9/17 - Pinedale, Wyoming

The day did not start off well. We got an email telling us that the so-called landscapers at Vistas (where we live, for those who aren't nearby) destroyed all our ornamental grasses Jim worked so hard to plant in May. They just weed-whacked them to the ground for no reason other than that they were close to the actual weeds they were supposed to cut down. Complete and utter idiots. People who call themselves landscapers but can't tell the difference between ornamental grass and weeds should not be in that business. I am still spitting nails. When we get home and see the mess they've made it will be even worse.

Now, on to more pleasant things.......

This campground is one of the most spacious we've ever been in with a fantastic view of the mountains in back.  We love all this openness and the lack of crowds. Wyoming is the 10th largest state but has the lowest population (around 584,000) with a density of 6 people per square mile. What a great place!


After lunch we went up the scenic Skyline Drive into the Bridger-Teton Wilderness area. It provided great views of 9-mile-long Fremont Lake and a couple of smaller lakes nearby.

Fremont Lake and the Wind River Range

Fremont Lake with the smaller lakes on the right

Part of the Wind River Range

This is the visitor information office for the Bridger-Teton Wilderness. Looks like it's been boarded up for a very long time, but there was current information posted on the board. This entire area is wilderness.....Bridger-Teton is bordered by two other huge wilderness areas and the Wind River Indian Reservation. No hunting is allowed here so hunters must be going elsewhere, except those who are poaching.  We passed the entrails of a large animal which were being feasted upon by ravens and a bald eagle. Our guess is that someone was hunting illegally and left the unwanted parts behind after field-dressing the animal.

When we got back down to Pinedale we stopped at the Museum of the Mountain Man which was excellent. It is dedicated to preserving the history of this area, particularly the 1825-1840 period when the fur trade was such an important activity.  Beaver-trapping moved west after the beaver population was decimated in the east and in Europe where the demand for beaver-felt hats was so great. It lasted until 1840 when fashions changed and silk took over. The beaver owes its continuing existence to the silk worm.

Pinedale town park

The ladies who worked at the museum told us this town is full of moose.  (Yes, we're still looking for a moose.)  There are so many moose here they wander through people's yards and eat their plants. Sounds like the deer in Biltmore Forest. One of the museum ladies fed five moose over the last winter because they liked the alfalfa she was feeding her horses. We went to the town park where we were told we had a good chance of seeing them but no moose made an appearance. We met someone in the park who had pictures of moose on his phone which were taken where we were standing.  We're probably going to be looking for moose for the rest of our lives.

This is the center of Boulder....a store/gas station, tiny motel and a bar and grill.

Tonight's sunset wasn't as striking as last night's but it was still very good.

We really like this little town and wish we could stay longer. However, tomorrow we're driving the 200 miles to Rawlins where we'll spend one night on our way to Colorado.