Long Horns at the Grand Tetons.
Hey friends!
It’s Mo Mo! I journaled our most recent trip and would like to share it with you! Hope you have a couple of moments to venture out to the Old West with us! The Jackson,Wyoming/Billings,Montana trip showed up as quickly as we expected….but the silver lining was, we were anticipating the 11 day tour, and planned accordingly. The entire week prior to departure, we pulled out the check list, and checked it twice! If you get to do 5-6 things on the list before it’s 100 degrees outside then you’ve had a good day! What’s cool about this process is that it makes everything relatively stress free. You get a chance to be mindful of where you’ve put everything, and try to be as streamline as possible. Knowing where everything is for easy access is essential on the road, and being able to see 6 inches out the rear view window over the pile of equipment and daily essentials…. well now, that’s a good day! Also trying to remember the “perfect jenga” in which to re-pack it all each time is another art that requires constant perfecting.
We traveled 6 ½ hours across the Idaho plains, plateaus, and lava fields, landing in Kelly, Wyoming on Tuesday, June 8th. Love the 80 mph speed limit on Highway 84! We had the glorious offer to stay at our friend Pam’s cabin, on their steer ranch, and we were so grateful to have such a lovely respite to hang our hats! Mice and all! When we arrived, the cabin was aglow from the soft light of a beautiful stained glass lamp propped in the window, welcoming us in for what would be a most memorable time.
This land used to be the grounds of the Teton Valley Ranch Camp where Niccole was not only a camper from age 12 to 15, but was also a counselor and trail cook for many years, leading pack rides, and teaching girls how to “hold their own” in the wilderness. It’s safe to say “she was a bad-ass.” I have total respect. It was wonderful to hear her and Pam’s adventurous stories about growing up together at camp; Pam, who’d she’d known since she was 13 years old. So many memories, and it was fantastic to get a window in to their incredible experiences together. What a bond they share that’s akin to family, like a sister.
Artist Cabin at Teton Valley Ranch.
The small cabin we stayed in had an owl high above the tree tops, lots of hummingbirds and bumble bees; a red-tail hawk would make its presence known among the swaying aspen groves, and a doe that came to feed on the rich grasses out front, nourishing and awaiting the birth of her soon to be baby fawn. The Grand Teton (almost 14,000 feet) towered high in the sky on the horizon, it’s appearance changing momentarily given it had its own weather pattern. The sunsets were remarkable! So incredibly peaceful.
Highlights on the ranch were riding the 4 wheel ATV’s out to reinforce the fences before we let the mama steers and baby calves out to pasture. The glorious Teton Mountain range was in the near distance. We loved feeding the giant steer, Sherman, who was the father of all the babies. It was a challenge to not get gauched by its 5 foot horns. He was beautiful!
There was a fabulous view of the Tetons from Dornan’s at Moose Junction. We frequented there for libations, pizza and lively conversation with the locals. We did a little hiking in the park and visited its pristine lakes; one day in particular was stormy, cloudy, and magnificent! We got the pleasure to see a bit of the “Hootananie” open mic night watching some local performers sing their hearts out to an incredibly loving and supportive audience. That was really cool!
On top of the world!
I’d never been up the tram or gondola at Teton Village/Jackson Hole Ski Resort, so Nicci took me up the gondola one afternoon, and the views were spectacular! There were lots of folks taking the chair up with their mountain bikes, and riding back down. Looked like a great single track trail! We’ll put that on our bucket list for next time….don’t worry, we’ll wear all the protective gear!
Great view of the Tetons, the boys…and extra bonus!!!
We met two lovely, hard-working local men while at Dornan’s who bellied up to the bar for a drink. Their names, Jeremy and Sean, and we all hit it off right away, like we’d been friends since we were “knee high to a grasshopper!” We nicknamed them “Bo and Luke Duke” from “The Duke’s of Hazard,” because of their lively and excited blue eyes. We’d actually been to a lot of the same places in the Northwest so we had a lot to talk about. Jeremy looked like a cross between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, and Sean looked like a surfer dude from California, also with bright blue eyes. We were up front with them about being a couple, which took all the weird “hit on games” out of the equation. It was refreshing. I’m sure we’ll see them again sometime in the future.
At the Westside Yard with Juno, our SHOW dog!!!
We got to play in Victor, Idaho at the West Side Yard on Wed. June 9th. Rennie, the manager was incredibly accommodating, and had such a positive attitude. He booked us without hesitation 4 months ago when I reached out. Even though he hadn’t seen us perform, the former manager had put in a good word for us, so we not only got booked Wednesday, but also the following Friday, upon our return from Billings, MT. There was so much love in the audience and from the staff alike. And because we didn’t use our full bar/dinner tab, he gave us a $50 bump in pay! That rarely happens! We were so grateful, and looked forward to our next show where we were hoping to see some of Nicc’s camp friends.
If you ever visit Jackson in the summer, give yourself enough drive time to get to your destination….holy cow! It takes 30-40 minutes to get anywhere on average, and pray for a ‘parking Angel’ when you arrive. We left Kelly Wyoming at 3:30pm on gig day, took a short cut, and still didn’t get over the Teton Pass till 5:15pm. I’ve never seen bumper to bumper traffic over the pass, but then again, we usually visit and play in the winter when there are fewer tourists. Lots of deep breaths. Many lessons of patience.
Another point to consider, because you’re at 6,000+ feet most of the time and the air is super dry, you have to hydrate yourself like it’s a full time job! No seriously, there are not enough electrolytes in the world to keep you from feeling heat exhaustion and a bit of high altitude sickness no matter how much you prepare. And because Niccole and I have experienced severe heat exhaustion multiple times over our 17 year “musical magic carpet ride journey” (I blame it on all those gigs in 109 degree heat), we are sometimes like wilted flowers on a hot day. Like, oh shit, I need a nap, kind of feeling. Unfortunately you can’t cool yourself off with water misters or any kind of precipitation when you play or there’s a good likelihood you’ll electrocute yourself. Occupational hazard.
Thursday, June 10th we made tracks to Billings, MT. via Cody and the East gate of Yellowstone Park. The topography was drop dead gorgeous!! It took your breath away. Giant hoodoos like you see in Brice Canyon National Park towered over us and we made our way through the canyon. We landed in the historic district on Billings off of 12th Ave North. It was a charming little place called the “Sunshine House,” actually owned by a gal who was also a musician. You could tell she was artistic given the way the house was laid out and decorated. It was like a quaint, comfy house in the North End of Boise; you immediately felt at home, floor creeks, eccentricities and all. Juno felt right at home which was a bonus since we were gone 6-7 hours at a time during our Sat/Sun gigs there. She’s a “burb dog!” Loves the suburbs, like where we live. That’s what she’s used to.
Meghan Kelly Watters, our drummer, her wife, Lindsey, and our dear friend, Debbie Sagar, who was turning 60 that week, and had never been to Jackson Hole or Yellowstone, came along for the ride. We were so cozy in our Airbnb! They gambled, and won a bunch of cash, bonus! We landed in a bar that had only 2 people in it, so we sang Pink’s “That’s All I Know So Far,” at the top of our lungs after our Sunday night gig, over a few shots, Deb pulling out her egg shaker, and Meg playing drums on the table. Man, that was a fun, “never to forget” time. I re-play all the memories in my mind often and it makes me smile. Having these girls along for the ride made the gigs in 100+ heat so much more enjoyable! We could all suffer together, and really “brought the energy” as best we could despite the environmental factors.
Of course, our lead guitarist, Bonnie Johnson, who now lives in Billings with her girlfriend, Pam joined us on both shows! One show for her gf’s 30 Anniversary of owning and successfully running “Plaza Fitness,” in which all proceeds went towards the Special Olympics. And Sunday was for our dear friend, Lydia whose husband turned 64. We played on a flat bed truck in a giant covered horse arena with a sandy floor. Both shows were exceptionally fun, and a good time was had by all!!!! Hooray!
The girls stayed in Billings for another day so Lindsey could do some work for corporate there. She works for the same Engineering Company in Boise, and it was good for her to rub elbows with the boss of all bosses. Then extra bonus, the girls came through the Eastern gate of Yellowstone on Tuesday, joining us at the cabin back in Kelly WY that evening. We took them to Dornan’s for dinner so they could take in the stunning views of the Teton Mountain Range, then went in to town to visit the Cowboy Bar for a shot or two. The place was packed on a Tuesday night, and their eyes popped out as they were suddenly inundated with the over the top sound of 300 people “all having a great time,” and yelling it at the top of their lungs. Good times! Never to forget as we sat on the historic bar stool saddles.
Deb Sager, Nicc, Mo, Lindsay, Meghan…breathing in a good time!
The girls got to experience a bit of the ranch life. Fed Sherman, the big steer, saw the baby calves and mama steers, and met our good friend Pam. They headed out Wednesday morn, and we held down the fort for another 3 days until our next gig Friday back at Victor’s West Side Yard.
Sally Cow! The most friendliest Long Horn! But…still long horn, so watch it!!!
It was nice to have QT with our friends, and take in all the beauty without “having to be someplace, and on to the next destination right away.” Friday’s show brought out all the Teton Valley Campies, and we found ourselves playing lots of originals that they were requesting, like the Sun Runs, Sweet Wyoming, Despite the Dents, and a new cover by Kenny Chesney called “A Better Boat.” It was nice to witness the incredible reunion happening as we sang to them. Some hadn’t seen each other for 5+ years. Lots to catch up on indeed! So cool!
Saturday morning came 6/19, and we endeavored to re-contain the week’s worth of sprallage , re-packing the cab of the truck with some semblance of order. We had a local show to do early the next day so we had to make tracks! The hornets, black flies, and mosquitoes were unfortunately very active while we were packing in the early 90 degree mountain heat, which would have been a very funny video experience if I wasn’t so irritated. But you’d just hear cussing the whole time. Plus we did lots of cabin cleaning, always very important to leave your most gracious accommodations as good as, if not better then when you found it. We took all the recycling, and garbage out (because of bears and mice), and left it shiny as new. That way you always get invited back!
The long 7 hour drive home across the hot dessert left a lot to be desired, but we were excited to get home and beat the heat. We were so grateful for all the incredible experiences we’d had on this trip. We can only hope that we leave a lasting impression of joy and hope that lingers long after we’ve shared our tunes with them. 11 days, 1,754 miles and 40 hours of driving time total for this tour. You were in our thoughts along the way! As you are when we learn or write a new song. You are the inspiration, and what keeps us truckin’ along!
We treasure the privilege of being able to play music for folks and lift them up. We couldn’t be on this musical journey without all of you. Hope your summer travels are full of “Happy Trails!” Cheers my friends!
Take the best of care now!
Love Always, Mo, Nicc, and Juno
View of the Grand Teton during sunset out the cabin window.
