After leaving Coalville, UT, at around 9 AM, we had a couple potty stops and one stop for gas and arrived safely in Jackson at 1:30 PM. There was a section of I-80, between Evanston - where we exited - and Cheyenne that was totally closed in the morning as a result of snow. That is about a 300 mile section of the highway. What is the deal with this winter weather all over the west? This was, by far, the worst trip we have ever taken since we hit the road in 2009.
We got set up at our spot in the Elk Refuge and I took these shots of our space:
and our view from the space:
We actually saw two elk walking in the Refuge as we arrived, but they are all gone for the summer season. We heard that there were a record number of elk in the Refuge this winter - 9,500 - and that the winter took a heavy toll on the herd. Also, we heard that there was a record snowfall in the Jackson hills this year - 195 inches. That is hard to imagine, but we know that it seemed like snow on a daily basis when we checked the area forecasts from AZ. At any rate, it is all gone in the Elk Refuge.
I made contact with the RV repair guy who plans to come to our site on Monday AM to replace the water heater. The only problem now is to figure out where he will pick up the new unit. We have seen prices from $465 at an online store that would take a week to arrive if we ordered from there, to over $700 at Camping World which would be an immediate acquisition but would break the bank. We'll see what he comes up with.
We had a gathering outside in the afternoon to renew old acquaintances from last year. We are the only couple staying in the Refuge that will be working for the GTA (Grand Teton Association) and the others will all be volunteers. They will only work 20 hours a week, but we are the only ones that get paid. Maybe someday we can also be volunteers...
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