Quick GT trip

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Dorothy
Posts: 201
Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2017 7:45 pm

Quick GT trip

Post by Dorothy »

OK, this isn't exactly a Yellowstone report, as we never made it up there (reports that the tanker road closure might still be in effect left us figuring it wasn't worth the time to see if it was open), but we did had a couple of days in Grand Teton to report on.

I had just 2 1/2 days off work -- got off about 2 p.m. on Tuesday and had to be back to work on Friday around noon, so this was quick. But it was SO fun! We made it through Seedskadee in Wyoming on Tuesday, just a quick run through it -- didn't see any moose (which we are always looking for there) but did see several interesting birds and about 6-8 big desert elk bulls (SO excited about that) and an incredible moonrise -- is it called the Corn Moon? Whatever, the moon was absolutely HUGE and we watched it rise over a few hills. Awesome!

I took a tumble when I (of all things) stepped off a curb I didn't remember was there when checking into a small hotel in LaBarge, Wyo. Fortunately, not seriously hurt, just some bumps and bruises and some sore ribs (last time I did this in Florida about 5-6 years ago, I broke a hip, so I felt REALLY blessed!). We were able to go on just fine.

Grand Teton was crowded, but the roads weren't as bad as could have been because so many people were hiking! Parking lots and areas at Jenny Lake, Taggert Lake, the Lupin Meadows Trailhead, Lawrence Rockefeller, Death Canyon, Two Ocean Lake and, I suppose, every other trailhead, were full and overflowing a mile or more down the road from the trailheads. Wow! But we were just driving for the most part (did hike a bit in Rockafeller), so we were OK and the traffic was not obnoxious.

Saw a LOT of bears in just a day and a half! Did Moose-Wilson several times, and went up the the Oxbow area where they had cones out with flashing signs saying no parking in the coned area and slow down because bears were crossing the road. Heard 399 and her cubs might be in the area, but never saw her (Sigh -- fated to just NOT see her this year!). However, the sign DID prove to be right, as we were driving from Oxbow to turn at the junction up toward Jackson Lake Dam when we saw a car pulled over just past the turnoff and another pulled over a few hundred yards up toward Jackson Lake Lodge. Figured they might be seeing something, so stayed on the road toward the Lodge and pulled off the road. As we were slowing down we saw what both cars were seeing -- a grizzly coming from the WIllow Flats side and getting ready to, yes, cross the road -- as it turned out, right in front of our car! And that wasn't all -- behind her were two COY!!!! They were not the tiny things they are at the begining of the spring, but still obviously from this year. We figured it was Blondie, as we heard she had two COY this year. They scampered across the road behind her and they all went into the forest. We saw them off and on for a few minutes, then the disappeared! SO cute! And SO exciting!

Didn't see much else around Oxbow or Two Ocean Lake, but Moose-Wilson yielded a lot! We saw at least 4-7 bears (some may have been the same ones, but different times) eating berries along the road. Some were nothing more than glimpses of dark fur and a nose or ear and some bushes rattling as the bear was hidden in the bushes, but several times we were privy to bears right by the road feasting on berries that were easily visible and three actually eventually crossed the road in front of us. SO much fun (in each case, there was a ranger or two on hand to stop traffic and we were lucky enough to be in the front of the line as the bear moved around and decided to cross). The traffic/tourists were mostly pretty good -- people stopped long enough to take a photo or two, then moved on so the next car in line could do the same. We were never in a long much longer than 6-10 cars, and always got up to the animal within 5-8 minutes. Ditto for the moose -- we saw a couple of cow moose, one with a youngster, and were able to drive past, take our photos and then move on -- several times we turned around and went back through the line the other direction so everyone in the car could get a good view. Only kinda upsetting moment was when we were coming back through a line for a bear on the opposite side of the road (just trying to see if we could get a view of him, as he had been pretty well hidden as we came up on the same side of the road as he was). There was nobody behind us, and about 4 cars on the other side, and the first car was stopped for a moment or two to try to get some photos. We were waiting our turn (for him to move so we could see between cars) when the guy at the end of the line on the other side (Car No. 4 or so) started yelling and gesticulating at US -- he was yelling at US to move so he could pass the three cars in front of him! There was nobody behind us and we were in our lane and (I felt) had a right to our lane. But he appeared to be about ready to climb out of the car and try to make us move, so we decided to keep him from having a heart attack or something and moved up past the other cars so he could zoom past the three cars in front of him and zoom off down the road (at an unsafe rate of speed, by the way -- the speed limit is 25 and he was going MUCH faster). But OK, it wasn't that important.

Anyway, a LOT of fun and a LOT of bears! Wish we had had the time to make it to Yellowstone, but that will hopefully happen in early October, if things work out at my job.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day!



RikWriter
Posts: 488
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:36 pm

Re: Quick GT trip

Post by RikWriter »

I envy you the bears. We spent 2 and a half days in the Tetons and now we're on our second day in Yellowstone and have yet to see a single bear.



karenandbill
Posts: 209
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:55 am

Re: Quick GT trip

Post by karenandbill »

Great report, Dorothy. You certainly did well with the bear sightings. We met some friends in the Tetons on Friday and did Moose Wilson Rd without seeing a thing except for a heron. Just missed 399 near Oxbow but saw a red fox, 2 otters, and an osprey nail a fish as we hiked.

Sorry you had the bad experience with that one individual. Most people are pretty good and kind, but you do have those others on occasion.

Thanks for posting and hope you can make it back in October!

Bill and Karen



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