Mini-rally in Bozeman, MT

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
gmsboss1

gmsboss1

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2007
Posts
892
Location
Cary, NC
The most wonderful and surprising things can happen when there are Forumites in the area! 

On Wednesday, Mary Ann (Pelicanlady) told me that she was planning to take me out to Father's Day lunch at the Famous Dave's (BBQ) in Bozeman, MT.  The word got around the Forumites in the area with the result that we had 13 Framily members meeting at Famous Dave's for lunch!

The West Yellowstone Chapter of the Framily suddenly expanded to the West Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Ennis, and Belgrade Chapter!

Maybe not a big deal in terms of a get together, but 6 of the attendees drove at least 200 miles (round trip) to participate.  The prize for the greatest distance covered to join the fun goes to Bill and Jolene Whetstone and Jim and Pat Dick who came in from Old Faithful, Yellowstone NP, at least 250+ miles. Mike and Judy Wagner, along with Mary Ann and I, were the runners up, driving down from West Yellowstone, MT, 200+.

200+ miles to go to lunch!!!???  Now that's Framily spirit!

Here's the participant list which will match up, reading left to right, with the pictures below:

Ernie and Tara White
Bill and Jolene Whetstone
Jim and Pat Dick
Kim Bertram
Don and Mary Ann Nesbitt
Mike and Judy Wagner
Jim and Pat Godward

The blue bottles being held up in the second picture are bottles of Famous Dave's Original BBQ Sauce, given free to all the fathers having lunch at Famous Dave's today. Maybe that explains the long drives.......

The smiles tell the story.......
 

Attachments

  • Ernie, Tara, Jolene, Bill, Pat, Jim, Kim, Don, Mary Ann, Mike, Judy, Jim and Pat 3.jpg
    Ernie, Tara, Jolene, Bill, Pat, Jim, Kim, Don, Mary Ann, Mike, Judy, Jim and Pat 3.jpg
    51.1 KB · Views: 75
  • Ernie, Tara, Jolene, Bill, Pat, Jim, Kim, Don, Mary Ann, Mike, Judy, Jim and Pat 2.jpg
    Ernie, Tara, Jolene, Bill, Pat, Jim, Kim, Don, Mary Ann, Mike, Judy, Jim and Pat 2.jpg
    44.2 KB · Views: 46
Since Ernie and Tara were staying at Ennis where I am, and I drove 106 miles roundtrip, with Ernie and Tara as passengers, do I only get credit for 35 point something miles?  :'(

Good times!

Sky King
 
Pat and I lose in this competition as round trip was about 25 miles.  We also lost on promptness as we were next to last on arrivals.  It was great to meet new, to us, people and renew friendships with the old timers.

Further, we look forward to more during the summer not only in the Bozeman/Belgrade area but wherever in the area.  As noted the area for Framily is quite large!!
 
Lovely pics. I did notice that you all have jackets on and the sky looks rather menacing in the background. What's the weather been like up there? Are the crowds down from previous years? or is it just as busy as always?
 
Troutbum said:
Lovely pics. I did notice that you all have jackets on and the sky looks rather menacing in the background. What's the weather been like up there? Are the crowds down from previous years? or is it just as busy as always?
Click to expand...

Weather here this spring has been a little colder, more wind and lots of rain.  Ths year is is more like I remember when I was growing up in the 40s and 50s.  Back to the old cycle.  They are predicting some nicer weather for a couple of days then back to wind and rain for a few more and then nice for the weekend at least this is for the Bozeman/Belgrade area.  I haven't seen a long range prediction for the summer though.

Can't really comment on YP attendance but the news last week was it was slightly behind last year and that was attributed to the snow and cold weather.
 
Thanks for the reply Jim. Nice to have first hand info. We'll be heading to Yellowstone the 6th of July and meeting my brothers who are visiting family in Billings. The thought I was very silly when I suggested at least one pair of pants and a jacket. They are from So.Cal and think that's ridiculous. Again, Thank you
 
Let them go wth their feelings.  Then rent them warm stuff. 

Lunch was great, and when yo do 250 miles for lunch, you need to gang it with some other items. 
Got shoes, new toy for computer, got pics of bighorn sheep with the babies, elk and calf, grizzley leaving the scene,
(just his backside, oh well) and all the way down to a lil ol Pika.  Great day!

 
Troutbum said:
Thanks for the reply Jim. Nice to have first hand info. We'll be heading to Yellowstone the 6th of July and meeting my brothers who are visiting family in Billings. The thought I was very silly when I suggested at least one pair of pants and a jacket. They are from So.Cal and think that's ridiculous. Again, Thank you
Click to expand...

When we lived in So CA/OC we always advised our friends to take a warm jacket and at least one set of "winter" clothes.  A few did and were thankful, others didn't and haunted retail and thrift stores to get warm clothes. 

Remember it can snow any month of the year in western MT/Yellowstone.  Now for Billings, you dress like you would for the So. CA desert!!  Eastern Montana is a totally different world from the West.  Having lived in both, the difference is striking.  My wife is So. CA girl, grew up in Placentia, and she does not like eastern MT in the summer anymore than the CA desert.  We have driven through a few times in the summer and it usually takes all 3 ACs to keep the MH cool.

Go to Google world and look at the topography of both and you will get an idea of the differences.
 
Grew up in SoCal myself and met hubby in Mt, just outside of West Yellowstone (15 years ago). We make twice annual trips but this will be a first with our TT. We are very familiar with both states and the variance in climates, having traveled from west to east and back again :) . Friends don't tend to take us seriously but that's okay, they'll learn.
Thanks so much for the input, Karyn
 
Judy & I had a great time at the mini-rally at FD's.  We enjoyed meeting more Framily members & putting faces with the names that we see on the forum. 
Thanks to Don & Mary Ann for organizing it & for driving to Bozeman. 
 
It was a great day and a wonderful way to celebrate Father's Day. Received a call from our Daughter when we returned and got a Facebook message from our Son. Didn't expect his call since he was in Saudi Arabia!!!

On the way to the luncheon we happened upon a Moose Cow feeding along the Gallatin River. Coming back through the Gallatin Mountains, there was a truck accident. Must have happened just before we arrived. This is a 50 mile downhill run from just outside West Yellowstone to Bozeman!
 

Attachments

  • Moose.jpg
    Moose.jpg
    102.2 KB · Views: 28
  • Accident.jpg
    Accident.jpg
    149.3 KB · Views: 47
We heard on the early morning news yesterday that neither of the co-drivers were injured -- at least not until he checks in with his dispatcher....
 
Don,

That's good! He's going to be in a world of hurt with the Boss!!! It did appear that whoever was in the truck got out safely.
 
Boy am I glad we returned through the Park.  Whenever we head to Bozeman we usually make a circuit instead of backtracking. 
 

Attachments

  • _MG_7510.jpg
    _MG_7510.jpg
    106.8 KB · Views: 25
Bill,

We stopped there yesterday but there was no sign of any Big Horns. Did get Antelope with baby, Black Bear, and Owlette. :)
 
Don and MaryAnn, are you still working at Grizzly for the summer?  We are going to be there for a few days in August prior to heading to Grand Teton NP.  Mike.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 449 (members: 9, guests: 440)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,913
Posts
1,387,265
Members
137,665
Latest member
skibumbob
Back
Top Bottom