July 22, 2020
On our way from Yellowstone, then Cody, Wyoming, we headed east to Lost Cabin campground in Bighorn National Forest. It was a beautiful forest campground on top of the mountain. It did not have any hookups at all, and the pad was dirt and gravel. We loved it, even though no cell service available. We were only going to be here one night, so it was ok to be disconnected!
On the way up to this site, there was a very steep grade hill that we had to climb, and the truck was not happy about it. We could only go about 20 – 30 miles per hour climbing this hill. After reaching the top, Tony was extremely nervous about the gas remaining in the truck. Our campsite was about 15 miles away, but the next town was about 40 miles, and we had about 20 miles left in the gas tank. We put the spare gas can into the truck gas tank and continued.
We got settled into the campground, but then Tony went all the way to Buffalo, 40 miles away to get filled up on gas. I know that sounds crazy to go so far for gas, but if we were to pull the 5th wheel, we would get much lower mileage and perhaps would not make it to the gas station. It was a terrifying experience for sure!
We made it to Devils Tower National Monument the next Day . It was about 11 am when we pulled up, only to find out the campground we were planning to stay at, in the park, was CLOSED! We had no clue, nor had we thought anything about it. It was a first come first serve campground, so we were trying to get there early to snag our spot. Well, that did not work out, due to the pandemic, they closed the campground. This causes Laura a bit of anxiety as she likes to plan everything and make sure we have confirmed reservation. This is exactly why we like to make reservations.
Anyway, we now need a spot to camp for the next 4 nights! Luckily, there was a KOA campground at the base of Devils Tower, however they only had 2 of the 4 nights available. OK, so we took it! We did go ahead and sign of for KOA membership, it’s $30 per year, but it did save on our fees, so ended up really costing us $18. The cost of KOA camping is so much higher than we want to pay, but at a pinch, it’s a great back up place to go as they are everywhere! This site cost us $70 per night … crazy!
But we were at the base of Devils Tower with an awesome view!
After setting up the campsite, we went directly to the tower. We went ahead and walked the entire way around the tower, we did not plan to do this, and we were not prepared with proper shoes, water, sunscreen, or hat. Lesson learned! Be prepared, or don’t go! That evening we watched “Encounters of the 3rd Kind”, which was filmed right here ( for the most part ).
This trip has been on Tony’s bucket list since he first watched that movie over 40 years ago, it’s great to finally live those places you have only dreamed about!
The next day, we got totally prepared, got the camera, water, backpack, hats and sunscreen, and headed to the tower at 7 am, in order to get ahead of the crowds that are inevitable later in the day. We loved this trail! Although it was paved the entire way around the tower, it wound around the rocks, an overlook and forest areas. We even saw a white tail deer and her yearling. It was so cute!
The second day there, we found another trial to hike, got caught up with some work, and Tony grilled up a great dinner for us and we had a fun time playing the game, Farkle, under the stars and under the massive rock tower!
We were able to find another campground within an hour of Devils tower, in Sundance, WY. We got caught up on laundry, did a video for our YouTube Channel and found another hike. While doing laundry, there was a Jenga game on the patio, so of course, we had to play! We played two games, 1 win each .. and we thought we’d leave it at that!
Day 2, while at Sundance, we drove to Spearfish, SD and saw Spearfish falls. I can’t say it was a hike, but rather a very nice walk along the creek and then to a gorgeous waterfall. Even the highway to get there was very scenic with pullouts to view several other waterfalls along the way. It was a nice little trip that day.
During this leg of our journey, we are feeling more comfortable with “life” on the road, verses feeling like we are in “vacation” mode. We do a little work, and do a little
LESSONS LEARNED
- Always have sunscreen and a hat with you. You may just find a great walk or trail to discover.
- Even though plans fell through, things may just work out for the better, don’t stress over it. ( I think I have had this lesson a few times before! )
- Always have spare gas in your vehicle, you never know when you’ll need it.
- Capture the fun when you can!
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