"Stir" takes to the road again!

[Stir Young]

Hey, its me, Gary Young! You know, the smart alecky guy who was gonna go out west??? I thought I might try doing one of these blog thingies about my trip to Yellowstone Park and back.

So who is Stir? Well, that's been my nickname since I was in high school. I was originally called "Youngster" by one of my friends, I guess because I only looked about 12 years old when I was a Junior. As time went on, "Youngster" got shortened to "Ster", or "Stir", as I prefer to spell it, and people just ASSUMED that the shortened variety came about because I "stirred" up trouble. Why, nothing could be further from the truth....c'mon, you know me....I'm a peacemaker!

Well, anyway, about 2 years ago, I embarked on a quest to find people whom I'd worked with in Yellowstone Park in the summer of 1969. It became a cooperative project as I found others, and they started looking too. Along the way, we've been able to account for about 12 people, and the idea for an employee reunion came about. That reunion took place on August 14th and 15th 2009, in Gardiner, Montana, and the story that follows will hopefully tell a little about the summer of 1969 in Yellowstone Park, and my journey back there 40 years later.

And just who is that mischieveous looking guy up above? Why that's me, in the summer of 1969, of course.

[Stir Young]

When I got to the South Rim, it was very crowded with people, cars and tour buses. I was learning, that by about 10 o'clock in the morning, most of the popular sights in the park filled up. It was hard to walk anywhere without dodging people or vehicles.

I took about two pictures, and my camera notified me that it wasn't gonna coooperate any more....the battery needed recharging. This picture is one of the two I took....there could have been betters ones, I'm sure, but I now had to commit the visuals to memory the rest of the day.

[Stir Young]

Back in 1969, on one of my first days off, I took a day trip in the VW bus. We only got one day off a week, and I decided to go back over to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Nake and I had seen it from the North Rim on our first day there, but I wanted to see it from the South Rim. I had a big box lunch with me, courtesy of Betty, the cook at Mammoth. It was standard procedure to provide such lunches on a day off.

I just had left Mammoth, and up by the Upper Terraces I saw a guy hitchiking. He was, by appearances, what was thought of in those days to be a "hippie", long hair, beard, slightly disheveled look about him. He was carrying a back pack.

Even though personally I was somewhat skeptical of the whole hippie culture and ideology, in the spirit of brotherhood, I decided to pick this guy up. After all, I was driving a "hippie" van, and in fact Nake and I had exchanged peace signs with many like vehicles we met on the road so far in our journey. And as I think back, maybe this guy was somewhat put off by me....after all, I was sporting a "Hamilton Special" white sidewall haircut. I was working for the "man".

We didn't converse very much as we drove along, my passenger was content to take in the scenery. I told him where I was heading, and he was agreeable to my destination. I kind of wanted to drop him someplace where he could continue his journey and I could continue mine, but I don't think he really had any destination.

We got to the South Rim, and I asked him if he wanted part of my lunch...it contained two sandwiches, a couple of pieces of fruit, and I think some cookies and potato chips. I pulled out the sandwiches, and told him that one was bologna on white bread and the other was peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat. He quickly said "I don't eat white bread", so I gave him the PB & J. I thought that if the tables were turned, I might have taken whichever sandwich the host didn't want, but, I guess, after all, the "times, they were a changin' ". Perhaps a little assertiveness was needed in the hippie culture, what with society being against them, and all.

I decided to hike along a trail there at the South Rim, to see what there was to see. My new buddy came along too...he didn't seem to have any plans...he went with the flow. I was growing tired of his company....he really wasn't much company.....but I also didn't want to leave him hanging. I found a pleasant place to sit down and look out over the canyon. The hitchiker sat down a few feet away, and kind of zoned out. I guess I was more superficial...I enjoyed the view very much while remaining grounded.

We sat there a few minutes, and suddenly the hippie let out some sort of a primal scream, out over the canyon. He did it two or three more times, and I decided that I'd had enough of his company. I got up and told him I has going on now, alone, and I wished him the best. I went back to the VeeDub and continued on my day trip, solo, and grooving on the oneness of myself!

[Stir Young]

I snapped several shots at the brink of the Upper Falls, and departed again....this time to take the Chittenden Bridge across the Yellowstone River to view the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from the south rim.

[Stir Young]

I had seen this VW bus several times in and around the parking lots at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and in fact, I had followed it today from Mammoth to Norris Junction. I had come up with an idea that it might be kind of cool to get a picture of my mascot VW camper with the one in this picture, and perhaps its occupants. I found it once again in the parking lot for the Upper Falls, but the occupants were nowhere to be seen. I skulked around, and took this shot like a down on his luck detective in a third rate movie.

I've since decided that I should have stuck the toy VeeDub right on the big one for a better picture. Oh well, this seemed really funny at the time!

[Stir Young]

I left the brink of the Lower Falls, and drove along North Rim Drive and stopped at several other scenic overlooks, and took several more pictures. This one gives a general idea of what this place looks like....just awesome!

[Stir Young]

Here's a picture of Nake at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, taken in 1969. Let me tell you, he's packing quite a few more pounds these days, and sporting white hair!

[Stir Young]

My little camera couldn't do justice to the views at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I pulled onto North Rim Drive and parked, and walked down a short trail overlooking the Lower Falls, and took a few pictures. This one is looking down at the Lower Falls from above it. One must really see this in person to appreciate the raw beauty.

[Stir Young]

Who's this good looking guy posing in front of the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone? Oh yeah, that's me in 1969. Notice something familiar? i have the same hat on as I have on in my TBD avatar!

[Stir Young]

After heading south from Mammoth to Norris Junction, I now turned east and headed for Canyon, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is a short drive, only 12 miles, and there were no delays, so I quickly arrived at Canyon. I took a right, heading south again, and came to North Rim Drive, which would provide me with lots of viewing areas to see Yelllowstone's Grand Canyon.

Some of the few pictures I took back in 1969 were taken here. Nake and I toured this area on our first day, before we went to West Yellowstone to apply for jobs.

[Stir Young]

I liked this museum at Norris Junction. The old fella (docent, I guess) was quite helpful and friendly.