A 'Close Call' With The Fury of Nature

The first time I attempted to visit Yellowstone was during the infamous summer of 1988, when fire consumed over 300,000 acres of the park and surrounding National Forests. A friend and I were vacationing with family and friends in nearby Starr Valley, Wyoming, and after discussing the various things we might do we decided to make the drive up to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. The air everywhere in the west seemed to be redolent with that ‘campfire’ smell and smoke tinged the sky, even as far as Salt Lake City. The air seemed to thicken as we neared Jackson Hole and the sun became darker, even though the day was edging towards noon. When we arrived at Jackson Hole, which at the time was a much smaller and sleepier town than it is today, the atmosphere and attitudes seemed subdued, even for Jackson. We stopped in at a local Ranger Station to get a feel for the situation we were facing ahead, though the National Forest are run by the USDA and National Parks are of the Department of the Interior, there is a lot of cooperation and communication between them.

The ranger at the station, which is on the way out of town on the highway leading to Teton and Yellowstone, warned us quite frankly to not go to Yellowstone. He was very persuasive and we chose to follow his advice, curtailing our trip and spending some time in Jackson Hole instead, which, while admittedly a little staid at the time, was very charming and interesting. So ended my first ‘trip’ to Yellowstone.

In retrospect, I am glad I heeded his advice, but can’t help but feel that I missed out on a piece of history. To see the fires, which are so famous now, for myself would have been something I could have told my kids and grand kids etc., and probably would have made for a good tale for this blog. It was not to be, and this is probably for the best. The reality is, we had on our first agenda going to see Old Faithful, that stalwart and famous old geyser that is the top priority for most first time visitors to Yellowstone, and for good reason. Its regular eruptions have entertained visitors to the Park since the first white men entered and explored the area, and most likely Native American’s for countless generations before that, though we have no records of that.

However, it was early in the day of September 7th, the day when the nation came near to losing one of it’s most iconic lodges, the Old Faithful Inn, to 200 foot flames and 80 mph winds that threatened the lives of all who remained in the Old Faithful area. I guess, looking backwards, that I’m glad I didn’t go ahead despite the ranger’s warning. In fact, if I could remember his name, I’d most likely seek him out, thank him and shake his hand.