The border crossing to the USA goes smoothly. There aren't many people here in the solitude of the prairie anyway. Everyone is nice and friendly and nobody wants to look into our car. We are through in 15 minutes. Montana is as big as Germany, but only has 1 million inhabitants. For the time being, the landscape remains the same as in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, endless fields of grain and steppe grass. 150 kilometers later we arrive in Malta, the first town worth mentioning on the route. We stock up on US dollars and replenish our supplies. Fortunately, the prices are somewhat lower than in Canada. It is scorching hot and we drive 30km out to a reservoir. There we can camp for free on BLM land right by the water. However, we can't swim because the lake is totally shallow and musty. But a nice campfire and a great sunset make up for the lack of swimming fun. 

In the morning, we continue southwest to Zortland in the Little Rockies. There is even a restaurant in the small town where we have a healthy and balanced lunch of burgers and chips. A whole series of prohibition signs indicate that alcohol is only served on presentation of ID, no exceptions! In addition, children under the age of 21 are not allowed in the saloon next door. Three kilometers further on is a beautiful campsite in the middle of the forest where we treat ourselves to a few days' vacation.  

We continue southwest. Hundreds of kilometers through farmland until the Rocky Mountains finally appear in the distance. In Lewistown we go shopping and have lunch. We want to buy a little something in the equipment store. Almost a third of the store was reserved for weapons and ammunition. Welcome to America. Karin also tries out a hairdresser again, which is always a special kind of adventure. We chose Crystal Lake in the Big Snowy Mountains for the night, but unfortunately that was a flop. After 30 km of gravel road and up to 1800 meters we reach the lake. But it is only knee-deep and muddy. The campground is a few kilometers further on and lies in the blazing sun. Some large motorhomes have already set up their 4000 watt generators and promise a special kind of evening entertainment. We're not in the mood for that, so a few kilometers further down the road we set up at a trailhead for the night and, somewhat frustrated, make a new plan. This is not so easy in view of the abundance of highlights within a radius of 2000 kilometers, many of which we have already seen on various vacations since 2005. It's currently a heatwave with 35 degrees and more and we drive to Big Timber and go to a campground with shade, laundry and internet. 

We continue on I-90 to Columbus and from there to Red Lodge, a tourist town on the edge of the Rockies. The town is of less interest to us, but the Beartooth Pass, one of the most picturesque passes in the Rockies, is to get to the north-east entrance of Yellowstone Park. After a night in the National Forest, we tackle the pass, which is very popular with motorcyclists due to its many hairpin bends. The road climbs from 2000m up to 3300m. About halfway up, we suddenly lose air and the engine brake stops working. Not good conditions for the descent. We pull into a parking lot and tip the cab over. Thank goodness we find the problem straight away. A connection on the air hose is broken and we even have a spare part with us. After 30 minutes, we continue over the pass and then down to a National Forest Campground at 2300m in beautiful surroundings. There are plenty of opportunities to find a nice spot for every taste in the National Forest. It costs nothing, but you are not allowed to stay longer than 16 days. However, this restriction is probably intended more for the locals who pull their fifth-wheelers into the bush and then park them there for the summer. We definitely got a great spot, even with a tree for shade and a place to hang the hammocks. The 3000-metre peaks tower all around us and the climate is very pleasant with 28 degrees during the day and 10 degrees at night. After crossing the prairie with more than 35 degrees, this is a real relief. That's all we really need.  

After three relaxing days, we continue to the north-east entrance of Yellowstone Park. At over 10,000 square kilometers, the park is huge and, together with the Grand Canyon, the most visited park in the USA. We have been here before in 2008 and 2018, but the magnificent landscape and wildlife are always worth a visit. Knowing that you are walking on a super volcano that is bubbling away at a depth of 8 km and could decide to erupt at any time also gives it a very special charm. It is high season and all the campsites in the park are fully booked unless you have reserved months in advance. We drive through the Lamar Valley with its large herds of bison and visit Tower Falls. In the afternoon we have lunch at the north entrance to the park in Gardiner and spend the first night near the town at a National Forest campground at 2000m. From there we have a beautiful view down the valley to the park. 

The next morning we head back up the pass and into the park to the Mammoth Hotsprings and from there further south to the Norris Geyser Basin. In the late afternoon we leave the park at the west entrance and head back to a National Forest campground nearby.

We treat ourselves to a day off and take a nice bike ride to West Yellowstone. The town is all about mass tourism and is designed in a Wild West style. We stroll around, have lunch and are back at the campground in the early afternoon. 

Well rested, the next day we head via Madison to the Lower and Midway Geyser Basin and of course to Old Faithfull, which erupts regularly every 70-90 minutes for years. 

In the early afternoon, we leave Yellowstone Park to the south and enter Grand Teton NP almost seamlessly. We drive along Jackson and Jenny Lake with a view of the Teton Range, which looks a bit like the Dolomites. The landscape and the panorama are fantastic, but obviously many people are aware of this, because the queue of cars coming towards us is almost endless. Due to overcrowded parking lots, we unfortunately have to skip a hike along the lake. 

We make a stop in the tourist center of Jackson for a stroll through the town and lunch. Everything here is Wild West and every evening there is a shoot out in the town square. We continue south on 191 and find a wonderful campsite in the National Forest on Cliff Creek Road, where we stay for two days. 

We continue on the 191 towards Rock Springs. The road runs along a high plateau at 2300m, framed by the Rockies to the right and left. There is not much to see apart from huge cattle pastures and a few small villages. At lunchtime we make a stop at Big Sandy Lake Reservoir. There we are right by the water with a wonderful panoramic view of the Rockies and we can even take a few swims. We like it so much that we stay there for the night. Towards evening, a monster storm rolls in all around us and we can take some nice pictures of it, but thankfully it passes us by in the end. 

We continue on the 191 via Rock Springs to the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Over thousands of years, the Green River, the longest tributary of the Colorado River at 1175 km, has worked its way through the colorful rock formations and created a deep canyon. In the 1960s, the Flaming Gorge Dam was built, creating a 146 km long winding reservoir framed by the Red Canyon on the south side in Utah. With over 600 camping and picnic sites, including plenty of boat ramps, the whole area is a huge playground for water sports enthusiasts and hikers.

Although we are right on the water at our first overnight stop, everything is wet and the rain stays with us until it gets dark. So, for once, the evening program takes place indoors. The next morning we have a clear blue sky again and change our location. 70 km further on, we find the ideal spot for us on a high plateau just 20 m from the water. We are all alone and enjoy the peace and quiet. But that comes to an abrupt end at 20:00. A clique from Salt Lake City, who have been partying here regularly in the summer for 20 years, frame us and bring all the fun tools that Americans need. We count three motorboats and lots of quads and cool boxes with cold drinks. But the guys are all very nice and we are warmly welcomed into their circle. 

The next morning, Matt invites us on a full-day boat tour and so we set off on three boats into the gorges of the Red Canyon in glorious weather. We have a lot of fun swimming and sightseeing. The panorama looks completely different from the water than from the viewpoints on the road.  

In the morning we say goodbye and continue on the 191, which follows the course of the Red Rock Canyon at an altitude of over 2000 meters. There are breathtaking views from various vantage points that are hard to beat. Flaming Gorge was the surprise for us. We hadn't expected this panorama. In some places you feel like you're in the Grand Canyon with the difference that there is a reservoir a good 500m below. 

Now we continue to Dinosaur National Monument and from there on to Colorado, the state with a magnificent landscape and countless highlights. As always, you'll find out what we experience there in the next blog. Until then, enjoy reading and looking at the pictures.