Toilet Etiquette

Since Joe and I have been doing so much "exploring" around our great state, I've been fortunate enough to utilize the restroom facilities shown below A LOT!!! I'm really grateful when we do come across on though since facilities are few and far between and almost non-existent at times.

I have learned there is an etiquette that comes along with the use of these though. When finished, please put the seat down...it cuts down on the flies and the fragrant odor which is sometimes emitted from below.

The use of these toilets kinda reminds me of using my grandparent's outhouse many years ago. But, one of the big differences between the outhouse and these modern posh restroom facilities is that there is usually toilet paper, not a mail order catalog. I've also noticed that out here where the winds seems to blow quite often you might also get a cold butt before you vacate the premises.

Also, I've noticed that all of the toilet paper is locked on a rod so no one can just walk off with the roll. Thank goodness for that!

This is the sign that greeted me when I stepped outside of the bathroom. I'm sure glad that Joe was sitting out in the car ready to protect and/or warn me if there was an unexpected visitor.These trees were next to the sign about the possibility of bears. What do you think made the markings on the tree, hmmmm?

More WIld Animals

This is our first encounter with a Bighorn sheep and it was a big'un. FYI...Bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America with large horns. The horns can weigh up to 30 pounds, while the sheep themselves weigh up to 500 pounds. We found this one rubbing up against this van in a camping area.

Uh oh! He spotted us and decided to walk around the other side of the van.

Can you see him looking at us out of the corner of his eye? We were keeping our eyes on him too. Couldn't you see me calling GEICO and saying I have a dent in my car that was put there when a Bighorn sheep rammed my car?

Bighorn Sheep were amongst the most admired animals of the Apsaalooka, or Crow, people and what is today called the Bighorn Mountain Range was central to the Apsaalooka tribal lands. The Indians have a legend related to the Bighorn Sheep. A man possessed by evil spirits attempts to kill his heir by pushing the young man over a cliff, but the victim is saved by getting caught in trees. Rescued by Bighorn sheep, the man takes the name of their leader, Big Metal. The other sheep grant him power, wisdom, sharp eyes, sure footedness, keen ears, great strength, and a strong heart. Big Metal returns to his people with the message that the Apsaalooka people will survive only so long as the river winding out of the mountains is known as the Bighorn River. Oh my gosh...we got bears to look out for too! We've already been warned about interaction with Big Horn Sheep on signs when you come into the park. Don't engage them in any way and don't feed them. Now we gotta look out for bears. Waa hoo! Joe and I have yet to see a bear on previous visits to Yellowstone so maybe now we'll finally get to see one?

Then we spotted several of these wild animals. I believe it is called a Golden-mantled Ground-Squirrel. Although it has black-and-white body stripes, as do chipmunks, it lacks any stripes on the face. It is not a chipmunk, but in a genus with many other ground-squirrels. (I could be wrong about what this is though).

Shoshone National Forest is one of the only national forests in Wyoming where big game animals such as elk, moose, mule deer, whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, black bear and grizzly bear can be found. Other wildlife species include bald eagles, golden eagles, coyotes, waterfowl and songbirds.

Shoshone National Forest

Yesterday we made our first trip to the Shoshone National Forest (and it won't be our last). What a fantastic place! You are allowed to go anywhere in the forest that you see a path and allowed to camp anywhere except where they have a sign that tells you you can't.

Most of our travel through the forest was 70+ miles on a gravel road through very pristine and beautiful places. It's too bad I don't camp since this would be a great place to do so! Since this was an unplanned trip for us, we have decided to come back and spend an entire day here exploring it again. It may be next year since we consider this "pre-exploring" and have other places to check out before the winter sets in for this year.The Shoshone National Forest was set aside in 1891 as part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, making the Shoshone the first national forest in the United States. It consists of some 2.4 million acres of varied terrain ranging from sagebrush flats to rugged mountains. The higher mountains are snow-clad most of the year. Immense areas of exposed rock are interspersed with meadows and forests. With Yellowstone National Park on its western border, the Shoshone encompasses the area from the Montana state line south to Lander, Wyoming which includes portions of the Absaroka, Wind River and Beartooth Ranges. It remains a cornerstone in the Rocky Mountain wilds - the mountain men and Native cultures of its past and the huge swaths of roadless and untrammeled wildlife habitat.

We were on the road at the bottom of this picture and kept going even higher.

This was one of the "small" boulders we saw. Joe is showing how big it is based on his size.

Another view of the already traveled road below.
Yes, there was still snow on the mountains even during the middle of July. And look at the beautiful summer flowers scattered out on the meadows.

Doesn't this just make you want to set up your folding chair and pull out a good book and just chill for awhile?My favorite kind of trees out here...the Quaking Aspen. They are absolutely beautiful when the breeze blows them. They begin to look as though they are shimmering and they make a lovely sound too.

Most of the roads were one-laned dirt/gravel roads with turnouts every one in awhile. The road was complete with lots of high dropoffs too.