May 2019:  Colorado and Wyoming

Thursday, May 10 to Sunday, May 19, 2019.  Grand Junction, Colorado.

Stayed in Grand Junction a little longer than expected.  Parked in a gravel space next to my brother’s house, but slept in the house so we could interact more.  When we were kids, we tormented each other, but somehow we managed to survive (and enjoy) this visit.  I don’t see him often, so it was nice to spend time with my “good looking” brother (his words, lol).  His rear yard slopes about 50 yards directly to the Colorado River.  Sitting on his back deck, there is not a neighbor in sight.  Across the river is the town of Grand Junction, so there are city lights.  Plus rainbows and roses. Pretty good duty.

I left the deck door open one night, and a raccoon came in and helped himself to a bag of bird seed that was sitting on the floor.  Hmmmm…..  the birds enjoyed the bag that he dragged on the deck and opened. 

My niece and her family also live in Grand Junction, so more visiting and getting together for activities was in order.  Went to a school function and heard my grand-niece sing.  Met their dogs.  Went to eat at Olive Garden.  Took a family photo.  Check the box.

Also took advantage of “town” amenities and had a glass shop replace the upper front window in my trailer.  Found a great vintage RV builder, and was able to have him weld a receiver so I could mount my bike/chair rack to the back of the trailer instead of the front of the truck.  No more overheating due to radiator obstruction.  Problem solved (until another problem rears its head).  And I loved looking at the Airstream and Scamp that were in stages of restoration.  He did the whole polish on the Airstream, and was designing/building custom cabinets and layouts for both of them.  I fell in love with a total rebuild 12’ vintage trailer that was sitting with a For Sale sign.  It sold before I left town.  I am sure if/when I come to the point of wanting either a restoration or rebuild, I will be in touch with Kelly at New Vintage RV in Grand Junction.

And of course, the unexpected. Spotted a hot dog stand in the wonderful “downtown” area. Drove back around the block (yes, I am a hot dog addict!), and came across Jim and Pat, who are full-time RVers who have landed in Grand Junction for a bit and are operating this stand. One Chicago Dog, coming up. They get to be outside and meet all kinds of people (like me) and share their stories!

Sunday, May 19 to Tuesday, May 21.  Brown’s Park, northwest corner of Colorado.

Left Grand Junction in the afternoon, so knew I would not make it all the way to my destination. Found another “road less traveled” with great views and interesting rock formations.  When I got sleepy driving over the mountain and the switchbacks were beginning to make me dizzy, I pulled into a turnout, turned off the engine, and spent the night.  Beautiful location high in the trees.  Coffee in the morning, and off again.

Brown’s Park is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife-administered free campground in a remote area on the Green River.  The volunteer at the Visitor Center in Grand Junction recommended it, and said he and his wife had recently gone there.  Always accept recommendations from the locals! It was early in the season and pretty cold and rainy, so I found myself the only camper.  Great site.  I could almost fall out my trailer door into the river.  Birds, fish, and endless moving water.  Stayed for three calming days and only saw the ranger, who drove by once a day.

When I later told my good friend, Mark, that I had been to Brown’s Park, he said, “Oh, my grandfather killed a man in Brown’s Park.”  What????  Turns out that in the late 1800s, his grandfather was instrumental in tracking down and capturing the outlaw Tom Horn.   A companion of Horn’s is the one who was killed when he tried to shoot it out.  Mr. Horn was eventually hung.  The tale was the basis of a 1978 movie starring Steve McQueen.  I am continually amazed by the hidden layers of stories in people.

Tuesday, May 21 to Thursday, May 23.  Pinedale, Wyoming.

Sisters on the Fly (national women’s camping/fishing/traveling group) member Mindi Crabb listed her place as a potential stopover for “Sisters” who are traveling through and need a place for a night or two.  Mindi and her fiance, Jeff, live in an original 1945 ranch house with panoramic views of the distant mountains.   Two horses, a mule, Pepe the wonder dog, and Barnie the barn cat are also in residence.  Mindi and Jeff are both deeply involved in their community, and bring a wealth of historical knowledge.  I took their advice and visited a number of local attractions and the Museum of the Mountain Man (please see it if you pass that way). 

Traveling from Colorado to Wyoming took me through more open range and snowy mountains. When I arrived, Mindi said she had counted on me bringing the sunshine.  Maybe not.  I had three inches of snow on my truck and trailer when I woke up the first morning.  It did melt quickly, and we were able to get a peek of the distant mountains.

Mindi has a vintage trailer named “Never Lost”, and they also have an outdoor “greenhouse” shelter and a couple truck-bed based tents that use wood stoves. All Jeff designed and built. My kind of roughing it!

I attended a Pinedale Library appearance by author Grove Mower.  Grove lives in Chicago, and has written a trilogy of novels based on his experiences as a college-age young man working a summer job on a rough Wyoming cattle ranch near Pinedale in 1970.  Look for “Forty Rod Road:  A Young Man’s Tale of Adventure and Discovery.”  Colorful characters to say the least.  A happy happenstance that I was there the night he spoke.  We talked for quite a while about his adventures and my anticipated ones.

I loved the town of Pinedale.  It sits on Highway 191 about 80 lonely miles southeast of Jackson Hole.  Deer in yards in town (do you like the mini trailer??). Mindi and Jeff were such gracious hosts.  They invited me back, and I plan to take them up on the invitation. Thank you, Sister #1058.

May 24 to 26, 2019.  Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Grand Teton National Park.

Definition from the locals:  Jackson is the town, and Jackson Hole is the area.  I was still confused.

Gros Ventre Campground, Grand Teton National Park.

With directions from the ranger when I checked in, I was able to grab the furthest site in the campground, and park my trailer so that my door opened on a fantastic view of the majestic Grand Teton mountain.  The first day was so overcast that I couldn’t see the mountains at all, but they did indeed appear and give me an amazing sight for most of the three days I was there. 

There is a large elk refuge adjacent to the Park. The rangers told me that in February there were about 7,000 elk. But they didn’t wait around for me, and have all moved north. I did meet up with a young female moose. She wandered along next to my truck for a while, then ventured off. Shedding her winter coat, so she was not too pretty.

The area around the campground offered many opportunities to wander. I drove north then east down a Forest Service road (left the trailer in camp, so the back roads were more negotiable), and discovered an area along the Gros Ventre River that was forever changed by the largest known landslide in the U.S. in 1928. A dam was created by the slide, which later gave way and took back some of the land and a few lives. A lake emerged, and the Forest Service operates a few wonderful campgrounds. I only visited one. I think I may have to come back and spend a few weeks just camping there.

Of the six campgrounds in the National Park, this is the closest one (about 10 miles) to Jackson.  I was able to go into town every day and do some exploring.  The hills around Jackson and the mountains that create the surrounding area seem to suddenly rise straight up out of the ground.   I saw three (there may be more) arches in town made totally from elk antlers! The town began as a tent community in the late 1800s, and opened up ranching on the other side of the pass from Idaho.  Travelers from St. Louis and other points east were able to make annual trade journeys.

(Suggestion: take a breath. This next part may be a little difficult to follow.)

My Great Uncle Arthur (my grandmother’s brother) was born in Jackson in November 1888.  Family lore says he was born in the back of a saloon, but my investigation with the researcher at the Jackson Hole Historical Society/Museum showed that the first commercial building wasn’t built until 1895.  So our best guess now is that he was born in someone’s home.  Records show that in 1888 there were 23 residents in the area, so Great Grandma Evans would have had limited places to have her baby.  My Aunt Jane (my mother’s sister) is now 97.  When I called her to ask why she thought her grandmother was in that vicinity, she said, “Oh, those people traveled all over.”   So, there you go.  That part of the family came from Wales.  Many were miners who settled in Missouri and then participated in the California Gold Rush.  A few stopped along the way and settled in what is now Boise.  The Teton Pass opened up in the latter 1800s, so our thought is that perhaps the family was traveling from Missouri to Idaho for a visit.  Makes my little trek seem pretty tame!

Monday, May 27, 2019.  Memorial Day. 

I am hoping to find a “first come first serve” camping spot in Yellowstone.  Wish me luck!