3-week Wyoming/Montana Experiment

4,718 miles
231.8 gallons of gas
average 20.4 MPG

Gasoline $766.08
Food Brought $182.14
Restaurant Meals $326.92
Gifts for Home $222.25
Showers & Laundry $36.50


I love such details as I love to keep them myself.

Very beautiful trip and awesome pictures. You are definitely a professional photographer. You can take a normal pic and it looks really good.

Man, you slept in your car in the most simple form ever. And you talked about not having a refrigerator? I think you did excellent. That thing is not a must for people that do not overland full time. I think a Yeti, Artic or any good cooler would serve the purpose.

I cannot see pics of your bed setup. You described it so well, I wish we could see tons of pics of that. I do take long road trips every now and then and hotels take a lot of my money. I have always thought of sleeping in my car but just have not tried it. I fitted the my suv with a tempurpedic queen mattress and with second row and 3rd seats folded, it was a perfect fit in the rear of my car. Very comfy too. Someday I may travel like that and load up everything else on it and just move it to the side when I want to sleep.

Very nice report. I wish I lived closer to that Montana/Wyoming are also. Fall pictures are really nice.
 

GreggNY

Well-known member
Jhmoore- this looks like an amazing trip! Great details and even better pics. I’m planning a similar one with focus on photography and was planning on the last week of Sept through the first two weeks of October this year in the same general areas as you. What dates were you there? Looks like you nailed the foliage timing!
 

jhmoore

Well-known member
I cannot see pics of your bed setup. You described it so well, I wish we could see tons of pics of that.

Yeah, oddly enough I got home and had no photos of my setup. Not really sure why! Next trip I'll take some. But just conceptually the passenger side of the back was my bed--that I just left set up the whole time--and the driver side was my gear. To sleep in the back of a 5th Gen 4Runner you have to remove the 2nd row seat bottoms, which creates an empty space that you have to put a bin or something in to support the front end of your bed. The bin I used there actually fit all of my food for the trip (other than restaurant food). Started full, ended almost empty!
 

jhmoore

Well-known member
I’m planning a similar one with focus on photography and was planning on the last week of Sept through the first two weeks of October this year in the same general areas as you. What dates were you there? Looks like you nailed the foliage timing!

I was there for the last two weeks of September and the first week of October. If I did it again, I'd probably want to do four weeks--the second half of September and the first half of October--just to make sure that I've got the annual variability covered. If you're way too early, head north for a bit. If fall color is completely over, head south!
 

GreggNY

Well-known member
I was there for the last two weeks of September and the first week of October. If I did it again, I'd probably want to do four weeks--the second half of September and the first half of October--just to make sure that I've got the annual variability covered. If you're way too early, head north for a bit. If fall color is completely over, head south!

Thanks for the reply. It’s looking like I’ll bump up the dates by a week and try the last 2 weeks of Sept and first week of Oct. I’d rather be a little early than too late!
 

Ngneer

Observer
Great write-up, pictures are stunning, foliage and animals are hard to beat. Thanks for taking the time to share. Would also love to see how you have the sleeping area. Also, when you fold the queen about how wide is it? I like that idea!
Thanks again and safe travels.
 

seeNik48

Adventurer
Oh, also, @Etoimos , be sure to take Skalkaho Pass if you're anywhere near the Bitteroots. It's nothing challenging from an offroad perspective, but at least it's unpaved... and it's absolutely gorgeous...

I just want to add this perspective. Probably the best direction to take on theSkalkaho is east to west if you have a larger wider vehicle like ours. A local warned us Florence about people who didn’t know how to drive narrow roads. Sure enough, we encountered one on a narrow stretch just before the falls. We absolutely could not move over due to a looonnng drop off on the passenger (my side). She was frozen in place. Finally, a honk woke her up and she obliged but it was rather precipitous at the time. Beautiful drive. It is Montana’s only gravel highway that is maintained by the state.
I also wanted to add great photos! As a fellow photog, the Tetons area is gorgeous. I haven’t read the rest yet, but if you didn’t make the drive to Green River Lakes in the early fall, try it next time. Photographer’s heaven.
 
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billiebob

Well-known member
Fabulous photos, you bring wonderful images to us. I just don't follow the need to mention the vehicle. I'm an old guy, I have many friends who did all this 40 plus years ago with 2WD station wagons, Toyota Corollas... 1970s versions. There is no need for 4WD. There is no need for an SUV. I started exploring in a Cortina.

Just get out and do it.

That said, you have great setup, a great inspiration for many wondering where to start. Many thanks for sharing.

I'm thinking your FourRunner was the Wagoneer of my day. Definitely a nice way to travel. the one thing I feel is a modern must is refrigeration. I use a $10 garage sale Kooltron Cooler. And like you, I sleep inside four hardwalls. But I think we put way too much emphasis on "You can't do this without this". We are consumers worse than ever. I think the adventure would be better if we slept under the stars beside our horse. Progress has not been good, actually not progress, rather consumerism. Thank you WalMart.
 
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Cascade Wanderer

Adventurer
Great photos!

Fall is an amazing time to travel the west. The colors are incredible. The wildlife active.

Do need to be prepared for snow & cold.

Thanks for the photos! Guy
 

Westy

Adventurer
Excellent photos and trip! Love the simplicity. I find that something missing in todays world.
 
Thanks for sharing John. Are you the world famous John Moore from Divebums.com? I’m a long time San Diego diver who used your site for many years. Your photography on land is just as awesome as your underwater imagery. I’ve transitioned from diving to overlanding in my 100 series land cruiser. Ping me if you ever get the itch to do any local weekend off road adventures. I’d love to show you around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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