My new truck 2021 F350 7.3gas

[Machinebuilder]

We continued over Powder River Pass, and I saw a sign about a lookout

We didn't go to the lookout because there wasn't any more signs and we ended up at the top of Meadowlark Ski Resort.

Then we turned off the pavement to explore Hyattville rd.

Somewhere after this my navigation skills and map reading were questioned.......By me and my friend.

I had missed a turn, the Garmin maps were not matching reality, I had been unable to find a NFS map, and the Benchmark atlas is too big of a scale. I wish it was reasonable to download topo's for all the areas I don't plan on going. (and then hope they are correct)
Where we had been driving on good gravel all weather roads it turned into ungraded 2 track.

Somewhere near the Renner WHMA we saw some Blue Grouse, The dogs had a great time and showed their hunting instincts.
(No animals were harmed on this trip)

Still in the WHMA

That part of the road got interesting, but I didn't stop for pictures, I was too busy driving and looking at the scenery

We then took the Red Gulch/Alkali Rd Scenic Back Country Byway and stopped for the night at the Red gulch Dinosaur Tracks

Since I am not really up on this stuff, I felt you had to use a lot of imagination to see them. Interestingly they were discovered by accident in 1997.

 

[Machinebuilder]

The Next AM I gassed up in Greybull, Wy and headed into the Bighorn Mts on rt 14
A truly spectacular drive

Stopped at Shell Falls

And took the "shortcut" of Hunt Mountain Rd to rt14A and the Medicine Wheel

The Medicine Wheel dates at least 7000 years ago and is one of the oldest man made structures I have seen.

I stopped for the night at the Bear Lodge Resort campground so I could shower and do some laundry. I can not recommend this, keep going.

 

[Machinebuilder]

I spent the next day resupplying in Sheridan and then heading towards the Upper Missouri Breaks.
I stopped in Roundup, MT at the Cowbelles 4H Campground.

The next day I stopped at the BLM office in Lewiston, MT to get some info on the breaks, When I asked about a map "We just sent them to the printer, we should have them in 5-6 weeks"
They did have several other things that were of help.
One was about a place on Judith Mountain where people find double ended quartz crystals. Those people know how to find them and are more patient than me. There was some nice views at the top

I then went to Winfred, MT and took SR236 to Judith Landing. There are opposing views about the American Prairie Reserve.
I thought I had company for the night but the cattle wandered off.

 

[ski3pin]

Fun, fun, fun!

 

[Machinebuilder]

9-3 (post 1) I decided to go to the Upper Missouri Breaks Visitor center in Fort Benton, MT,
I failed to get a map there too, an Ace hardware in town had a Delorme Gazetteer so I wasn't without any reference.
There was some interesing places and scenery from there back to Winfred, Mt and the western end of the Upper Missouri Breaks Back Country Byway..

 

[Machinebuilder]

9-2 (post 2) The BackCountry Byway is not for a timid driver,
They mention a high clearance vehicle needed and avoid if wet.
This is where I became very happy with my truck and its capability,
The 2 calf creek crossing was quite interesting. it was a 13degree slope along long stretches of this trail.
I enjoyed it and a little side trip that went down to the river.

This is the side trip I didn't take

This was the road to the river and The Woodhawk Rec area campground on the river.

Some of the locals

This is looking down at 2 Calf Creek

2 Calf Creek, I did drag the front air dam here

 

[Machinebuilder]

After the Backcountry Byway I spent the night at the James Kip Recreation Area, its a pretty big campground and maybe 2/3rds full but they had the water turned off.
I the took the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge auto Tour. interesting homestead at Bell Bottoms, no Elk at the Slippery Bottoms Area.
I then took the Missouri Breaks Homestead tour, it is a well laid out route, but I only found about 5 of 9 homesteads (I did not reset my odometer at the start and missed a couple turns.

2nd homestead on the tour

 

[Machinebuilder]

9-3,4 After the homestead tour I decided it was time to start heading east, as i was getting late in the day I searched for a place to camp and found a small Wildlife refuge, it was about 15 miles from a town and about 9 miles down a good dirt road. I spotted a picnic table on the shore of Yellow Water Reservoir and set up camp.
While I was relaxing my mind was blown. I was enjoying watching the lake and saw a large white bird, I got my binoculars and thought "what is that?" it looks like a pelican. I had a little bit of cell signal and found that white pelicans breeding ground is Montana through North Dakota. I would have never guessed this.

I took a nice drive across Montana to North Dakota and the Teddy Roosevelt NP, being Labor day weekend it was mobbed, I drove far enough to see some bison and the left to find the Elkhorn Ranch (his favorite place). I found a nice holler to set camp for the night

 

[Machinebuilder]

9-5,6,7 I visited the Elkhorn Ranch, (Teddy Roosevelts fovorite place).

There are a few foundation stones left. It is a very peaceful beautiful spot on the Little Missouri River.

I then looped up to the northern portion of the NP and back to a camp in Dickinson, ND (no Pics)

I spent the next day between 2 lane and interstate and ended up in the Sheyanne National Grasslands at Jorgenson Camp. again an unexpected beautiful place.

Sheyanne National Grasslands

 

[Machinebuilder]

9-7,8 I Left the Sheyanne grasslands and was informed that the Prairie Wetlands Center in Fergus Falls, MN is the best educational center about prairies. I went there only to find it locked up only open Monday, Tuesday, Friday.
It was interesting because the local school sends several classes there and they spend the time outside learning.

I took a scenic route through Minnesota because I wanted to avoid the twin Cities

. I then made it to Curtis, WI where my Grandpa grew up. I found the church and cemetery where my Great grand parents and Great Great Grandmother are buried. Interesting that it is the Norwegian cemetery, My Great Great grandmother and Great Grandmother are immigrants from Norway. I then went by the farm where they lived. An Old Order Mennonite Family lives there now

I again took a scenic route to La Crosse, WI to drive the Great River Rd.

I have not figured out what N.E.L.K. stands for

Goose Island Campground, just south of La Crosse, Wi

 

[Machinebuilder]

9-9,10,11 I drove the Great River road From LaCrosse,WI to Rock Island, IL.
I missed some interesting photo ops, but it was interesting to go through many of the small towns an see the old buildings

I got home about 1:00pm on 9/10. 3 weeks, 5156mi, 79:37 moving time.average 47.2MPH, 11.6MPG average.


It really stunk to go back to work.

I Got to watch a tow going through the lock. only 6 of the 12 barges fit at one time.

Fishermans Corner Campground, Just north of Rock Island, Il

 

[Machinebuilder]

I hope you all enjoyed my report.

Now that I have a better idea of what I want to change on the truck and camper, my next posts will be about that.

I think first will be a flatbed on the truck, and then I will work on water storage and other storage, I end up with a lot of stuff thrown in where ever it fits.

 

[eyemgh]

Great trip. Thanks for sharing!

I hadn’t planned on building a new rig, but rather just putting a flatbed on the one we have. I think a flat bed for a slide in camper is really the missing link for a perfect overland vehicle. Then I hit the scales for the first time and was shocked by where we were at. Needless to say, we couldn’t add any weight. We really wanted a bigger camper anyway.

For the new setup, I’ve looked at a lot of flatbed manufacturers. Some of it depends on where you live and how far you’re willing to travel for the integration. Not everyone makes custom boxes to fill the space above the deck. Maybe more important to me, not everyone will build a deck that will ride at the stock bed height. That requires a way to incorporate wheel wells into the upper boxes.

Highway Products makes a nice deck and boxes, but I think they all run at standard flatbed height, 5” higher than standard. Sherptek in OR and Bowen Customs in CO will. Both are run by great people and both do high quality work. We’re switching from FWC to Hallmark, because neither FWC or ATC would/could configure what we wanted. Bowen is minutes away from Hallmark, so Matt and Brent can work closely to create a tight, intended integration. Can’t go wrong either way though.

 

[Foy]

I hope you all enjoyed my report.

Now that I have a better idea of what I want to change on the truck and camper, my next posts will be about that.

I think first will be a flatbed on the truck, and then I will work on water storage and other storage, I end up with a lot of stuff thrown in where ever it fits.

I sure did enjoy your report but I have to admit the pictures along the Byway looking down on Two Calf Creek, looking at the crossing, and looking at the route back up the other side made my pucker string tighten up considerably. I also heard a shrill voice inside my head which sounds exactly like my wife's does when I do something particularly dumb.

Foy

 

[Machinebuilder]

I sure did enjoy your report but I have to admit the pictures along the Byway looking down on Two Calf Creek, looking at the crossing, and looking at the route back up the other side made my pucker string tighten up considerably. I also heard a shrill voice inside my head which sounds exactly like my wife's does when I do something particularly dumb.

Foy

Thanks Foy

If I had known what was at the bottom I would have puckered a lot more.

Ignorance is bliss. I'm glad I stayed at the top of the ruts.

 

[Machinebuilder]

I've been trying to find a place to by a flatbed that is not far away from home.

I got an answer from one of the local CM dealers...........

"we aren't getting any aluminum beds, all we are getting is what they send us, if we were to order a bed it would be at least 6 months and we are not sure if we would get it."

Back to the search engines

 

[Durango1]

I've been trying to find a place to by a flatbed that is not far away from home.

It's not close but Largo Tank & Equipment in Farmington, NM has built two custom aluminum flatbeds for me (one for a FWC Hawk and the latest one for a Grandby) and done an impeccable job on them both. Ask for Adam if you call them.

I still can't figure out how to post photos here but email me at steve.toburen@gmail.com if you want some photos.

 

[Machinebuilder]

It's not close but Largo Tank & Equipment in Farmington, NM has built two custom aluminum flatbeds for me (one for a FWC Hawk and the latest one for a Grandby) and done an impeccable job on them both. Ask for Adam if you call them.

I still can't figure out how to post photos here but email me at steve.toburen@gmail.com if you want some photos.

I live on the far side of Tennessee, its at least 2 days driving to New Mexico.

 

[eyemgh]

Maybe Wil-Ro can do something for you.

https://wil-ro.com/products/

 

[Machinebuilder]

i'll look into wil-ro

There is Bullhead products in Kodak, TN also.

EBY in PA looks interesting, the local distributor hasn't tried to get any in over 2 years though. (i don't like the look of the headboard)