Day 6: The Bear Necessities in the Grand Tetons!
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This morning started with a tearful farewell to Grandpa Joes. Well because it was pouring rain on the Boys! Hellbent on getting outta town, they bought a some very bad gas station coffee to keep their engines running and headed west! But they didn't go too far. There was one last place to check out in South Dakota. Right outside of Kadoda is the nearby Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
"Just a Minute Man!"
The boys stopped to check out some holes in the ground, some pretty deadly holes! Minuteman Missile National Historic Site protects two facilities that were once part of a Minuteman Missile field that covered the far western portion of South Dakota from 1963 through the early 1990s. There were 15 Launch Control Facilities that commanded and controlled 150 Launch Facilities (Missile Silos) holding Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The park preserves two of these facilities in their historic state—Launch Control Facility Delta-01 with its corresponding underground Launch Control Center and Launch Facility (Missile Silo) Delta-09. These two sites, along with the Minuteman Missile Visitor Center, comprise Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
During the Cold War thousands of Air Force personnel in Minuteman Missile fields throughout the Great Plains worked and lived around nuclear weapons that held unprecedented destructive power. It was these nuclear weapons that constantly threatened devastation of any aggressor nation that might consider launching a nuclear attack against the United States or its allies. This threat of destruction acted as a deterrent to enemies while paradoxically preserving an uneasy peace.
One of the most serious responsibilities during the Cold War was to be part of a missile crew with the ability to initiate the use of nuclear weapons from a Launch Control Center. These crews were ready to respond at a moment's notice. At the same time, maintenance and security police ensured that the sites were totally secure and always functioning. One of Bone’s old roommates Carl Claughtery was stationed at this very site in the 1980’s. His most interesting comment on that experience was once they were given certified launch orders, they were discharged! Which makes sense because once the nukes fly, we are all discharged! After 20 minutes, the Boys headed out their way on a 9 hour drive to the Grand Tetons!
Heading out of South Dakota
The bleak South Dakota landscape gave way to the lush green and rolling hills of the great state of Wyoming! It was getting late in the morning, but still early enough for breakfast, so the Boys pulled off in Casper to fuel the Land Cruiser, and their bellies!
A Ghost of a Chance of seeing Sherrie's Place in Casper!
Getting some Gas first, Mike and Bone asked some locals what was the best place for breakfast, EVERYONE told the Boys, check out Sherries! Now if the Sherries in Casper, was as good as Sherries in Byron Center, the Boys were in for a treat! And,,,,
They were not disappointed! It was very busy (usually a good sign) but the line moved quick. Sherrie herself sat the Boys and took their order, which of course as an amazing portion of Chicken-fried Steak! It was a great experience (expect for the dude above wondering why Bone was taking his picture!),with good coffee and good food, Mike and Bone were fueled for the Grand Tetons!
Them Hills Started A-Rolling!
For much of the next few hours the terrain was high desert but as the Boys approached that mid continental crease, most call the Rockies, that terrain began to change!
Hitting the Tree line of the Rockies!
Slowly, the pine trees appears as the hills became higher, and soon the Boys were deep into the Rockies, and when they turned a corner the traffic slowed durn near to a stop! What was it?!? Could it be? Yep! it was bearly possible!! a Grizzly!
A Grizzly Discovery!
Ignoring all the traffic ogling the colossal critter, the Grizzly pretty much ignored the cars and the lunatics outside their car taking pictures as the beast was intently staring at the ground looking for a snack of some sorts. Mike and Bone were able to snap some pics in the slowdown, but refused to be a part of the stupid tourist by stopping (or getting out in front of the beast!).
Purple Mountains Majesty!
Mike and Bone quickly moved on this an equally magnificent scene, those amazing Grand Tetons!
"Them Tetons are Certainly Grand!"
Describe a mountain-hewn natural beauty of 310, 000 acres, and I will give you the Grand Tetons! Just south of Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons celebrate the Teton Range throughout Wyoming. Efforts to preserve the region as a national park began in the late 19th century, and in 1929 Grand Teton National Park was established, protecting the Teton Range's major peaks. In the 1930s, conservationists led by John D. Rockefeller Jr. began purchasing land in Jackson Hole to be added to the existing national park. Against public opinion and with repeated Congressional efforts to repeal the measures, much of Jackson Hole was set aside for protection as Jackson Hole National Monument in 1943. The monument was abolished in 1950 and most of the monument land was added to Grand Teton National Park.
Grand Teton National Park is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. At 13,775 feet, Grand Teton rises more than 7,000 feet above Jackson Hole. The park has numerous lakes, including 15-mile-long Jackson Lake as well as streams and the upper main stem of the Snake River. Though in recession, a dozen small glaciers persist at the higher elevations near the highest peaks in the range. Some of the rocks in the park are the oldest found in any American national park and have been dated at nearly 2.7 billion years. Grand Teton National Park is an almost pristine ecosystem and the same species of flora and fauna that have existed since prehistoric times can still be found there. More than 1,000 species of vascular plants, dozens of species of mammals, 300 species of birds, more than a dozen fish species, and a few species of reptiles and amphibians inhabit the park. Due to changes in the ecosystem, some of them human-induced, efforts have been made to provide enhanced protection to some species of native fish and the increasingly threatened whitebark pine. This, is what Mike and Bone were searching for!
The Majestic Grand Tetons over Jackson Lake!
Despite it being a non-holiday week, and not the biggest attraction in the area (Yellowstone) the Park was packed! Mike and Bone landed the Land Cruiser in an overflow area of the Visitor Center, headed to the Lake to hike its fragrant pine trail! Walking by the lake, the Boys were simply gobsmacked on how crystal clear the lake was. It really was durn near perfect place and time for a hike! So off they went!
The Majestic Grand Tetons over Jackson Lake!
It was a fairly easy hike with a few rolling hills here and there. The lack of technical complexity was made up with the postcard views at about every turn of the trail !
Mike and Bone, Trailing in the Grand Tetons!
Unfortunately all good things come to an end, the Trail the Boys were on went around the whole lake and into the Mountains. Mike and Bone started to late in the day to tackle that kind of hike, so after an hour and a half, they turned around to head back. Plus as the Sun started to set a little lower, the be careful of Bear signs loomed larger, since the beast tend to be more active at sunset, and Boys already saw one Grizzly, and didn't really want to see a second (at least on the trail!) Getting back to the Land Cruiser, Mike and Bone headed west of the park with the intent of holing up for the night in Jackson Hole!
Well that ain't exactly right. The Boys soon learned that the valley in the Tetons is Jackson Hole, the city is actually just Jackson.
Getting the Whole, of Jackson Hole!
And OH what a city. Grabbing a Hotel, more hungry than the Grizzly from earlier, the Boys booked downtown, parked and started wandering through this toney town for some victuals!
Getting the Whole, of Jackson Hole!
Jackson is best described as a cross of Rodeo Drive meets Tombstone! All the women were wearing $2,000 to $3,000 outfits of cowboy boots, real Stetson hats, and jean miniskirts, that would simply on work (if you know what I mean) riding a horse, in other words limestone cowgirls! Started by a mountain man, David Jackson in 1821, it was a real cow town until them Easterners figured out it was a dang good place to jump on two pieces of wood and "ski" down hill. This brought in all the pretty people, who now pretty much are their year round! Mostly ignoring the fawning princesses, Mike and Bone were hellbent on dinner! Now unlike Kadoka, there were dozens restaurants and bars in Jackson. Places with western names like Gun Barrel Steak and Game House, the Whistlin' Grizzly, the Mangy Moose, even Roosevelt's, problem was each of them had at least a two hour wait. So Mike and Bone went to the drug store !
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Getting Drugged in Jackson
Yeah, the Jackson Drug and Original Soda Fountain, had been both a soda fountain and drug store, like so many were in the 40's and 50's. But in the current toney version of Jackson, it was all restaurant. For over 100 years the Jackson Drug and Original Soda Fountain has held a special place in the hearts of locals and tourists alike as Mike and Bone were to find out! The Burgers and Shakes were in fact, really darn good!
Now stuffed, the Boys headed out walk off half the carbs they just ingested at Jackson's Drugs!
Coupla of Squares in Jackson Square
Mike and Bone wandered Jackson Square and the surrounding downtown streets for a better part of an hour, but it had been a looong day that started in Kadoka over 12 hours ago. So as dusk hit, Mike and Bone hit it as well!