Pauline located a long-lost cousin via FaceBook two years ago. This year, cousin Susan and husband Ian came to visit from England and we escorted them on a five day trip to Cody via the Beartooth Highway, then on to Yellowstone Park and Grand Teton Park. We dropped them off in Jackson so they could continue their trip to Nevada and California.

Crossing the Beartooth on June 21 (the first day of Summer) temperatures dipped to 30°F and visibility was limited by a blizzard. In Yellowstone Park we were treated to a better than average bison jam (with baby bison and a group of concerned bicyclists). In Grand Teton Park we encountered a group of young bears. Park rangers had set out traffic cones to slow down traffic because the bears were too close to the highway. The bears decided to cross just as we approached. These youngsters were out for some fun and thought the traffic cones and pylons were great toys. The rangers chased them off when they started to chew up the “toys.” It is difficult to identify juvenile bears; other tourists claimed these were grizzlies, but the ears are prominent and the shoulder hump is missing, which would indicte black bear. On the other hand, the snout is not quite straight and they seem very large for juvenile black bears.