Greetings from Grand Teton National Park

In May 2008 we went to Grand Teton National Park and stayed at the Signal Mountain Lodge. We were among the first of the season as it seemed like they were just getting the sheets out of storage for the beds. We decided to hike to the Signal Mountain overlook as the road was not open yet, because it was still covered with snow. However, the trail was not clear of snow either and we kept running into places where we could not tell where the trail was. It was fun having to hunt around in the snow to pick up the trail each time. Finally we reached the point where that was no longer possible and we gave up on finding the trail. It was a glorious warm early Spring day so we did not give up. I said, “Well, I know where we are supposed to end up, up there.” as I pointed to the summit. “Let’s just wing it.” That turned out to be harder than I thought as we came upon a steep slope straight up. But, we persevered and made it to the top slipping, sliding and crawling through deeper snow. At the top of the slope we found the road and thought we had it made. But, then we had to climb through a fallen tree over the road. (That’s the picture of my husband, Richard in front of the tree). Finally we made it all the way. What a magnificent view of the mountains and plain still covered with lots of winter snow. On the way back down it was easier to follow the trial as it was on the south side of the mountain where the snow was mostly melted. At one point Richard was several yards ahead of me when all of a sudden to my right I heard a loud thrashing of brush. I turned to look and a bear was running straight towards me down the slope. I was ready to duck and cover for a bear attack, but before I did I looked to the left of the trail to see if I had wandered between a Mother bear and her cubs. None in sight. I liked back at the bear still running down the hill towards me. Then I noticed something. It was universal body language. The bear kept looking back over it’s shoulder. Immediately I recognized the bear was running away from something, not at me. I looked up to the top of the slope and there stood three big Elk staring at the bear with an unmistakeable look of “Yeah, you better run B***h.” The bear didn’t bother us and we continued on our way. As we told our story to the employees at the lodge they said, “You guys are the first ones to make that hike this season.” We felt like trailblazers, proud that as two 50+ year old gay men from Atlanta we were on the cutting edge, ha ha. It was a thrilling day.

Sincerely,
Michael