RIP 399

Posted on October 29, 2024October 29, 2024 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Grizzly 399

Grizzly 399 was , without a doubt, the most famous Grizzly in the Yellowstone/Grand Teton eco-system. She was so famous that when I went to Jackson Hole in 2017 even I had heard of her. Sadly Grizzly 399 was killed in a car/bear accident about a week ago. She was 28. 28 is old for any grizzly but especially a wild bear.

photo credit- unknown

Grizzly 399 was unique in that she was still birthing cubs every year. This bear produced 18 offspring over the years. Another reason she became so famous is that she lived close to Jackson Hole so was more visible than most. It wasn’t unusual for her to be spotted along a roadside with her cubs. Fans even sent texts and posted on social media where she might be seen. That was how I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the bear and 2 cubs when I was in Wyoming and know that it was this famous bear,

My Sighting

I was heading back to the condo where I was staying after a day touring Yellowstone National Park. The geysers had been plentiful but wildlife had been scarce. I’d just crossed into Grand Teton National Park when I saw a lot of cars pulled off the road. I parked, grabbed the camera and trotted up to the crowd. I could see a lot of pointing and low talking so I approached one of the people in front of me. He told me Grizzly 399 was in the area with 2 cubs. Right about then I heard someone say “There she is!” And cameras came out all along the roadside. I got as close as I could but having arrived late I wasn’t in the best location. Here’s what I was able to capture.

Grizzly 399 and 2 cubs -2017 photo Credit Deb Neumann

Grizzly 399 -2017 photo Credit Deb Neumann

Mangelsen Gallery

If you want to see really beautiful photos of Grizzly 399 you have to visit the Mangelsen Gallery in Jackson Hole. His work is some of the finest Wildlife Photography I have ever seen and he has some outstanding images for Grizzly 399 over the years.

Ode to 399

28 is old for a bear and sooner or later we were going to have to say goodbye to this iconic grizzly. At least we know what happened to her. She could have denned up for a winter and never come out. No matter what it would be sad. Part of me is thankful that we know what happened to her and part of me is angry that it was due to humans that this amazing bear is gone. At the same time having driven those roads and seen how dark they can be I can understand how it happened. RIP Grizzly 399. You will be missed.

Photo credit -unknown

I’ve been blocked!

Posted on October 5, 2023October 5, 2023 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Blocked Again

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I’ve been blogging for years and never had so much trouble with my site. I logged in to post an update and found I was blocked from any new posts- AGAIN! This seems to be happening a lot and its very annoying. This time it was a “Fatal error” with my SEO account. All of those things are supposed to update automatically but apparently the hosting platform is still mixing up the old aroundustyroads.com with the new, active one of arounddustyroads.com. Anyway it took a couple of days/tries but it seems to be working now. Fingers crossed.

Flickr

I have a Flickr account and for a long time it was linked to this blog in the side bar. Lately it doesn’t seem to be updating so that’s another thing I will need to work on. I haven’t worried too much about it because I haven’t added too many new photos to my flickr account but the recent photo contest got me busy uploading some of my pics since that gives me online storage. So if anyone is interested here’s the link to my flickr photostream

Here are a couple of examples of what you’ll find there

Yogi Bear

Wyoming Black Bear 2017- photo credit Deb Neumann

Yes, I know this bear doesn’t look black – more of a cinnamon brown and he didn’t look very big. He could have been a big ole Teddy bear sitting in some kind of bush, you could hardly call it a tree, right by the road and everyone was pulling over to get a look. He paid no attention to any of us gawkers. There must have been some berries or something in those leaves because he was really busy licking them up.

Bull Elk

Bull Elk Wyoming 2017- Photo credit Deb Neumann

The same trip I got to see a huge herd of elk migrating to the elk reserve near Jackson Hole. These two handsome guys were just standing there seemingly surveying all of their domain. The herd wasn’t far away and that consisted of the cows and calves and a few younger bulls. .

Elk herd Wyoming 2017- Photo credit Deb Neumann

Natural Wonders of the USA- Part 1

Posted on December 3, 2022November 24, 2022 by Dusty Roads

Natural Wonders to See

I love lists. I love to make them and then check them off. It helps me get things done so I like seeing these lists of places to see and things to experience. Like this list of Natural Wonders in each state that I found. I decided to go through the list and see what I’ve done and what still need to be checked off. It kind of goes with my 50 State Challenge.

Best Natural Wonders to see in each state!

1. Wyoming

Lets kick it off with Wyoming. Devil’s Tower. Located in Crook County, the Devils Tower is the first national monument in the US, established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. I’ve been to Wyoming. It was a great trip but I was in Jackson Hole and Devil’s Tower is to the east so I didn’t see it that trip. It’s on my bucket list.

2. Vermont

Next on the list is one of my neighboring states, Vermont. I’ve been hanging out in Vermont since I was a kid. It was a family tradition to take Sunday drives to Vermont and count the deer that came out to graze in the fields at dusk. My favorite weekend is the Maple Sugar Weekend when the sugar shacks open up for tours and fresh maple syrup and maple sugar abound. You have to watch for it because it depends on the weather when it gets scheduled. But I digress- the number one Natural Wonder in Vermont is… Quechee Gorge.

Quechee Gorge 2014- Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Yes I’ve been there. Many times. This time I took the trail to the bottom of the gorge. Most folks take their pics from U.S. Route 4 bridge. You can see the bridge in this picture. It’s pretty spectacular from the bridge too. It is among the deepest gorges in the country and the deepest in Vermont at 165 feet.

3. Alaska

I went to Alaska in 2013. Our cruise took us into Glacier Bay. Gorgeous and number 3 on our Natural Wonders List. We went in May and it was COLD! Brrr-

Glacier Bay, Alaska – 2013

The first 3

So of the first 3 on the list I’ve been to all 3 states but only 2 of the Natural Wonders. Can’t wait to see what the next 3 Wonders are on the list.

Memory Lane

Posted on December 5, 2020December 5, 2020 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Memory Lane

It’s a rainy Saturday morning. The weather folks say we’re getting a nor’easter with snow in the mountains. Seems like the perfect day to continue with my trip down Memory Lane. Last week we talked about Key Largo, Colonial Williamsburg, The Grand Canyon, and Maui. Let me see…where else have I been?

Jackson Hole Wyoming- 2017

My trip to Jackson Hole was a top 10 trip even though I almost got snowed in the day I was leaving. Located on the southern end of Grand Teton National Park the views are extraordinary. The Teton range rises from the valley floor with nary a foothill. Like a dragon spine the mountains are just there! Tall, jagged and majestic. Throw in the wildlife and the history and you truly get a taste of the old west.

Moulton Barn with Tetons in the background

Moulton Barn Mormon Row

Majestic Bull Elk in the Elk Reserve

Black Bear

Jackson hole is not far from another amazing place. Yellowstone National Park.

2 Grumpy Bison

Yellowstone National Park- 2017

Filled with geysers, mud pots and majestic mountains, Welcome to America’s First National Park. This, like the Grand Canyon, should be on everyone’s must see bucket list. There is no place like it. This is also where I thought I was going to become a statistic- DOA in Yellowstone when 2 Bison decided my little rental car was challenging them. That was one scary moment!

Old Faithful

Besides the Bison I was lucky enough to see Grizzly 399 , the most famous grizzly bear mother in the world. This was a real high for me. I just wish she’d turned around for a frontal picture.

Grizzly 399 and cubs

As long as we’re talking about wildlife, I can’t forget the trip to South Dakota that I took with my sister.

Mount Rushmore

South Dakota -2010

When Sandy said let’s go to South Dakota I was puzzled. What’s in South Dakota? But it turned out to be a great trip. Besides the huge stone monuments of Mount Rushmore and Sitting Bull there were National Parks, wildlife, cave systems and the amazing scenery of the Badlands! We even got to see wild horses and visit a dinosaur dig!

Wild Horses

Badlands

That’s about all I have time for today so we’ll say goodbye with my little prairie dog friend. This is the iconic photo from the South Dakota trip.

Prairie Dog with Flower

Why aren’t we helping animals?

Posted on May 16, 2020May 16, 2020 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

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When you click, our sponsors fund food and supplies for shelter pets.

Sounds pretty good, right? But what I wonder is why before the pandemic the site showed 80,000-850000 clicks each day. Now when we are all handing on the internet looking for things to do click count is way down. It got as low as 49000. At least it seems to be heading back up. We funded the value of 66,085 bowls of food yesterday.

Not into pets and animals? This site also counts clicks for hunger, breast cancer, veterans, diabetes, save the rainforest and more. So when you’re surfing around the web, take a second to swing by and click. https://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clicktogive/ars/home

Will you Travel after the Pandemic?

I’ve been reading a lot about the state of the travel industry and projections after Covid 19. Predictions are more road trips and less flying. Amazing incentives are expected to encourage the public to get back out there. I like the sound of the road trips. Long weekends exploring local attractions and maybe a longer road trip. A cross country drive maybe? Travel at my own pace. Stop and take pictures along the way? Its amazing what you can see from the road when you take your time. I’ll have to turn in my leased car and buy a car. Otherwise that pesky mileage issue will come up.

Spring Baking Championship

Ok so being cooped up has had me searching for things to watch on TV. Most of my favorite shows are reruns because they can’t get out to film with the virus. They are shut down too but I happened to come across the Spring Baking Championship on Food Network. Its amazing what these bakers can do but that wasn’t why this episode stuck in my mind. One of the bakers was from Jackson Hole Wyoming. As soon as I heard that I was immediately transported back to my vacation in Jackson Hole. It was a very strange feeling. I remembered the feeling of being there, the smell of the air, the amazing mountains. The essence that I absorbed while visiting all came sweeping back to me. Maybe its time for a return trip once the pandemic is over.

Moulton Barn with Tetons in the background

Category Archives: Wyoming