August 9, 1999

DAY HIKING

We are getting ready to go to work. Today we work from 4:00 pm to 10:30 pm (or 1600 to 2230 as most of the world would say). Every afternoon thundershowers come up just about the time I'm starting to go jogging. Now the sun is out again. Last night we ran out of firewood to sell. The reason we ran out is, I had the key to the woodshed in my pocket, and I was gone to supper. When I came back, they had sold firewood anyway and promised the people that I would deliver the wood to their campsites. So, I loaded the Gator, a golf cart looking thing, with twelve boxes of firewood and went off to deliver them. People thought delivering firewood was such a good idea, they asked if we would deliver every night.

Did I tell you about our float trip? On our days off, we went to Jackson Hole, a city south of the park. We spent the first night in a tent at a campground called Flagg Ranch. The next morning, we went on a trip down the river, just like whitewater rafting, but without the white water. Along the way, we saw two moose and two bald eagles. The scenery of the Teton Mountains, with patches of snow on them, and the water of the river and the lake, was dramatic. Anyway, we ended up in Lake Jackson where the outfitter met us to take us back in a small bus. They put the raft on a trailer behind the bus.

We spent the next night in Jackson in a nice motel. Jackson is nice city but it's overrun with too many tourists. In the winter, Jackson is a ski resort. In the summer, it’s a summer resort and gateway city to Grand Teton National Park, as well as, Yellowstone National Park. The summer activities include kayaking, mountain climbing, hiking, camping, and fly-fishing. To support all this activity, there are lots and lots of motels, restaurants, outdoor equipment stores, and outfitters. Outfitters take people on river trips and mountain climbing trips. We talked to one of the outfitters about kayak lessons. I want to take some canoe and/or kayak lessons. I'm interested in going down river or across lakes to remote campsites, but most of the outfitters teach whitewater kayaking in short kayaks.

I'm leaving for Buffalo Ranch, in the NE part of the park, tomorrow to do some day hiking with the Yellowstone Institute. I'll be there three nights and must take my own food and sleeping bag. Gina complains that I'm gone so much hiking, horsepacking, etc. I don't understand her complaining, she knows both of us can't take off work.