I
apologize for the tardiness of this dispatch. I thought it had been
send by the last Pony Express Rider in Wyoming but turn out some camp
cook wrapped a greasy fry pan with it and put it in the bottom of one
of the pack saddles. I only found it because I was poking around for
a spare box of Winchester ammunition. Well, I reckon it is better
late than never.
Field
Notes - Dispatch 12 – Colter Bay, Teton Nation Park
Hello
Fellow Adventurers!
I write
this to you as rain patters on the roof of our mountain chalet that
sits next to a lake nestled under the mighty Teton mountain range.
This storm front moved in this afternoon and put a stop to all of our
kayaking plans for the evening and possibly tomorrow. Well, that is
the way of the wild. Mountain adventurers such as myself learn early
on to weather the harsh storms by staying inside and eating cheese
cake. Many early settlers perished because they did not know this
important survival strategy.
We have
been paddling the lakes and scouting for game. So far we have seen
antelope, bear, elk, moose, deer, squirrels and rich Asians. After
kayaking night before last we went to a favorite picnicking site
beneath the Grand Teton to cook up a pot of grub and when I got out
of the car a bear came out from behind a bush next the the table I
would have been standing at thirty seconds later. Like a flash I let
out a scream, jumped behind MR and then jumped into the car. My
second jump was made after quickly concluding MR would not be much
protection when matched against a large bear with paws full of three
inch claws. Mary hoped in the car a couple minutes later after I
came out from under the seat unlocked the car doors. She seemed a
little peeved, can't think why.
The next
day when I reported the to the park rangers how I had saved several
quivering campers from the biggest bear ever seen in the Park they
asked me if it was a black bear. I asked them how, exactly, I was
supposed to ascertain the bruins race when it was completely covered
in hair? And what do they care anyway, are the government boys now
profiling bears? I said, “Bears, are bears, they are all trouble,
leave race out of it!” Some of these rangers are idiots. It
makes you wonder how they got their jobs.
I have
Asians on the mind because of bus load of them tuned over just north
of our camp yesterday. Twenty six passengers and the driver flipped
over and skidded down the highway. Closed the highway for hours.
Can you imagine! Those poor people save up their money, come all the
way over here and then some Wyoming rodeo cowboy driver tips over the
bus. I wonder how many of the EMTs here know Asian languages? I bet
not many. A lot of the locals barely know English. I bet those
Asian folks were sacred to death. Fortunately there were no
fatalities but several of them ended up in the hospital. Imagine how
scary that must be for them. Most docs here in Wyoming are not all
that proficient. They think that biting on a bullet and a shot of
rot gut whiskey will cure whatever ills you might have. Oh well, I
hope they get home.
Well that
is all the news for now. When we get home I will upload the bear
photos. Over and out for now.
PS. If
you would like to look at the bear photos wander on over to
www.twinters.com and click on the photo link. Hope you are well and
blazing new paths.
