Thu, 7/24/08

Grand Teton National Park, WY: Another beautiful morning. We hung around all morning—had a fire. Then at about 12:30 we left to go on a float trip on the Snake River. We met at the float trip parking lot and were picked up in vans and driven to the launch point—dead man’s bar. We had 11 in our raft—only 3 Americans and one of those has lived in Switzerland for 16 years. We sat with her, her son, and her neighbor from Zurich. It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun. We saw a moose, some eagles (one a fledgling), and some osprey. When we approached the take-out point, they radioed our guide and told him a black bear was spotted at the take-out point, but we never saw him. After the float trip we went to a little enclave called Dornans just outside the park which included a couple of restaurants, a service station and a grocery store. We ate at the Chuck Wagon which was all outside and the food was cooked in dutch ovens outside over an open fire. It was buffet style and very good, wholesome food. We stuffed ourselves. Back to the campground after stopping and buying some more wood. Warm today—mid-80s.

There are hundreds of miles of these "buck and rail" fences in the greater Jackson Hole area--just like the pioneers did back in the 1800s. No barbed wire. Very rustic...

Cunningham Cabin (circa 1888)

Wed, 7/23/08

Grand Teton National Park, WY: Decided to do some more exploring around today. A beautiful, sunny day and no clouds. We drove the south loop road and stopped at the historic Cunningham cabin on the Snake River with the beautiful Tetons in the background. The Cunningham’s staked their claim in 1888 as part of the Homestead Act. The original ranch was 160 acres. They raised cattle. In order to feed his cattle during the long winter, he had to cultivate and store about two hundred tons of hay—just for one winter. The only building remaining is the cabin. The Jackson Hole area was the last to be settled in the lower 48 because of its remoteness and the harsh weather. And Jackson Hole refers to the large valley between the two mountain ranges—the Tetons and the mountains in the Bridger National Forest. After that we stopped at the little town of Kelly and had lunch at this cute little place—and they have wi-fi. We’ll have to go back there. We sat outside at a picnic table with a physician and his wife from Baltimore. After lunch we stopped at the historic Menor’s Ferry on the Snake River. The Menor brothers had quite an operation here—a store, the ferry, and a lime kiln. He also grew straw and hay and sold to the ranchers in the area. His cabin still stands and they have a reproduction of the ferry which they still run. Headed back to the campground. Ran into a big traffic tie-up. Someone had just hit a beautiful, large grey wolf and it was still lying in the road (dead). Park service came and took it away. It was huge. Stopped at the Jackson Lake Lodge on the way back and had a drink on the outdoor deck.

Red fox stalking a chipmunk (didn't get him)

Tue, 7/22/08

Grand Teton National Park, WY: I woke up with a headache at 4:30 this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. Got up around 8:00 and Mike informed me we have a flat tire on the truck. So he walked over to the service station and had someone come over and fill the tire so he could drive it over and get it fixed. That took most of the morning. Turns out we picked up a wood screw somewhere. I couldn’t get rid of my headache so we just hung out at the site. Red fox came through again. Had a small thunder storm late afternoon. Pretty warm—low 80s. We extended our stay for another 5 days.

Waiting for our drinks...

Storm coming in...

Mon, 7/21/08

Grand Teton National Park, WY: We’re staying in the Colter Bay area of Jackson Lake which has a lodge, three restaurants, a very well stocked grocery store (unlike Yellowstone), a gas station, Laundromat, and showers. We had breakfast at one of the restaurants this morning. Came back and had a fire into early afternoon. Overcast most of the day but warm. Mike took me to dinner at the Jackson Lodge dining room—very elegant with a great view of the mountains. Had drinks outside on the deck first—even though the sky was really threatening. When it started lightning we headed inside and it started pouring. Took the computer with us but no luck for some reason—even though we had a pretty good signal with our air card. Guess we’ll have to go back into Jackson Hole. A drizzly but warm evening.

Jackson Hole

Jenny Lake

Sat, 7/19/08

Grand Teton National Park, WY: Decided to drive into Jackson/Jackson Hole today. I made a big breakfast early and we headed out around 10:00. A beautiful morning and the mountains are stunning. If I were a mountain, I’d want to look like one of the Tetons. Saw a large herd of elk at one of the turn-outs. We stopped at Jenny Lake which is smaller than Jackson Lake, but a beautiful clear blue color with the mountains rising steeply on one shore. We want to hike the trail around the lake before we leave here. After several more stops we left the park and arrived at Jackson and the Jackson Hole ski area at about 11:30. A cute little ski town, but with none of the history of Aspen or Telluride. We parked and browsed some of the shops. After seeing a map of Teton Village ski area in one of the shops, we decided to drive over there. A much bigger ski hill but no town really—just a bunch of condos and lodges at the base. There is a really nice bike path all the way to Teton Village though with spectacular views of the mountains. Decided to head back and have lunch at Jenny Lake Lodge. Went back into the park at the Moose entrance. A pretty drive through groves of aspens and sparkling streams. By the time we got to Jenny Lake Lodge it was too late for lunch, so we drove on to Signal Mountain Lodge. Another really pretty lodge with a fantastic view of the lake and mountains, but the main dining room was closed for cleaning and the outside deck had a wait of about an hour (sigh). So, on to Jackson Lodge. There we managed to get a table outside overlooking a large meadow with the lake and mountains beyond. Finally we got something to eat! Came back to the campground and put water in the tanks and then sat outside reading and enjoying the afternoon. 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. A little red fox walked through our site. Mike followed him and got some good pictures. A fantastic day.

Sun, 7/20/08

Grand Teton National Park, WY: Was really cold last night. When I went to bed it was really warm and I got the fan out and had it on me. Woke up freezing. Cloudy morning and drizzling. But Mike started a fire and we sat around for a while enjoying the warmth. It was cloudy off and on all day but in the 80s eventually.

Grand Tetons with Jackson Lake in Foreground

Fri, 7/18/08

Grand Teton National Park, WY: Left Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone at 10:00 this morning and arrived at Grand Teton at around noon. The road to the south entrance of Yellowstone followed the Lewis River with a pretty water fall and then flowed into a deep gorge. This area was hit pretty hard with the 1988 fire. Some parts have grown back pretty well, but a lot haven’t. Eventually the Lewis River runs into the Snake River. We bid good bye to Yellowstone and entered Grand Teton National Park. I can see why they call these mountains the Grand Tetons—they sure are grand. And the beautiful Jackson Lake sits right at the bottom of them. We’re at the Colter Campground which is a national park campground so we have no hook-ups. After getting set up we drove around a little bit. I’m starting to feel lousy now, but my symptoms aren’t as bad as Mike’s. We did see our first moose on our little drive. They have been very elusive. And I guess bears are a problem here. They had to kill a grizzly on July 8 because she was breaking into tents, etc. Partly cloudy today and it hit 79 today.

Roosevelt Arch - North Entrance

Beartooth Scenic Byway

Thu, 7/17/08

Yellowstone NP, WY: Our last day here. We have to do the laundry. It’s nice having the laundry right here, and it’s a nice one, but it is such a mad house. I was third in line to get a washer. But it all worked out okay. Everyone was helpful and considerate and before you knew it we were finished and out of there. After coming back and putting everything away, we went over to the Lake Hotel for lunch. All in all it’s been a great time here at Yellowstone. If only Mike hadn’t gotten sick. He’s still not feeling really great. Don’t think that will change until we get down to a lower altitude and warmer temperatures. But we’ve had really great weather while we’ve been here. We’ve seen a lot—the highlight being the two mule deer chasing that coyote—only about 5 feet from us. Wish we could have hiked some more, but we’ll be in the Tetons for a while and I guess it is lower there. Still wary of bears though. We leave tomorrow morning and head south into Grand Teton National Park. We have no reservations from here on out. We’ll see how that works out.

Morning Glory Pool

Wed, 7/16/08

Yellowstone NP, WY: Drove back to Old Faithful this morning because we wanted to see the morning glory pool—probably the one most photographed. We parked at the upper lot and started down the trail. Passed some really pretty pools plus a beautiful geyser—the Artemesian, although we didn’t see it go off. We finally came to morning glory. It was pretty disappointing since it has lost some of its color and has algae growing in it…. thanks to ignorant people throwing stuff in the pool. Saw the remains of a couple of bison right there on the trail. Walked back to the parking lot. A really pretty and warm day. Decided to have lunch at the Old Faithful Inn dining room. Had a great lunch and then went upstairs to the upper porch and watched Old Faithful go off again. Then started the drive back. Stopped at a place on Yellowstone Lake that has a sandbar across this little bay and we walked around there for a while. Back to the campground and something cold to drink. Guess we’ll just snack since we’re both too full from lunch.

That's Mike way on top of the bridge over the gorge

Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

Tue, 7/15/08

Yellowstone NP, WY: I went to bed last night before it was even dark and slept until about 8:30. I drove most of the time yesterday and hadn’t had much sleep the night before. Mike still not doing real great either. So we decided on a kick-back day today. I made smoothies for breakfast and then sat outside in the sun for a while. Mike didn’t go out at all. It clouded up a couple of times but turned out to be a great day. Probably the mid-70s. Sat outside and read most of the day. Got the keyboard out and played for a while. We had left-overs for dinner. Didn’t see any attacking mule deer or coyotes today.

That's me--way up on top of that cliff

Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

Alpine Lake - Beartooth Scenic Byway

Mon, 7/14/08

Yellowstone NP, WY: Decided to drive the Beartooth Scenic Byway and the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Got up early and left at 7:00 a.m. and decided to stop at Roosevelt Lodge for breakfast which is the only lodge we hadn’t seen yet. Roosevelt Lodge was built in 1906 to commemorate the visit by then President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. He was here to dedicate the Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance. He came and camped for two weeks in the area where they ended up building the lodge. This is the smallest and most rustic of the lodges. It’s a log structure with a big porch lined with rocking chairs and has big picture windows looking out to the mountains. The huge logs still have their bark. The lodge itself is a dining room only. There are rustic cabins all over which is where you’d actually stay. If we were to stay at any of the lodges, it would be this one. It took us 1 ½ hours just to get to Roosevelt. Saw a herd of deer, elk, a coyote, a small black bear, and of course the ubiquitous bison.

After breakfast we started out for the northeast entrance. This took us through the Lamar Valley which has rolling, rock- and boulder-strewn hills and lots of sage brush. I think the Hayden Valley is prettier—more green and lush. The Lamar Valley is where all the elk are supposed to be, but we didn’t see any. After leaving the park the first town we came to was Silver Gate—a cute little place with all log structures. Really small. The next town was Cooke City. We stopped at their general store which has been in continuous operation since 1886. The original cash register and all the shelves, counters, etc. are still there. The original cash register only goes to $3.00. They use a newer one (circa 1890) now. It is a really special place—like stepping back in time. We continued on our way, steadily going up. The Beartooth goes up into really high country—above tree line into an alpine tundra. There is still a lot of snow up there. We saw a guy with skis and poles strapped to his back. Can’t believe he could do any skiing up there—it was very steep. Coming out of the Beartooth we stopped at the little town of Red Lodge for lunch. I love this little town! The historic main street is lined with sandstone and red brick buildings built around 1890. And the little main street movie theater is still in operation. We left there and headed towards Cody. We decided to make a big loop of it instead of backtracking through the high country again. Just outside of Red Lodge was an abandoned coal mine—the Smith Mine. One of the worse mining disasters in Montana history took place here. An explosion killed 79 people. We picked up the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway just north of Cody. This was a spectacular drive which traces the route the wildlife took in their migration—and of course the Indians following. Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce used this route when fleeing from the Calvary. At Dead Indian Pass (on Dead Indian Mountain) we stopped at an overlook to enjoy the beautiful vista. Chief Joseph had to leave a wounded Indian in this area while being chased, and the Calvary finished him off—such brave souls—so since then it’s been called Dead Indian Mountain. The Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone goes through this area down in a deep gorge—1200 feet in some areas. It is truly spectacular, rugged country. I liked the Chief Joseph drive much better. We didn’t get back until after 8:00. A 13-hour day. Saw two more black bears on the way back—one with a cute little cub. A spectacular day again. It hit 89 just before we turned onto the Chief Joseph Byway. 70s in the mountains.

Sun, 7/13/08

Yellowstone NP, WY: Well, we had some excitement today. We decided to just kick back today to give Mike a chance to get some rest. I did some cleaning and Mike put away the grey water tote and some other things. We were both inside fixing some lunch and out the window I saw something run by our camper. Thought it was dogs at first, but then they came back and I realized it was two mule deer doe. We’re at the end of our loop and across the road from our site is dense pine forest. They ran to the edge of the forest on the other side of the road from us. They stayed on the fringes looking at us—or we thought they were looking at us. We came out to watch them for awhile. Then they started walking back about 4 sites down from us again. They were acting strange. We followed them and then they started over to the camp sites and low and behold here comes this coyote. They were stalking that coyote and weren’t going to give up until they got him. Those two doe chased that coyote right in front of our site and back into the forest. We lost track of the coyote and eventually the deer wandered off deeper into the forest. We were standing there talking with a couple of guys three sites down from us and saw the coyote again heading the other direction. I was sitting outside reading a little later and saw a flash of grey fur heading back to where the deer went. Walked into the woods a little bit but couldn’t see anything. Hope he’s not after a fawn or something. We feel pretty special. We have guard deer. Doesn’t get any better than that. Another spectacular day. Beautiful blue sky with no clouds and pretty warm—at least in the sun. P.S. At about 10:00 a whole group of coyotes were in the road about 50 feet from our camp site just howling away. Mike went out to check them out. Said there were about 5 or 6 of them sitting in the middle of the road having a good old time.

Bill Cody Museum

Beaver on the Yellowstone

Sat, 7/12/08

Yellowstone NP, WY: It got really cold last night. Even with the quilt on the bed it was hard to stay warm. Once we got up and got going, we went back to the clinic at the Lake Hotel since Mike is still not getting much better. They gave him more meds and told him he should be at a lower altitude and in a warmer climate. Plus we’ve had really low humidity which isn’t helping matters any. Oh well… And we needed to go back to Cody to pick up some meds they didn’t have at the clinic. So we drove back to Cody. I wanted to go by myself but he wanted to go also. We left at noon and our first stop was the Comfort Inn parking lot to make use of their wi-fi. Then we got something to eat and decided to go to the Bill Cody museum, which is a great place. It’s actually 5 museums in one. They had a special exhibit there about the Thorofare Ranger Station which is located in the remote southeast corner of Yellowstone. The cabin that stands there now was rebuilt in l955. And to get supplies (for initial building and now resupplying), they were brought by boat to the remote south arm of the lake and landed at Trail Creek. From there they went by pack train over the Thorofare Trail 16 miles to the cabin. They loaded up these horses and mules with all kinds of supplies and headed out in a long line. And one part the trail was just a ledge against the side of a mountain. It is still manned today and they use the same trail for supplying the cabin. It’s a cute little log cabin with a split rail fence around it out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. But absolutely beautiful nowhere. We gave ourselves 3 hours in the museum which wasn’t nearly enough time, but I was driving back and I didn’t want to go back in the dark because of all the critters that could be near the road at that time. We stopped for dinner at the Yellowstone Valley Inn where we camped the night before we went into Yellowstone and left there around 8:00 for the drive back. The sun was just going down behind the mountains when I hit Sylvan Pass, and wouldn’t you know the sun was right in my eyes as I came up over the pass and I literally couldn’t see a thing. Scared the crap out of me. But we made it back well before dark. Saw a herd of elk, a herd of deer, and a bison mogging down the road. People are always getting banged up or gored by the bison. When we were in the clinic the first time they said a kid was brought in because the mother posed them in front of a bison and he butted this little kid pretty badly. Another absolutely spectacular day. Probably low 80s in Cody and low 70s in the park. Supposed to be cold again tonight. Wonder if we’ll hear the wolves again? I thought there were about 11 packs of wolves in the park. There are actually 52 packs—about 460 wolves.