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Eric Marinac and Tyson Gulbrandson (Pinedale)
Eric (voluntary lifeguard) and Tyson (sergeant) came to my rescue in the Wind River Range when Champ developed an abscess on her right foot. Following my call, they came out to find me on the trail and towed me and the mules to see the Pinedale vet, Susie: a chance for me to ride in a (real) sheriff’s car!
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Susie and Johen BLAHA (Pinedale)
Susie is a vet in the Pinedale region and she treated Champ’s abscess, assisted by Kathy. Susie and her husband John looked after Champ for a week while I set off to walk in the Wind River Range. I slept in their caravan, and they lent me their car to do my shopping and take part in the mountain trapper festival in Pinedale. They also towed Frog and me to the start of the trail when I set off on my week’s hike.
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NOLS student group (Wind river range)
In the Winds, on my solo hike with Frog, I spent an enjoyable evening with the small NOLS student group, a training organization that educates young people about nature, outdoor sports and team work.
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Christie BLAHA (Pinedale)
Christie is Susie and John’s daughter. She towed Champ, Frog and me to the start of the trail in the Wind River Range when I set back off towards Jackson. Christie competes in “cutting” events, in which horse riders and their horses isolate a particular cow in a herd.
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Pia VALAR (Hoback Junction)
Pia towed us when we left the Wind River Range for Jackson. The two mules stayed with her for several days in Hoback Junction (south of Jackson Hole) while I went off with Sarah to visit Yellowstone Park. She drove us to Teton Pass when we got back on our way. The mules had been so well fed at her place that they didn’t want to leave!
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Richard HL ASHBURN (Jackson)
I met Richard at the trappers’ festival in Pinedale Mountains. He gave me the very useful address of Pia VALAR in Hoback Junction to leave my mules when I arrived in the populous region of Jackson. Richard is really interested in the way mountain trappers lived back in the 1820s, and he spends his free time travelling on horseback with period equipment. He has also been a mountain guide for years, leading clients on horseback with traditional trapper fittings. He gives presentations on the subject at trapper festivals.
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Loreng NOODMAN and Melody LIN
I met Loreng and Melody at Darwin Ranch in the Jackson Hole region, where they lodge holidaymakers in the summer and hunters in the fall. They opened up their house in Wilson, close to Jackson, to Sarah and me for a few nights. Loreng is very interested in European culture. He has studied in France and speaks excellent French! I hope they will both come and visit me in France soon.
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Bill FOGEL and his friends (Easthampton, MA)
Sarah and I met Bill and his friends in the Teton Mountains. They were preparing to climb up one of the summits the following day. However, Bill’s friend Malwin sprained his ankle playing Frisbee! He went back down on Champ’s back and descended into the valley the next day with Sarah, Frog, Bill, and me. To thank us, Bill tried to help me sort out my broken computer and took me on an abortive trip to Jackson to repair it.
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