[a/s] Jackson Hole, WY - June 10th, 2000

[HHamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Well, we made it....

We left Moab, Utah last Thursday.  The drive was quite bleak for many 
miles... I mean just desert.  Then it got beautiful.... started getting green 
as we went up.  We stayed in a cute little campground in Vernal the first 
night.  The couple who own it were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary 
the next day and invited us to join them (c:  We declined because I wanted to 
get on the road again.  The dogs loved it there, they had sheepies and the 
dogs could go off leash.

Then we took off on Friday and drove through beautiful mountains.  The drive 
by the Flaming Gorge Reservoir was breathtaking and it opened into Alpine 
meadows.  We started climbing as soon as we left Vernal. We passed lots of 
mines, and a phosphate something (?) One road had 12 switchbacks alone. I saw 
a small band of wild horses near or in a national forest.

We stayed last night in the Wind River View Campground, about 80 miles from 
Jackson Hole.  We didn't realize it was a Coast to Coast camp... I was just 
tired of driving and when I saw a campground in I went.  We could stay only 
if we would listen to a 1/2 hour spiel about joining that Camp and being a 
coast to Coast member.  I was too tired to care.  The drive had been long and 
there were no appealing places to stay.  The sky was getting black...so we 
agreed to listen this morning.

The view from there was wonderful, but it was so cold and windy I didn't 
spend much time outside.  A quick walk the dogs and back in.  I had the heat 
pump running.  I should have stayed out because I found out some moose were 
spotted at dusk )c:   We had seen some dead wildlife/...well, alive and dead. 
 Alive, lots of pronghorn antelopes along the road..... just doing their 
antelope thing.  Also lots of what they call "gophers" little guys that look 
like prairie dogs to me.  The play chicken on the road....

Dead, two pronghorns and a badger.  First real badger I've ever seen...would 
rather he had been alive.

Don and I went to the 1/2 hour sales pitch... it worked.  We are now both 
suckers......er.....members.   

After we left for Jackson.  The drive was much easier than I expected... I 
thought we were going up and over the Tetons...oddly we just seemed to go on 
the flat and then we descended into Jackson.  We crisscrossed the Hoback 
River quite a few times. The weather was nasty, I was hoping to get a 
dazzling view of the snow capped mountains...instead they were socked in by 
dark clouds.  It rained off and on, a miserable chilly drive. My 
disappointment in the view disappeared when I finally saw my first moose up 
ahead.  He was standing majestically in a field off to the left...I excitedly 
called Don on the CB and told him... the moose was so large Don had already 
seen him.  His rack was huge.... he was amazing... my heart lept as I got 
closer.  Then I noticed............ <sigh>  

Nice statue.... /-: Don got a real kick out of it anyway.  I am not amused.  
I refuse to leave here until I see one ... alive and in the wild.  Plenty of 
stuffed ones in downtown Jackson Hole. More about that later.

We pulled into the KOA near Teton Park.  As we were driving down the line of 
trailers I saw one that looked familiar.  I mean how many Airstreams are 
there? 
I yelled to Don, on the CB, that I *know* that trailer.  "Sure you do", he 
laughed.

We got registered and I went back, when I saw the suburban parked in front of 
it I knew.... it's our own professor emeritus.... Dick Kenan and his wife 
Jane!!  I knocked on the door, but they are gone.... there's another A/S next 
to them so I think they are travelling together and probably out sightseeing. 
 Small world huh?

Then we went into Jackson Hole.  It's my kind of town..... lots of antler 
stuff, log cabin stuff, rustic stuff, dead animal stuff, expensive stuff!  
Really expensive stuff.... I checked out the shops and the galleries... saw a 
smaller sculpture of a large one that I had seen at the Cowboy Hall of Fame 
in Oklahoma City.... The Canyon Princess.... there were two others by the 
same artist.... to die for.  One is three baby cougars and the other is two 
river otters..... \

The town square has antler arches that span the 4 corner sidewalks into the 
park. 

I did see a couple I know from Tryon, NC.... where I used to live. Small 
world.

I'm back at the trailer now, I don't know where we are going to dinner.  
Tomorrow I think we will cover the area around here.... 

It's quite magnificent.... many horse ranches, lots of log cabins and monster 
homes... snow capped mountains (the sun came out...and the views with it).

So.... That's what's happening in Jackson Hole.... will be here for three 
nights...maybe more. 

Hunter