Howdy! I think I’m picking up on the western/cowboy lingo around here! People really do say Howdy around here a lot! Anyhow, we enjoyed our visit to Cody and surrounding area very much. We stayed right in the town of Cody, the RV park was okay, not one of the best. But the location was good. We didn’t go to Yellowstone, even though it was only about 45 minutes away. We were there some years ago, with the kids, and didn’t feel the need to go back and fight the crowds. Everyone we talked to who had been to the park talked about the crowds. We didn’t do any hiking in the Cody area either. Steve hurt his knee while we were hiking the week before, and it needed a rest.
We had to take Gerry to the vet also – a persistent cough that we had checked out while in Minnesota too. He gets a very congested cough and sounds like he’s gagging. Then it goes away for a few days then it comes back. Anyhow, he got a cortisone shot and another round of antibiotics. Hoping it will take care of it.
So enough of the boring stuff! We did drive the Chief Joseph Highway, and also the Beartooth Highway. Both are beautiful mountain drives. The Beartooth crosses into Montana, and ends in the cute little town of Red Lodge. We had lunch at the top of the Beartooth pass, which is about 10,900 feet. There were small areas of snow still, but most is gone for the summer. It’s one beautiful view after another. We had done the Beartooth Highway years ago on a trip with the kids – it was nice to see it again and remember being there with the kids. Both of these mountain passes are definitely to be done in the truck only – way too steep and hairpin curves for the RV.
Beartooth Highway 
Fruit Stand Bounty!
We found a great fruit stand in Cody also. A very nice guy who grew everything on his property in Paradise, Utah and came to Cody for a few days to sell it. Some of the best tasting berries ever. We bought tons and I froze a lot of it. I’m pretty sure we were his best customer of the week!
The highlight of our time in Cody was a trip to visit good friends Don and Patty in Nye, Montanta. Nye is about 2 hours from Cody so we packed up Gerry and our hiking shoes and off we went for an overnight visit. We’ve visited Don and Patty at their Montana home several times in the past and always love it. (They also live in Columbus some of the time). We have taken the kids there a few times and they have fond memories of camping, horseback riding and hiking there. Gerry made friends with the Yellow Labs Kody and Hunter and they were nice enough to share their home with us all. We hiked one of our very favorite hikes, the Sioux Charley. It’s a beautiful hike along a rushing river. The next morning we hiked their property, another favorite. We climbed to the high point on their property, which is about an 1,100 foot elevation gain. Simply spectacular there, meadows, forests, mountains, big sky! It doesn’t get any better.
And, Gerry decided to roll in cow manure while we were hiking!! Got himself a pretty good coating of nice fresh cow crap! So he got an outside bath with the hose and some soap. 🙄
A wonderful visit and so nice to see them again. Gerry had a blast and promptly crashed in the truck and was asleep before we were half a mile down the road!
We left Cody yesterday, and drove to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Very long day of driving, about 10 hours. We’re here for a few days and then will move on to Priest Gulch campground, in southwest Colorado, which will be our home for the month of September. Glenwood Springs is about 3 hours west of Denver, just west of all the ski areas of Aspen, Breckenridge, etc. I’ll let you know what we find here. We did try to hike today, but had to turn back…too hot for Gerry. He just can’t take the heat. It was high 80s, maybe 90. And we’re at about 6,000 feet elevation. It was a very dry, desert-y (is that a word?) kind of trail too – our least favorite. I recall saying before, the 5,000 – 7,000 elevation can be the miserable zone – foothills, not mountains, and hot and dry! Anyhow, that’s what we found today, and Gerry was not liking it at all. Not sure if his heat intolerance is related to the coughing issue, but he really can’t take the heat. So 1/2 mile in, we turned around and came back home to the air conditioning. We went to a local farmer’s market and stopped in at the US Forest Service office and got some recommendations for better hikes, more in the mountains and with water along the trail. So we’re hoping for a better hike in the next day or two.
In the meantime, enjoy pictures below and enjoy the end of summer. Can’t believe it is almost the end of August already!
Sioux Charley Hike https://photos.app.goo.gl/KE8nHAVVizkV9TFZ6
Don and Patty’s: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PRn38nJqjUTuyK4g8
Chief Joseph Highway and Beartooth Pass: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zWtsoQrh3QAVhZDx5