Steiner Timing - Jackson revisited (29-30 July)

Steiner Timing usually refers to our ability to plan a tour for each of us separately and then arrive at a prearranged point within minutes of each other. That was again the case on the 29th when Emil set out on a 60 miles cycling tour along the Jackson valley loop and I cycled just a few miles to the National Museum of Wildlife Art. For someone who enjoys a little animal sketching, like I do, this is an unbelievable experience of bathing in the most gorgeous examples of wildlife painting and sculpture.

There was also a fascinating film about the migration of elk into Yellowstone Park, which occures each year. A photographer and an artist followed these beautiful, brave animals from their summer pastures in the surrounding valleys as they then forded roaring rivers and alpine passes to enter the park. The painting below is an example of Preske's special rendering of wildlife, this time in keeping with my animal theme of today - the buffalo.

Emil and I spent the rest of the afternoon touring the area around the Grand Teton National Park by car. The smoke of forest fires to the west made it impossible to capture the grandeur of these mountains in a photo, so after a brief attempt, we continured on to Moose, Teton Village and Wilson, before returning to the busy, attractive but very expensive tourist town of Jackson Hole.

And now a further explanation of the above title. Jackson revisited does not refer to a former trip here (in 1987 and 1990), but rather that I spent the summer of 1965 in nearby Wilson, taking care of the home and the five daughters of a family. The job was arranged by a girlfriend from my creative writing class at San Francisco State College (now University), whose first name was Christie and last name something like Heidecooper. Her mother was an accomplished pilot and flew us out to Wyoming in her private four-seater airplane - my first flight ever! I had been thinking of getting in touch with her, but hadn't attempted it yet, when I discovered a photo at breakfast (another example of Steiner Timing?) of the first ski descent on the Grand Teton, photographed by Virginia Huidekoper. When I asked our server how to pronounce this name, he said I should ask the guy who had made the descent, Bill Briggs, who was sitting a few tables away.

Well, to make a long story short, a wonderful chat with Bill, who still skis at over 80 years, led me first to the confirmation that Virginia was indeed the lady who flew me out to Jackson, then on to a contact with Zaidee Fuller - Christie's sister - who gave me Christie's phone  number in San Francisco and some information on the "little" girls I had been caring for. It turned out that the oldest girl, Wendy, had a graphics business in town and that led to a brief visit there next morning, before undertaking the long drive to Evanston. While Emil drove out again to photograph the Teton range, I had a nice chat with Linda and Mary, two employees of Wendy's. Even though I didn't get to meet her personally, I was so pleased to see how well she was doing. I bought some of her artwork as gifts to take home and will be writing her as soon as time allows.

The photo below is another example of some fantastic artwork, taken in downtown Jackson. This time it's a bear (and I certainly never want to see one this close up!)