July Update

We're mid-way through our season here in Grand Teton.  We're doing well and acclimated enough to begin hiking outside our volunteer days. Not a lot has changed from last month. 

The park is busy and the parking lot at the LSR Preserve remains full most days (as does many of the other parking lots in the park). Most of the construction projects that were expected to take place this summer have not and probably will not occur. We've noticed that the dining experience at the Signal Mountain Lodge has deteriorated. The food and the service there is not as good as in prior years. Leeks Marina is still a great visit. Otherwise, things seem to be normal as in prior years.

So we'll leave it at that. Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  Unit next time, David

View of the Tetons from Munger Mtn

Mid-June update

Blacktail Butte, Grand Teton NP

We've completed our first month here in Grand Teton NP (GRTE) and our second week at the LSR Preserve (LSRP). We've experienced both cold & hot weather since arriving as well as the typical Wyoming wind and some light hail. Yesterday, Father's Day, the high was 83. Next Sunday the high is expected to be in the low 60s with overnight temps below freezing. The flowers are happy. Buddy & Gaye stopped by for a surprise visit, and we've gotten out for our first pizza & bread sticks at Leeks Marina (courtesy of Buddy & Gaye).

Grand Teton is already busy. We've noticed long lines at the Moose Entrance Station by 8 AM. The parking lot at LSRP has already started to completely fill by 9 AM. We were working the desk at the Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center in Moose, WY (during May) when someone released bear spray in the visitor center. Take Donna's & my word for it - bear is nasty!

Anyway, that gets you up to date with us. Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us. Here's some pictures from our walks around the park:

Death Canyon (Phelps Lake), Grand Teton NP

Wendell makes a surprise visit to Grand Teton (Gros Ventre Campground)

Paintbrush at Blacktail Butte summit GRTE

Views from Blacktail Butte GRTE

The Gnome at "R" Park (Wilson, WY)

Outflow from String Lake to Jenny Lake, Grand Teton NP

Inbound & Arrival to Grand Teton NP

We made it!

We left Hot Springs, SD Monday (May 12th) with a high over 90 F. Still hot when we make a two-night stop in Casper, WY.  Heading to Dubois, WY, it got real interesting. Sunny & windy as we departed Casper (Wednesday, May 14th). All the weather reports were for rain, rain mixed with snow, and just snow once we arrived in Dubois. Weather Channel app indicated most of it would be over by the time we arrived in Dubois. Just west of Riverton, WY our truck's Sirius/XM weather map showed that'd we probably get some light stuff before arriving in Dubois. (no cell phone signal once we're out of Casper, so those apps were out) The weather was shown as rain and moving northeast. Looked like we'd get just the southern - tailing edge of the storm as we travel US 26. Wrong!

As we approached the weather it started with light hail.  A little further along and it became a full-on hail storm. Soon US was covered with an inch+ of hail. Looked like snow, but it's hail. About two miles of this and it switched to rain. A few minutes later we're out of it. Pull into Dubois with clouds, wind, significantly cooler, but no precipitation. We set up for the night, and I leave to full the truck with diesel. Pull back onto US 26, and I'm traveling in snow flurries. Didn't last long, but it made for a fitting end to a day of travel.

We leave the next morning for Grand Teton NP for the summer as volunteers at the LSR Preserve. Light rain and snow predicted for crossing Togwotee Pass and the Continental Divide. That we got, and it made for a picturesque trip over to Gros Ventre Campground where we'll stay for the summer. 

We arrive to what appears to be an eerily empty employee loop in Gros Ventre. There are units here, but it's not the hustling and bustling loop we saw last year. We setup, eat lunch, take a nap, and head to the park to get our keys and paper work for check-in on Monday (May 19th). Friday is doc & haircut appointments day and load up on groceries. More people arrive Friday. Some we know, some are new. But it's still a somewhat empty employee loop.

So here we sit for the summer. It's still a rainy, cold weather pattern here with temps dropping below freezing most nights. Training begins Wednesday (May 21st). As we get out, we'll post more. Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us! 

Here's some additional pics from our trip into the Teton Valley/Jackson Hole area. David

Crossing the continental divide

First views of the Tetons

Blacktail Butte and the Tetons (I think Mt Moran) from Gros Ventre campground

The Mammoth Dig, Hot Springs, SD

Our first visit to this museum - an archeology dig of various mammoth species at the south end of the Black Hills. The area was once a sink hole during the ice age. Animals could get it for food and warm water, but were unable to get out. The sink hole eventually filled in and preserved the remains. It's an active dig during the summer months. Great for kids - well worth your visit if you have the time.