I made it out of Billings to the Bluebird trail. Before writing about that adventure, here is my weekly summary:

Big Horn Mountains, WY

Greatest Find on the road: propane, water, van gas  all in one place (Flying J)

Biggest Duh: Trying for 5 minutes to light refrigerator (propane connection). Tried again and again later. Forgot to turn on the propane

Best Tango Moment: Sniffing in garbage, spooked by something, back flipped, jumped on spare bunk.

Noticeably missing: Man showing his parts, but I did see the backside of a large possum

Best Office: Picnic table at Tie Hack Day Use Area

Best Camp Meal – Grilled veggies

Best Cocktail – Bloody Mary made with V-8 Lime juice, consumed while  watching the sun set

Friendliest people online: Womenrv.com.

Most Helpful People Online: popupportal and rvnet  (click on Forums)

Best Daily Chore: Gathering firewood

Strangest absence of birds: High elevation in Big Horns

Best animal encounter: I had set up an outdoor potty since I was in a remote area and I didn’t think anything would be interested in watching. One evening I sat down there and I felt eyes on me. I looked up and saw a small herd of cows and their babies watching me from about 20 yards (cows often graze on NP land). They looked shy, as cows do, and tried to pretend they were not staring at me. I told them to skedaddle and they did. My friend Bob taught me how to talk to “girls”.

Most polite and humble visitor to campsite: Buck who comes into meadow, early morning and just at sundown. Munches, goes back into the Aspen trees

Loudest Bird: This guy screamed at us most of the time we were in the Bighorns

Best discovery: Farmer’s Market in Buffalo, Weds evening

Biggest problem: Getting comfortable

Worst attempt at improving comfort  Air mattress under camper mattress.

True confession: tossed my mattress in the garbage dumpster at a Baptist Church–mattress from the devil

Most impetuous behavior:  Cut up foam mattress topper, one piece for exercise room, one piece for outdoor chair

Best decision:  Move into Montana

 On the Road:

 

Best Fast Food: Cenex jalapeno burger

Best Discovery: Showers at Cenex, and large traveler’s plaza.  Junction in Mt…separate building with showers, hair cutting business. Didn’t need a shower as I had two while staying overnight in a Billings motel, but good to know.

Best budget-blowing purchase: Fancy self-inflating sleeping pad, two great chairs.

Best transition: A night at Dry Wolf Campground (Bluebird Trail) after an overnight in a Billings hotel. I did not popup Half Moon because I was only staying  one night, here is why this was the best transition or turning point in the trip:

•  Best Location: Finally, I found the camping spot (primitive NFS area) I had imagined for this trip. Cozy, private, ringed with tall pines, mountain views, endless wildflowers.
•  Best New Camp Set Up: 1). Ergonomic director’s chair area, aimed into the woods, where I drink morning coffee and evening decaf, 2) zero gravity lounger near the fire pit, under the shade, where I write and read, and 3). spa area on the picnic table where I stretch, exercise, and watch the treetops and sky from a new position.
•  Best Advance Planning: I knew that I would sleep in the van while passing through some  areas. I kept it set up for storage and sleeping and left all my camping gear from when I van-camped (stove, warm clothes, hand warmers, coffee, a few canned food items, blankets, pillows. I pushed the solar panel and folding table up into the front of the van, which gave Tango and me enough room to maneuver.

Outdoor kitchen, new director’s chair

Slept in the van

•  Smartest Action: With all the devil mattress-related aches and pains I started stretching both mornings and evenings. Each time I did double the usual back stretches. Also, Tango and I took 20 minute walks three times a day. I am feeling fit, flexible, and ache-free! Ready now to settle down in Half Moon and do some serious birding and working.

Spa room with new zero gravity lounge

• Best view while prone at spa: Small white butterfly with black edges on wings. White was semi-transparent and the light shone through
• Prettiest Flowers: 
•  Scariest Unseen Critter: While enjoying the prone view, I noticed long strands of former spider webs waving from pine branches. Loooong strands, maybe 18-24 inches.  I thought, if that is one stand, how big was the original web and where is the spider who built it? 
• Best Nights Sleep: I allowed my new Cabela’s ultimate sleeping pad to self-inflate while I set up the new camp arrangement and drank decaf. I gathered up all the pieces of my old foam mattress topper, which I had cut up for other purposes, placed the Cabela on top of them, and slept like a baby. I got the wide version (not the double) because I knew if I liked it, I would be sharing it with Tango. True enough. We both slept until 11: 30 AM Sunday morning.

  What is next?  My attitude is improving in direct proportion to my comfort level. The plan is to head a bit further north and west, to a birding area that is “on every serious birder’s bucket list”. Not sure where I will set up camp yet…several possibilities

 Note to fellow wanderers: The primitive camping fee at Dry Wolf CG  in the Little Belt Mountains (west of Stanford, MT) is $5/night or $2.50 with senior pass. It is worth the 20 mile drive on a mostly flat gravel road. This is a perfect place in every way!