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Published: September 24th 2007
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Well we've packed in a lot since our last update and it is my turn to relay what I can remember of the first bit. My problem is every day we go to new places, meet new people and have to remember new Spanish words. As a result I end up getting all my worms mixed up. If it is any consolation I am better at remembering numbers. I can tell you we came East on highway 20, down on 89, filled up with petrol at $2.87 a gallon, stopped for two 12oz coffees served by a waitress with 40inch jugs. I can remember we have visited 3 national parks, the first was Glacier national park which follows south from the Canadian rockies (Jasper and Banff), more spectacular scenery and wildlife. The days have been hot and sunny and the nights very cold. Having whinged in the last blog entry about having to camp at 2,500ft we have since had to camp between 4-7,500ft. we are learning fast and now sleep in our entire wardrobe (both sets of clothes), also June got a bargain blanket for $1 in a thrift shop. despite this it's still the body's appendages that suffer, the
Glacier National Park
A perfect lake on a perfect day. further something sticks out the colder it gets. It's disappointing for me that it is my nose that is worst affected. My marino jersy has been a godsend, marino wool is very fine and stretchy and makes me look a bit like spiderman, well maybe his skinny brother gnatman. I wondered whether they'd make marino nose warmers but June says there aren't enough marino sheep in Australia to do the job (hurtful). In Glacier park we took the famous 'Going to the Sun road' at the highest point at 7,900ft we took a short hike through the clouds and snow flurries, we saw a mountain goats bum in the mist before scurrying back to the truck to thaw out, well when you have seen one mountain goats bum you've seen them all....... my Welsh friends may disagree. We took another long hike on a perfect day and ended up at a perfect lake, to top it all hawkeye Robinson saw a mountain lion which we are reliably informed is as rare to see as rocking horse shit. talking of which I must report a disturbing hobby taken up by June. She has become obsessed with the study of 'scat'. Scat
Scat investigation
So what do you think Tonto? is the scientific term for shit used by trackers, rangers, biologists and other perverts. Apparently you can tell what type of animal it was, what it has eaten, how recently and where it had been on it's holidays e.t.c. This all makes me very uncomfortable, I now make sure I flush properly so June can't tell when I have been raiding the food box.
From Glacier national park we came south on to Montana's great plains land of the native Indians (not a curry house in sight). A visit to the Indian museum was fascinating to see the skills and crafts they used to make various household implements from a range of animal anatomical parts. Some advice, never borrow a rolling pin from an Indian. As a mark of respect to these brave and gifted people we assumed Blackfoot tribal names for the rest of the day. The next couple of days Tomohawk the Truck safely crossed the plains carrying Big Chief Little Horn, Pokeyeranus and Little Running Bear towards Yellowstone national park.
Yelowstone park was 'fab', such diversity, wildlife, thermal geysers, wilderness, lakes, hiking trails and the dreaded bears. Glad we came out of season, I can imagine the
hoards in the Summer and not being able to move. As Nik said I am getting a bit obsessed with scat, turning into a bit of a Tonto, which sounds better than my new Indian name that Nik gave me (not that I can see him as the Lone Ranger). We did come face to face with a huge black bear on our first day. We had just started a hike and 20 metres above us on a bank there he was. All I could say was bbb....y h..ll, nice bear, good bear, quick Nik get your camera out, then we walked off in opposite directions with our hearts beating faster and constantly looking behind us. Since then we have seen cayotes, bison and been kept up all night by rutting elk whose noise I mistook for somebody opperating a dockyard crane. It sounds something like oooooeeeeeaaaa, which to another male elk roughly translates to ' come and av a go if you think you're ard enough' and to a female elk 'what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?'.
Old Faithful is still blowing his top on a regular basis. He hasn't got the spurt
he used to and only managed 100ft but I suppose that is what happens to all old geysers eventually (dodgy prostrate?).
From Yellowstone it was south into Grand Teton national park, stunning scenery, jagged mountains and deep lakes. Did a spectacular 19.2 mile hike which climbed to 10,700 ft. On the way we bumped into 5 moose, two of which were having a set to, locked in combat with their massive antlers the clattering of which echoed across the canyon. We watched from a safe distance. Our sole source of evening entertainment was having a campfire and the guy next door didn't know it but Nik was doing the moose thing, having his own private battle (my fire's bigger than your fire). Next stop meeting friends at lake Tahoe, California.
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