Wandering Aimlessly

Alred Flats NFS CG, Smoot, WY – 7-28 to 30, 2016

Thursday morning is here already and we haven’t decided where we are going. Every where we look is hot or getting hot. We briefly consider heading to Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah because at 10,000 feet it was going to have some very pleasant temperatures. But we both were unhappy with our stamina at that altitude. We needed cooler weather at lower temperatures.

One thing that our stay at Warren Bridge taught us is that with the low humidity if you can stay in the shade you can stay comfortable. So we need to find a shady spot at around 5,000 feet.

Also getting away from the crowds for a few days seemed like just what we needed. We choose two possible sites, one in Afton, WY and one near Smoot, WY. Our decision made, it was time to pack up and head out.

First order of business is the dump and fill routine. We pull up to the dump station and wonder of wonders, we are the only ones in line. We take care of the dump part, then pull up to fill with fresh water and then the crowds converge.

One thing that is sorely lacking at Gros Ventre is adequate capacity to handle the volume of RV’s that need to do what were are doing. There are 325 sites and two dump stations but only one water fill spigot. And the pressure at that spigot is pitiful. we sat for about 20 minutes trying to fill the tank before we finally gave up because no one could leave until we did. We’ll try to catch something down the road.

We ended up bypassing our first choice for camping near Afton because we never found any signs locating the campground. We continue on to choice number 2, Alred Flats.

We find it and it is partially occupied, but still plenty of spots to choose from. Circling through the campground is pretty tight in Big Guy. So we stop, unhook Sonny, park Big Guy and make another loop around the campgound to find the perfect spot. And we do.

The site is somewhat unlevel, but we manage. We can still get into Big Guy without having to use a ladder so we’re OK. There’s plenty of shade, but for several hours during the day we’ll get plenty of sunlight to charge the batteries. Oh, and satellite reception is adequate. There is no Verizon signal, but life is still good. We sign up for 2 days. Now it’s time to relax.

The next day we travel back to Afton to check out the stores and see the sights. The main attraction is the largest elkhorn arch in the world. It’s pretty impressive and while we are there 2 tour buses regurgitate their cargo that immediately swarm the sidewalks and stores bringing normal commerce and travel to a halt. Fortunately they are only there for about 30 minutes.

Try as we might, we find nothing we must absoultely posess so we head out of town.

That evening we take a short hike back into the woods and discover a beaver damn.

As we walk back, a grouse comes strolling by.

Right outside our dining room window we catch these two little fellows exchanging secrets.

We have enjoyed the peace and quiet here so much we extended our stay by one more day. But finally, we decide we need to do some more research about where we are headed next and the internet is necessary to do that. So it’s time to move on.