Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihnss.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!harpo!ihnp4!ihnss!warren
From: warren@ihnss.UUCP (Warren Montgomery)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: Yellowstone Area Suggestions
Message-ID: <1878@ihnss.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Jan-84 14:04:02 EST
Article-I.D.: ihnss.1878
Posted: Wed Jan 18 14:04:02 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Jan-84 05:23:45 EST
References: <4855@uiucdcs.UUCP> <794@hao.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 56

I would agree on the other suggestions posted here and add a few
more.  (My wife is a geologist who has done field work in and around
Yellowstone for 4 years).

1)	Get away from the roads.  99% of the people are on the
	roads, 99% of the scenery isn't.

2)	The park accomodations are rather primitive by motel
	standards, but not intolerable.  Most of the cabins are
	poorly insolated and 30+ years old.

3)	You might well look at some of the other things in the area:

	a)	Beartooth mountains. (Out the NE entrance road. 
		This is a relatively deserted wilderness area, once
		you get off the roads.  The road itself is
		spectacular, climing to nearly 11K feet.  In June,
		they may still be skiing at the summit.

	b)	The tetons.  Convenient to the south of the park and
		quite spectacular.  There are no  roads in the
		mountains.  I would recommend the cascade canyon or
		paintbrush canyon trails.

	c)	Tacky tourist traps in Cody and Jackson Wyoming. 
		(If you must get your dose of this, these provide it
		in quantity, including olde weste saloons, stores,
		etc.  Cody has a museum that isn't bad, as I recall,
		but I haven't been there in years.)

	In the park, I would recommend the Mt Washburn trial, which
	is not arduous, and it's one of the few high mountaintops
	with a heated enclosure on top.  The Specimen Ridge trail
	(in the same area) is also nice hiking, and if you go far
	enough you come to a lot of petrified wood that you can
	actually look at and doesn't have 10 generations of initials
	carved in it.  Another "hot spot" is a swimming hole reached
	by a 1/2 mile trail from the northern entrance road.  It's
	where a hot spring meets the Gardner river, and any water
	temperature can be had if you find the right spot.  Fishing
	regulations vary wildly, so check with the rangers.

A couple more notes on outdoor activities in this area:  The
temperature varies tremendously, so be prepared, particularly in
June.  Also, note that relatively few of the back-country trails
have bridges to cross creeks on.  In June, be prepared to wade some
rather deep streams or teeter on fallen logs.  (This was a surprise
to me, since most of my hiking had been in New England, where
streams are small or have bridges.

-- 

	Warren Montgomery
	ihnss!warren
	IH x2494