NOW FOR SOME FISHING . . .

We left the “loop” we were taking around the Park in order to come down through Yellowstone Park to the south entrance – 23 miles – and on to Jackson Lake which is in the Jackson Hole country. The scenery is very fine with the Tetons looming across the lake. We came through level valleys surrounded by beautifully wooded mountains and along lovely creeks. We went to [Neoran] opposite Mount Moran and here the Snake flows out of Jackson Lake and there is a big dam. There was a little artistic store full of wonderful furs, all made and heads and skins of animals decorated the walls, also chairs made of elk horns, but the chance to fish was poor so we got some bread, eggs, etc., and came back several miles to this beautiful camp at the lake. The men got a boat but caught no fish except for Dad, who fished along the edge and got four copper bellies which are poor eating.

This is our most beautiful camp so far, located 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. Irl got one lake trout. That was all the luck they had. They came back for a hasty breakfast, then went again in a boat. We did up the dishes and aired our bedding – badly needed.

[The map at top is from the "Haynes New Guide and Motorists' Complete Road Log of Yellowstone National Park," 1926. The above "Eastern Brook Trout photographed alive, Yellowstone, Park" is from the box of colored postcards.]

FINALLY -- HOT TIMES!

We drove back to town from the farm this morning. Mike had an appointment for a cholesterol check at Rosauer’s at 9:00. We were in town by 8:00 so we shopped at Wal-Mart and then I got groceries at Rosauer’s while Mike had his test.

You know – funny thing about those tests. Mike has tested a little high on his cholesterol for years. Frankly, I think he just carries numbers that are a little high because the only risk factor is his age. Nevertheless, our diet is low in saturated fat and he eats oat bran muffins – the kind without flour. In other words, we made life changes rather than using medication. This diet and what seems like non-stop exercise keeps him thinner than he should be.

Well, early one morning before his shoulder surgery, Mike went to the hospital for a blood test. “Now, have you fasted for 12 hours?” asked the phlebotomist. Mike admitted he’d had dessert at 9:00 the evening prior. “Go away and come back after 9:00,” was the response. She told him that it really messes up those tests if you haven’t fasted for 12 hours. Well, heeding that little piece of info has made a world of difference in Mike’s tests. That test at the hospital was good, but today’s results were the best he’s ever had.

We’ll be in town until tomorrow afternoon. Mike has planned an outing this afternoon while I spend time with a friend. He’ll probably get a bike ride while it’s cool in the morning. We expect to return to the farm tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon. KW

TICK MAGNET

Aaaaah! Country life! Can’t stay awake past 9:30. Up at 5:30 a.m. and out to commune with nature as soon as you’ve breakfasted.

Here’s a photo of Nellie romping through a wheat field. She loves to lope through the fields, her ears flopping high with every jump. But there is a down side to that activity. “Nellie just can’t relax tonight,” I said to Mike. “She’s concerned about something on her body.” We knew what it was and there was no putting it off. Nellie had to be inspected for ticks, and I really hate doing it. Initially I removed four. When she still seemed concerned about the party that was taking place on her hindquarters, Mike and I took her outside and found four more. We decided she needed her tick repellent renewed, so Mike applied that while I removed two more ticks from her person. Someone told me the ticks are prolific this year, and it would certainly seem so to me. Probably no amount of tick repellent will keep her totally free of the ticks, though it will protect her from their attaching.

The hike this morning seemed rather more strenuous than necessary. We skirted around the fields, which was rough going, and then we trekked through rough terrain with fallen trees, hidden rocks, bind weed, and what have you. THEN – we walked from the bottom of our lane to the mailbox on the road. Here's a picture of Mike trudging up Plank's hill. The photo to the right is of "June's field" and the tire ruts are the approximate location of the old road which went past June's house and on down the hill to our house. When June's property was sold in the late 1940s, our present lane was excavated on our side of the property line.

Mike wants to know if anyone can tell him what those loops on the back of his pack are for. He tried using bungy cords to attach the tent vertically, but it flopped around.

BACKCOUNTRY GEOCACHING

Each time I wrote the date on the nine geocaches we logged today I thought of my oldest son, Murray, who turned 45 today. He would have really enjoyed our adventure. I had wanted for a long time to find the caches in the back country between Kooskia and Weippe. So I spent parts of several days mapping the caches and placing waypoints on the map and in the GPSr so we could find our way through the maze of roads in the area. Miraculously it worked beautifully. It wasn’t nearly as confusing as looking at the map. From the map it was impossible to tell the main roads from the glorified trails.

We left the farm about 8:30 this morning and headed for Kamiah. We stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things, but mainly to replenish Nellie’s dog food. We got our first cache just north of Kamiah and then headed for Kooskia where we logged a couple more. From there we had a beautiful drive back on the Kidder Ridge road which offered magnificent scenery. This road is paved for a quite a distance. We then worked our way through the back country to Weippe picking up caches along the way. We took the old Greer grade up to the Camas Prairie and got back to the farm a little after 4:00 having logged 137 miles – a great day of geocaching and seeing new country. M/W

PRACTICE HIKE

Nellie was ecstatic. This morning at 8:10 I put on my visor as Mike slipped into his 32-pound backpack and picked up his hiking poles – sure signs of a hike. And Nellie does love hikes. She made two quick circuits of the yard to express her glee.

Off we went – past the pond and walking the edge of the fields heading south toward Little Canyon. Mike’s pace was slow and steady. I could almost keep up with him.

We continued along the perimeters of the property eventually coming out on Dobson Road. Then we walked out to the “corner” where our mailbox is located and back along the road to our house.

These beautiful yellow sunflowers are in bloom everywhere now. See the house in the background.

We’re close to home now – just one last steep pitch on our lane.

Into the yard at 9:40. We hiked three miles in an hour and a half.

LESS TRAFFIC?

Yesterday I drove two friends (the three of us comprise my Christian Science study group) to a meeting in Richland, WA (Tri-Cities). Our route takes us over the old country roads that wind through rural Washington. That’s just the way it is. We don’t hit the freeway until 13 miles out of Richland. This is not a heavily-trafficked route, but his year we thought we noticed considerably less traffic. Never were we part of a string of cars. There were not cars ahead or cars behind. I passed just one vehicle and one vehicle passed me. No RVs. Was it just our placement in the scheme of things? Or are gas prices keeping folks at home?

While I was gone, Mike rode his motorcycle to Pullman and spent a happy morning there hunting geocaches within the city limits.

Did you travel this weekend? What did you think of the traffic? KW

AUGUST 2, 1926 - YELLOWSTONE TOUR

August 2, 1926 (Monday)
We came on to Yellowstone Lake. We saw Shoshone Lake in the distance and passed Isa Lake, which was full of pond lilies and located on the Continental Divide. They cannot tell which way the waters run but each way apparently. We crossed the Continental Divide three times before reaching Yellowstone Camp. Yellowstone Lake is immense and we meant to lay over till noon but could get no boat so came on to this camp.

[The photo above is identified as Shirley, Bernice, and Lynn at Old Faithful "taken by Vance who got too close to steam of the crater." I don't know if I believe that's Old Faithful. Did they let folks get that close to the crater? They surely don't now. Postcard photo of Yellowstone Lake below.]