Zero Percent Chance of Rain

While Lydia, Linny, and Tom hang around the lodge waiting to see if Kobae is going to go hiking, a storm cloud is gathering to the north. Kobae goes in his pen. Tom suggest a quick ATV trip to Hurrah. Almost to the top of Hurrah Tom looks out into Jackson Hole and it is raining but there are no winds and the storm hasn't moved in an hour. At the top of Hurrah, just as Tom takes this picture, behind them he can see the storm take off. Five minutes later, it is upon them. As the first pellets of hail hit them Tom quickly parks and pulls everyone to cover under an overhang. In two minutes the overhang is a waterfall and the road a stream. Twenty minutes later with some let up of rain, Lydia, Linny, and Tom make a dash for the lodge on one of the ATV's. Just before the Base Camp sign they have to ford a small river that twice crosses the road. The turn off to the lodge by the Base Camp sign is mostly gone. Lydia and Linny walk down it. Tom very slowly rides down it. Driving through the fast moving stream that was the road they return to the lodge. With morning light, they will set out and attempt to retrieve Linny's ATV while seeing if departure is even an option.

Getting Muddy

To Hurrah and Back: Kobae, Lydia, Linny, Tom

Little Who's Up

The original "Who's Up" was an amazing side-blotched lizard. While everything Tom has read says they only live an average of six months or so, she lived on the front porch for three plus years. She was the first side-blotched to come to the sound of the fly swatter, eat off the fly swatter, eat out of your hand, ride the fly swatter to the dining room window and eat dead flies for Tom off the window sill. Tom would wack a fly on the front porch, call "Who's Up" and she would be the first lizard there almost every time. She'd wait on the wall by the front door and pick off the dead fly as Tom walked outside with it, twice free fell off the top of the wall to land on the swatter before another lizard got there and once jumped off the roof onto the fly swatter when Tom called her. When a fly would land on the porch, Tom could hear the fly, but not always see it. Like a bird dog, she would stare at where the fly was to help Tom locate it and she knew as none of the others did that Kobae would attract flies wherever he might go and followed him everywhere. In an afternoon with all the guests armed with fly swatters she ate 40 flies.

Just before she disappeared three months or so ago she lost a lot of weight in one day. Generally that means laying six to eight eggs somewhere. About two weeks ago, the front porch got a little spurt of very, very, small side-blotches, with light colored heads, same as her. The last few days Tom has noticed one in particular. Seeing Kobae start across the drive way to the porch, he jumps off the wall, runs like he's on fire across the porch, leaps off the stairs and runs instinctively out to Kobae where he hangs out waiting for little flies and insects. Can't be any doubt of his ancestry. In the first picture, the original Who's Up hanging out with kids on the porch watching Kobae eat. In the second picture, just below Kobae, on the sidewalk, measuring maybe two inches (mostly tail), next generation.

Reminder, Time to Eat

Alternative Route

Taking the alternative possibility back to Jackson Hole also turns into a dead end. Great view of Jackson Butte and Jackson Hole, but a dead end. Returning to Scorched Earth Tom spots rafts in the in the distance floating past Base Camp. On the slope back to the ravine for the descent he can see Hurrah Pass. Maybe there's a way to get from Predator Point to Hurrah Pass and then take the road back down to the lodge. Would be quite a loop. He's been on the trail for six hours, temperature in the mid 90's and down to one canteen. Perhaps another day.

Alcove

Entering the valley behind Scorched Earth the trail turns right into a hidden valley, into a stone canyon, then connects with CliffHanger. At that right hand turn, there is also a trail that goes straight and Tom has always wondered if it connects with Jacobs/Jackson Ladder back in Jackson Hole. Tom follows the trail for a few hundred feet and it ends at a large stone obstacle. Tom notices an alcove similar to the False Kiva one in Canyonlands and heads for there. Inside he doesn't find a False Kiva, but perhaps an old granary. Across the valley he spots what may be a way around the stone obstacle to Jackson Hole.