Ken,
I just got Kendall's accessible/Chamber of Commerce links. Thanks,
Kendall!
First of all, Ken, you have to make sure to check your expectations.
You're headed into Yellowstone during the absolute peak of the season.
Traffic can get as bad as downtown Atlanta--and that's no exaggeration.
See Old Faithful and the touristy sites if you must, but I think you
will have a far more relaxed time if you get off the beaten path a bit,
and that doesn't mean you need to put on your hiking boots either. It
may mean a bit more driving, but rent yourself a little Ford Focus and
you should be good to go.
Things not to be missed:
The Continental Divide at Togwotee (pronounced TOG-ah-tee)Pass. You can
take US 89 from the SE corner of Yellowstone and pick up 26 East at
Moran Junction. You'll be able to tell when you're getting close to the
pass because the weather will chill very quickly and it will probably be
raining or snowing on top (even though it's in the 80s in Moran). My
son and I get a real kick out of peeing on the western side then
swinging 180 deg and peeing to the east.
As you drive down 89 you can see the Tetons on your left. This is
pretty spectacular because the landscape is fairly flat right up to the
base of the mountains. The valley near Moran is about 6700', but the
mountains are between 12,000' - 14,000'. You can be fifty miles out and
they look like they're about 100 yards ahead. These are "new" mountains
that were created by abrupt tectonic lift, so the east side (valley)
fell and the west side shoved up a mile and a half.
Also, if the mood strikes, you can continue on 26 East. Brooks Lake,
just east of the continental divide, has a ****-load of bears. Still
further east is the town of Dubois, which, to me, is Paradise on earth.
Torrey Canyon is just east of town and you can get out of your car and
walk around the big horn sheep ewes and lambs like it was a petting zoo
(the rams stay higher up). You can find all sorts of fossils and
artifacts just strewn about in the canyon.
You gotta take one of the boxcar cable trams that haul skiers up to the
tops of the mountains in winter. The views are incredible and you can
see all sorts of wildlife from above. They operate year round, but they
can close down when the wind gets too strong. We got stuck on the top
of Mt. Moran a few years ago when a freak wind storm hit 90 mph, All I
had on was an unlined GoreTex jacket. Even if it's a hundred in the
shade...take a warm jacket wherever you go in MT or WY!
Another cool place just to the east of Yellowstone Park is Cody, WY.
Take 287 South to 14 East. The Buffalo Bill museum is there, and that's
really cool. Lots of rodeo action in town, too. If you guys are
planning on getting food/snacks/drinks to last you through the week,
Cody's the cheapest place to stock up outside of Bozeman.
The folks in the small towns around Yellowstone are extremely friendly.
The tourists are often not. Keep a close eye on your valuables and keep
your money in your front pocket. Keep your situational wits about you
as people aren't expecting crime and that's the way the bad guys like
it.
One final thing: If you drive at night, go slow and be careful! You
might notice as you drive on roads outside the park that there are
sections of pipe laid into grooves cut across the pavement about four
inches apart. These are cattle guards to keep cattle from crossing from
one ranch to the other. Their hooves slip between the pipes, so they
just won't cross them. However, lots roads run smack dab through the
middle of pasture ground. Since it gets pretty cold at night the cattle
like to lie down right in the middle of the road and absorb the heat
from the dark pavement that's been absorbing the sun all day. Hitting a
cow in a rental car in the middle of nowhere squared is not fun.
Kyle
-----Original Message-----
From: Cerebral Palsy List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of ken barber
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: must see/do yellowstone
okay guys i need you all to give me some "must see/do"s for yellowstone.
have any of you been to the park.
of course keep in mind that i have cp but my wife and kid do not. they
may wish to hike out and be eaten by a grizzly and i might not could
make the hike. :-) i'd do something else (actually judy and i would
do something else) while benjamin hiked.
give me your list.
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