Get up at 9, I go downstairs and have waffles for breakfast and watch the weather channel. We get on the road by 9, and head off through increasingly beautiful countryside. From Ashton onwards it is simply beautiful. Gorgeous fresh snow, mountains, trees, very very pretty.
Driving on through west yellowstone, and north towards big sky, we pass three single vehicle car wrecks. An SUV on it's side, and SUV on it's lid, (Both fresh, with police still in attendence) and a pickup getting put onto a tow truck. (not so fresh)
Gorgeous lunch at Jo Mamma's by the big sky turnoff. Very very tasty roast beef sandwhiches. Very very quiet.
Stop in Bozeman at Barrel Mountaineering to have a chat, see what's up. They too recommend Cooke City for snowmobiling. Continue down to Gardiner, and check into the Best Western, with a river front view, for $60odd again. Quite a nice room, nicer than the super8, but no free breakfast here. Gardiner is dead quiet, it seems the big cuts in allowed snowmobiling in the park is having quite an effect on the area's economy. Stop at a nice bookstore to have a look for maps, and get none, then grab our swimmers to head off to mammoth for a quick look, and then a swim at boiling river.
The hotel at Mammoth looks simply fantastic, very very nice looking, and quite quiet, but it turns out it has only been open for one day of the season so far. Get directions to boiling river, (it's not marked) and head off with just enough time for a swim. brisk walk out, running into just about everyone heading back to their cars, mostly locals it seems. A quick dip, pleasantly refreshing after our two days of driving, and the a brisk walk/jog back again.
Pizza for dinner at the K-Bar, and some pool, then back to the motel to plan the rest of the trip, write this sort of stuff, play video games and watch tv.
