| THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED:
THE TETON WAGON TRAIN AND HORSE ADVENTURE |
|
|
|
 The trail, seldom used now, still twists and turns skirting the Jedediah Smith Wilderness to the south and Winegar Hole Wilderness and Yellowstone National Park to the north. In an SUV, the monstrous affectation of the 2000s, you could drive the17 miles of rough road between Grassy Reservoir and Indian Lake in 30 minutes - give or take a few adventures -- or you can do it in a covered wagon, the momentous method of the 1840s, with a company called Teton Wagon Train and Horse Adventure in four days. |
| "The idea is not to beat you to death
by seeing how far or fast we can go in a wagon," says Jeff Warburton,
who with his brother, Chris, runs the family business that has been
around for 30 years. "The plan's to let you enjoy an experience
that's an important part of our country's history." tetonwagontrain.com |
|
  
|
Every summer, the Warburtons saddle up their wranglers
and cooks and more than 20 horses and hit the trail with guests for
3-night 4-day excursions into this Targhee National Forest. They sleep
in tall 3-man tents designed by Chris himself and eat hearty food
cooked in Dutch ovens. It's camping. "You've had your last contact
with things that flush," says Chris. "On the trail anything
can happen. We break a wheel, we fix it. A horse throws a shoe, we
fix it. A grizzly comes into camp, we drive him off." |
 
|
In reality, no grizzly has ever bothered the wagon trains but they roll through terrain set aside 25 years ago to protect grizzlies in a project now so successful the bears will likely be removed soon from the endangered list. Claw marks often appear on the lodgepole pines as signs that grizzlies have established their territories there-- and the wranglers all wear loaded sidearms that would, one hopes, drive bears off. |
| PAGE 1 2 |