Big White Truck Crosscountry

Wyoming!

This trip had two main goals. Glacier NP in Montana, and Grand Teton in Wyoming.I already did Yellowstone earlier, before I went back to Bozeman, so that won't be included in this post (it was posted earlier).

At the end of that last post, I was in Idaho, driving to Wyoming. I originally left the Big Sky MT area due to incoming rain, but little did I know what awaited me in Jackson.


Practically a flash flood. All the roads were instantly under 1-2" of water, though I don't think it rained much in the valley itself - I think it dumped right over Jackson. Thankfully it only lasted a few minutes, so no real damage, more of an inconvenience. Though for me, it was a welcome sight. A slight reminder of Charleston - insane afternoon thunderstorms that knock down the heat and humidity. The smells of incoming thunderstorms, the smells of freshly watered grass, moist air, and the sound of rivers and streams growing in size. Something that was a deep reminder of back home.

After grabbing groceries and such in Jackson, I went to find camp (which was insanely difficult). First, I hit Mormon Row. One of those things that's way better in photographs, I'm honestly not sure if it's worth seeing it more than once. Lots of people, traffic, noise, and not exactly an interesting sight in person. The history is cool, but you can read it on Wikipedia. So I quickly left and went to something more ME - camping infront of a no camping sign.

I started bombing roads through the park, random roads that lead into different parts of the forest. I went down one by a science center, doing 35 or 40 maybe, and hit a washed out section, no wider than my tire. The truck jumped, and was fine, but it broke the loctite on the bolts holding the tent down. It came loose and that complicated things very much.

After a few moments of anger, just like in Arkansas, I realized I didn't have any time to waste and no one was going to fix my problem.

I drove 30min back into Jackson to Ace, got loctite, spent an hour 1/2 in the parking lot unbolting the tent, realigning it, and redoing the loctite and bolts. If there is one criticisms of the Roofnest, it's the durability of the provided hardware. I'm sure it's fine on a Subaru or a Land Cruiser with a more mature driver, but I am not driving those, and I am not mature. I have had to do a decent amount of work to make the hardware durable enough to withstand my use-case. That being said, everything else about it has been perfect.

My site for the night was inside the park (a big no-no), but I was right on the border with the forest, and was far out of the way of anyone passing by, and didn't really have any other choice that didn't sacrifice my personal safety.


The next day, I hiked into the Tetons, and took the ferry over. It was an absolutely gorgeous.






I did go swimming in the pool in the first picture! Genuinely the coldest water I've ever experienced. I lasted about 30 seconds.
The total hike was supposed to be about 9 miles, the ferry captain said the best views were right where I stopped - when the valley opened up, so I don't think I missed much, and the high of the day was 91, so I wasn't about to pointlessly suffer.
A day I will not soon forget.

After that, I drove through the park, to a boat ramp on the Snake River, and chilled for a bit. I slept once again in the park, near another ramp, waiting for sunrise. I still haven't edited those pictures, but here's a little iphone shot.


I spent two nights, 3 days, in the Tetons, and I feel like I saw a good amount. I will be back, but I think there is more to Wyoming outside the park. And so that is where I headed the next morning.

I saw a post on Instagram of an underground heated pool somewhere in WY, but the photographer specifically said he would not share the location. Well, that wasn't much to go on.


Well, I was not going to let that go. I found a post on reddit where someone said it was off one of the main highways out of the tetons to the east, 24 maybe? I forget which. I opened OnX and scoured the satellite images for any hints. The reddit post said it was only accessible by 4x4 (not really true but close enough), and was near private land near the highway - but had to be accessed by the back on public lands. Ok, good info.

I found what looked like a black hole on OnX matching those descriptions, and off I went. Whether I succeeded or not, the scenery was incredible.

But I did succeed.




I was NOT swimming in that. Yeah, its gorgeous, and about 75-80f. But growing up in murky water, I don't want to see whats under me. No thanks.



Continued.

 

Once I hit pavement, of course I had to air up. I've really loved the Viair. It has its benefits over onboard air for sure.


Next up was Devils Tower. I got there kinda later, maybe 6pm, and had trouble finding a campsite on public land with cell signal. I have become very comfortable sleeping in sketchy spots. I've become more aware that people think I am the psycho (they wont bother someone who looks crazier than them), and I have multiple ways of defending myself always within arms reach. With that in mind, I slept at an overlook on the highway outside Devils Tower.

Sunrise did not disappoint either.


I actually got to watch a few groups of climbers make their way up! That was incredible to see in person. After that I headed into South Dakota. That will be next!

 

Alright, lets wrap this up!

From Devils Tower, I slept there for sunrise, stayed and hiked (strolled) for a few hours, and left before noon. Devils Tower is near the SD border, so that was the natural progression.


First stop was the alleged geographic center of the United States.
Easy enough, right?


Well, it's a big lie. This is not the geographic center of the United States. I was about to drive away, pulled out of my parking spot, then thought "maybe they have stickers here." Well, they didn't have stickers. But they did have a nice old gentleman who let me in on a secret - this isn't the center of the country. Something to do with Alaska and Hawaii being admitted to the Union. Then he told me where I could find the real geographic center - 30 miles or so north of here, down a gravel road, on private property, but the owners let people visit. Well Mr Old Gentleman, that sounds like a fun adventure. So a quick stop across the street at the gas station, and off I went. (They had no stickers, either.)

Well, it was really in the middle of nowhere. I have never felt so alone. There was no one around me for miles, and I could also see more miles. There is something fascinating about the ability to see for insane distances in the plains. In a forest, you know you are alone, but you are inbetween a million trees. Out here, you know you are alone and you see that you are alone.



Well, that's more like it!

So that took way longer than I expected, but it was worth it for sure. Next step was Walmart, I was almost out of water. I drove Spearfish Canyon into Rapid City, and unfortunately didn't take any pics. But if you spend time in Appalachia, it was almost identical. It was surreal, like I was transported back east. Roadside waterfalls, winding roads through the forest, similar trees. Quite an enjoyable drive.

My plan for that night was drive an hour east of Rapid City to a place called Nomad View, probably the most famous dispersed camping spot in the region. I got there, and it was busy, but I was surprised at how clean it was. No trash, no toilet paper, very few off-path roads. I think it was the most respected popular spot I've been. But it absolutely lives up to the hype.


If you get the chance, it's an absolutely stunning spot and well worth the drive out of Rapid City.

The plans for the next two days were hitting the Badlands and Black Hills. Minuteman Missiles, Rushmore, Iron Mountain Rd, Needles Highway, Wind Cave NP, and then south to Nebraska. It would prove to be a few long days.

The next morning, I woke up in the clouds. But more importantly, I woke up with humidity. What a welcome feeling. Like a wall of marshmallows, just like back home.


And from there, the Badlands


The Badlands were incredible. I've never seen anything like them. If I did it over again (and it wasn't 100 degrees), I would say you need one day - sunrise to sunset - to experience it all. There is not too much to do, besides reading the signs and stopping at the overlooks. In a few places, they let you walk into the badlands, kind of a free-for-all. Kind of like Yellowstone, where it's so accessible it doesn't require a 2hr hike to see the main attractions. Well worth your time, especially if you're from out east where the idea of vastness is merely in our minds.

From the Badlands, I was off to the Minuteman Missile Sites. This was the greatest place I've been on this entire trip. More impressive than any landscape, more moving than any mountain range. Genuinely incredible. Not necessarily the missiles themselves, but more the stories. If you are doing this, plan ahead to get tickets online for a tour of the above ground command center. I started at the visitor center, where the movie in the theater is insane. The story of the missiles, the Cold War, the people behind them, the governments (there are both American and Russian military officers in the film), and just how close we are to destruction. It is very humbling.


The park is split into three areas. The visitor center, the above ground command center, and a missile silo. Like I said, you need tickets for the center, and I didn't know that. But it is still worth stopping (15sec off the highway exit ramp) to read the signs and learn about it. The silo is more impressive though. There is an available audio tour you can get on your phone, which I did, and it is a walk through of the site, what it was like during use, and the functions of each piece of equipment - all narrated by one of the men who worked there. It really took me back in time, I felt like he was there showing me everything.

The missile silo

Like I said, absolutely incredible. The greatest place I've been on this entire trip.
From there, I headed to Rushmore. Which was honestly kind of dissapointing. The great monument to America, and..
You have to pay for parking (NPS pass doesn't work)
It's the most commercialized park/monument I've ever seen.

I was so disappointed, I expected...less commercialization. The monument is awesome, the rangers were super knowledgeable, but it literally feels like an old school mall. All it's missing is a Belks and an escalator. Ice cream shops, gift stores (with ugly stickers), bookstores, a tiny museum, etc. The museum was the best part, but like I said, it was probably 1/10th the size of the rest of the commercial area.


Greatest president of all time, and that isn't a political statement. So, overall, is it worth going to see? Yes. But lower your expectations, because just like the Grand Canyon, it is very overhyped.

From Rushmore, I went back into Rapid City to shower at my gym, and grab some dinner. Then I tried to find somewhere to sleep, and decided to park at the ranger station (again, next to a no camping sign). I'm always very low profile when I camp somewhere like that, I slept inside the truck, didn't leave trash, didn't make noise, left early in the AM, etc.

From there, I headed to Custer State Park to do Needles Highway. I got some INSANE pictures of this place, but I haven't even taken them off my camera yet. Maybe one day.


Well worth seeing! So insane. Theres tons of things I couldn't take pics of because I was driving, but you need to see it. After that, I headed to Wind Cave NP, hoping I could snag a tour. Unfortunately, they were booked out til noon (it was only 9am), and there were well over 75 people infront of me, so I probably would've had to wait until 1 or 2. No bueno. Next time I will be there early, as soon as they open the door. But it was still a gorgeous drive through the park, one that is less visited than some others.

Overall, South Dakota is worth your time. Just like most places, the best things are not the ones that are most visited.

From South Dakota, I headed into Nebraska to see Agate Fossil Beds NM, and unfortunately, that is literally just a place where the found the fossils. Super underwhelming, I thought they'd have the fossils that were found there. But it was literally just area there. On the bright side, I found something very familiar. Marsh, in Nebraska.


And that was the end. I decided to head back home. I was low on money, I couldn't escape this heatwave, and by July, most places are slammed with tourists 7 days a week. But Nebraska gave me one last treat.


This was my campsite on state land just off the highway. Not bad.


The next morning, I drove from 7am to 8pm, and landed at a Loves on the Kentucky/Illinois border (bench seat always coming in clutch). I was back home the following evening.

Whats next? Well, I'm a fan of this fulltiming thing. I'd like to believe I am still fulltiming, even though I'm home for a bit. The next leg of this adventure will be Maine/Vermont in a few weeks for the fall leaves, and then I'd like to start work on a box truck to live in fulltime. Not necessarily out west, I'd be just fine spending most of my time at a Walmart near the beach or the nearby national forest in Charleston, occasionally driving out west for a few months a year. That's the dream though, for now, I'm back GCing, saving up for whatever lies ahead.

Thanks for the encouraging words all of yall have given to me, I appreciate it. I'm glad people like these posts. As always, the best way to support me is by buying a print at brycercampbell.com. Speaking of which, I'm going to continue posting here, a review of my tent/jackery/anything else that comes to mind. But from here on out, most of my content will be on my instagram brycecampbellphoto & bryces.tundra as well as brycercampbell.com

If you have any questions about the setup, or living on the road, hit me up. I'll answer them always!

 

Welcome home!! Nice that you were able to make such a journey. I was going to ask if the Domino's Pizza box was still on the door. You are right, very humbling. Just crazy seeing that place and knowing that all these wonderful places you have been to might have been or still could be destroyed by a bunch of total clowns. Looking forward to your NE trip!

 

Awesome journey and adventure. Thank you for taking us along and sharing. Glad you made it home for a bit. The box truck is slowly drifting you away from the minimalist experience and pulling you towards an RV. Appreciate the pains of the minimalist experience.

 

Thank you and good point. If I do the box truck, I would probably pick up a dirtbike so I could still travel deep into places and experience the minimalism that Ive come to enjoy. It's a struggle to balance. I was talking about this with a friend I met on the road, Drew Simms. He lives out of an RTT and Wrangler. We agreed that being in an RTT forces you to be outside and thats the big benefit. But if I'm going to do this long term, ie a year (he's done an RTT for 3yrs), I would like the weatherproofing and larger indoor space a box provides.
And if I'm going to spend anytime on the east coast in the summer, I'd need a box truck for the simple reason of air conditioning. But this is all so far in the future, I'll figure it out as time goes on!

 

You nailed it with one word- Balance... very difficult if not impossible for any two people to agree on where to draw the line. If you're happy and healthy, screw what others are thinking, saying or doing.

 

I really enjoyed reading through this thread.

I did my own version of an extended trip in 2017, but that was in a 4Runner.

You've inspired me to head out on some adventures in the Tundra. I'm on the West Coast so that gives me the opportunity to visit some of the places you went to out in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Welcome home!

 

What a wonderful story, I have it saved so when I take my trip I can hit up some of the places you have been!

 

Awesome!! Don’t forget to make a thread!

Thank you!

Hit me up if you got any questions!! I’ve seen some amazing things.

 

Here is the final route!

 

Wow, quite the trip! Man I have heard good things about North New York in the Fall. If me, I'd make a point to hit Niagara falls and of course the statue too. Just not sure what to think with the crazy weather now, so hard to plan around it. Regardless, I am certain you will have another great adventure.

 

I may have missed in the thread...

What did you use to track your route, travel time, etc.

 

Good ideas. And hopefully the weather is alright, if not I've been through some pretty garbage stuff so I should be prepared!!

No worries. Those 2 pics are Garmin/onX.

 

Since I live in between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, this area is pretty in the fall. You want to check out Letchworth state park, Watkins Genn (state park and NASCAR track). If you have been vaccinated Canadian may be open by then. You will need a passport, but the views of the Falls are much better.

 

Awesome. Thank you. I’ve raced Watkins Glen in sim racers many times! Would be cool to see in person.