6400 Miles with a Skylark
We just finished a 6400 mile, 3 week trip Starting near Erie, PA going to Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon, Glacier and Teddy Roosevelt National Parks. We pulled our 2011 Jayco Skylark with our 2012 Honda Pilot. We averaged 14 mpg for the entire trip, including times when we were just touring. We had only one minor problem with the trailer. The 30 amp fuse holder corroded a bit so the 12 volt power went out for a short while when we were towing the trailer. Fortunately we noticed the lack of power when we stopped for lunch and I was able to fix the problem.
We saw Grizzlies, Black Bears, Mule Deer, Antelope, Bison, Elk, Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep, Pikas, Marmots, Wolves, numerous ground squirrels and chipmunks, and even some Prairie Dogs. We got stuck in a Bison jam in Yellowstone for nearly an hour and followed the ranger as he herded them down the road in front of and around us. It is pretty exciting to have a full grown male Bison trot past you in along the shoulder of the road.
The scenery was amazing, the weather nearly perfect, though we did see snow on the roads at 8,000 feet in Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Our pilot took the high altitudes well, though the first few steep down grades were a nervous time until I learned to downshift a bit sooner. I tried to be courteous with all the unencumbered drivers and pulled over to let them go faster than I wished frequently.
It was amazing how many people we met that had traveled the same roads and saw no animals at all. I guess it pays to go a bit slower and get the kids to actually look out the windows.
__________________
2011 Skylark 21FKV
|