2020 July, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons

  Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park

Camping in the Bridger Teton National Wilderness a dispersed camping area with another couple from NY State we have a beautiful view of the Grand Teton Mountains.  There happened to be a horse trail ride stop in front of us and it makes an excellent picture of this view from the campsite.

Playing tourist in Jackson, WY with the required picture in front of antelope arch. The Wild Bill Bar and grill although too expensive for our taste is beautiful to walk through in the afternoon.

I stopped in a fly-fishing shop and they were very helpful to tie a but section onto 2 of my fly lines. I am so out of practice trying knots and really appreciate their help. Soon I will decide where to fish for the choices are too many and to get a fishing license for 3 states just goes against my frugal spending lifestyle.

Tanya is also frugal and although she looked around, she did not purchase anything just enjoyed the scenery.

Covid appears to have relaxed, merchant s all had masks and hand sanitizer at shop entrances, but few tourists wore masks.

We tried to find the Morman homestead, but the GPS took us off on a fun backroads trip so that we eventually gave up and headed back to the campsite.

We have discovered that the Holland BBQ grill makes an excellent oven, baking a pizza and a glass of wine while looking at this excellent view. Oh, what a life this is!

After a few days in the Tetons, we mosey on up to Yellowstone National Park to see the sights. At both National Parks the numbers of tourists is quite down from the normally high level. I am attributing this to Covid in that people are being cautious and also many people have used up their vacat6time during the national shutdown. Although this is a terrible thing it does make our travels much more comfortable to have less crowds. We do not come into direct contact with very many people and disinfect frequently so we do not spread viruses.

I stitched together short videos of several of the sights to make a memorable video of visiting Yellowstone.

While dispersed camping nearby Yellowstone a bear came into the campsite.  I did not want to be lunch for this Grizzly bear so these pictures were still at some distance.

Frugal Tom bites the bullet and decides on a Montana fishing license. After so long of not fly fishing my elbow muscles ache after a short while. As experienced in kayaking and the last work assignment “ibuprofen is my friend “. I resolve to continue to fish every few days to build up some new muscles.

Successful at my low level of experience, Tanya gets a trout dinner!

Multiple trips into Yellowstone and we feel we have seen about all that is available to see and decide on a fishing day on the Madison River near Ennis, MT. I could not wade very well for the current was quite swift, fortunately the fish thought so also and were close to the bank. 3 fish, 1 of which broke the road before landing it. Wow, must have been a crack in the red to break like that, but it makes a good story!

Got lucky to get a campsite in National Forest, Madison Baker which is just outside Yellowstone.  My brother, mother, sister will meet us here the 4^th July weekend so we lock in with a 2 week stay.

Taking Tanya to the Potato Museum in Blackfoot, ID and she is thrilled at the displays. My previous trip here I took a video of one of the video displays.

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A work friend Mike had bought a ranch in Wyoming and playing email tag we connected to catch up. What a beautiful place! I did not get a picture of the view from the living room looking over winding creek and cattle in the field, but you can see a tiny bit of it behind the lodge.

That night we sat around the campfire and the men who delivered the chuck wagon sang “cowboy" songs. They explained that country songs are all inside – bars, jail, truck and cowboy songs are all outside in the form of a story. Like when on a roundup the cook puts a lantern on the wagon so that the night rider can find his way to camp. Great songs, great voices, we all had a good time.

Mike had just purchased an authentic Chuck Wagon! So cool! He sent me a video the evening before we arrived of cowboys sitting around the fire next to the chuck wagon.

A nice visit with Mike and as he takes the cowboys to Jackson, WY for tourist we head to Fossil Butte National Monument.

 

OMG, so mindboggling, the ranger talks of the history of the earth revealed 5 extinction periods, oxygen and carbon dioxide level changes, impact of a Bolides (Asteroid) in Yucatan. Another was volcanic activity in Siberia with lava 2 miles deep covering land mass the size of the US.

The displays were phenomenal, there was a range using an air gun (mixed with different sands) to remove sediment from a slab to expose a fossil.  He stopped and described to us many facts of earth to include fracking for oil, earth formation and much more. I am so overwhelmed that my brain hurts.

Back at Mike’s we share experiences, chat what a good visit we’ve had and make goodbyes for we shall leave in the morning going our respective ways.