Yellowstone/tetons - anyone been?

Tony Buckley said:

In a rare outbreak of forward planning, the other half and I have booked the necessary flights for
a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons next September - so let's hope the caldera doesn't decide
that 2004 is the year when it's going to do something geologically spectacular
- and I'm at the information-gathering stage.

Anyone been? Any must do's/should never do's? Any recommended walks (sadly alpine ascents are out
for medical reasons, so Grand Teton will be spared my company, even though it looks fantastic) or
advice on avoiding local wildlife, such as bears or fat RV-driving merkins?

All information gratefully received...

T.

I haven't been but if you go to this website there is a message board and someone there will be able
to give you more local information.

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"Tony Buckley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In a rare outbreak of forward planning, the other half and I have

booked the

Quoted message said:

necessary flights for a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons next

September -

Quoted message said:

so let's hope the caldera doesn't decide that 2004 is the year when

it's

Quoted message said:

going to do something geologically spectacular - and I'm at the information-gathering stage.

Anyone been? Any must do's/should never do's? Any recommended walks

(sadly

Quoted message said:

alpine ascents are out for medical reasons, so Grand Teton will be

spared my

Quoted message said:

company, even though it looks fantastic) or advice on avoiding local wildlife, such as bears or
fat RV-driving merkins?

I went in 89, which seems like a lifetime ago now so any info I give will probably be out of date.
The walking was much more controlled than in the UK and we had to inform the park rangers of our
intended route, times for walk in/ walk out etc. In the Teetons we did a walk across Paintbrush
Divide which lived up to it's name, and also *climbed* Middle and South Teeton - both lower grade
climbs/decent scrambles, ice axe, crampons required. There's a photo on Paul's Urw gallery of me on
Middle Teeton looking over to Grand Teeton.

We were worried about bears, but didn't actually see any. You MUST store food well away from your
tent though, preferably hanging from the branch of a tree so that it's out of reach of bears and
other animals. I say other animals, because if the bears don't get it the Marmots certainly will. We
hung ours of a bit of wood cantilevered out from a rock and came back after the Middle Teeton ascent
to see a procession of Marmots diving off another rock and taking a swipe at it in mid air. Very
funny watching them going back up to the rock and queuing for another go! I think the bear thing is
over hyped - you'll probably be lucky to see any. You're supposed to walk along making a bit of
noise so you don't surprise them!

Graham

Quoted message said:

All information gratefully received...

...I'd say it was a good time for you to be buying some dollars right now...;-)

John B

Tony Buckley <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In a rare outbreak of forward planning, the other half and I have booked

the

Quoted message said:

necessary flights for a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons next

September -

Quoted message said:

so let's hope the caldera doesn't decide that 2004 is the year when it's going to do something
geologically spectacular - and I'm at the information-gathering stage.

Anyone been? Any must do's/should never do's? Any recommended walks (sadly alpine ascents are out
for medical reasons, so Grand Teton will be spared

my

Quoted message said:

company, even though it looks fantastic) or advice on avoiding local wildlife, such as bears or
fat RV-driving merkins?

We spent a few days in the Tetons in July 2003, and drove through Yellowstone on the way there. The
Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone is awesome, but after that we were a little disappointed. Far too
busy for my liking and full of people driving ridiculously sized RVs, some the size of coaches, at
about 10mph. After the scenery in Montana a few days earlier it was a bit too green, not really
rugged enough. The Tetons on the other hand were fantastic. We stayed in Jackson, which is where
everyone stays because there's not much else in Wyoming (the size of Germany, population about 1
million). Recommended hike would be Static Peak (11,100ft or so) with great, close, views of the
Teton Range. Just high enough to feel the altitude and also avoided by most of the tourists. We had
the summit to ourselves for nearly an hour in the middle of July.

We were told by a ranger in the Tetons that Yellowstone is actually quite quiet once you get off
the roads, because nobody hikes there, so that might be worth looking at if you can bear the
convoys of morons.

Wildlife-wise, we were always wary of bears, talking loudly, singing German children's songs, but we
never encountered one. We did come across a couple with a video camera who had been told of a female
grizzly and cub nearby and were waiting to film it. Gave them a gobful of abuse about being stupid,
dangerous and helping bears to lose their fear of humans, then made a swift retreat. Saw plenty of
marmots though, who were not in the least bit worried by humans.

I'd definitely go back again. It was the highlight of our trip, which took in the Mount Rainier,
Olympic, Glacier and Badlands National Parks along the way. Take plenty of film, as you could spend
all day shooting the Teton range and not get bored of it.

Ian

Not just food..

I had a leki pole trashed by critters in the Rockies last trip... Fello ver in the night, and they
eat the handle.

Richard Webb