Trip to Yellowstone National Park

By: Eleanor May Feedham-Bartlett-Haas

I was thinking about the trip we took in 1959 to Yellowstone National Park, Montana. Your Grampa, your Mom and I were on our way out west to see the Passion Play in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was rather late when we arrived there, so we decided to stay at a motel that night and go to the play the next evening after checking out the area. We were told the play wasn’t to be shone for another two days so we decided to travel on to Montana to visit Yellowstone National Park. We stopped along the way to check out the Prairie Dogs etc. It took us a couple days to get to Yellowstone but before that we were told by several people that an earth quake had happened in West Yellowstone and noticed the lights in the restaurant; where we were eating breakfast; were swinging back and forth. People said that was from the aftershocks, of which there were several. We talked it over and your Grampa said we would go on and see what the rangers told us when we got to the Park. That would decide if we stayed or started back home.

The Rangers told us it was safe to stay on the east side of the park, away from the canyons and travel only on the east side of the park. So——we rented a cabin and decided to stay a few days to check out as much of the park as was safe to do so. The cabin was nice but we had to go to the rest rooms in another building. One evening as your Mom and I were starting out on our little trip. We turned the corner as a small black bear was headed our way. Well!!!!! we turned tails and headed back for our cabin in double quick order. Didn’t know we could move so fast. It really was fun staying in the park. We watched the bears raid the garbage cans. They looked so cute with their hind legs holding onto the can while their front end was down in the can getting what ever was good to eat.

On one of our trips along the east coast we drove along a beautiful lake so stopped to look at the scenery and as we watched two large moose came out of the woods and headed for the lake to eat and drink. We got a good view of them running for the lake. At another spot we got to see many Bald Eagles in trees watching for something to come by to eat. We had lots of fun walking on the trails and driving along the roads that were still open. We stayed a few days and left because we could still feel the small tremors and thought it smart to get out of the area.

I forgot to tell you that one morning when your Mom opened the door and there sat a bear. She closed the door so fast and hard I thought it would come off its hinges. Also, one time we stopped on the road to watch some bears along the side of the road. Your Mom got out to take some pictures when Grampa saw the mother bear heading our way as her little one was by our car. Your Grampa yelled for your Mom to get in the car, knowing it wasn’t safe to face that mother bear when she was protecting her cub. After that scare we all stayed in the car where it was safe. One day we stopped at a mountain stream to get a drink. Your Mom decided to put her feet in the water. It was ice cold. She decided that wasn’t a good idea either. We watched one man jump in the water but I noticed he jumped out about as fast as he went in. I don’t think he knew how cold that water really was.

Your Grampa had only three week’s vacation so we couldn’t stay out west very long but it was a memorable trip. We drove a Rambler station wagon and sometimes slept in the wagon. The back seat let down flat so we had a full size sleeping bag in the back on a piece of foam rubber. It was very comfortable. We made a nice bed across the two front seats for your Mom. WE had a box on the top of the wagon to hold our camp stove and cooking ware and food. We used this when we weren’t staying in a cabin or motel. I think your Mom had good memories of that trip. If you go to the internet and look up Hebgen Lake, Mt. earthquake of 1959 you can see lots of pictures and information on the earthquake. We were lucky not to be there at that time. The God Lord was with us for sure.