At the top of Dunraven Pass we looked out over a hundred or more miles of countryside so pristine that, other than the road upon which we stood, no sign of the hand of man could be seen. All that gorgeous terrain with no cell towers, no power lines, no rooftops, nothing that wasn't there when Lewis and Clark's happy band trekked through the mountains north of here.
In case you are wondering, Old Faithful still puts on its regular show every 90 minutes. The mud pots still bubble and reek of sulfur too. Someone asked me if they could watch Old Faithful spout after midnight. I responded it would help if the moon was full and the sky clear. That question, like asking if the bison are represented by a union, falls in the category of "dumb tourist questions."
The huge herds of bison we saw in June have headed back into the timber. Now there are on display only modest groups of 100 or so. The tiny calves we saw then have grown and should be large enough, by October, to begin forging through the snows that blanket this land for at least six months of the year. When it gets too cold, the bison hang out by the thermal features to keep warm.
We saw a grizzly bear, not an easy thing to do in today's Yellowstone. It was wandering the grasslands of the Hayden Valley and was in easy viewing for many minutes. It looked healthy, which is good. We also saw three moose in the vicinity of Moose, WY, within the Grand Teton National Park. Both of these animals are difficult to see. We also saw elk and deer in modest numbers, and the males had nice antler racks in velvet.
We ate a good dinner at the Lake Hotel. This grand old pile has the same feel as the hotel on Mackinac Island. It is even older than the giant log cabin that is Old Faithful Inn, and we spent time in both.
On the way home we stopped by Jackson Lake Lodge and savored the view of the lake and mountains from the three story picture windows in the upper lobby. We also stopped to once again enjoy the view of the mountains behind Jenny Lake; the air there smells so good it is almost sinful.
Before coming home, we stopped in Jackson at Billy's on the square for a burger and fries. It is a far-from-elegant little eat-at-the-counter diner. Billy burgers are huge, tasty, and definitely sinful. At various times we've encountered Dick Cheney's Secret Service protection detail and investment guru Mario Cabelli eating there. We understand it was a favorite of Bill Clinton too. The other DrC and I have eaten there once a week (or more) for at least the last 10 summers. We recommend it.
