We saw so many great birds on the way to the ranch! There was even an owl that got flushed out of its daytime hideaway by a crow. Lots of ducks in perfect summer plumage, a phalarope (look it up!), plenty of hawks. When we got to town we sat happily over lunch while the ranch van came to drive us in. They were worried about the ride in because it was uphill (not much, actually) and because the last few miles aren't paved. Didn't look bad at all. I am pretty sure we will ride out.
Meanwhile we are in a pretty cool place. (Well, actually it is quite a cold place, too.) There are only a few other guests here. One couple is from the Bay Area. One woman is from Bainbridge Island and knows my cousins quite well. Talk about a small world.
The location is amazing. We are along a fork of the Teton River, which rushes by our room. We look at snowy mountains, stark rocky cliffs, conifer forests and deciduous riverbank tree clusters. We are not supposed to walk far without bear spray - grizzlies and black bears. On today's hike we saw evidence (some paw/hoof prints, some housing, some, uh, products of digestion) of both types of bear, moose, deer, beavers and a probable badger. We actually saw ground squirrels and a mule deer and all sorts of cool birds. Fields of wildflowers, too. Bruce was giddily trying to write them all down and remember them and - oh, yeah - take time to enjoy the views. The place is owned & run by the Nature Conservancy. It could hardly find a better way to promote its mission. We walked for a couple of miles and found ourselves looking over a 700' cliff at a huge view that included buttes, valleys, rivers, fields, even 2 distant mountain ranges. The naturalist said they were about 100 miles away. Big sky indeed.
They even served vegetables, many and varied, with dinner.
No miles ridden, but yesterday we did 33. Total to date: 840 - not sure where I got the 791 but it was wrong.
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