in a row. It's nice! Tomorrow we head north & west to Laurel or Reed Point Montana.