In Which the Author Leaves Salt Lake City to Travel to Bryce Canyon National Park via Dixie National Forest Saturday, August 22, 2009 After dropping off Jennifer at the Salt Lake City International Airport, I hit I-15 outta’ town, realizing that I was missing the city and its heavy Mormon-influenced culture and architecture, but I just couldn’t bring myself to dip into a place where religion has such an influence. I got enough trouble not believing anything at all. A stop 25 miles south in a suburb (will the mountains bordering the east, all the valleys contain hours, commerce, and industry), I stopped at a local Smiths (?), parking the truck in the shade (I have a mid-cab window as well, and with the camper top, the window can remain open—I also crack the side windows. ... read more

In Which the Author Lists His Yellowstone Grebe Lake 3-Day Hike Backpack Contents: This recent entry goes with a few back; it's the contents of the 3-day Yellowstone Grebe Lake hike... Backpack, black with external plastic frame 10 metal tent pole stakes 1 backpackers tent, with footprint and rainfly Sleeping bag with stuff sack (keeps it dry) 1 foam bedroll (a must!) 2 flashlights 2 pens 2 notebooks (Mead Composition and Mead Marble Memo) Handkerchief (a must—many uses!) Eyeglasses and eyeglass case (new to the line-up this year!) Nalgene bottle (which I later left in Vik and Suzie’s van) 50 feet hemp string (food suspender) Floppy hat (light and excellent shade, has a chin strap—a must!) Environmental bug juice (not used) Deet bug juice (not used) Tobacco (to really capture the western feel) 5 lighters 5” ... read more

In Which the Author Leaves the Bridger-Tetons National Forest Thursday, August 13, 2009, 11:00 a.m. Leaving Jackson, Wy. yesterday, having gotten water (I’m using about 4-5 gallons a day, just for cooking, drinking, washing hands, etc.), PBRs, gasoline ($2.47—not bad), posting yesterday’s blog entry, gotten batteries and postcards (my one souvenir weakness), checked into the Visitors Center, which was staffed with nice retired folks, eager to chat and offer assistance. I finally headed south at about 3 p.m., enjoying the drive of vast, rolling canyons, dotted with trees, dirt, grasses and sage, and jagged rocks and following the Snake River. Had I been slightly more organized, I would have found the location of Evel Knievel, whose daring “motorcycle” jump I watched on the news back in the ‘70s. (There was a 3-day blackout, as it ... read more

Sunday August 9, 2009: In Which the Author Spends His Last Night in Yellowstone Well, the 3rd day of sitting around the campsite all day, watching people come and go, chatting with the fellow Chicagoans, the Arnolds, going 50 yards straight back from the campsite with Sophie (and being totally surrounded in new-growth forest…this situation is readily available at almost any part of Yellowstone—except the village gift shops—and it’s nice to “gently break,” well…alright, break the rules by throwing sticks for Sophie. We also went on a walk through the camp (there’s probably about 80 sites here, mostly occupied by tents). It was the first night of three that I actually spent dinner time/sunset at the camp, preferring to steal electricity to do the blog (I’m learning a lot, and am somewhat frustrated in the slow/unavailable ... read more

Hello... Friday July 7, 2009 In Which the author Gets Yellowstoned! I would first offer an apology for the delay in posts; it’s an environmental conflict being in such a great place, yet still coordinating the use of electricity. Cell phone and internet are somewhat spotty here, but I traveled 12 miles from Norris campground, through a 15 minute hailstorm (yes, hailstorm) to wash some clothes, steal some electricity, and wash my own stanky ass! G Well, it’s been a week in Yellowstone, and I have a lot of different entries to type, as this park is so large (approx. 60 miles long by 60 miles wide) that there’s no simple way to present it. Much has been written about Yellowstone, and I’m hoping that my particular interpretations are entertaining and informative. To recap, Sophie ... read more