Here's my trip report from that first Loonion


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Posted by Dan M. (209.92.85.90) on 13:33:45 05/15/14

In Reply to: The first official one was in 2000 during Memorial Weekend posted by Dan M.

May 25 - 8:30am

Seattle weather. The cool drizzle has been plaguing the Los Angeles Basin for a week and it is with a certain measure of relief that I cross Cajon Summit and break out into the Mojave sunshine. As I pass through Barstow, billboards assure me that Wayne Newton has indeed returned to the Stardust Hotel. The desert heat is rising and I turn on the air-conditioning. In Baker the Biggest Thermometer In The World reads 92 degrees. Not bad. In 1826 it took Jedediah Smith and a party of mountain men more than three months to make the first overland crossing of the southwest desert from the Great Salt Lake to San Bernardino. Going north, it takes me ten and one half hours. There is some flooding on the freeway beyond SLC and traffic slows for a bit. I stop in Ogden and see Mission Impossible II at a theater I spot from the freeway. Back on the road just before midnight.

After a short nap in a rest stop south of Pocatello, I arrive in the park early on Friday morning. The meadows are spring green and the bison calves are fuzzy red. The road between Madison and Gibbon Meadows is in hecksta poor shape. Most of the snow on the hills has melted and the rivers and creeks are swollen with spring runoff, their waters clouded and swift. The drizzly weather has followed me north. Sunshine and clouds struggle for command of the day. After getting two campsites at Mammoth, I head for the visitor center and park my truck and Loon Flag in view of the webcam. Inside, while buying a fishing permit, I notice a tall red-headed young man eyeing me. After a few moments of mutual appraisal, he makes the first move.

"Are you Dan?" he asks.

"You must be Mark R." We shake hands. The Loonion has begun.

Mark and I talk for a bit, then I leave the first Loon message (Loons Rule!) in the message book Ballpark Frank told us about. I drive out to Lamar, but it is late in the day by now and there is no wolf or bear activity. The valley floor and the surrounding hills are incredibly green. I'm more accustomed to the dry grass colors of summer and fall. The picnic area beyond the Yellowstone Institute is closed, flooded by high water. I turn around and drive to Tower to stop in the Ham store, where I find Jakeman behind the ice cream counter. He serves me two scoops of that excellent ice cream and we talk while I spoon it down.

After leaving Tower I head back to Mammoth to take a nap, but at the T-intersection in front of the hotel, I am waved down by two people. It's Oldtymr and Geri, my third and fourth Loon sightings. We walk over to the Terrace Grill and have conversation and lunch. It's weird (good weird) to be talking face-to-face instead of over a keyboard. We have a great visit, then I go back to camp for a much needed nap. After the nap, I'm cooking some good ol' Dinty Moore Stew when who should arrive but Tim W, Tim II and their friend Jay (a Yellowstone 1st timer). And shortly after them comes Tim A. The weather has dried out somewhat and Tim A. and I light a campfire while the others get their camp situated. They join us once they're done, but it's been a long day, and after talking for a while we are ready for bed.



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