2003 Rocky Mountain Tour

Shortly after Yumi and I started dating, we thought it might be fun to take the entire tribe out to the Rocky Mountains. I had been there a few times in my youth, but Todd and Matt along with Yumi and her kids had never been. Yumi had been to the mountains before, but those were the quaint little hills of Vermont. Everyone was going to see big piles of rock for the first time. My mother would also come along, revisiting some of the places she and my dad had been together.

After a little planning we decided that we had to see Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore. We would undertake the mission in August. But how to get there? The cost of such a trip dictated that we would need to rent an RV since there was no way we were going to be able to afford hotel rooms for 8 people or take two vehicles needed in order to carry every one. Besides, we wanted to "camp".

The Gang at Gibbon Falls

Grandma and Yumi took care of most of the planning. They took care of the RV rental, camp site reservations and the meal planning. By the end of June most of the details were set, but I still wasn't into it as I'd be once we got closer to our departure date. I was also worried about Yumi and my mother being able to handle a 29' motor home and travelling with 5 kids aged 6,8,10, 11 and 11. Eventually I began to get excited and started to count down the days until we could leave.

Overall this was a fun trip despite the close quarters in the RV. Yumi and I figured if we could survive 10 days with all of the kids all of the time we could survive anything. Everyone got to see the mountains and we got to know each other better. The trip also got the juices flowing for a return trip west to do some backpacking during the summer of 2004. If we had to do it again---which I'm sure we will--- I don't know what changes could be made to make the trip easier. Yumi and Grandma did a wonderful job of planning the trip. I do know that we would have hit the Black Hills first and then over to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. After seeing the Rockies, the Black Hills seemed anti-climactic and a little boring.

Trip Image Gallerys

The Drive West, Beartooth Highway
Grand Teton National Park, Hidden Falls
Rafting the Snake River
Yellowstone National Park I: Grant Village, Lewis Falls, Old Faithful, Kepler Cascades
Yellowstone National Park II: Gibbon River, Morning Glory Pool, Mystic Falls, Virginia Cascade
Yellowstone National Park III: Upper Falls, Lower Falls, Thermal features
Yellowstone National Park IV: Fishing Bridge, Yellowstone Lake
Bighorn Mountains: Cody Dam, Shell Falls, Devils Tower National Monument
Black Hills: Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Wind Cave