The Chainsaw Search

     My wife said, "we need a chain saw" after we had to turn around because of a downed tree across the road and go back past the grizzly a second time.  Who am I to argue with that?

     I was all set to buy a shiny new one when I got thinking about older saws.  Why not have an old chainsaw for the old Jeep?  I did some reading and found that Homelite made some excellent saws back in the 60's and 70's. And, they made a lot of them.  Within a week I had bought two saws from two separate estate sales.

     The blue one is a 1972 Homelite XL-12 with a 16" bar.  The red one is a 1979 Homelite Super XL AO with a 20" bar. I've cut with both of them. They run well and are a good addition to the equipment we carry.

     Then the shop owner of Sutton's Saw Shop in Ashton told me that he had an old Homelite saw in his storage area.  It turned out to be a 1974 Homelite 150 Automatic in like new condition.

     I bought it to carry in my wife's 1963 Jeep CJ-5.  But, the saw is in such amazing condition I'd hate to ding it up, so I doubt we ever use it much.

     And so, within less than two weeks, we bought three good used saws for about half the price of one new saw.

The A1 Meets a Grizzly Bear

    Seeing a grizzly in the wild is a pretty cool sight.  Seeing one standing up on its hind legs and looking straight at you from 40 yards away while you're sitting in an open Jeep adds a bit more excitement to the whole thing!

     I have to give credit to my wife here.  In spite of being more than a little spooked, she kept snapping pictures and got some great ones for us.

     We were climbing up out of a small creek drainage, came around a corner, and there he was.  Up on his hind legs, sniffing the air and looking at us.  He dropped down after a few seconds and slowly ambled up the road and away from us.

     Fortunately, whatever he was eating in that meadow was a lot more interesting to him than us.  We sat there for at least 10 minutes and watched him dig and eat.  

     This is about where the Jeep was when we first saw him.  He was standing on the small hill you can see through the passenger side windshield.  Here he's across the meadow, probably 150 yards away. 

     There were apparently great things to eat here.  Just before we took this picture he was lying on his stomach digging under the bush behind him.

     He eventually moved far enough away from the road so that we could safely pass.  We drove about a mile and were stopped by a tree blocking the road.  We drove back and he was right back along the side of the road.  A pickup came along, we asked him to push the bear off the road for us, which he did, and we were able to drive by.

     You always hear it said that grizzlies are fast runners.  Believe it!  When the pickup pushed him off the road he took off into the timber.  Not only was he moving very quickly as he ran through the trees, he was dodging them like the best running back you've ever seen.

     We showed these pictures to some folks who know grizzlies.  The consensus was that this is a young male, maybe 2-3 years old.

     A few miles down the road after passing the bear for the second time, my wife said, referring to the downed tree that caused us to have to go back, "we need a chain saw".

     Want to know more about grizzlies?  Here's a link to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Site on Grizzly Recovery.

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/yellowstone.htm

     In the next post I'll tell you about our search for a saw and what we finally ended up with.  And I'll give you a close up tour of the Jeep we're travelling in and tell you a little about it.

Fort Henry Buckskinners Rendezvous

     The Fort Henry Buckskinners are a local, family oriented group dedicated to preserving the history and traditions of the mountain man.  Each year in early June they hold a Rendezvous along Conant Creek.  The Rendezvous is held at the location where a stone bearing the names of Andrew Henry and others, and dated 1810, was found.  Andrew Henry was a noted early explorer and trapper in the region.

     Here is a link to this year's Rendezvous flyer.  It contains detailed information on Andrew Henry and the Conant Creek Camp.  http://forthenrybuckskinners.org/Documents/FHB%20Rendezvous%20flyer%202011.pdf

     We crossed over the wooden bridge spanning Conant Creek and walked back in time.  We saw men, women and children in traditional clothing, heard the sounds of  black powder guns firing and watched as folks practiced throwing knives and tomahawks at log targets as they prepared for the upcoming competitions.

     Conant Creek at this time of the year is swollen, fast and muddy from the snow melt and runoff it receives from the west slope of the Teton Mountain Range.  Later in the summer the level drops, the water clears up and it is a specatcular little creek as it wanders through this beautiful valley.

      If you go there, remember the land Conant Creek passes through is privately owned.  Always seek land owner permission before entering the area.

     It was a crisp early morning when we arrived at the Rendezvous.  A hot cup of coffee from Aunt Ruthies warmed us up!

The neighbors stopped by for a visit.

     One day while we were away from the trailer the farmer put some cows on the pasture next to the R.V. Park.  When we pulled up to our site, the cows were spread out all over the pasture in the background.  As soon as we let our dog out, they all came running over to the fence and stood there staring at the dog.

     Where they just curious to see the dog, or was this some kind of herd protective action against a perceived threat?  Whichever it was, it got the dog's attention!  He went to trailer door with his ears and tail down and gave us a clear signal that he wanted "in" "now".

Melting snow helps renew the life of the forest and provide water for area farms.

     The previous winter brought an unusually heavy snowfall to the Targhee N.F.  As a result, there were several roads, including the Cave Falls Road, that were not completely open when our Tour began.

     Here, over the roof of the Jeep, a small waterfall cascades over the rocks along the Cave Falls Road.  The water is coming from a lake at the top of the hill fed by melting snow.  This is the head of Strong Creek.  Strong Creek, like all of the other creeks in this area, eventually add their water to the Henry's Fork of the Snake River.

     The crystal clear water of Strong Creek runs swiftly down through it's small canyon.

    Mossy Springs along the Cave Falls Road runs throughout the year and has provided a refreshing drink to travelers for many years.  The melting snow adds additional flow in the spring and early summer.

     Pools of water gather in the forest as the snow continues to melt.  These pools nourish the trees and animals who live among them.

     The melting snow helps to renew the home of the beaver.

Ashton: Adventure Starts Here

     The small town of Ashton, Idaho is perfectly situated as a home base for enjoying the spectacular beauty of the Targhee National Forest.

     Ashton's theme is "Adventure Starts Here".  It more than lives up to that promise.

      We parked our trailer at the Ashton R.V. Park. The Park is on the north edge of town and is close to area stores and restaurants.

     Aspen Acres, Jessen's R.V. Park and Squirrel Creek Guest Ranch also offer R.V. facilities for visitors.

     In addition, there are other private or Forest Service campgrounds in the area.  Contact the Ashton Chamber of Commerce or the Targhee N.F. office in Ashton for details.

       The A1 parked by our travel trailer in the Ashton R.V. Park.  When standing at the back of our trailer we can see the snow capped peaks of the Teton Mountain Range.

Ashton's Main Street.  Small in size, but big in so many other ways. The grain elevators at the west end of town announce to the world that this is a farming community.  In addition to growing those famous Idaho potatoes, area farmers grow wheat, barley, canola, and hay.  Local ranchers produce excellent beef.