After the year at Ricks College, I was employed for the summer as one-half of a two-man trail crew in Yellowstone National Park. Each of us had a horse, a mule, a power saw, and an axe. We were charged with clearing the previous winter's dead wood, as well as new spring growth, that threatened to impede the progress of fire fighters to any fire that might break out. I spent most of the summer in the wilderness south of Yellowstone Lake in almost total isolation from other people. This was enjoying nature at its best. Deer, thousands of elk, several moose, bear, and other animals were frequently observed in their most natural state. Fishing was unbelievable.
For a while, my partner and I (I don't recall his name) linked up with another pair of men doing the same thing. One of the guys was from Waco, Texas and played football for Baylor. He would ride along on his horse, spitting tobacco as he rode. I thought this looked neat. So, for a brief time in my life, I chewed tobacco, spitting from astride my horse. Then the moment of truth arrived. We crossed Yellowstone Lake on a small boat and the wind came up and the boat began to rock. I was foolish enough to have a wad of tobacco in my mouth. It and everything else I had eaten for the previous twenty four hours came retching out of my stomach and over the side of the boat. Never again in my life have I even considered chewing tobacco.
Before moving south of Lake Yellowstone, we lived a few days in a cabin near the Lake Ranger Station. One evening I poured out some corned beef hash on the ground back of the cabin. We spent the evening in the Lake lodge attending a program. When we got back to the cabin, I went back of the cabin to pee. I was greeted by a huge grizzly bear that reared up on his hind legs and roared at me. I was gone in a flash. The next day, however, we put out a trap and a day later, we had trapped the grizzly. We daubed a little white paint on him (so he could be recognized if he came back) and then hauled him way up into the mountains and let him loose. It was an experience I shall never forget. We had previously captured several black bears and hauled them off. Frequently, they came back and were then destroyed. But a grizzly was something quite different, awesome and fierce.
For a while, my partner and I (I don't recall his name) linked up with another pair of men doing the same thing. One of the guys was from Waco, Texas and played football for Baylor. He would ride along on his horse, spitting tobacco as he rode. I thought this looked neat. So, for a brief time in my life, I chewed tobacco, spitting from astride my horse. Then the moment of truth arrived. We crossed Yellowstone Lake on a small boat and the wind came up and the boat began to rock. I was foolish enough to have a wad of tobacco in my mouth. It and everything else I had eaten for the previous twenty four hours came retching out of my stomach and over the side of the boat. Never again in my life have I even considered chewing tobacco.
Before moving south of Lake Yellowstone, we lived a few days in a cabin near the Lake Ranger Station. One evening I poured out some corned beef hash on the ground back of the cabin. We spent the evening in the Lake lodge attending a program. When we got back to the cabin, I went back of the cabin to pee. I was greeted by a huge grizzly bear that reared up on his hind legs and roared at me. I was gone in a flash. The next day, however, we put out a trap and a day later, we had trapped the grizzly. We daubed a little white paint on him (so he could be recognized if he came back) and then hauled him way up into the mountains and let him loose. It was an experience I shall never forget. We had previously captured several black bears and hauled them off. Frequently, they came back and were then destroyed. But a grizzly was something quite different, awesome and fierce.
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