Good to see you around here Brian. Nice photos! And how was your time there at the Soda Fork Meadows? Do you have any photos from there?
Love the Grizzly Print photo. Wishing You the Best!
Well hello there!
Ahhhhhhh.... The soda fork meadows.... I've always loved nature and the wilderness, but I found something extra special sitting on the little hill at the bench campsite, looking up the soda fork at Smokehouse mountain on those beautiful late-June days, watching and listening to the north buffalo fork bustle by and the osprey calling from a treetop. That was special...and I owe the magnificence of that spot to you, my friend. One day I was sitting there, looking up at Smokehouse mountain as I read a book, and after a bit of time I looked at my watch, and realized that those few moments was actually over two hours. I had completely disconnected from time. You can't buy that with all of the money in the world...you must be in a place like this, and just let time go away naturally. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The second day I was at that spot an outfitter brought a group of about 15-20 boys out for a retreat, just down to the south at the outfitters campsite, so that removed that silence of nature from the picture...ha ha ha! And they let the horses out to feed at night with the cowbells on them, so needless to say, I had to move North into the North Fork meadows. (I found that neat little fire pit tucked back in that little nook in the trees down my the buffalo fork and to the right...)
Saw wolf tracks on the way back out on the trail, which was quite nice.
There is an extra special place in my heart for Jackson Hole now. In the thirteen days I was out there, I hiked nearly 150 miles between the teton wilderness, GTNP (30 miles on one of those days doing paintbrush canyon, to hurricane pass, and back out cascade canyon), and other areas around Jackson. My first bear encounter was in cascade canyon, where I came up on a couple staring at something ahead of them (blocked from my sight by trees) By time I (slowly and quietly) reached them, I was within 30 feet of mama and one cub of the year). Luckily, she was cool as a cucumber, and once my heart settled back from it's short trip to my throat, it became one of the most cherished moments of my life to date. Her cub came a bit closer to the three of us (the couple backed behind me and headed back down the trail) and climbed up into a tree to my eye level so we could appreciate each other for a minute. Momma came and collected him (at which they were at about 15-20 feet then) and they circled around me, and popped back up on the trail about 50 feet behind me. As I was watching them start down the trail, the cub stopped for a moment, turned around, and took one more glance at me before he turned to chase his mother down, as if to say "see ya!!".... So incredible... My heart about exploded...
I loved Jackson as well. Touristy, but not so terribly congested at many other vacation towns. Made a few friends at the boulders in the park at the base of snow king, so I have friends to visit when I come back...which will be very soon!
Thanks again for all of the wonderful recommendations. I'd love to hear about your summer up north sometime!
Sincerest regards,
Brian
p.s. That grizzly print photo was taken on a muddy section of the trail, not far from where I exited the trail to head to the bench campsite.
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