yellowstone
a nature paradise

Our visit

Touché's
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Guy's
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click on a photo to start Lightbox, that lets you see the series of photos one after the other in a bigger size, plus legend.
 

Grand Tetons - Laurance Rockefeller Preserve


We were lucky with our second lodging: Togwotee Mountain Lodge in Moran. We had a complete log cabin home at our disposal with a living, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen area - 400 sq feet in all. Lovely and well decorated.

At night, it snowed at our high location, but in the morning the sun was back at full force. We returned to the National Park and made another walk, from the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve to Phelps Lake.

snow on our log cabin home at Togwotee a strange owl on a pole at Togwotee Touché ready for another great day Tetons shrouded in clouds an oldtimer on Highway 26 another oldtimer flowery meadows along the road bushes in the valley TIP at a ranch gate along US-26 Touché at Moosehead Ranch the snowcapped Tetons a single tree in the valley impressive mountains kissing couple along the road mountains, trees and flowers trees, bushes and flowers the National Park Service
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The Laurance Rockefeller Preserve

This is a very well organised place. 'Preserve' reminds us of silver onions, gherkins, prunes, and all sorts of berries in glass jars, but it also seems to apply to a kind of protected nature area. There is a visitor center with interactive multimedia and clean toilets.

We took the hike up to Phelps lake, a roundtrip of a few km, up along Lake Creek and back down through the woods. Once again, there was an insistance on being Bear Aware, so we took to singing and talking loud all along the way again. We probably missed out on hearing and seeing a few songbirds, but the advise in case of a bear encounter doesn't sound too inviting:
Do Not Run!

and finally, the ominous 'There is no guarantee of your safety in bear country'!

stone at the entry of the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve the Preserve's visitor center Guy's broad welcome sultan's pose near the path the bushy flats be bear aware! another turn in the creek different trees and shades of green whitewater creek Touché at the creek's side waterfall on Lake Creek detail of the waterfall the creek hurries around the bend the creek seen through the trees flowers in the forest white-flowered bushes along the water
On the way we met a young Park Ranger who had moved here from a big city and was very happy to live and work in the midst of nature. We fully agreed that we would have liked to have her job if we were a few years younger. Many times after this encounter, we passed on the good news to young people who love nature: why not become a Park Ranger, or something similar in other countries? Sadly, we lost touch with Kate. Too busy enjoying the good times!
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more rapids in the creek whitewater creek a minor teton a 'bagunçada' tree well, natured isn't ordered some slender conifers Touché with an old tree trunk Lake Creek
Finally, we reached Phelps lake, with the lower Tetons in the background. Is it Albright peak? There are picnic places at the lakeside, and we sat down on some rocks to have something to eat.
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Chipmunks and squirrels

a chipmunk looking for crumbs those tourists sure left something... aha, found something tasty this chipmunk still is in fine shape Fatty the ground squirrel... ...stuffed by charmed but unthinking tourists in Yosemite
Well, we were not the only ones looking for a bite... A little chipmunk was busy cleaning up the crumbs from the previous visitors. We followed the instructions of the Park Service: don't give food to the animals. If nature is to remain wild, all the creatures should survive without human intervention. A few weeks later, at Yosemite, we saw another ground squirrel that was really obese! Imagine what happens if the continuous flow of easy and fat food suddenly stops? Will this fat and lazy squirrel still be able to survive and fend for itself in the wild? So: no food for these charming beggars!
And beware: squirrels and mice may pass on diseases, like the deer mouse that carries the hantavirus (Wikipedia link), causing fatal pulmonary syndrome. So don't even touch them!
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Looking out at Phelps lake

Phelps Lake is this Albright peak? an interesting striped rock another lake view another stone with undulating stripes the water runs from lake to creek the creek leaves the lake calm waters bridge over untroubled water
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Back from the lake to the visitor center

After a snack while we looked out over Phelps lake and the minor Tetons behind it, we took the other road back to the Laurance Rockefeller Visitor Center. We saw a lot of flowers on the way back, a collection of them you'll find here. We also spotted a few songbirds.
a 'nest' of caterpillars a witness of glacier activity beautiful slope in the sunshine tall trees aspen - white, green and blue this path is only for hikers Lake Creek near the Visitor Center we made it, yeah! time to cool our weary feet this water is really cool! Lake Creek hurrying on
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Back to our log cabin home

a teepee near the Moose Visitor Cente flowery plain broad panorama light green trees along a lazy creek Buffalo Creek Buffalo Creek ranch
Togwotee motel entry
Togwotee Mountain Lodge
outside view of our cabin the front room a toast to our fantasy cabin and tasty meal our log cabin home viewed from one bed our small but practical kitchen two queen size beds ! the bathroom

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