How Bad Is It?

Wyoming threatens to sell prime Grand Teton land

"MOOSE, Wyoming (AP) — For Sale: Part of Grand Teton National Park.
Majestic views of the Teton Range. Prime location for luxury resort, home development. Pristine habitat for moose, elk, wolves, grizzlies.
Price: $125 million. Call: Gov. Dave Freudenthal.
Wyoming is trying to force the Interior Department to trade land, minerals or mineral royalties for 1,366 acres it owns within the majestic park. If the foot-dragging feds don't agree to a deal — soon — Freudenthal threatens to put a For Sale sign on the property.
Wyoming has owned the land since statehood in 1890, when the federal government set aside land in new Western states to be mined, logged or leased to raise money for public education. Wyoming kept its so-called "school sections" after Grand Teton National Park was established in 1950."

I have fond memories of that area. For two seasons in 1979 and 80 I worked for the Bridger-Teton National Forest out of Kemmerer, building fences and fighting fires. We worked ten days and had four off which we spent hiking, fishing and getting loaded at the Cowboy Bar in Jackson, where we'd stagger back to the field office stables and crash in the hayloft.

One memorable weekend, the the details of how it all came to be escaping me after so many years, about six of us got invited to party at someone's house in Moose, the center of the land that Wyoming is going to sell in the article above. It's north of Jackson Hole on 191 just as you round a hill and that world famous range comes into view. We packed up steaks, probably an illegal quantity of alcohol and definately illegal other substances and headed out of Jackson to Moose.

We couldn't believe our eyes when we got there. The 'house' turned out to be a gargantuan two story log estate complete with indoor pool and hot tub with a deck overlooking the Tetons just like the picture above. I think for some reason the guy who invited us actually left and told us to have a good time. We absolutely could't believe this had happened. I mean this lodge was actually a private resort, with lofty ceilings, central air, BBQ on the deck facing the mountains and oh man that hot tub/pool. Whoever owned it was filthy rich and quite the sportsman - he had a grand slam mounted in one of the cavernous lounges.

Won't get into details about the bits and pieces I remember but I will say some of our crew were women, big, strong, adventurous fire fightin' women in the prime of their lives...