MonikaC
Well-Known Member
'Twas a 3 dog night, but I only had one. At least I had an extra sleeping bag I could pull over myself, but I still had to keep moving my feet to keep them warm. At a brisk 13 degrees, I didn't even want to be outside my FJ long enough to heat up a beverage, let alone cook breakfast before going for a hike. And how many hours would it be before the temperature doubled? I decided that getting out of Dodge (and into Pinedale) sounded like the best plan. There were a few spots about an hour out along the road where the temperature soared to 16 degrees for a few minutes before dropping back to 13. Then I saw these plumes in the distance and wondered if there were some hunters coming in fast on their 4-wheelers. No, the plumes were white & dust kicked up would have been brown if the road wasn't so frozen. I remembered the warm springs outside of the Tetons & wondered if there were some I had passed so many times but never investigated. Bingo! I pulled over at the Kendall warm springs. According to US Fish & Wildlife: "The Kendall Warm Springs dace (Rhinichthys osculus thermalis) is a member of the Cyprinidae family, and is the only fish species to inhabit the 85° F spring water in the Bridger-Teton National Park in Wyoming. Adults range from one to two inches in size, with a grayish-green body with dark blotches and a dark lateral stripe on their sides. Spawning is thought to occur several times a year in shallow pools and streams not more than one foot deep."
I did remember to stick a hand in the water to guess the temperature. I would have put it at more like 78 degrees (swimming pool temperature). By the time I reached Pinedale & was on blacktop, it was a balmy 29 degrees and sunny. Though I didn't cook breakfast, I did heat up a nice, hot mug of chai.
I did remember to stick a hand in the water to guess the temperature. I would have put it at more like 78 degrees (swimming pool temperature). By the time I reached Pinedale & was on blacktop, it was a balmy 29 degrees and sunny. Though I didn't cook breakfast, I did heat up a nice, hot mug of chai.
