Teton Homesteaders

The weather seemed like it was never going to clear up. We had said goodbye to the new friends we had met camping here, as their journeys continued. It was sad to see them go. Instead of waiting out the clouds and rain, we decided to spend the day driving around in Grand Teton National Park. We already told you about the Bar B C Dude Ranch, and the following is the rest of that day.

We started at the J. Pierce Cunningham Cabin since it was just across the highway from where we camped. We were surprised to see so many visitors coming and going here while it was so foggy and dreary. The old log cabin sits quietly in the valley, with a sod roof and a breezeway connecting the two halves. Each half is only one room, and one side was used as living quarters, and the other as a forge. With low ceilings and small doorways, I felt like a giant walking around the cabin. Foundations of the other farm buildings can be found scattered around the premises, and it was good to see some horses grazing in the pasture nearby as we walked around.

We next went to Mormon Row, which is a grouping of homesteads that were part of a Mormon settlement in this area. We had passed by here a few days earlier, but as the skies were smoky that day, we didn’t stop. This day was bustling as there were cars waiting for open spaces to park. The Mormons tended to settle in clustered communities instead of isolated homesteads, so within a half mile of walking, we saw parts of at least four homesteads. The combination of farmsteads, with mountains in the background, can be quite the panorama. Unfortunately for us, the clouds were covering much of the background. In one direction we saw the Andy Chambers ranch with its cabin, barn, and out buildings, safe and secure behind a fence. I appreciated seeing the old farm equipment lined up just like we did growing up. His neighbor was T. A. Moulton, and the barn is all that remains of his place. His barn is the iconic Teton photo opportunity, but I think my favorite barn is at the Reed Moulton homestead. There is something special about the shingled gables and intriguing shape. The barn is accompanied by a white stucco house, a well house and garage. Next to Reed’s was the John Moulton homestead, with its “Pink House,” barn, bunkhouse, granary, and corral. They have been doing some restoration work on this place and it shows. On the way back to the truck, I was greeted by a very wet Magpie resting on the top of a fence post.

The Luther Taylor Homestead is nearby and a great little stop with very few visitors. The dogs got a chance to stretch their legs and do their business. The log cabin and two other small buildings remain on the site. They appear to be very neglected and have not been used since they were in the 1953 movie Shane. Growing up, we viewed thistle as a pesty plant. It flourishes here and I’m starting to find the purple-pink blossoms rather alluring, brightening up this dismal day.

Menor's Ferry operated on the Snake River near the present day Visitor Center. I saw the original landings and pulley supports, the Menor General Store, storehouse, and well. The original ferry is long gone, but a replica has been created and is on display. It’s hard to imagine it carrying vehicles across as the design appears as a simple platform sitting atop two pontoons. At the same place is the Maud Noble cabin. She bought the Menor Ferry operation and moved her cabin to the site. It was in her cabin that a meeting with the superintendent of Yellowstone National Park brought the idea for making the Grand Tetons a national park, too. Another building here was an open air shed that was filled with stagecoaches and wagons from the early days in this valley. The Chapel of the Transfiguration is also located at this area. It was built in 1925 to serve the guests and employees of the local dude ranches. It was designed so that the Cathedral Mountains would be framed in the large window behind the altar.

Farther down the road, we arrived at the Geraldine Lucas homestead. It sits at the foot of the mountains. In 1924, she became the second woman to climb Grand Teton at the age of 58. On our first visit, the rain and clouds obscurred the mountains, so we went back again on a sunny day to get a few more pictures. Her cabin, her son’s cabin, the barn and several other buidings are preserved here. Walking around the corner of her cabin, we saw a beaver dam on the creek. Beginning in the 1940’s the Rockerfellers land agent lived in the son’s cabin and can be credited with saving this homestead from becoming a housing development. While she opposed the development of this national park, her home is now part of it.

A few other places we stopped included the Hunter Hereford Ranch. It is on a gated restricted access road, so we took a photo from afar, hoping we got the right place. We then went to the former Ramshorn Dude Ranch Lodge, which is now occupied by the Teton Science School operating at that location under a special use permit. We saw the Manges Cabin, which was part of the Elbo Ranch. The Murie Ranch, which was the home of Claus Murie, an environmentalist, and his wife Margaret, now an education center too.

The Laurence S Rockefeller Preserve occupies the former JY Ranch, which was used by the Rockefeller family as a retreat. All of the old buildings had been removed and the property restored to pre-homestead era. As it was raining, we did not do any hiking, but I did check out the Visitor Center. It was built in modern prairie architecture, was the first LEED certified building in Wyoming, and only the 52nd in the nation to receive a platinum rating. It is set in the sagebrush prairie with the mountains in the background. Inside the building are lighted photographs and images to inspire you. The main emphasis of this center is for hiking the trails throughout the preserve. While I did not use the restroom, it is supposed to have composting toilets to emphasize the ecological aspect. They use foam-flush fixtures that only use 6 ounces of water and a drop of soap to flush waste. This cuts water usage by 97%. I do like the idea of ecological construction, but I’m doubting my next home will be to that extent.

Wet and tired, we made our way back to the RV. It was a full day of driving and hiking. We may not have danced in the rain, but we didn’t shy away from letting it wash away the cooped-up feelings we’d been having.

In the last few days, Tom has called me out on my mopey, non-communicative behavior. While he is not wrong, I find it hard to shake that destructive behavior. Tom brings up subjects for discussion, and instead of adding to it and talking about it further, I tend to just agree with his point of view. I rarely bring up subjects or look for resolution, but he is still there trying. He tries different things to help get me out of my funk, and I can’t seem to find ways to do that for him when he is down. I am looking for advice as to what any of you have found that works in similar situations that I might incorporate in my daily routine to make me a better person.

Today was another travel day, it didn’t start out so great. My mood was sad and mopey, Tom was still justifiably hurt and angry, but he made the first move and the day was better. We started out around 5000’ and climbed a pretty steep pass over 9000 feet, stuck behind more than a dozen tanker trucks doing 15 mph that last few miles up and over. Tom said he put the motorhome in first gear and still had to ride the brakes as it crept up on the trucks. Fortunately, we were not in any hurry to be anywhere and made it to the new campsite fine. It took a few tries to get level, but as we were getting frustrated, we called it good enough. Later in the afternoon we had laid down to try and take a nap, when there was a knock on the door from law enforcement. We didn’t think we had done anything wrong, but she wanted to make sure we knew the rules and regulations for staying here. It was nice that she took the time to talk with us, guiding us to many places we should check out while here, and some to avoid as they do not live up to the hype.

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