Driving West to Tetons

Tuesday,20 May 2014

Last night when we got to the Walmart parking lot in Casper, it was almost full of motor homes and fifth wheels. Thought we wouldn't find  place but we did. This morning when we got up it was empty except for us and one other motor home. First thing on the agenda was to find a RV repair shop and get the power cord repaired. Seems some dip yesterday morning shit drove away  without unplugging and   stowing the power line so we dragged it  a hundred miles or so. The  entire end was shredded and had to be replaced.

                                                 Catch'n  any?

My Power Cord

                                                 Derrick at edge of the Casper

Finally got on our way and had an awsome drive for the next 200 miles. The sky was clear but  later they appeared in  gorgeous shapes and sizes. The far away mountains with snow still on them coupled with the treeless plains as far as you could see, the Pronghorn Antelopes and the occasionally deer grazing in the fields kept reminding me of the song "Oh give  me a home, where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play. Where never is heard, a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day". You know the rest. The song "America the Beautiful" was there too. This country is just amazing.

At the Waltman-Bridger rest stop about half way between Casper and Shoshoni there was a plaque about Sage Brush, called "Mama Sage", growing in Nevada, Wyoming and Montana and the importance of it. The Pronghorn Antelope and Sage Grouse thrive on it as well as over 150 species of animals, birds and field mouses'. It provides food for them in the winter when nothing else is growing. As far as you could see, there was sage brush growing. 

The rest stop was also a junction for a road that used to go North to the Montana gold fields. It was a short cut that  saved miners about 200 miles. 

Hard to see the Mama sage

Bridger

As we left Dubois and headed to Moran Junction,  the entrance to the Grand Teton National Park,  we experienced the most beautiful drive you could imagine. Rolling hills,  mountains, the Wind River  following the road, driving through the Shoshoni Indian Reservation,stopping in a one house town called Crowheart Trading Post with the  Teton Mountains in full view,  the antelope and deer as well as all the cattle grazing in the fields and later driving through the  Togwatee Pass at 9,578 ft and the Continental Divide to Moran Junction.  From there we entered the Teton National Park

                Crowheart Trading Post

                               One House

Crowheart was named after Chief Washakie of the ShoOnce we reached  the park we stshonie Indian tribe won a contest against the Crow indians over ownership of the Butte and surrounding valley. He hung a Crow's heart on his spear and was thus renamed.

 We stopped at a scenic overlook and could clearly see the Grand Teton at 13,770 ft, Nez Perce at 11,909 ft, South Teton at 12,514 ft, Mt Owen at 12,928 ft and Teewinot  Mountain at 12,325 ft. We then stopped at the Flagg Ranch Campground for the night. No attendance was on duty, so we picked a spot and we'll pay tomorrow. Lots of signs to keep foods protected because of the bears.