dittybopper_05H t1_iz05w1e wrote on December 5, 2022 at 2:28 PM

Reply to comment by mglyptostroboides in How did Native American tribes indigenous to Yellowstone National Park (e.g., Shoshone, Blackfeet, Crow, etc.) perceive the land (e.g., thoughts on geothermal activity) and what was their relationship like with white/European trappers and explorers entering the region in the early 1800s? by electricdresses

>I seriously cannot stress enough how enormous Yellowstone is. It's not the largest national park, but it's up there.

This.

My brother is a supervisory park ranger there, and it took us several days of him showing us around, and while we hit all the major stuff, we still didn't see everything. But we also spent a couple days in Cody, and took a day trip to see the Grand Tetons and have lunch in Jackson.

Got to stay in Ranger housing in the middle of the park. Pretty cool. And best of all, free! Even entrance to the park, since my brother is an employee and has a sticker on his vehicle.

One thing, though. If you're prone to altitude sickness like my father is, you're better off staying in Jackson or Cody and taking day trips into the park. Being at or above 8,000 feet 24 hours a day really kicked his ass. We even had to take him to Bozeman for treatment. The oxygen cans you can buy didn't help him much. The only thing that helped was getting him down to 6,000 feet or lower.

I was fine, but I definitely was shorter of breath than normal. I typically hike 3 to 4.5 miles a day carrying a 50 lb pack just for exercise, and walking there unencumbered felt like walking with the pack.

Just something to remember.