RoadTrip: Ruby Mts July 23-28 trip planning, conflicting Tetons/Yellowstone plans

Ruby Mts trip planning

7AM 3/28/2012
Hi ML, Ann,
I may be able to make it to your meeting.  What is your address?
Gary

8AM 3/28/2012
Hi Gary -
The meeting was last night. Sorry!
Ann

11AM 3/28/2012
Well rats! We just had it last night. I wasn't here when you e-mailed. We were all wondering where you were. Peter said you were doing the Pacific Crest Trail in the south. I didn't know that. I thought you were car camping and going to different So. Ca. sites. Ann says there doesn't seem to be much blooming yet in the desert, the rains coming at the wrong time, but maybe in May. You were doing that by yourself?
We didn't do much in the way of planning. Just confirmed that we are going, and the reservations are going to remain in place. Right now there are eleven of us. Ann warned of rain storms, which could be a problem since we are only supposed to have two tents at each site, when there are going to be 4 people at each site, and none of us except Ann and David want to share a tent. I will already be sharing my tent w. Imp so I get first priority! Anyway, we'll deal with that when we come to it.
Are you going to be around for a while?
ML

3PM 6/28/2012
Hi ML,
I'm just back in Santa Rosa (temporarily) from my loitering (only did about 366 miles - but at  the rate of 111 photos per mile!) on the PCT in SoCal.

I'll be hanging around here til at least my Dr's appointment on the 12th of July.   Beyond that  I am eyeing some of the CNPS Rare Plant Treasure Hunt outings in the Sierra that are scheduled about mid-month, to see how many of those I can squeeze in before heading to the Ruby's to meet up with "YOU-ALL".

So, having missed the big meeting on the Ruby's trip at Ann's, I am probably missing a few essential details. Reviewing the messages I have: Ben may get there early for the weekend before the 23rd, but the Lamoille Cyn campground reservations are for Monday the 23rd and the few days following?  And I probably owe you some money?

Do I have that right? Should I know more? Any updates? Who's still going and when for how long? Where to meet and when exactly?

Following the Ruby's gettogether I plan to head off into the sunrise north-east from there towards Yellowstone and beyond for the rest of the year, and so will have a pretty full car, but could make room for a "one-way" passenger on the way there (possibly from one of the CNPS Rare Plant outings in the Sierra) if that passenger can arrange an alternate ride to return (...or willing to go on with me to Yellowstone and on?)
Gary

10PM 7/1/2012
all,
My sister and I decided not be going to the Ruby Mts as planned... 
You will all have to share your stories and pictures when you return.
Pat C

11PM 7/4/2012
Pat,

I feel so so lucky I am still in one piece after that two-month walk I did (but I was just going at my normal leisurely pace with my camera, so it was just very pleasant.)

Best wishes to you and your sister,

-Gary

Gary,

...I start working for SVH the last week in July.

You will love the Tetons, there are so many trails. There is a public
small hot pool off one of the roads on the east side of the park which
I am sorry I did not part take when I was there. They have make the
park very bicycle  friendly.  Yellowstone is fabulous too but more
land to cover. If you have the time, just take in one area for a day
or two. This will make the driving not so bad.

When you return to Santa Rosa, it would be great if you do a
presentation via pictures of your travels.  Happy trails and keep
safe.

Pat 

noon 7/5/2012

ML,

Thanks for the Ruby's FYI's.  

No I haven't yet had time to research the Ruby's but Sandy and I did climb 13,000ft Wheeler Peak at Big Basin just south of there a few years back on our way to Utah  - spectacularly rugged range of peaks extending south of Wheeler - the picts of that are still buried on my disk drive.... should dig them up and post them but unlikely to happen any time soon....

I may be heading up in that direction as soon as the 17th of this month, if I decide to meet up with Sandy (currently in Michigan) and her friend Peter from Moss-Beach who plans to meet her at that time in the Tetons, then do Yellowstone, before they both return to California.  I still hope to persuade Sandy to delay her MI departure by a few days so we could all meet in the Tetons after the Ruby's trip.  But I think Peter may be time-constrained before having to return to Moss Beach.  So I may end up doing _some_ of the Tetons with them, then drive to the Ruby's, then try to catch up with them in Yellowstone.  Too much driving!   Probably more sense for me to skip the Tetons meetup andjust  catch up with them in Yellowstone.

One thought I had in that context and noting that Pat & her sister have cancelled, is that there might be "space" available for Sandy and her friend Peter to join us at the Ruby's.  I recall reading it was the #of cars that were the limiting factor, so maybe one "condition" would have to be that all three of us arrive in a single car.... 

Sandy has been to the Lamoille CG before, I think, and may have 2 or 5 cents of her experience to contribute to the "research".

-Gary

7AM 7/5/2012

Gary,

That would be fine. Nice to see Sandy again.

Oh the Tetons. You will be so amazed! If you have time, hike the less popular Tetons after you've done the hike above Jenny Lake where you camp. But start early in the AM, as it is a very popular hike.

2PM 7/4/2012
Hi Gar,
It was nice to hear your voice last night and talk about plans. Did you say you are thinking about moving to CT and have your sister find you a room to rent? Why? I have never been to New England but the midwest has awful weather. Right now it's humid and 100 degrees. We are all hanging out in the nude and trying cool off in the lake . It feels like Samoa.
Hey, I was thinking of living in AZ because the rents are cheaper  and then hanging out in the desert for wildflowers in the spring and camping in Hawaii in the summer. All the campgrounds are $5 per night and there are alot of free places also. ... Think about it.. I'm gonna go jump in the lake! 
Sandy

9PM 7/5/2012
Hi Sandy,
No not permanently, but if I stay there over the winter months I may want to do so not as a guest but as a tenant.

So there's no possibility that Peter (and you) would consider delaying when you meet up?

One possibility would be to meet at the Ruby's instead around the 23rd, to join the other CNPS folk for that week and then go up to the Tetons.   That might be most efficient car-mileage-wise.

I mentioned the possibility to ML (who is organizing that trip) about the possibility that you and Peter might be interested in joining in, and she said that's fine, but the number of cars is a limiting factor.  If we are going to the Tetons first, it might make sense to "pool" to the Ruby's in one car (if we can find a secure place to leave the other two.)   If we meet at the Ruby's first, we may also be parking some of the cars elsewhere than at the campground.

I'll send you some of the emails on their plans, as I haven't yet paid much attention to their detailed itinerary.
Gary

noon 7/6/2012
Hi Gar,
No, it doesn't make sense for me to meet at the Ruby's first because WY is closer to MI and ID is next to WY so I will be going to those first and then could drop down from ID to NV. Gas and milage are expensive. I also think there won't be enough time for me to join cnps if I arrive at the Tetons on the 18th or 19th -- that would only leave me 10 days to see yellowstone, tetons and friends in ID! I don't like rushing around and the stress it causes. However, I do want to see the wildflowers in the Rubies and do one overnight backpack. I guess it's hard to find level campsites there.
Let me know what you can/want to do.
Sandy

4PM 7/6/2012
Oh,
I didn't know you had other constraining dates.  What are those "windows" when you have to or can be at those various places in Idaho? That would help me plan ahead as well. Thanks.
(And if you give names, reading them might help me remember them...) Thanks.
Gary

11AM 7/7/2012
I don't have other constraining dates other than meeting you and Peter at the Tetons. Bob will be at his log cabin all summer(in Idaho) and David and Lois will also be at theirs in Idaho. 
Sandy


11AM 7/6/2012
Hi Gar,
I was talking with Bud... He said he wants to talk to you about doing a few chores for him...
Mike is moving to that senior apt. on Farmers Lane and Hwy 12 next week... 

Meanwhile, let's meet up at Grand Tetons July 18 or 19. Peter will be joining us. You and I can go stay at my friends in Stanley Idaho if you want. I'm moving next Sat the 14th and will be on the road by Monday the 16th. Later we can go to the cascades with peter.
Sandy 

4PM 7/6/2012
Sandy,
I called Bud this morning, and I guess I'll help Mike move on Monday.
Any ideas where in the Tetons to meet?
Gary

11AM 7/7/2012
Gar,
Jenny Lake campground on the north shore. We need to see if there are any spaces available. 
Thanks for helping Mike.
Sandy   

11AM 7/13/2012
Hi Gar,
I decided to leave on the 30th of July and hopefully meet you at the Tetons on August 2nd or 3rd.  That should give you plenty of time to get there after your Ruby Mt. visit on the 27th of July. 
Peter looked into the 10 site campground at the north end of Jenny Lake (in Grand Teton National Park). the campsite is non-reservable.

Let me know what you think.

2PM 7/13/2012

Sandy,

Oh yay!  That should be perfect!

Thanks!