Foundations in Genesis of Idaho/Oregon invites you to...
A SUMMER FIELD TRIP TO GRAND TETON/YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARKS, WYOMING
AUGUST 1 TO 7, 2004
TRIP EMPHASIS: The northwest corner of Wyoming consists of a creation
wonderland with Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks showing all the
evidences of a recent creation. Steep mountains with faceted ridges, tilted
land surfaces, and bold fault scarps are well exposed along the Tetons. Glacial
deposits and glacial lakes abound, with wildlife everywhere, and an occasional
“friendly” grizzly bear! The heart of Yellowstone is an ancient volcano, called
a Caldera, which shows recent activity in the form of steep-sided canyons,
volcanic deposits, hot water geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles. What do these
remarkable features tell us?
Other interesting sights to observe and study include fossil forests, underwater
forests, limited sediments in the lakes of the area, landslide dams, and much
more. Access to most, if not all, have sedan friendly roads. Some hiking will
be involved, in order to view the sites in close-up perspectives. Longer hikes
will be optional.
· TRAVEL: Sunday, August 1st and Saturday, August 7th will be considered travel
days. Travel route from Boise via Hwy 20 to Idaho Falls, Hwy 26 to Swan Valley,
Hwy 31 to Victor, Hwy 33/22 to Jackson Hole WY, and northward via Hwys 89 and
287 to Coulter Bay Village is 372 miles. Travel time is about 7 hours with
limited potty stops, and speed limit traveling.
· GROUP CAMP SITES: The Group Camp Sites are very nice. Lots of space with many
pine trees for shade, and grass ground cover. Scattered fire pits and many
tables. The Group Sites were designed for tent camping. Parking for vehicles,
travel trailers, pickup campers, etc. will be in designated areas adjacent to
the access roads within the Group Sites. Extra vehicles, haul trailers, etc.
will be parked in the overflow parking about 1 mile away.
· CAMPING NECESSITIES: Group water faucets and toilets facilities are nearby.
Shower and washing facilities, about 1/3 mile away, are open from 7:30 am to
9:00 pm daily. Costs are generally $3.50 per person for unlimited shower time;
however, for our group if we can check-in 10 people at one time, the cost will
be $2.50/person. Two to three small children can accompany Mom, Dad or Guardian
for no extra charge. Children bigger than their parents will have to pay.
Towels cost $1.00 each, so remember to bring your own towels.
· FIRE WOOD: No wood on site, but can buy wood at store. Along park roads,
hazardous downed trees have been cut up by Park Maintenance, and are okay for
the taking. We do need to bring some saws, axes, etc. to cut the downed tree
segments in smaller rounds for fire use.
· COULTER BAY VILLAGE: A small village with all of the amenities: gas station,
grocery store, restaurant, Visitor Center with museum, boat launching, marina,
and swimming beach. Emergency medical facility (911) located 3 miles away at
Jackson Lake Lodge, with two Ambulances.
· CAMPING CONSIDERATIONS: Jackson Lake is at elevation 6772, and the Yellowstone
Plateau is around 8,000 feet. In August, days will be warm to hot and night
will be cool. Afternoon thundershowers are very common. Thus, bring shorts, but
also long pants together with short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, coats,
hats, and rain gear. Of course, do remember your Bible, camera, binoculars,
daypack, insect repellent, water bottles, hiking shoes or boots, gloves,
sunglasses, and swim suits. Some of us are bringing “pepper spray” in the event
a stray bear approaches our group.
· DAILY SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES: Daily activities will be planned; however, this
does not mean that all families have to attend all of the activities. We all
need some free time. Scattered road reconstruction is underway in both National
Parks, and in Rockefeller Parkway, between the two parks. Hopefully, most of
the work will be completed by August. However, the road between Fishing Bridge
and Canyon, in Yellowstone, will be closed for all of 2004 season. Time delay
on the roads will affect our travel plans if we do not plan accordingly.
Roadwork normally does not start until 8:00 am. July and August are the times
of big tourist inflows into the Parks. Roads can be jammed, parking lots
filled, geyser walkways congested, and trails crowded. The best way to overcome
tourist congestion and highway construction is to start early in the morning.
Not much activity in the Parks until after 10:00 am. Soooooo…. we will be on
our way or already at our destinations before most people are moving in the early morning. Our plan is to spend the first two
days, August 2nd and 3rd in Grand Teton National Park and three days, August
4th, 5th and 6th , in Yellowstone.
· TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Monday, August 2nd - Short field trips in Grand Teton National Park. Evening
singing and devotional.
Tuesday, August 3rd – Field trips in am. Afternoon open time for families. The
town of Jackson Hole, to the south, is a fun place to look around.
Wednesday, August 4th – Field trips in Old Faithful area of Yellowstone. Park
Ranger talk. Evening singing and devotional.
Thursday, August 5th – Field trips in Yellowstone area in am. Afternoon open
time for families. Optional all day hiking in northern Yellowstone to view and
study the “Fossil Forests” and marine fossils of Yellowstone.
Friday, August 6th – Field trips in Yellowstone. Park Ranger talk. Evening
singing and devotional.
BRING YOUR MUSICAL INSTRUMENT FOR PRAISE ORIENTED CAMPFIRE TIMES IN THE
EVENING: We want these times of fellowship to include music, singing, skits,
and other interesting things. Mr. Reuben Dyck has consented to lead the music
and singing! Reuben plays bass guitar and Gloria, his wife, plays the
keyboard. We're looking for some other participants who enjoying playing
guitars, or other instruments? Also, does anyone have a generator for powering
the electric guitars, keyboard, etc. (there are no electrical outlets in the
Group Camp Sites). Would anyone like to share a skit or perhaps a good story
about some previous adventures in the outdoors? Please contact Reuben at (208)
463-8887 for your contribution to the evening fun and Praise times. Let's all
join together for a relaxing, joyful, Christ centered family time in His
creation.
· GUIDEBOOK: A comprehensive 40-50 page guidebook will be prepared for
participants. This handout will include discussion of Creation Geology for both
National Parks, daily trip stop discussions, maps, sketches, photographs,
glossary of terms, and probably some test questions to challenge us. To help
with the cost of printing, registrants will be charged $5.00 for this handout at
the time of distribution.
Come prepared to enjoy the wonders of Creation that God made especially for us
to view, study, and guide us to better understand the manifold witness of His
Grace. See you in August.
ADDITIONAL HELPFUL INFORMATION
DRIVING SAFETY: Watch for large animals on the road. Drive slowly at night. Elk,
bison and mule deer frequently migrate at night and may be difficult to see.
Moose use roads as travel corridors. Hitting a large animal at highway speeds
has resulted in fatal accidents. Always wear your seatbelt.
PETS: Pets are welcome in the park but regulations restrict their activities.
Pets must be physically restrained at all times and are not allowed out of
boats. Neither pets nor bikes are allowed on trails or in the backcountry. Pets
are not allowed on ranger led activities. Pets must not be left unattended
and/or tied to an object. You are responsible for clean up and disposal of all
pet feces. Pets must be kept under physical control at all times — caged,
crated, or restrained on a leash not to exceed six feet in length. Pets are
prohibited from public buildings and swimming beaches, except for guide dogs.
Pets are prohibited from riding in boats on park waters, except for Jackson
Lake. Pets must stay within 50 feet of any roadway. Pets are prohibited from
making unreasonable noise or frightening wildlife. Pets running-at-large may be
impounded and their owner charged for the care and feeding of the animal.
HIGH ALTITUDE: Visitors with a cardiac or respiratory medical history should be
aware that most park roads range between 5,300 and 8,860 feet in elevation. We
recommend contacting a physician before your visit. Be aware of your physical
limitations and drink plenty of fluids to forestall the dehydrating effects of
the park’s dry climate. Stop and rest frequently.
FOOD AND SUPPLIES: Avoid food such as bacon or smoked fish, soaps, and cosmetics
with strong odors as they attract bears. Bottles and cans are hard to dispose
of. If you take them in, you are expected to carry them out.
FOOTWEAR: Boots should be a sturdy hiking or mountaineering type that provides
good ankle support. Some hikers prefer boots with the rubber shoe and leather
upper, like the Maine Hunting Shoe
INSECTS: Insect repellent is highly recommended.
RAIN GEAR AND CLOTHING: Durable rain gear that covers both the upper and lower
torso is a must for hikes of any length. The rain gear should keep out water in
a steady downpour.
TENTS AND SLEEPING BAGS: You should have a tent with a waterproof floor,
rain-fly, and a no-see-um netting, and this tent should be designed to withstand
strong winds. Bring plenty of extra stakes and strong cord to keep the tent
secure. Synthetics like ‘Polarguard' or ‘Fiberfill' are better than ‘down’
because synthetics will insulate when wet while down will not. A sleeping pad
will provide insulation as well as comfort.
GUNFIGHT IN JACKSON: A favorite visitor attraction is the gunfight by the town
square in Jackson every summer evening at 7 PM. This elaborate production lasts
about 20 minutes and is well worth the time spent watching it. A cast of around
a dozen people acts out a stagecoach robbery, kidnapping, and final shoot-out
with the sheriff. The main street of town is closed off for the event while
hundreds of people watch, photograph, and video tape the action.