OCTOBER 1 - 4

GOTHANBURG, NEBRASKA HAS STAKED IT'S CLAIM TO FAME ON THE FACT THAT THE PONY EXPRESS MAINTAINED A STATION THERE IN A BUILDING THAT THEY HAVE CAREFULLY RESTORED. THE ICONIC IMAGE OF THE FAST RUNNING HORSE WITH THE EXPRESS RIDER AND HIS MAIL POUCH IS ALL OVER TOWN.

HERE'S BUNGEE WAITING OUTSIDE THE RESTORED PONEX (FORERUNNER OF FEDEX) OFFICE  FOR THEM TO  DELIVER HIS FREE SAMPLE OF BISON KIBBLES.









INTO WYOMING

THEY CLAIM THAT THERE ARE MORE ANTELOPES (OR PRONGHORNS) IN WYOMING THAN PEOPLE, WHICH MEANS MORE THAN 500,000 OF THESE WHITE RUMPED SKITTERY CREATURES SPREAD ACROSS THE GRASSLANDS AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN HALF OF THEM. THEY ARE SO WELL CAMOUFLAGED THAT YOU REALLY DON'T SEE THEM UNTIL THEY SPRING INTO ACTION. HOPEFULLY NOT IN FRONT OF YOUR CAR.

WAGON WHEEL RUTS ON THE OREGON TRAIL

IN GUERNSEY, WY NOT FAR FROM THE REMAINS OF FORT LARAMIE THE THOUSANDS  OF CONESTOGA WAGONS CLIMBING UP ONTO A MESA ON THE OREGON TRAIL HAVE LEFT DEEP RUTS WORN IN THE SOFT SANDSTONE.

WYOMING IS A CRAZY QUILT OF DRAMATIC MOUNTAIN RANGES IN A FIELD OF RELATIVELY FLAT BASINS AND THE SHADES OF COLOR FROM THE WIDE VARIETY OF MINERALS IN THE SOILS MAKE  A  DRAMATIC  IMPACT ON THE VISITOR. THE DEEP RED HILLS AROUND THERMOPOLIS IN THE CENTER OF THE STATE ARE IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE LUSH GREENERY IN THE TOWN WHICH HAS THE LARGEST THERMAL POOLS IN THE COUNTRY ATTRACTING TOURISTS YEAR 'ROUND.

I REALLY LUCKED OUT WHEN I SAW THIS FOOD VAN SET UP IN AN ABANDONED GAS STATION ON MAIN STREET IN THERMOPOLIS. A VERY CHIPPER COUPLE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING EXTREMELY GOOD BBQ HERE FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS. I SHARED  A PICNIC TABLE THEY SET UP UNDER THE OLD GAS STATION CANOPY WITH A COUPLE OF LOCAL GUYS AND WE DEVOURED JUICY RIBS AND PULLED PORK.

THIRTY MILES FROM THERMOPOLIS, DOWN A SELDOM TRAVELED GRAVEL ROAD IS LEGEND ROCK. YOU HAVE TO GET THE GATE KEY IN TOWN AND DROP IT IN A SAFE BOX AT THE SITE WHEN YOU LOCK UP AND LEAVE. THERE WAS ONLY ONE CAR KICKING UP DUST AHEAD OF ME AS I APPROACHED; A MOM AND "3O SOMETHING DAUGHTER" TOURING FROM ALBERTA. WHEN I PULLED UP AT THE GATE THEY WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE AS THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE KEY, SO WE UNLOCKED THE CHAIN AND VIDA BLUE AND DAUGHTER VALERIE HAPPILY JOINED  BUNGEE AND ME ON A WONDERFUL PRIVATE EXPLORATION OF THESE EXTENSIVE PETROGLYPHS.

VALERIE PHOTOGRAPHING SECTION OF LEGEND ROCK

VALERIE CHECKS OUT THE "SPACEMAN"

THERE ARE OVER 300 INDIVIDUAL PETROGLYPHS MADE BEGINNING 3000 YEARS AGO SCATTERED ALONG THE ESCARPMENT. MANY DIFFERENT STYLES AND METHODS ARE EVIDENT FROM PAINTING TO ETCHING. SOME OF THE FIGURES LOOK LIKE THE COMMON MODERN REPRESENTATIONS OF ALIENS FROM OUTERSPACE. I FOUND THE EXPERIENCE SOMEWHAT MIND BOGGLING WITH SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS..... WHO DID THESE?, WHY HERE?  WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

"BEETLEMAN"

BUNGEE LIKED THIS ONE

THE DRIVE NORTH FROM THERMOPOLIS TO CODY IS EXACTLY WHAT I THINK OF WHEN FONDLY RECALLING WYOMING.... MASSIVE ROLLING OPEN HILLS WITH DISTANT VIEWS OF RUGGED MOUNTAINS IN ALL DIRECTIONS UNDER A BRIGHT BLUE SKY DOTTED WITH FAST CHANGING LITTLE WHITE CLOUDS. CRUISING ALONG WITH SOME GOOD SOUND CRANKED UP AND FEELING THE FRESH AIR WHIP IN AS I GAZE AT THE BREATHTAKING VISTAS. OCCASIONALLY YOU RUN SMACK INTO A WALL OF MOUNTAINS AND MAGICALLY A NARROW CANYON OPENS UP TO LET YOU THROUGH.........WHAT A LIFE!

CODY HAS A COLLECTION OF FINE WESTERN MUSEUMS CLUSTERED AT THE EDGE OF DOWNTOWN WHICH I HAVE VISITED SEVERAL TIMES IN PASTS TRIPS, SO I CHOSE TO SETTLE IN EARLY AT A SMALL RANCH HALF WAY DOWN THE ROAD TO YELLOWSTONE FROM CODY..... EASILY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 50 MILE ROADTRIPS IN THE WORLD.

WITH THIS VIEW  OF THE WAPITI VALLEY FROM OUR RUSTIC LOG CABIN, BUNGEE  AND I BEDDED DOWN CLOSE TO THE HORSES AND HOPED FOR A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP TO BE WELL RESTED FOR EXPLORING YELLOWSTONE AND THE TETONS TOMORROW.

YELLOWSTONE AND THE TETONS
ANOTHER BRIGHT, SUNNY AND BRISK MORNING AND WE GOT AN EARLY START DOWN THE INCREDIBLE CANYON ROAD 30 MILES TO THE EASTERN GATE OF YELLOWSTONE.

 A BIZARRE STRUCTURE STARTED RISING ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE IN WAPITI IN 1990, CALLED THE SMITH MANSION AND THE WEIRD STORY OF IT'S HISTORY CAN BE GOOGLED... SMITH MANSION WAPITI, WY.  I FIRST NOTICED IT WHEN ED MAIR AND I DROVE FROM WISCONSIN TO THE WEST COAST ON DIRT AND GRAVEL ROADS IN 1991.

A HUGE DARK BISON GREETED US SHORTLY AFTER WE PASSED THROUGH THE EAST GATE INTO YELLOWSTONE PARK. THE BISON HAVE REPLACED THE BEARS AS TRAFFIC STOPPERS IN THE PARK OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES AFTER THE PARK OFFICIALS BETTER CONTROLLED THE GARBAGE DISPOSALS AND EDUCATED THE VISITORS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF FEEDING BEARS.
                                                                                                          

THIS IS A COMMON SIGHT THROUGHOUT YELLOWSTONE AND CAN CREATE MASSIVE TRAFFIC JAMS DURING THE SUMMER PEAK TOURIST SEASON. I THINK THE BISON WAIT BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WATCHING, THEN SAY, "HERE COMES ANOTHER CAR, LET'S MOVE OUT SMARTLY."

THE GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER AND THE UPPER AND LOWER FALLS ARE AMONG THE MOST DRAMATIC WONDERS OF THE PARK AND TO VISIT THEM IN THE FALL WHEN THERE ARE VERY FEW TOURISTS IS A SPECIAL DELIGHT.

GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE

BUNGEE AND I HIKED ALONG THIS BROOK OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN THE HEART OF  YELLOWSTONE PARK WATCHING THE TROUT SPLASH AND LISTENING TO THE BIRDS.... DIDN'T SEE ANOTHER SOUL FOR AN HOUR.

I SKIPPED STOPPING AT THE GEYSERS THIS TRIP AS I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT THEM ON PREVIOUS VISITS, BUT YOU STILL GET SOME GOOD VIEWS OF THE WHITE PLUMES AND STEAMING WATER ALONG THE ROADWAYS.

THE MAJESTIC WALL OF MOUNTAINS THRUSTING FROM THE FLATS NEVER FAILS TO ASTONISH ME WHENEVER I GET MY FIRST GLIPSE OF THE GRAND TETONS. EVEN THE HAZE FROM CURRENT WILDFIRES CAN'T DIMINISH THE IMPACT.

 

JACKSON IS AN ACTIVE, SOMEWHAT CLASSY LITTLE TOURIST TOWN AND THE GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK CREATED MAINLY BY THE ROCKEFELLERS HAS PREVENTED ANY CREEPING COMMERCIAL SPRAWL FROM CLUTTERING UP THE MAGNIFICENT SCENERY.  

MAIN STREET JACKSON AT 8AM SUNDAY MORNING IS QUITE DEAD.....AND SO ARE ALL THOSE ELK WHO PROVIDED THE THOUSANDS OF ANTLERS THAT FORM THE ARCHWAY INTO THE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC SQUARE.

THE FALL FOLIAGE, WHILE MISSING THE BRILLIANT REDS OF NEW ENGLAND, STILL PROVIDES QUITE A SHOW WITH THE YELLOW ASPENS DOMINATING THE SCENE.

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING I WATCHED A BALLOON DRIFT SLOWLY UP AND OVER THE 12,OOO FOOT HIGH PEAKS........ WHAT A THRILL THAT MUST BE,  MAYBE NEXT TIME.