Carl Guffey
Well-known member
<font size="3" face="georgia,palatino">Took an after Christmas trip to Wyoming for a little snowboarding. I was expecting the normal amounts of snow which are usually quite deep this time of year, boy was I surprised. When my plane landed in Jackson Hole at 3:00 pm it was 40 degrees and ice in all of the parking lots was covered in water. To say the least it was slick. The entire week was much the same with at or above freezing temps during the day and below freezing at night. Every morning was an adventure as to where you would fall next.</font></p>
<font size="3"><font face="Georgia">Even though the snow wasn't very good we still got a chance to have some fun in the Jackson area. We did a 1940's era snowshoe trip from the Moose Junction Ranger Station. The shoes were built in the early <font face="georgia,palatino">40's, wooden </font></font><font face="georgia,palatino">and were 5 feet long. (side note: people in the 40's were tough.) In addition we did a sled trip inside the Elk Preserve (no runners, wheels, because there was no snow) which was quite interesting being in a herd of 7500 animals. The town of Jackson sits right in the middle of and blocksthe Elk migration route from Yellowstone to the upper green river basin which is high desert and arid. If the Elk, during the winter, were not supplemented with additional feed they would starve and or become a public nuisance in down town Jackson.</font></font></p>
<font size="3" face="Georgia">We had several animal siting's in addition to the elk during the week. 3 "swamp donkeys' (moose) 1 male, with a full rack and two females. 1 coyote, dark in color and hunting voles. 50 plus, Trumpeter Swans feeding in Flat Creek area around Jackson (largest bird in North America, 10 ft. wing span and weighing around 30 lbs.) and a few ducks of varying species. Before I forget, great numbers of magpies and ravens (the starlings of the west).</font></p>
<font size="3" face="Georgia">There are some quality western and wildlife exhibits in the area and well worth seeing. The one thing that stuck with me the most was that the Jackson area reminded me ofa 1960's version of Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge area. Tons of hotel-motel rooms, a few good restaurants, mom and pop shops, and the rest t-shirt etc. shops.</font></p>
<font size="3"><font face="Georgia">Even though the snow wasn't very good we still got a chance to have some fun in the Jackson area. We did a 1940's era snowshoe trip from the Moose Junction Ranger Station. The shoes were built in the early <font face="georgia,palatino">40's, wooden </font></font><font face="georgia,palatino">and were 5 feet long. (side note: people in the 40's were tough.) In addition we did a sled trip inside the Elk Preserve (no runners, wheels, because there was no snow) which was quite interesting being in a herd of 7500 animals. The town of Jackson sits right in the middle of and blocksthe Elk migration route from Yellowstone to the upper green river basin which is high desert and arid. If the Elk, during the winter, were not supplemented with additional feed they would starve and or become a public nuisance in down town Jackson.</font></font></p>
<font size="3" face="Georgia">We had several animal siting's in addition to the elk during the week. 3 "swamp donkeys' (moose) 1 male, with a full rack and two females. 1 coyote, dark in color and hunting voles. 50 plus, Trumpeter Swans feeding in Flat Creek area around Jackson (largest bird in North America, 10 ft. wing span and weighing around 30 lbs.) and a few ducks of varying species. Before I forget, great numbers of magpies and ravens (the starlings of the west).</font></p>
<font size="3" face="Georgia">There are some quality western and wildlife exhibits in the area and well worth seeing. The one thing that stuck with me the most was that the Jackson area reminded me ofa 1960's version of Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge area. Tons of hotel-motel rooms, a few good restaurants, mom and pop shops, and the rest t-shirt etc. shops.</font></p>
