Weekly Update

A pleasant Wyoming morning at the hatchery

Break time at Jenny Lake

We've had a nice week as we work back into our normal routine.  Sunday we met up with Jenny & Craig at Leeks Marina for pizza and bread sticks.  Monday we finally got our bicycles out into Grand Teton for about a two-hour bike ride.  Tuesday was haircuts, burgers at Idaho Burger Grill (St Anthony, ID), plus a visit to Rexburg, ID Walmart.  Wednesday we were back out to the Laurance S Rockefeller Preserve and a walk around Phelps Lake.

We're back talking fish at the hatchery today.  It feels as if everyone waited until now to come to Jackson Hole.  July 4th week crowds seemed down in number and somewhat calm when compared to last year.  This is the first week where we've noticed significant longer lines at the toll booths into the park, larger groups visiting the hatchery, more quantity of people in/around the town of Jackson, and, of course, the lack of patience of people on vacations.  So that's how we're seeing things as we pass the halfway point of our volunteer stint this year. 

Laurance S Rockefeller Preserve

As for us, we're doing well.  Just enjoying our time here.  Thanks for dropping in and checking up on us.  Until next week, David

Death Canyon beyond Phelps Lake

Phelps Lake

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

With Stephanie & Brianna's visit getting short, Donna and I took them to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to show them another side of Yellowstone.  The canyon area was crowded in certain spots, but not bad over all.  Donna was usually able to find a parking spot close to where we wanted to be.  Pictures here give you an idea of what we saw.

Top picture is of the lower falls from Artist Point.  We then moved to to the upper falls parking area.  The picture to the right is of the upper falls.  The brink of the upper falls parking area is closed as is the canyon hiking trail in that area.  Obviously we weren't able to stop there and take some pictures.  The next stop was at the brink of the lower falls.  The 3rd picture from the top is of the path going down to the brink overlook.  The last picture is of the Yellowstone River as it travels below the lower falls.

We had a nice, long day.  We ate lunch in the canyon area.  A short stop at Grant Village on the way back to Jackson let us do a little shopping, get some ice cream, visit the Grant Village Visitor Center, and let Donna & I check out the restaurants in that area. 

Since that trip, Stephanie & Brianna have returned home safe and sound, and we're back to our normal routine here at the hatchery.  It's mid-season for us.  We've been here for two months, and it's gone by quickly.  Overall, this season's visitation has not been quite as busy as last year.  Jackson's not as crowded as last year, either.  Not sure why.

So that wraps up this update.  We're looking to make a trip over to Rexburg, ID and walk around Phelps Lake in Grand Tetons's Rockefeller Preserve this coming week.  Of course, that's just a plan.  Thanks for dropping in and checking up on us.  We're fine.  Until next week, David

Happy 4th of July!

Stephanie & Brianna have made out for a visit this week.  We've showed them a little bit of the place.  Then Donna decided to push us to our limit and hike Cascade Canyon to the fork at the back of the Canyon & return.

It's a beautiful walk.  Just long.  We took the boat shuttle over to the west dock and walked the horse trail up into the canyon.

We started out about 9:30 AM at the boat dock.  Took our time...usually due to taking pictures.  It's a beautiful hike.  Walked our way back going down to the Jenny Lake west dock via Inspiration Point, Lower Inspiration Point, and Hidden Falls.  Got back to the dock around 5:00 PM.  Nice boat ride back!  My fitbit says I walked 10 miles.  I'm still beat!

This week, we've also worked in a hike up to Grand View, pizza & bread sticks at Leeks Marina, a walk along String Lake, and a cowboy dinner & show at the Bar J Ranch.  Today Brianna & Stephanie took a drive up into Yellowstone and the Old Faithful Basin area while Donna & I talked fish.

So far, no know plans for tomorrow from them as Donna & I still talk fish.  I think we all go back to Yellowstone Saturday (Canyon area).

Plans for Sunday are for them (Donna, Stephanie, Brianna) to go white water rafting.  That's what the reservations say, anyway!

So that's been our week.  We're all doing well and - more or less - eating healthy.  Fish doing OK.  Most of the hatchery staff is off as the employee housing is closed for asbestos abatement this week.  Not the most convenient week to do this as there's no vacancies anywhere in the general area.  One family went to Idaho Falls, ID to get a room.  Lucky us - the volunteers.  We get to stay on site as each couple has its on room (trailers for both of us, of course.)

Hope everyone is having a great holiday.  Pictures here are from Tuesday's walk up Cascade Canyon.  Thanks for dropping by and checking in on us.  Until next week, David

Two Ocean Lake

We finally got our hike in at Two Ocean Lake.  We'd been trying to get to this lake for a month - especially before the bugs became bad, but Two Ocean Drive was closed.  We found the gate open on Monday and drove on in to the trail head.

The walk is a 6.4 mile loop and considered moderate only due to its length.  There were a few elevation climbs toward the north west end of the lake.  Insects were out, but it was windy and that helped keep them at bay.   A little insect repellent for the wooded sections took care of the more persistent ones.

Nice walk if you get the chance to take it.  We found it surprisingly busy given it's distance, and it's still a little early in the visiting season.  It's know for wild flowers.  Unfortunately, the wildflowers seemed past their peak.  It is bear habitat, and we saw the scat.  Didn't see any bears, though.  Saw coyote scat, too, but no coyotes, either.  Oh, well. 

 As for a weekly status, we're fine.  The cutthroat have had their adipose fin clipped.  A bus full of volunteers from Idaho finished that effort today.  The new fry seem to be doing well.  The year olds are getting big.  An additional raceway was brought online today to give them a little more room.  Visitors continue to come in clumps.  The highway department is working on US 191 between here and the south entrance to Yellowstone NP.  We do get visitors complaining about the delays

due to that.   We've had a couple of days where you can see the north bound traffic backed up past the Nation Wildlife Museum.  You can also hear the car horns blow from time-to-time as some gets irritated about the whole deal.  Yep, good time to just pull into the hatchery and take a break.

Oh,  I almost forgot.  Pictures here are from our walk around Two Ocean Lake.  Hope you enjoy them.

Lastly, company is coming Sunday, so we'll be out with the crowds showing them some of the sites this coming week.  We hope they have a good time.

I think that gets you up to date.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  Until next week, David

Weekly Update

Jackson, WY as seen from the Teton Natl Forest looking west toward Idaho

We've had an interesting week.  We worked (volunteered) on Friday & Saturday  On Sunday we helped Jenny (more like provide moral support) as she moved her & Craig's trailer from Dubois, WY to Moran, WY for their month stay in Moran.  Unfortunately, Craig has an eye issue that required laser surgery, and he's currently having to stay in Idaho while recovering.  Hopefully, he'll be cleared to travel the mountain passes by next week, and they can get back to their planned hikes in the Teton area.

Monday was our grocery shopping and walk the town of Jackson day.  Tuesday was rehang another of our MCD shades that had fallen down on Sunday, fill a propane tank and clean some in the trailer.  Wednesday was hike in the Bridger-Teton Natl Forest and take a ride over to Victor, ID for a burger day.  Today was work (volunteer) day.

Wednesday and today were exciting days for the fish as this was fish "marking" days where the adipose fin is cut so researchers can tell where the fish came from when river and lake census are taken.

So that gets you up to day.  It's amazing how fast the first month here has passed.  The weather is definitely different than what we experienced last year.  We had light snow flurries this afternoon and the weather channel  app is calling for light snow by 9 PM tonight.  We greet tomorrow - the first day of summer - with a hard freeze warning.  Ahhh, summer in Teton County!  Reminds us of Mark Twain's comment where he stated something about the coldest winter he'd ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco.

Back on topic:  You're now up to date on us.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  Until next week, David

June 13th Update

They always walk away when I point a camera.

Teton Pass as seen from Teton Natl Forest above Jackson, WY

Our 200,000 fish eggs have become sack fry quickly and will soon need to be fed.  The year old ones are growing, and the hatchery is bringing on additional tanks to handle them.  Visitation has gotten steady quickly.  This must be family week.  Families are out in force.  We're getting large families, too.  12-15 people at a time and traveling in multiple vehicles. 

View of the Tetons behind the Moose Visitor Center

We've gotten out some, but it's been a week where we worked around the trailer.  We managed to walk down to the Wildlife Museum for lunch one day.  And while waiting on a leaky tire to be repaired (always the passenger-side, rear inner dual tire, too...3 times in the last 46,000 miles), we walked to one of the trail heads for the Bridger-Teton Nat'l Forest.

View along the trail to Murie's Ranch

We walked by a young moose on the way back. They always walk away when I try to take a picture, though.

We also got out to Grand Teton, too.  We took a short walk from the Moose Visitor Center to Murie's Ranch.  The walk there and back was spectacular.  Kinda hard to get good pictures of the buildings as they're in amongst the trees, though.

So that's been our week.  We're doing well & staying busy while watching the snow on the mountains melt.  The highway near the hatchery is being "repaved".  What they're really doing is repairing cracks and weak sections in the road, then pouring oil and gravel over the sections they've repaired.  After that they put up a sign warning you of loose gravel, put another sign telling you not to pass, then turn traffic loose.  Just like Alabama.

Anyway, thanks for dropping by.  Until next week, David

Weekly Update

Sting Lake outflow into Jenny Lake, GTNP

Lewis Falls, YNP

We've had really nice weather this past week, and we took advantage of it.  On Sunday we took a walk around Moose Ponds area and visit Colter Bay.  Mt Moran under snow was impressive.

On Sunday we took a day trip to the Old Faithful Geyser Basin for a walk and let Donna shop for a sweatshirt.  We were in no way prepared for the amount of snow that was still in southern Yellowstone.  Lewis Lake still had ice in it.  Made Lewis Falls pretty, though.

Lewis Lake, YNP

Old Faithful Geyser Basin was its normal self.  Stinky.  Wasn't crowded in the morning.  Open seating for lunch.  Tour buses arrived after lunch, and the geyser basin became packed.  Donna was successful in finding a sweatshirt.

Monday was an "off" day as we shopped for groceries and cleaned the roof of the trailer.

Bison, Old Faithful Geyser Basin, YNP

Tuesday was back in Grand Teton for a walk along Jenny Lake from String Lake parking area to Lower Inspiration Point, Hidden Falls and back.  It was a good walk, but got hot as we worked our way back to the String Lake parking area.

Overall, we had a good four days off.  At the hatchery, some eggs have hatched to sack fry and the year-old cutthroat are getting bigger.  Additional raceways are being cleaned as they need to move the year old fish and give them more room.

Fire Hole River. Old Faithful Geyser Basin, YNP

That brings you up to date.  A new cold front is coming through over the next day or so.  Lows go below freezing each night beginning Friday night and those lows continue through Monday night.  Idaho Falls TV says snow at 5,000 ft elevation and higher.  Guess we get more snow. 

Lower Inspiration Point, GTNP

That's it from us.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  Until next week, David

GTNP = Grand Teton Nat'l Park
YNP = Yellowstone Nat'l Park

Hidden Falls, GTNP