Montana's Chief Joseph Highway

The 47-mile long Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, shown on maps as Wyoming 296, links the town of Cody, WY. with the Beartooth Highway and the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The route crosses the Shoshone National Forest through the Absaroka Mountains to the Clarks Fork Valley and is considered one of the most scenic roads in America. 

The highway is named after the Native American chief of the Nez Perce who, following the Battle of the Big Hole in Idaho in 1877, brilliantly led his tribe of 900 warriors, old men, women and children through Yellowstone, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana as they fled from the U.S. Cavalry who were trying to force the tribe onto a reservation. They were desperately trying to cross over into Canada where they would be safe.

Sunlight Creek in the valley below.

On an 1,800 mile journey through mountains and across plains, constantly on the move while fleeing from numerous detachments of Army Cavalry with warriors fighting a rear-guard action almost the entire way, Chief Joseph and his tribe outsmarted and outmaneuvered the army troops. The surviving 431 Indians were finally stopped just 30 miles from the border. After a 6-day battle, Chief Joseph, unwilling to leave his sick and injured behind, surrendered and made his famous speech - "Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."

At the top of Dead Indian Pass.

Chief Joseph had to leave behind a seriously wounded
warrior at the top of this pass as U.S. Army troops were
closing in. The Indian was found by the army and killed.
The pass is known as Dead Indian Pass and this marker
is at the summit.

Yellowstone - Canyon Village & Falls

Located in the Canyon Visitor Center is a great 3-D
relief map of the whole park.

The Canyon Area, on the eastern side of the park from Fishing Bridge north to Canyon Village is an area where you will want to spend unhurried time exploring. Plan to spend longer than you anticipate at the Visitor Center in Canyon Village as it is the best and most informative one in the whole park. Don't miss the free film "Yellowstone: Land to Life" or the 9,000 pound rotating ball which demonstrates volcanic hotspots around the globe. It is here you will also be able to see detailed panoramas, dioramas, and cross sections of life in Yellowstone's lodge-pole forest and grassland-habitats. And don't forget to check out one of the world's largest lava lamps which is used to illustrate how magma rises to the earth's surface by heat convection. While there, go ahead and pick out a book or one of the cool t-shirts, hats or jackets for a souvenir. 

Another interesting section of the Canyon Visitor
Center is the exhibit of the animals that live within
the park. 

In Canyon Village proper, you can do some shopping and/or provisioning at several small stores and a sporting goods store. If it's about lunch time, stop at the Canyon General Store which has a nice 1950's style diner with really good burgers.

Lunch at the '50's diner inside the Canyon Village
General Store 

Be sure to take the South Rim Drive to Point Sublime and be prepared to park your car and do some short and mostly easy paved-path hiking to see Lower Falls, Upper Falls, Artist Point and spectacular views along the Yellowstone River.

Upper Falls - 109 feet high

Lower Falls - 308 feet high

Yellowstone River view near Artist Point

Yellowstone National Park - part 1

Yellowstone National Park, the first national park, is one of the most amazing natural wonders of the world and should be on everyone's bucket list. The Troll family spent 8 days in the park and would have been happy to spend even more time there enjoying the natural wonders, gazing upon the amazing magnificent scenery and observing the diverse wildlife. 

The Trolls encourage you to make every effort to go see this amazing park for yourself. Take your time, take your warm clothes, take your binoculars and by all means, take your camera. Trust the Trolls, you want to see this for yourself! 

Be prepared to have patience as the buffalo often
block the roads as they cross or simply slowly walk
down the middle of them.

Steam rises from thermal vents alongside of a road
as the bison play.

Old Faithful

At the Old Faithful Lodge

Inside the Old Faithful Inn. Built in 1903 - 1904, the inn now
has 325 guest rooms and is a National Historic Landmark.  

You can watch Old Faithful erupt from the inn. Even if you
don't stay here, you should go inside to marvel at the huge
stone fireplace, wrought iron clock, and the majestic lobby
with its 80-foot exposed roof ridge above 2 floors of
balconies. 

Lil Dude along the Firehole River in the western part
of the park.

Along Firehole River near its confluence with the
Nez Perce Creek.

A rarely seen member of the Troll Family, Streaker Troll,
along the Firehole River above Goose Lake.  

Streaker Troll on the Firehole River in the Lower Geyser Basin.