The Yellowstone Years

Married, divorced....single again I made my way back to Yellowstone in 1979. Working again at the hospital in Lake, I reveled in all things outdoors...hiking, backpacking, riding, fishing...during my off hours. Meeting Bob introduced me to the world of the back country Ranger and life in the wilderness. I absolutely loved it! We hiked the boundary of Yellowstone National Park and the Absaroka Wilderness, we pitched our backpack camp in remote valleys and hauled supplies by horsepack into the back country cabins in Pelican Valley. I learned how to pack panniers, throw a box hitch, and lead a string of mules. I cooked over an open fire, in a wood cookstove, and on a tiny backpacker's stove. I split wood, wrangled horses and cleared trail. I became a real mountain woman, and I still count that among my most worthy accomplishments. I was lucky to be able to share this life with Travis and later on with Bob's kids, Sunni and Scott. These are experiences that none of us will ever forget. And they became the catalyst for Trav's career in bear management at the Yellowstone Center for Resources in the Park. The photo on the bottom shows me, Travis, Bob, and an oldtime Thorofare Ranger, whose name, of course, I can't remember! We visited him at his camp deep in the Teton Wilderness just outside the southeast boundary of the Park. He was back for a nostalgic visit to a place that was very special in his life. How well I can relate. Thorofare and this part of Yellowstone still holds a piece of my heart as well. It is one of those magical places for me that gives me a sense of my place in the world, a place where I tested myself and proved myself worthy, the place that made me realize....if I can do this challenging thing, I can do anything!