The 1959 Yellowstone Earthquake - A Visible Reminder of Earth's Changing Landscape

 

While campers were nestled in their sleeping bags in a campground at the foot of this mountain just outside of Yellowstone National Park, a massive 7.2 earthquake caused a 80 million TON landslide, effectively sheering off the entire side of the mountain as seen here from the visitor center observation window!

Twenty-eight people lost their lives that August night, many buried in the slide at the Rock Creek Campground.  The loss of property was also significant as the landslide dammed up the Madison River, flooding an entire valley.  Today you can see the "newly formed" Quake Lake, with the remnants of dead trees and houses still present throughout the area.

I had visited here back in 2017.  Since it was on my way home from Virginia City a couple of weekends ago, I stopped at the visitor center again. Unbeknownst to me, it was the anniversary week of that fateful night.  Watching the documentary video stirred deep emotions, listening to firsthand accounts from survivors who lost family members . . . including parents and siblings.

You can walk through the forest where you can visibly see how the land shifted and "dropped" some 20 feet due to the earthquake.  I would also suggest a drive along the river, as it is very pretty with anglers often in the river fishing for trout.

This area is about 30 miles from West Yellowtone, MT and the west entrance into Yellowstone National Park.  For anyone who is looking for an interesting day trip, I would highly recommend this as something to do.

GTNP (part two) - An Emotional Experience

Monday was a pretty emotional day for me.  Not really sure why talking about my brother-in-law Rex to some strangers (aka "friends I'd yet to meet") at the Chapel of the Transformation in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) had me overwhelmed with emotion, but it did.  I actually think it was the outpouring of empathy and concern expressed for me . . . directly and indirectly.  I know my presence, with Rex's remains, impacted others.

There was a tour bus full of middle to senior aged tourists on the grounds when I got up from the Menor's Historic District area.  They were mostly in and around the church as I approached so I took a seat and waited patiently for my time to stage the photo I wanted to take.  The view as you can see, is too amazing to not want to commit it to memory through a photograph.

As I step up with Rex's urn, one lady asked me if it contained the ashes of a loved one.  I replied that yes, my friend died in May and I was sharing my summer adventures with him.  She thought that was a memorable way to pay tribute to him.

I could hear her telling others in the back of the church, and when I exited, there were whispers as I walked by some of the couples.  One lady came up to me out in the parking lot and asked if I was OK, as I had been fighting the tears and sniffling back the snot building in my nose.  Like a 10 year old, I used my hoodie sleeve to wipe my face and tears.  She said, "Can I give you a hug now?  You look like you need a friend."

I chuckled and said I had a friend with me, thinking of Rex, but also accepted her friendly gesture of comfort.  People can be so kind and generous with their emotion and empathy.  In the car, I broke down into a full and blubbering cry, as much about the thoughtfulness of truly a PERFECT stranger, turned friend.

The Chapel of the Sacred Heart is another church in Grand Teton National Park. It was built in 1937, and continues to provide worship services today.  I have driven by this one a dozen times over the years, but never took the time to stop to see it.

I'm glad that on this day, I had the time and inspiration to do so.

The stained glass window at the front, caught my eye as I approached the front of the building.  I had to stop and take it all in, before entering.

Inside, the rustic and modest building felt like I was walking back in time.  The pews and kneelers looked to be original to when the church was built.  There were prayer books available for parishioners and guests.  I took a few moments looking for inspiration, finding a passage that had me fondly remembering my childhood experiences going to church with my family.

I reflected on the innocence of children and how the world has changed in over 50 years.  I felt old like "someone's grandmother" which is odd since I've never had kids!

Before leaving, I took this photo as I shared a moment here with Rex as well. 

Many people have written that exploring our US National Parks can be a near religious experience.  While I am a spiritual person, I don't consider myself particularly religious . . . not in the traditional or biblical sense.  Having the opportunity to live, work and play in one of the greatest national parks in the world, is something that will be with me until the day I take my last breath.  I hope to never take for granted the ability to travel freely and to enjoy as much of the great things here on Planet Earth.

Yes . . . I am living the dream!

I'll close this blog entry with one of the most iconic images from The Tetons!  I hope you enjoy the majestic beauty of Mt. Moran and its reflection in the Snake River as seen from Oxbow Bend.

Rediscovering Grand Teton National Park (part one)

This past weekend was my third trip down to Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) this summer. While originally I was booked to camp in Yellowstone for Saturday and Sunday nights, I ended up doing a late audible using Wyndham Rewards points to book a free night at the Super 8 in Jackson.  (The AARP rate was nearly $250, so it was an easy decision to "spend" 15,000 points for the night's stay.)

My plans changed for a couple of reasons . . . first was the weather.  As I was leaving the south entrance from Yellowstone to GTNP, I encountered a pretty heavy hail storm.  About a couple of hours later, I could see lightning south of me . . . and soon, I was hearing the thunder too.

The second, which actually was an extension of the very reason I was going there in the first place, was to see & photograph moose.  Initially, I was hoping to get to the Moose/Wilson Road area by 6pm and then spend about an hour looking and hoping to see them.

As I made my way south, I opted to check out the Oxbow Bend area of the Snake River. I had heard reports of a "big grizzly boar" in the area, and thought I could afford a few minutes there.  I met a guy who was photographing the birds (mostly osprey and eagles).  We got to chatting (remember, there are no strangers . . . only friends we've yet to meet) and he soon realized I was on a mission for MOOSE!

He suggested I make my way to the Gros Ventre River area, heading towards the campground out that way.  But he also suggested with the cloud cover, I get going as it would be darker earlier.  I decided to forego the Moose/Wilson Road and head in the other direction based on the advice of my new friend.  As I headed further south, it was becoming clear to me that it would be VERY late (after 10pm) before making my way to my Bridge Bay campsite, so I scrambled to find lodging in Jackson.

I rolled through the Gros Ventre area, including the campground.  Saw a lot of elk, but no moose.  Feeling defeated, I headed on to my hotel and got settled in for the night.

For a quick moment, I thought about stopping in at the world famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for an adult beverage, but then thought better of it.  I was already tired (having left my campsite before 7am) and just wanted to call David and go to bed.

I did roll by my favorite little vintage era bowling alley at the Jackson Elks Lodge, but as expected, it was closed.  I would have stopped and had a beer there with the guys, had they been open.

The next morning I was awake and out around 8am; it felt good to sleep in for once.  I picked up some breakfast "snack items" to go, and headed out for Gros Ventre River again.  The guy told me that while dusk was good, he had NEVER been disappointed in the early morning.  I only hoped that 8:30am would be "early" enough.

I was rewarded almost immediately with the sighting of a couple of bulls.  They looked to be younger guys, munching on the willows along the river on the opposite side of where I was parked.  While I took a lot of photos from a long range, there were only a handful that were decent enough to share here.

While I did roll up and down the road looking for more, I didn't see any others, nor did any of the local wildlife tour guides.  So I feel pretty fortunate to see and photograph what I could.

From there I did roll down the Moose/Wilson Road to an area I've had great success at before.  Sadly, no moose in their usual places, so I didn't linger long as there were other places I wanted to explore.

When I did the Solitude raft float trip last month, our guide pointed out the Menor's Ferry Historic District along the Snake River.  He highly recommended checking out the old ferry as well as the historical buildings of William (Bill) Menor's 1894 homestead.  I had never toured this area, so I was excited to include it during this trip.

This is the original homestead cabin of Bill Menor.  It had been added on to a couple of times to expand living space and add a general store.

This is a replica of the ferry Menor built and operated on the Snake River to help locals get across.  It was quite ingenious what he created, with a pulley system to move the ferry across.

In the barn are several old coaches and even a sled for use in the winter.

In 1918 Maude Noble bought the ferry from Menor, and had this cabin moved from its original location on Cottonwood Creek.  This is where in 1923 the initial discussion and plans were made to create Grand Teton National Park.  It took some time but in 1929 it became a reality.  In 1949 John D. Rockfeller, Jr. donated over 32,000 acres to create what is now the footprint of the national park.

Unfortunately the Noble Cabin was not open to the public but I did snap this photo peering in through one of the windows.

Another historical building located in the Menor Ferry Historic District is the Chapel of the Transfiguration, on land donated by Maude Noble.  Local residents attended services here in the 1920's & 1930's.  Today St. John's Episcopal Church in Jackson still conducts services here for locals and visitors alike.

While the church building is lovely, it pales in comparison to the view from inside!  The photo doesn't go it justice, as it really looks like a painting on the wall.

I am so thankful for the suggestion to visit here . . . and the fact that after losing 50 lbs this year, I can actually get out and walk around places like this without worrying about my knees or asthma.

TO BE CONTINUED!

A Walk Back in Time - A Couple of Old Mining Ghost Towns

 

Nevada City and Virginia City are two old mining towns, about three miles apart in SW Montana.  Both have their own unique charm and ambiance, maintained to help preserve and tell the story of post Civil War era gold mining here in Montana.

This was a rather last minute, impromptu  weekend get away.  I booked a very nice B&B for my Saturday night, with plans to enjoy the area on Saturday and then head back to Yellowstone National Park via West Yellowstone on Sunday.

Just an Experience is located as you enter Nevada City from Virginia City, as was a perfect location.  My hosts Carma & John have a beautiful home (built in 1864), with a couple of old historic mining cabins also available for lodging.  I was in the main lodge in the Franklin Room.  With a queen size bed and private bathroom, it was very comfortable.

And breakfast . . . it was wonderful too!  I would highly recommend Just an Experience to anyone looking to get way for a couple of days.

But back to the two mining towns . . .

Nevada City has a small street front, with a few buildings and businesses open to the public.  But the real history here is beyond the gate, for which there is a small admission fee, between $8 and $12, depending on age and day of the week you visit.  There are approximately 50 historic buildings that have been assembled here to depict life in the 19th century.  Some are remarkably well maintained and furnished just as they would have appeared when over 10,000 people lived in this area after gold was discovered in Adler Gulch in 1863.  Here are just a few of the photos I took including the barbershop, tavern, schoolhouse and post office.

I especially enjoyed looking at the Finney Homestead, which is still largely as it looked when the family lived here, right up until the 1950's.

Over in Virginia City, the main street is filled with buildings from the same era but the settlement has a different feel, as there are several modern businesses occupying the buildings, including the oldest saloon in Montana - The Bale of Hay.  And next door to it is the 1890's livery stable, turned opera house where the Virginia City Players offer wonderful local community theater productions depicting stories from the era, plus vaudeville shows mixing contemporary humor with the rustic flavor from the days of mining in the area.

Some of the buildings are still in a bit of disrepair, and could use some refurbishing, but all in all, the walking area in Virginia City is well worth a visit.  

While in town, also be sure to check out the Fairweather Inn, which today is a guest house open to visitors to also take a peek around.

That evening, I enjoyed a Wagon Ghost Tour, learning a bit more about the history and legends of the day.  We heard of the ghostly presence in several of the old houses in town.  We also ventured up to Boot Hill, the final resting place of five road agents who were hung by a group of vigilantes in January 1864. 

As far as local history and folklore goes, it doesn't get much "wilder" in the wild wild west, than the story of these five who are buried up on Boot Hill.

For more information and to plan your own trip to Virginia City & Nevada City, check out their website!  If you are an American history buff, or have even a casual interest in this region of the country, I hope you'll consider a visit too.

No Strangers . . . Only Friends We Have Yet to Meet!

 

My view from the balcony atop the Fairweather Inn in Virginia City, Montana . . . it was here that I met the first of my new friends this past weekend.  It was nice to just chat with Kelly, who was curious about my solo trip to the historic mining turn ghost towns.  We talked about the impact of COVID on our outlook on work and life . . . the desire to live for today . . . and not waiting for retirement.  You see, like me, the pandemic changed her and she too opted to retire a few years earlier than her initial timeline.

Also like me, she had found herself working for an organization she felt didn't fully appreciate or respect her.  "Life's too short" became her mantra, and she left them to pursue her own interests while she still had her health and the ability to travel.  It sounded so very familiar!

From that chance meeting on the balcony, I changed my plans for the evening, cancelling one activity and booking another I had no idea about before our conversation.  I'll admit the wagon ride ghost story tour was much better than what I had originally planned.

Later that evening, back at my B&B, I spent a lovely evening out on the deck with my hosts Carma & John, along with their friends Janet & Chris.  Talk about a small world, during my eight hours in town, that evening was my third interaction with Janet, including sitting next to one another at the Virginia City Players' show in the town's historic opera house earlier in the afternoon.

After my stay at the Just An Experience B&B, I felt like I had made several new friends including fellow guests Colleen & Paul from Minnesota.  It was delightful sharing breakfast and travel stories on the deck on Sunday morning.

Through my travels I have been enriched through the chance meetings I've had with people who have yet to become my friends.  Today, I have several true friends made through chance encounters and social media.  Trip Advisor, IgoUgo and Facebook have all brought people into my travel experiences that have made me a richer person.

I highly recommend it!

Third Weekend - Third US National Park

 

Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) is just south of Yellowstone, roughly 30 miles via the Rockefeller Memorial Parkway.  It is another wonderland of wildlife and mountains, part of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. 

Over the years, I have enjoyed GTNP just about as much as I have Yellowstone National Park . . . mostly because of the grizzly bears that are well known and often very close to the road.  Back in June 2016, I had an exceptional front row seat to the world famous brown bear known as #399, and her first year cub I affectionately called "the snowy faced cub."  Sadly about a week after I took this photo roadside, the little cub was killed by a vehicle while crossing the road in the middle of the night.

More recently #399 became known as "the quad mom" successfully raising her crew of four cubs to independence earlier this summer.  At the ripe old age of 25 or 26, who knows how much longer she will continue to produce cubs . . . or even survive the harsh life as a bear?  Every time I'm in her area, I hope to catch a glimpse of her or any of her progeny, but so far this year, I've come up empty.

For this past weekend, I actually camped in Yellowstone at Grant (on the south end of the park) Saturday night and Canyon (more central) on Sunday night.  This was mainly because the prices for camping in GTNP were cost prohibitive.  For under $20/night, I was very comfortable using Yellowstone as my home base for my full Sunday in GTNP.

Since I first started planning my summer "vacation" here, I knew I wanted to do a raft float trip on the Snake River.  Where I live in Gardiner there are several whitewater rapids tour companies, but my old lady knees (and back) really aren't up for the thrill of the Yellowstone River.

I booked with Solitude Float Trips out of Jackson. Signing up online
was very easy, and even earned a small discount.  Our river guide was Sam, who coincidentally was from Wisconsin . . . not far from where David & I live.  He had been living and working in Jackson for roughly seven years and was very knowledgeable about the river, mountains, glaciers and all that folks come to this park to experience.

One of the ladies on our raft could not stop talking about wanting to see a moose.  Well on about mile eight of our ten mile float trip, we got to see a HUGE bull moose.  He was laying in a small shallow alcove, just chilling out on a hot summer day.  While I did enjoy seeing him, we were going pretty quickly downstream and I wasn't able to get either of my cameras positioned for the photo op.

I've learned in recent years to not worry about getting ALL the photos but to enjoy living in the moment, enjoying the sights without dealing with the camera gear.  Sorry I don't have the image to share with you here.  But seeing him in all his majestic glory is something I hope I never forget!

For those interested in seeing how the float trip went, here's a short video.

The scenery throughout the ten mile float, was really beautiful,  Here is a view of the Teton Mountains through the clouds, as we floated down the Snake River . . . and another looking downstream and around the bend.  It really was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours just out on a nice summer afternoon.




 

 

 

 

 
I did spend more time on Monday back in Yellowstone, trying to find some bears to watch, but to no avail.  Sometimes it's easy to take for granted the abundance of animals you can see in any of our US National Parks . . . especially in the Rocky Mountain region.

It's a humbling reminder to enjoy every opportunity you have, when they do make their presence available to humans to enjoy.

On Monday morning, I drove the first little bit of the road heading towards Lamar Valley.  The road was only recently reopened to visitors for the first eight miles, as the rest of this stretch up to the NE Entrance into the park at Silver Gate/Cooke City has been closed since the floods in June.  There are sections where the road was totally washed out, and will require major reconstruction before fully reopened to the public.

I did enjoy watching a small herd of bison, including several bulls who were flexing their testosterone driven need to demonstrate their superiority over the younger and smaller bulls.  I got this video of just how testy they can be during the rut. 

Sorry Nick . . . I just don't think these boys have a scratch under their chin on their minds. 

Second of Three Busy Weekends - Glacier National Park

 

Sunrise over Paradise Valley is how the day greeted me this past Sunday morning.  There are some breathtaking things to see, if you're willing to get up early . . . or stay up late.  For me, late evenings are a challenge mostly because I don't particularly like driving after dark in areas with a concentration of wildlife.  It can simply be too dangerous . . . especially with the speed limits of 70-80 MPH here in Montana.

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky to catch a room at Glacier National Park's Snyder Hall at Lake McDonald thanks to an apparent cancellation.   Rooms in the park can run upwards of $300/night, so landing a small room with shared bathroom access (four rooms with a bathroom & shower on each of two floors) are a very affordable $125 +/- so very worthwhile.

This is especially true since Glacier is continuing with their advance reservations to enter the park.  With a confirmed reservation (camping or lodging or a tour) you can enter the park and the Going to the Sun (GTTS) Road area without booking the advance park entrance reservation.  But if you're planning to do this, you need to be comfortable with rather sparse accommodations.

My room had a set of twin bunk beds and an in-room sink . . . and electricity.  No TV . . . no air conditioning . . . no mini-fridge.  For me staying INSIDE the park and having access to the GTTS Road for both days (check-in and check-out) was worth the $100.  And the location is also pretty spectacular.

This is the front of Snyder Hall, which faces a small creek.  It was nice listening to the water rushing downstream right outside the window.  The mosquitoes . . . not so great!

Since I had just been up here about five weeks ago, I opted to reverse my drive, going to Glacier via Kalispell . . . and going home out the St Mary's area, and the more eastern route through Helena.

I enjoyed this very much, including the chain-of-lakes region between Seeley Lake and Swan Lake (and valley).  Seeing the families camping and enjoying life on the lake, made me a little envious.  I would love to have grown up with lakeside camping and water activities, but our family was more about camping in the mountains . . . which was nice too.

While the main attraction of Glacier National Park is their namesake glaciers and the fabulous views on the GTTS Road (which is only open roughly 10-15 weeks in the summer), many like me also enjoy the opportunity to see wildlife.  Admittedly it's not as prevalent or accessible to view roadside, it is still pretty special when you're able to see a bear or mountain goats, or maybe even an eagle!  I did see all three, although not more than once.

 

Many people who vacation or even work/volunteer in Glacier NP do so for the wonderful hiking and vista views throughout the park.  I do what I can and for this trip, catching the sunrise over the mountain tops, glaciers and into the valleys, was amazing.

Because of a later than normal snowfall this year, the GTTS Road opened later than usual.  That also created some pretty spectacular waterfalls, many of which are visible safely from turnouts on the road. Listen and enjoy the sounds of this one . . . plus the wind! 

And as much as I do enjoy our US National Parks, sometimes the drive to and from are as much "the purpose" as the destination. I try to never forget this, which is why driving 1,000 miles for a two-day weekend, really isn't a big thing to me.  That's roughly 10-15 hours of opportunities to experience life as others do every day, and yet if not for the road trip, I might not ever know about the world out there.

One such experience was watching the movement of a very large flock of sheep across the Montana morning range.  They were moving FAST too . . . as if they were being chased or something . . . so I turned around and went back to find a safe place to watch.  What I saw was not only a rancher on his horse high above the moving sheep, but four or five beautiful dogs.  Normally I expect to see border collies or Australian heelers or something similar.  But these were large white dogs . . . maybe Great Pyrenees?

Here's a short video I got of sheep moving across the range. 

I think I enjoyed seeing herding livestock the old fashioned way, better than this . . . how they were moving cattle from one field to another, right along the highway.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there is more efficiency using men on ATV/4-wheelers . . . and more control given they were moving them in a very open area near the road.  I just enjoy watching working dogs do their jobs.  And seeing a rancher on a horse, is a throwback to an increasingly bygone era.

Clutching (shifting gears) . . .

Do you believe in having a spiritual connection with those who have died?  I do for sure . . . and when I arrived in Glacier National Park, I lost my SiriusXM radio connection due to the dense forest and high mountains all around.  I always travel with a box of CDs selected for each road trip I take.  While I did pull over to fetch something to listen to, I didn't really stop to look through the box to pick something on purpose.

I have loved the Eddie & The Cruisers and its soundtrack since the very first time I stumbled upon the movie on cable TV probably 35 years ago.  I felt like the music and perhaps even the story line was very Springsteen-esque.  John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band has the Jersey Shore sound down . . . just as good at other bands of the region like Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes.

Anyway, I digress.  I didn't know that my recently deceased brother-in-law Rex also loved the movie and soundtrack.  Rex was with me, literally, on this trip as I brought a small urn of his ashes to spread in the park.

So when I just reached into the box of 25 or 30 CDs, I felt Rex was channeling my choice . . . probably tired of the 60's Gold I had been listening to for most of the trip.   So yes, it was Eddie & the Cruisers for the next hour or so . . . in honor of Rex. 

I think he enjoyed being scattered in the wind up on Logan Pass.  It was a breezy warm afternoon, which I thoroughly enjoyed sharing with my dear friend. 

And while I couldn't get over into Canada the next morning, he rode on the breeze across the international border at the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

All in all I had a wonderful weekend.  Next weekend will bring another adventure at another US National Park!