DAY 8 -- YELLOWSTONE TRIP 1926

 

A colorized postcard photo of Jackson Lake

August 3, 1926

[Several pages of Ina's letter journal blew away, so she reconstructs the best she can. The timeline becomes blurred, but the stories continue.]

From a postcard: "A bear came into camp last night and ate at table. We had lots of fun. This morning, a mother bear and cubs came into camp and we got pictures. Weather fine."

[Ina completes her journal with the following entry:] 

We left the loop we were taking around the Park and came 23 miles through the south entrance and on to Jackson Lake in the Jackson Hole country. Very fine scenery with the Tetons looming across the lake. We came through level valleys surrounded by beautifully wooded mountains and along lovely creeks. We went to Moran, opposite Mt. Moran, and here the Snake flows out of Jackson Lake, and there is a big dam. There was a little store full of furs, all made, and heads and skins of animals decorated the walls, also chairs made of elk bones. But the chance to fish was poor, so we got bread, eggs, etc., and came back several nights to this beautiful camp on the lake.

The men got a boat but caught no fish. Dad, who fished along the bank, caught four copper bellies which are poor eating. [These were likely Utah Chubs, bony bottom feeders that she called copper bellies because of their coloring.]

This is our most beautiful camp so far, among little poplars and lodgepole pines, on a gentle slope overlooking the lake with small poplars and sage scattered over it. I had a big sage fire last night.

Now my diary letter is up to date. The men got up early and went fishing along the shore. Earle got one lake trout, their only luck. They came back for a hasty breakfast and went again in the boat, We did up dishes and aired our bedding, which it badly needed.

[On the morning of August 3, Shirley wrote the following postcard from “Jackson Lake Camp”:] I’m going to start right off by asking one of you to phone to Aunt Ida and ask her to buy that green hat for me. We’re camped near Jackson Lake and have a splendid view of the Tetons. Words can’t express their wild, rugged beauty. We’re having a sagebrush fire tonight. We’ll start back around the Grand Loop in the Park tomorrow.