The remoteness of the Alaskan Highway (as well as Alaska, the Yukon, and northern BC) really sunk in when we realized that Northern Montana seemed densely populated. Like the Super 8 we stayed at in Bellingham, WA, the one in Conrad features a do-it-yourself waffle-maker. Needless to say, it was a fun, delicious breakfast. The rolling, open prairie was beautiful and we finally were able to make really good time with the 75mph speed limit. A stop in Great Falls, Montana (hometown of my mom's friend, Tia) allowed us to grab some coffee and catch up on a few phone calls we weren't able to make while in Canada. We needed internet for a moment to check for an important email, but we had stopped at a Starbucks for coffee and could not justify paying for internet access. Instead, we drove around a few parking lots looking for some place which would be likely to offer free wifi. After trying a couple of hotels (which required passwords) we successfully sat in the parking lot of a bakery with the laptop, took care of the email, and hit the road. Leaving Great Falls, the freeway climbs through a really gorgeous, rocky canyon, which was a bit of a surprise after the open prairie. We aimed for Bozeman, as I was looking forward to a little pilgrimage in honor of Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Bozeman is a neat town with a cool feel. Lots of old houses near the university and a fun downtown with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants. Plus, it has tons of skiing and camping nearby. According to Bozeman promo materials, the university was highly ranked by Outdoor Magazine, another camping-oriented magazine and Fly and Reel Magazine. We stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs upon entering Yellowstone. Neither of us had been to Yellowstone since we were younger, and it was neat to realize that the springs were such dynamic features of the park. Some were newer than others and some were totally dry after having flowed for years. Some of the formations had only flowed during the 90s, etc. Looking closely at the edges of one of the newer springs (which was even flowing over green grass), one could see how the patterns of the grass provide a starting point for the crystallization of the pools. On a larger scale, we could see how dead trees were slowly being incorporated into the rock as the water flowed over them. One bold bison seemed to come close to becoming part of the springs, as it climbed over the boardwalk and grazed on the sprigs of grass near the springs. We had a nice roaring fire with the two bundles of firewood we had taken with us from Banff. We didn't have a fire at Banff, though we later discovered that I had unknowingly paid for unlimited firewood, so we loaded the car up before leaving and were able to enjoy a fire in Yellowstone with imported firewood.