FEELER: Backroads of Yellowstone/Grand Teton Meet - 2015

MTgirl · 2015-03-02T00:45:05+00:00

Just posting this over here for my fellow 4Runner owners.... For those of you who don't know me from tacomaworld I have planned many a meet in my day. Took a little hiatus last year but I've missed meeting up with great folks, sharing dusty roads and swapping stories around the campfire so I'm back to planning meets. I've wanted to do a backroads of Yellowstone tour for a while now, seemed like a great time to dive back into planning meets. Just gauging interest for now. I don't want to lead a huge group but everyone is welcome as long as you love camping, great scenery and don't mind when I stop every 15 minutes to take a few pictures. Without further ado.... This is a trip I've been wanting to do for a while now. I have traveled to all of the areas at one time or another but never in one marathon trip. We could probably cram it into a 4 day/ 3 night trip but a 5 day/ 4 night trip may work better. Mid to late July would be best but we'll see who wants to tag along and talk dates later on. All areas are fairly easy to drive, minimal obstacles. At the most we may need to worry about a few sections of clay/mud. This is more of a leisure sightseeing trip, not a hard core wheeling trip. Basic route/itinerary: day 1: Meet in Ennis, MT. Explore the Gravelly Range SW of Ennis and camp out for the night. day 2: Finish off the Gravelly Range drive and head through Red Rock Lakes to Henry's Lake, ID. Stop at Big Springs. Camp along Fish Crk Rd or Mesa Falls Scenic hwy. day 3: Head from Mesa Falls to Cave Falls in Yellowstone. Break for lunch then take Ashton-Flagg/Grassy Lake Rd and camp out for the night. day 4: Head into Grand Teton park. Take River Rd, take a hike, in general explore the park and stop for supplies, showers, etc. Head to Granite Hot Springs south of Jackson to camp. day 5: Pack up and head for home! I'll be going through Yellowstone on the way home, anyone that wants to join me is welcome to! alternate 4 day trip would probably be day 1 gravelly range, day 2 big springs to cave falls, day 3 cave falls to granite hot springs, day 4 head for home. Skipping Red Rocks and leaving less time to explore in Grand Important things to consider: CAMERAS ARE MANDATORY ON THIS TRIP!!! So many cool things to see along this route. By taking the back road from Ashton to Flagg Ranch we will be bypassing any entrance stations to get into Grand Teton but once we exit the park there is no "free" route back in. Entrance passes to the park are $25 if you need to drive through the park to get back home. All camping areas will be primitive and in bear country. There are no bathrooms, etc. All trash, food and cooking supplies must be stored in your truck cab or under a topper. No exceptions. No trailers allowed on the Ashton Flagg Rd (single lane) and I wouldn't recommend trailers in the Gravellies (too steep) so this would be a tenters only affair Gas stations will be limited. Ennis, Henry's Lake, Colter Bay (in Grand) and Jackson are the only available gas stations. Bringing an extra fuel can is recommended. Due to low snowpack I expect we could see fire restrictions in place early this summer. In that event campfires would be a no-no and you will have to rely on propane stoves for your cooking needs. I have zero tolerance for anyone who can't follow the rules. We will stay on the trails, obey any closures, and leave no trace. If you can't follow the rules, stay home. Points of interest: Gravelly Range Drive Big Springs Mesa Falls Cave Falls Grand Teton Granite Hot Springs Link to the same thread on tacomaworld for additional BS and shenanigans