Or a Landseer. I saw one in Bozeman, Mt. The thing was laying in a snow bank panting like it was 90 degrees.The white herd dog is most likely a Great Pyrenees, wonderful thread you have here, I'll shut up again so you may continue
Matt
My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
It's really quite simple. Since I have (2) vehicles I drive both to the take out point. Then I leave the truck & camper there, drive the Jeep with the kayak to the put in point. I kayak down the river, throw the kayak into the back of the camper (it's a perfect fit), then drive back up to the Jeep and hook everything up again. I've also used my bicycle instead of the camper. Then I just leave the kayak, cycle back to the Jeep, then return to get the kayak. And at times I've hitch hiked. It all works just fine.
So I did indeed kayak down the Snake River through the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It was so much fun......and it was great to go solo (no dog in my lap). I was unable to choose a dog so I left both of them in the camper. Obviously my day was much better than theirs, but they survived just fine. The Snake River was much faster than the Madison or Yellowstone Rivers, maybe twice as fast. I hit some good rapids, got completely drenched since I decided not to bring the spray skirt. I only have pictures of the smoother / slower water since I was protecting my phone (camera) from the waves. The scenery was outstanding and I think I'm going to go again before I leave the area. Here's pictures of the river.............
This morning we hit the farmer's market. Jackson Hole has a nice one. Lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, and baked goods. I loaded up on berries and vegetables. Afterwards we went to the art show / auction. They do something really cool here. Each year they invite a group of high quality artists to the town square. The artists have (90) minutes to prepare their piece of art. Afterwards they have an art auction. Now remembering that Jackson Hole is a high end town, the highest price I saw was $30,000. My favorite painting went for $8,500 (shown below). It's amazing to watch these people bidding thousands without thinking twice. Anyhow, it was fun.........this town is fun. Not sure when we're leaving..........
And here's my favorite shop in town (and man there's a lot of shops and they have a lot of competition here). The owners are very friendly and I usually see them a few times everyday. Please take the time to read their amazing story here: http://www.amaran.com/blog/. I hope they don't mind me saying but their store is so much better than their website. Actually their store is one of the friendliest and nicest stores that I've ever visited in all my travels. I consider these people my friends now. Here's a picture of the owners, of the shop entrance and one of the dogs hating their shop. I've spent a few bucks in there.........
So I did indeed kayak down the Snake River through the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It was so much fun......and it was great to go solo (no dog in my lap). I was unable to choose a dog so I left both of them in the camper. Obviously my day was much better than theirs, but they survived just fine. The Snake River was much faster than the Madison or Yellowstone Rivers, maybe twice as fast. I hit some good rapids, got completely drenched since I decided not to bring the spray skirt. I only have pictures of the smoother / slower water since I was protecting my phone (camera) from the waves. The scenery was outstanding and I think I'm going to go again before I leave the area. Here's pictures of the river.............
This morning we hit the farmer's market. Jackson Hole has a nice one. Lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, and baked goods. I loaded up on berries and vegetables. Afterwards we went to the art show / auction. They do something really cool here. Each year they invite a group of high quality artists to the town square. The artists have (90) minutes to prepare their piece of art. Afterwards they have an art auction. Now remembering that Jackson Hole is a high end town, the highest price I saw was $30,000. My favorite painting went for $8,500 (shown below). It's amazing to watch these people bidding thousands without thinking twice. Anyhow, it was fun.........this town is fun. Not sure when we're leaving..........
And here's my favorite shop in town (and man there's a lot of shops and they have a lot of competition here). The owners are very friendly and I usually see them a few times everyday. Please take the time to read their amazing story here: http://www.amaran.com/blog/. I hope they don't mind me saying but their store is so much better than their website. Actually their store is one of the friendliest and nicest stores that I've ever visited in all my travels. I consider these people my friends now. Here's a picture of the owners, of the shop entrance and one of the dogs hating their shop. I've spent a few bucks in there.........
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Hanging out at the coffee shop. Check out this rig I saw last night. Driven by a nice German couple traveling in the states for (6) months. Obviously they had it shipped here. Hopefully they'll be joining XP.
Guri
Explorer
That is a nice find and you should post this pictures at
Spotted:Expedition Vehicles
Nice journal! Keep posting in your adventure.
Spotted:Expedition Vehicles
Nice journal! Keep posting in your adventure.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Thanks. I'll try to get that done..........
Yesterday I finally went to a rodeo. Jackson Hole held the Wyoming high school state championship at the fair grounds this weekend so I was there for most of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. These kids sit on their horses like I sit in my recliner and they can control their horses better than I can control my vehicles. I was impressed with this this bunch of kids. So focused at their task. The bull riding was the best, but it was all good. Today is errand day............yesterday I actually wore different color socks so off to the laundromat.........
Yesterday I finally went to a rodeo. Jackson Hole held the Wyoming high school state championship at the fair grounds this weekend so I was there for most of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. These kids sit on their horses like I sit in my recliner and they can control their horses better than I can control my vehicles. I was impressed with this this bunch of kids. So focused at their task. The bull riding was the best, but it was all good. Today is errand day............yesterday I actually wore different color socks so off to the laundromat.........
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Yep............I understand completely. This town reminds me of the movie "Pleasantville". Do away with all the tourists and it would be perfect. I have no idea how the locals can be so friendly.
Well, it was a really nice day so the whole idea of doing errands didn't last long. Once I got the laundry done, we were in the Jeep and headed for the high country. We did some more four wheeling and then spent the evening doing a few hikes in the national forest. The weather was perfect and the scenery outstanding. As you can see, the foliage is really beginning to change and it's just becoming that much more remarkable here..............
Checking the weather forecast that night, Tuesday was looking like the last warm and clear day so I decided I needed to get back out on the Snake River and do some more kayaking. The next morning the skies didn't look too good but we drove down to the river driving through intermittent showers. I gave the weather a few hours but no change in sight so I decided to go for it. This time I wore a wet suit and put on the spray skirt. Lucky I did cause the weather only got worse. Half way into my trip I was watching ground strikes from the lightning directly ahead of me. It was quite scary but I swear the guys in the drift boats didn't seemed fazed one bit. They had trout on their minds I guess. I made it out alive and shortly after pulling the kayak from the river it began to hail and it got seriously bad. Thank goodness I was out. I took few pictures since I and my camera were drenched the entire time............
I saw this cool rig at the take out spot then again in Jackson Hole...........
The sky from my favorite coffee shop last night..........
Well, it was a really nice day so the whole idea of doing errands didn't last long. Once I got the laundry done, we were in the Jeep and headed for the high country. We did some more four wheeling and then spent the evening doing a few hikes in the national forest. The weather was perfect and the scenery outstanding. As you can see, the foliage is really beginning to change and it's just becoming that much more remarkable here..............
Checking the weather forecast that night, Tuesday was looking like the last warm and clear day so I decided I needed to get back out on the Snake River and do some more kayaking. The next morning the skies didn't look too good but we drove down to the river driving through intermittent showers. I gave the weather a few hours but no change in sight so I decided to go for it. This time I wore a wet suit and put on the spray skirt. Lucky I did cause the weather only got worse. Half way into my trip I was watching ground strikes from the lightning directly ahead of me. It was quite scary but I swear the guys in the drift boats didn't seemed fazed one bit. They had trout on their minds I guess. I made it out alive and shortly after pulling the kayak from the river it began to hail and it got seriously bad. Thank goodness I was out. I took few pictures since I and my camera were drenched the entire time............
I saw this cool rig at the take out spot then again in Jackson Hole...........
The sky from my favorite coffee shop last night..........
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Yes, Jackson Hole is very expensive. I'm actually spending less money since my rig has mostly been sitting in a parking lot where I'm camped for free.
I'm beginning to feel like this is a blog about what I did on my summer vacation rather than a travel blog (certainly not an expedition). Anyhow, since my last post I've mostly been out trying to view wildlife. I met some people that told me where there's a large elk herd, maybe as many as (500) elk. I made the trip out there the night before last and spent an hour looking but saw no elk. We did see lots of deer and geese along the creek. Then yesterday it was back out to Teton National Park. I met a girl in town who told me that bear are frequently seen at the southern end of the park along the less traveled park road (part of this road is still dirt and unimproved so it limits many vehicles). There was a bear along the road but I swear I never saw it and I wonder if most of the other people did either. People were taking pictures so I took one too. The fall colors are nice but good luck finding a bear...........
I continued further north into the park and discovered a +/- 20 mile long stone, unimproved road that followed the Snake River through the park. There are no signs for this road but it's known as River Road on their map. We headed down that road and it was great. Very few people use it as it's very rough..........
The views from the bluff above the river were grand, to the west the Teton Range and to the east the Snake River. We parked the Jeep and took off on foot (which is legal as long as we were on the road). It was almost as good as back country hiking and by the end of our walk I had decided that today I would pay the $10 and kayak the Snake River through the park. The weather forecast is for sunny skies and a high of 70 degrees. Can it get any better ?............
I'm beginning to feel like this is a blog about what I did on my summer vacation rather than a travel blog (certainly not an expedition). Anyhow, since my last post I've mostly been out trying to view wildlife. I met some people that told me where there's a large elk herd, maybe as many as (500) elk. I made the trip out there the night before last and spent an hour looking but saw no elk. We did see lots of deer and geese along the creek. Then yesterday it was back out to Teton National Park. I met a girl in town who told me that bear are frequently seen at the southern end of the park along the less traveled park road (part of this road is still dirt and unimproved so it limits many vehicles). There was a bear along the road but I swear I never saw it and I wonder if most of the other people did either. People were taking pictures so I took one too. The fall colors are nice but good luck finding a bear...........
I continued further north into the park and discovered a +/- 20 mile long stone, unimproved road that followed the Snake River through the park. There are no signs for this road but it's known as River Road on their map. We headed down that road and it was great. Very few people use it as it's very rough..........
The views from the bluff above the river were grand, to the west the Teton Range and to the east the Snake River. We parked the Jeep and took off on foot (which is legal as long as we were on the road). It was almost as good as back country hiking and by the end of our walk I had decided that today I would pay the $10 and kayak the Snake River through the park. The weather forecast is for sunny skies and a high of 70 degrees. Can it get any better ?............
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
It's a great way to travel Matt. You will love it. I'm happy that you're enjoying my travels.
So the weather is as good as it gets and I'm sitting here on the sidewalk of my favorite coffee shop trying to figure out how I'm going to leave this town. This morning was another farmers market, live band, plus the merchants are putting their merchandise out on the sidewalk and everything is marked down. Just a real festive atmosphere. I had planned to leave today but its not looking good.
And I guess I got a little ahead of myself. Yesterday was an amazing day !! I drove back to the park and kayaked down the Snake River. If you have a bucket list, make sure to add this to it cause it's remarkable. I only did one section, and I'm proud to say that I survived the "advanced section", from Deadmans Gulch to Moose Junction. It was not near as bad as the park service made it out be, although the route finding was quite a challenge. Last night I checked out a movie from the Sundance Film Festival. It was an awesome day.
So the weather is as good as it gets and I'm sitting here on the sidewalk of my favorite coffee shop trying to figure out how I'm going to leave this town. This morning was another farmers market, live band, plus the merchants are putting their merchandise out on the sidewalk and everything is marked down. Just a real festive atmosphere. I had planned to leave today but its not looking good.
And I guess I got a little ahead of myself. Yesterday was an amazing day !! I drove back to the park and kayaked down the Snake River. If you have a bucket list, make sure to add this to it cause it's remarkable. I only did one section, and I'm proud to say that I survived the "advanced section", from Deadmans Gulch to Moose Junction. It was not near as bad as the park service made it out be, although the route finding was quite a challenge. Last night I checked out a movie from the Sundance Film Festival. It was an awesome day.
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
I think it's time to finally pull up the stakes and get back on the road. I've been here for (15) days and have enjoyed everyone of them. I'm so thankful for all the kind people that I met in this town, and in particular Ivan and Sonia. So interesting........so kind. Today we are moving towards Pinedale, Wyoming and along the way hope to find a small hot spring located next to a waterfall. Sounds wonderful.......
But once again I've gotten ahead of myself. Last night I was invited to a pizza party in a teepee. That was a first for sure. The teepee was in the backyard of a new friends cabin. His name is John and he was a great guy and an excellent host. And what amazing stories he had. Just a neat guy and best friend of Ivan. He served us home made elk and veggie pizzas. Awesome !! Lots of wine alnd lots of laughter..........
So hard to leave...........
Driving through town at midnight.........
The Jackson Hole Marathon started this morning right outside my door............
As a side note, Grant, a river guide and ski guide (this guy is well known...you can check him out in the ski magazine 32 Degrees as well as other publications) was at the party last night. He told me that the stretch of river which I kayaked is indeed very dangerous and that there really are lots of serious accidents and deaths there. So, don't listen to me.
But once again I've gotten ahead of myself. Last night I was invited to a pizza party in a teepee. That was a first for sure. The teepee was in the backyard of a new friends cabin. His name is John and he was a great guy and an excellent host. And what amazing stories he had. Just a neat guy and best friend of Ivan. He served us home made elk and veggie pizzas. Awesome !! Lots of wine alnd lots of laughter..........
So hard to leave...........
Driving through town at midnight.........
The Jackson Hole Marathon started this morning right outside my door............
As a side note, Grant, a river guide and ski guide (this guy is well known...you can check him out in the ski magazine 32 Degrees as well as other publications) was at the party last night. He told me that the stretch of river which I kayaked is indeed very dangerous and that there really are lots of serious accidents and deaths there. So, don't listen to me.
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Just stopped for a quick lunch and then we will continue towards Pinedale. So, yesterday I found the waterfall and the hot springs. It was really nice as you can see from the pictures. I would soak in the hot pools, then jump right into the freezing cold river. Yukon loved the hot springs, Montana not so much. We camped at the falls last night and were back in the water this morning. We even got in a bit of hiking, but not so much........
Here's the hot pool. The small waterfall coming from the rocks was steaming hot..........
The forest where we hiked...........
Next destination......Green River Lakes.......Forest Service says lots of wildlife including Grizzlies, Black Bear, and Moose. I plan to do some hiking and kayaking along the Wind River Mountain Range........
Here's the hot pool. The small waterfall coming from the rocks was steaming hot..........
The forest where we hiked...........
Next destination......Green River Lakes.......Forest Service says lots of wildlife including Grizzlies, Black Bear, and Moose. I plan to do some hiking and kayaking along the Wind River Mountain Range........
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
The road to Green River Lakes is about a (50) mile drive north into the Wind River Mountain Range, the last half consisting of dirt and stones. The road ends at the lower of the (2) lakes where the Forest Service has a campground. Fortunately it was closed but the sites were still available. The road followed the Green River and the (2) lakes are actually the beginning of the Green River. The drive was up was amazing.
We set up camp overlooking the lake and gathered wood for a fire and then hiked around the lake a little. Once more, the views were amazing. To the far north we had fantastic views of Table Top Mountain.
The following morning we hiked a little, then I decided to take the kayak out. I made it to the far end of the lake and actually into the final leg of the Green River which ends at the upper lake. I didn't make it this time but no doubt I'll be back. I met a fisherman who gave me some trout. I paddled back to the campsite and hung out for the remainder of the day, and then in the evening I repeated the same route in the kayak. I had the whole place to myself. As far as wildlife goes, I saw antelope grazing in the sage brush, a lone coyote drinking along the river, a bald eagle fishing at the lake, but no big game. At night the owls hooted and elk bugled in the early morning. Moose tracks were abundant along the lake shore. It was so beautiful in this river valley.
Bad weather moved in that evening and overnight it rained, sleeted, and snowed. It continues today so we packed up and headed back to Pinedale where it is still sleeting and snowing. We will go south later this afternoon.
We set up camp overlooking the lake and gathered wood for a fire and then hiked around the lake a little. Once more, the views were amazing. To the far north we had fantastic views of Table Top Mountain.
The following morning we hiked a little, then I decided to take the kayak out. I made it to the far end of the lake and actually into the final leg of the Green River which ends at the upper lake. I didn't make it this time but no doubt I'll be back. I met a fisherman who gave me some trout. I paddled back to the campsite and hung out for the remainder of the day, and then in the evening I repeated the same route in the kayak. I had the whole place to myself. As far as wildlife goes, I saw antelope grazing in the sage brush, a lone coyote drinking along the river, a bald eagle fishing at the lake, but no big game. At night the owls hooted and elk bugled in the early morning. Moose tracks were abundant along the lake shore. It was so beautiful in this river valley.
Bad weather moved in that evening and overnight it rained, sleeted, and snowed. It continues today so we packed up and headed back to Pinedale where it is still sleeting and snowing. We will go south later this afternoon.
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Quick update...I tried to find some sand dunes on the way to Rock Springs. I thought it might be fun to do some 4 wheeling there today. It was (21) miles off the paved road and it was a mess. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and almost lost the whole rig several times. The road was nothing but mud from all the snow and sleet. I finally found a place to turn around and made it to Rock Springs last night. The camper completely shifted in the truck bed and severed my wiring so I had no heat last night. I've been working all morning on washing the camper, unloading the camper, and rewiring it. After (4) hours of hard work we are good to go. Our next destination is Moab, Utah with some stops along the way. Too cold here..........
