Information On Recent Two Month Trip To Northern Parks In U.S. & Canada.

[Philip]

Hello Folks,

Last year I gave a rundown of my three month trip throught the southern parks in the U.S. The purpose was to share information I was always curious about relating to long term camping and travel.

This year I would like to share this information for my 2011 two month trip to the northern parks out west in the U.S. and Canada.

We left home(York, PA) on July 8, 2011 and headed northwest to our first destination of the Badlands NP in South Dakota. The trip continued, not mentioning minor stops, through the following locations: Mount Rushmore, Black Hills, Wind River, Devils Monument, Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP, Waterton Park(Canada), Banff(Canada), Lake Louise, Jasper, The Great Lakes(Canada shores) and back home through New York State. As you notice, we came back east through Canada.

Favorite areas: All were great but we loved Banff and Jasper- probably because it was out first time in these locations. A pleasant surprise were the beautiful shores of the great lakes(Superior, Huron and Ontario) - wonderfull camp sites.

Weather: Virtually perfect for the total trip.

Things we didn't like: Man is it expensive in Canada; food and fuel. Fuel varied from about $4.25 to $5.10/U.S. Gallon. Campsites in Canada are more than in the U.S. but you do generally get more services in the National Parks such as free showers(generally very nice), the option to pay a fixed fee for all the firewood you want(~$8.00/day), generally spectacular esthetic campsites as long as you don't get full hookups(sometimes you can get a beautiful site with electric only). National Park campsites in Canada generally run about $43.00 US/night. Private campgrounds are generally crummy much like in the US - like a parking lot. We only stay in private campgrounds when we have NO OTHER OPTIONS - maybe 5% of the time.

Trip Statistics:

9036 Total Miles(~ 4500 miles in Canada)
15.8 MPG overall mileage
Average daily campsite costs for 60 day trip: $30.10/day.
Total fuel cost: $2579
Average cost of fuel: $4.51/gallon
We also had the chance to weight the TM on a truck scale along the way. With the TM loaded and hooked up to the TV and the WDH connected weight on the TM wheels was: 3620 lbs.

What Worked: Since most often we stayed in a dry campsite(no services), by choice, we relied on our large battery upgrade(440 AH) and the ability to charge the batteries from our tow vehicle when needed. We can go about eight days before the batteries are down 50% and need a charge. Last year we installed heavy(#2) wires from the TV battery to a plug on the rear of the TV which plugs into a new plug on the TM which connects to the TM batteries with new heavy(#2) wire. This allows us to charge the TM batteries from the TV at ~ 30 amps with the TV at idle. The TV can be used as a generator. Running the TV for two to two and a half hours allows us to live off the batteries for another five days. Works great - no noise, no fuss, no additional equipment to maintain and lug around. We stayed 14 days at Yellowstone in a dry campsite with one charge from the TV.
We increased the tires size to 15" this year and balanced and alligned the new tires. The Goodyear Marathons gave us no trouble. The 14" marathons we had last year showed odd wear signes after just 14,000 miles.
One odd item that works absolutely perfectly is something that I don't understand why all couples with campers don't do! When I get to a campsite and need to back the trailor in, I turn over the wheel to my wife and get out and just tell her which way to turn the wheel and how much as she backs up slowly. NO SCREEMING, NO TENSION, NO PROBLEM - VERY EASY. I hear all these comments from others as how to accomplish backing up. None can compare to how we do it!!!

What didn't work: Not much. We really need more 12 volt outlets to charge various devices in the TM. Plan to put more in this year.

We love our TM!!

I hope I didn't bore you to tears but I always am interested in this type of travel information and find it hard to find. So - I wanted to share it with anyone interested. I hope it helps you all in some way.

Take care,

Phil & Susan

[scrubjaysnest]

Nice summary, I'll get ours posted for this year in about a week. We didn't get into Canada this year but your fuel prices are about the same as we paid last year.

That's a useful report, Philip. Thanks for posting.

Keith

Thanks for the report. We hope to take a similar route in the next year or two. I laughed at seeing your parking method:

"... One odd item that works absolutely perfectly is something that I don't understand why all couples with campers don't do! When I get to a campsite and need to back the trailor in, I turn over the wheel to my wife and get out and just tell her which way to turn the wheel and how much as she backs up slowly. NO SCREEMING, NO TENSION, NO PROBLEM - VERY EASY. I hear all these comments from others as how to accomplish backing up. None can compare to how we do it!!! ... "

I learned a long time ago that my wife is actually better at backing the trailer in than I am (as long as I assist, of course 8) ). The only part that we do differently is that we bought inexpensive Motorola walkie-talkies (from Costco, I think) so we can communicate even when I am on the opposite side of the TM.

Thanks P enjoyed the trip report. Two ?
1. Of all the parks u visited where would u choose to spend the most time?
2. Based on the quality of the campsite which NP was your favorite?
Thanks.

This is a wonderful camping story Philip, I really enjoyed it. We will have the opportunity Jan. 15 when my wife retires then we can take off when we want, as long as we want. Little by little I learn so much here. I am on the site everyday to learn more information for our future big travels.

When I back into a site we use hand signals which works out great, of course I always throw in the good one.

Thanks so much for the report,

Dave

[Philip]

Originally Posted by moaboy

Thanks P enjoyed the trip report. Two ?
1. Of all the parks u visited where would u choose to spend the most time?
2. Based on the quality of the campsite which NP was your favorite?
Thanks.

Hello,

Question 1. I would surely say that the NP to spend the most time in is Yellowstone. We spent the most time there, two weeks - which is the maximum time you can stay at a single campsite inside the park, because the size and variability of this park trumps any other park we have visited and we have visited most NPs in the contiguous U.S. and Canada. It takes the better part of a day just to cross the park even if you only spend time looking at just a few of the sites within the park. If you want to look at all the important sites within the park, without looking in much detail, you should allow at least a week to ten days. If you want to include spending time looking for and at animals and doing a little hiking you will need at least two weeks. For us it was easy to spend three days just in the Lamar Valley looking at animals with naked eyes, binoculars and our spotting scope - just wonderful!!
Even if you have young children who naturally have a short attention span, the great variations of wildlife, geology and just natural wonders will keep them occupied for many days. We had our two grandaughters(5 & 6 y.o.) visit us this trip in Yellowstone for five days and they were hardly ever bored. I say hardly because they were bored at times driving some long distances in the park.

Question 2. If I had to choose a NP based solely on campsite I would have to go with a number of parks in Canada. In Banff we had a wonderfull secluded woodland site in TwoJack lake campground. The site had no services but had very nice free showers and we could get all the firewood we wanted for $8.00/day. In Jasper NP we stayed at Wipitu(sp?) campground at an even more spectacular site than Banff. It was a secluded wooded site alongside a quick running rocky stream. Services were the same as Banff. When we came back east in Canada and arrived at the Great lakes we had three spectacular campsites right on Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. They were all wonderfully private and RIGHT ON THE LAKES. Services were the same as Banff and Jasper with the exception that you could only buy those crummy little bundles of firewood for $5.00 that last about 30 minutes. I should mention that when we arrived at the great lakes school had started and the parks were not busy in the weekdays. The great lake parks were Provincial Parks like our State Parks - not NPs.

I should mention that all the campsites had water at locations where you could fill up with drinking water.

I hope this helps in your planning and enjoyment.

Take care,

Phil

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by moaboy

Thanks P enjoyed the trip report. Two ?
1. Of all the parks u visited where would u choose to spend the most time?
2. Based on the quality of the campsite which NP was your favorite?
Thanks.

We stayed at Fishing bridge in 1989 in Yellowstone NP never again park between the painted lines on the pavement.

Last year we stayed at the one near Norris Basin, will do it again.

Like Phillip said for Yellowstone allow a week or two minimum. In Sept. they start closing campgrounds so take that into account. There are two NF campgrounds near the west entrance but they will be as busy as the ones within Yellowstone NP.

Number two is really difficult for us maybe Denali or Cumberland Gap.
Cumberland Gap has some what nicer campsites plus electric and hot showers. Give yourself a week.

Denali also has very nice sites but is dry camping, we spent 10 days last year and will do it again