September 9, 2012

WHEN I STEPPED OUT OF OUR ROOM this morning, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Some creature with an enormous head was standing right near our door. Until he took off his motorcycle helmet, I thought that I might be “abducted,” like those people you see on the History Channel. Once I calmed down, we left for Jackson Hole. It should have been an easy drive south out of Yellowstone and into Jackson Hole. Our Garmin woman, however, persisted in directing us to the north, perhaps because she wanted us to see some female elk hiding out from the male elk on a small island. It is that time of year. Once we got the Garmin woman straightened out, we got stuck behind an RV vehicle for most of our way down into the valley.

Our immediate goal was to find a sports bar where we could watch the Packers. After finding one, and watching the first half, we took off for our new short-term dwelling, a place with the tongue twisting name of Togwotee.  The lodge, actually a group of cabins, is located in the Bridger-Teton Forest on the northern rim of Jackson Hole. We were able to listen to the remainder of game on our satellite radio.  We always like listening to the Packer’s local announcers because they are such “homers.”  I worked out with one of their announcers, former Packer Larry McCarrin, when we both lived in Park Forest Illinois. When I say “worked out with,” I mean that we worked out at the same place at the same time. Larry would never have been able to keep up with me. 

In any event, the Packers lost; and we proceeded to the lodge. We were pleased to find that the cabin was good-sized, with a sitting room, two television sets and a fireplace. The woman behind the desk warned us that we were in grizzly country and grizzlies would often come by the cabins.