[a/s] Yellowstone - June 13, 2000

[HHamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

Left for a short drive this morning over to a campground in Teton Park which 
is only 15 miles from the Yellowstone National Park border.  We couldn't stay 
in the park because they have a 30 foot limit on trailers and Don's leviathan 
is 34 feet. 

Hated to leave Jackson, but the Teton Park is a continuation of the beauty.

We left our trailers and jumped into my truck and headed for Yellowstone.  I 
looked and looked for wildlife... I was rewarded with some ducks, a deer and 
a squirrel )c:  

This end (south) of the park is still devistated by the fire from a few years 
ago, lots of dead pine trees, many standing many on the ground.  It looks 
like a giant game of pick-up-sticks.  Very sad to see...what really surprised 
us is how close the fire came to the giant log lodge next to Old Faithful.  
The other surprise was how few tourists there were.  No crowds, no traffic.  
If you want to come here, a weekday in early June is a great time.  

The lodge is a wonder.  As most of you know I am a log building aficionado... 
this is surely the granddaddy of all log buildings.  It is the largest in the 
world and undoubtably the most impressive.  If I saw nothing else in 
Yellowstone, this would have been worth the trip.  We went up and down and 
saw everything in the building.  The lights are origianl from 1904.  It's 
just massive and about 5 stories high with a center atrium, each floor has a 
balcony over looking the main floor.  Even the ceilings are log.

We happened to be there about a 1/2 hour before Old Faithful's next 
performance.

So, we wandered over, with the dogs, and got comfy to wait. Three little 
girls sidled over to the dogs.  Brady flipped upside down so they wouldn't 
miss an opportunity to scratch his tummy.  When Old Faithful finally exploded 
I don't think the kids even bothered to look they were so busy playing with 
the dogs.

We piled back into the truck and drove around for a while, I was obsessed 
with finding a big animal... buffalo, bear, elk... and most of all the 
elusive bull moose. 
No luck so we came back to the campground.  I love this place, it's right on 
Colter Bay.... The Tetons are towering up from the water... no front smaller 
mountains to block the view of the craggy snowcapped makestic mountains.  

We went to see the riding horses and then back here for dinner.

I really think Teton National Park is more beautiful than Yellowstone. The 
mountains are up close and personal, not off in the distance.  The lakes, the 
scenery and of course I saw mama and baby moosie in Teton, so I will always 
think of Teton NP fondly.

One thing that's a bit disconcerting is all the WARNING: You are in Bear 
Country signs.  When I take the dogs out for that last pee at midnight... my 
hairs are all standing on end.  The lady who checked us in at the campgorund 
said a few were spotted *in* the campground the night before. Of course with 
my luck there's no chance I'd see one.

So, tomorrow we are off to Cody Wyoming for a few days.

Hunter