Week 3: Montana to North Cascades and Seattle

DAY 15: June 2nd

2,680 miles driven; 20.5 miles hiked; 6 states

After another cold morning, I planned my route (using paper maps – there’s no cell service in the park!) and headed out for a long day of driving.

Yellowstone is huge. The park covers more than 2.2 million acres, an area larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined! Unfortunately, the road from Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt was still closed for the season, so I had to backtrack and circle back around to reach the northeast side of the park. Upon arriving in Lamar Valley, I was treated to fantastic views and large groups of bison in the fields. While I don’t have any photos, I saw a variety of wildlife during my time in the park, including bison, elk, ducks, chipmunks, a grizzly bear, and a moose.

One problem planning my route with paper maps is that I didn’t get a good sense of the time it would take to reach my intended destination. A small line on the map turned into several hours traversing a mountain pass! Coming from Texas, it was surreal to drive through landscapes and forests still covered in feet of snow in June. These pictures don’t truly capture the extent of it – I passed several lakes that were entirely frozen, and most of the road had been dug out and was lined by huge walls of snow.

I ended up going to Billings, the largest city in Montana (though that’s not saying much – it has a population of around 110,000!). After running a few errands in town, I stopped at Planet Fitness for a workout and shower. Unfortunately, I was very tired by this point and ended up putting my 40 oz water bottle into my gym bag without screwing on the lid… not a great start! I’m spending the night in a Walmart parking lot. It’s not the most glamorous, but I feel safe with my window covers and it doesn’t really matter where I am when I’m sleeping in my car. I’m starting to head to the coast, so I have a few more long driving days ahead. Time to find a good audiobook!

DAY 16: June 3rd

3,030 miles driven; 22 miles hiked; 6 states

After an uneventful night, I drove five hours to Missoula, stopping in Butte for gas and a bathroom break. Once I’d arrived, I hiked to the ‘M’ on Mount Sentinel. While the trail was short, it was challenging, gaining 620 feet in elevation in three-quarters of a mile. I timed the hike perfectly, just missing a thunderstorm that started rolling in as I made my way down. I stopped at Planet Fitness to walk on a treadmill for a bit before heading to a hotel for the night.

DAY 17: June 4th

3,225 miles driven; 24 miles hiked; 7 states

I’m exhausted. Staying up to watch Spiderman: Far From Home last night might not have been the best idea, though I did still get eight hours of sleep. This was another relatively slow day. I drove three hours from Missoula to Spokane, then spent the afternoon walking around and hanging out in Manito Park. The little ducklings were definitely a highlight! After spending far too long debating various options, I ended up just booking another hotel for the night. I’d really like to do nothing for a day or two, but I don’t have a consistent place to stay and my free time seems to always end up devoted to planning my next moves!

DAY 18: June 5th

3,385 miles driven; 25.5 miles hiked; 7 states

I had another slow day today, as I’m still feeling pretty worn down. After sleeping in, I went to a local public library to make a plan for the day. I ended up going for a 1.6-mile hike at Palisades Park. While the scenery was beautiful and I loved listening to the birds and running water, I did find a disappointing amount of litter along the way.

After my hike, I stopped at Planet Fitness for a quick workout and shower, then grabbed dinner from Safeway. Unfortunately, my lovely little parking lot car picnic was interrupted by a beetle crawling up my leg (*shudder*), prompting a stress-induced nosebleed!

I ended the day by driving around three hours to Omak, where I’m spending the night in a Walmart parking lot before continuing on two more hours to North Cascades National Park.

DAY 19: June 6th

3,525 miles driven; 27.5 miles hiked; 7 states

After an uncomfortable night (my car sleeping setup isn’t the best), I packed up and drove two and a half hours to North Cascades National Park. Remarkably (given that it’s June), it snowed lightly on the way! Unless reservations are made far in advance, camping in the park is first-come-first-served, so my first stop was at the Newhalem campground to stake out a spot. After setting up camp, I headed to the Visitor Center and hiked River Loop Trail, an easy 1.8-mile walk.

Despite being one of the least-visited National Parks, North Cascades is beautiful. The park has over 300 glaciers – more than any other US park outside of Alaska. Glacial melt is responsible for the gorgeous turquoise water in the park’s lakes. After my short hike, I drove to Gorge Creek Overlook. The views were stunning despite the heavy fog.

It’s been quite cold and rainy today. By the evening, I was exhausted and just wanted to snuggle up in a warm blanket with a book and some hot cocoa. So, that’s what I did! My little camp stove performed much better without heavy winds. I might attempt pasta again tomorrow night…

Given that my fingers were numb from cold at two in the afternoon, I’m guessing that tonight might not be the most fun! I’ll definitely be sleeping in lots of layers. I plan on exploring the park more and camping here again tomorrow before continuing to Seattle on Tuesday.

DAY 20: June 7th

3,555 miles driven; 30.5 miles hiked; 7 states

After packing up camp, I headed out to explore for the day. My first stop was at Diablo Lake Overlook, where the views were absolutely stunning.

I continued on to Ross Dam Trail, where I hiked 2.25 miles. Going downhill on the way to the dam was much more enjoyable than the return trip, but the cool air, shade, and slight wind made it comfortable. I’m not a fan of heights, so being on top of the 540-foot tall dam wasn’t exactly my favorite, but it was still a remarkable feat of engineering to observe!

On my way back towards Newhalem, I stopped at Gorge Creek Overlook again. While the area was beautiful even with the fog, the clearer weather today made clear just how gorgeous it is! This time, I returned to the parking lot via Gorge Overlook Trail, a short 0.3-mile walk around the other side. I was tired and hungry by this point, so I stopped for a picnic in “downtown” Newhalem (the town has a population of around 740, so there isn’t much!).

I spent the afternoon and evening relaxing. I wasn’t feeling up for more hiking, so reading, a short nap, and watching The Avengers was a nice way to spend the rest of the day. I tried to make pasta for dinner, but I still couldn’t get the water to reach a boil. Luckily, I was able to make use of the hot water by making some oatmeal and hot cocoa (a treat, as they’re usually reserved for when I have access to a microwave!). After a few nights of restless and uncomfortable sleep, I’m hoping to get a good rest tonight before I head to Seattle for the next few days!

DAY 21: June 8th

3,680 miles driven; 33.5 miles hiked; 7 states

Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep well again. After packing up camp, I drove just over two hours to Snohomish. I spent a few hours doing laundry at a laundromat in the area. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given how much I’ve always enjoyed doing laundry, but I love a nice laundromat. Rows of huge washing machines, walls lined with industrial dryers, massive tables for folding, baskets on wheels…. it’s a dream!

Anyways, once I was done, I continued on 45 minutes to Green Lake Park, where I went for a three-mile walk. I loved seeing all the ducks and geese, especially the babies.

My next stop was Gas Works Park. I didn’t stay long, but it had a great view of the Seattle skyline and the industrial structures were definitely unique.

On my way to the hotel, I stopped briefly at Washington Park Arboretum. Unfortunately, I was quite hungry and my knees and hips were hurting from the walking earlier in the day, so I didn’t stay long, but I might figure out a way to come back in the next couple of days. After checking in to the hotel (which has a great city view!), I treated myself to a yummy dinner from Veggie Grill.

It’s honestly hard to believe that I’ve already been on the road for three weeks. The time has flown by! I’m excited to explore more of Seattle tomorrow (and to sleep in a real bed tonight)!

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I’m breaking up my posts by week. If you’d like to keep following along, look for my Week 4 post!