Think about what you would define as “God’s Country.” We’ve been to multiple places that would fit that description during our seven-year rving escapade. But, for sure, one spot in Wyoming is in our top five list. Green River Lake, at the edge of the Wind River Range of the Teton Mountains, near Pinedale, Wyoming, is one of the most beautiful temporary homes we’ve had.
In early 2006 we were prospecting 
for a volunteering job in the northwest part of the U.S. On the volunteer.gov website we learned of the positions available in the Pinedale Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The location sounded good. And we liked the idea of experiencing the National Forest Service. However, we were hesitant to take a campground host slot as we had heard some not-so-great stories about camp hosting elsewhere. But the Green River Lake Campground sounded so tempting – 52 miles from the small town of Pinedale, Wyoming, 26 miles of that on a dirt forest road, next to a wilderness area. Doesn’t that make you want to be there? Spending a few months at the edge of the Bridger Wilderness could be invigorating. We decided the location would keep our camping visitors to those who were serious hikers, fishermen, etc. Besides, we were attracted to trying the remote experience for a few months, without hookups or cell phone. Long-story-short, we took the spots as camp host and trailhead host, proceeded to Pinedale in mid-May for our training and had a super summer.
There are so many experiences to describe here. This post could be a book. I’m keeping my recollections to a minimum for now, but maybe this one will have to be continued. Our peek inside the NFS was positive and intriguing overall. The industry behind fighting the annual ravaging wild fires and hiring employees was enlightening. And, we encountered helpful and hard-working people in the Forest Service.
Our means of communication with the rangers was via a two-way radio, other than when someone stopped by weekly to check on us or we went to a meeting occasionally in Pinedale. We were happy that our luck came through when we tried to setup our satellite dishes. Jerry was able to magically find a small break in the thick forest cover to get the TV and Internet operating. We felt safe, yet removed. However, when a wild fire was within two miles and ashes were falling on us, we were somewhat concerned. The campground was closed and we were ready on a moment’s notice to evacuate. Get the picture so far?
Fortunately, our predictions about the majority of the people who came to our campground and all of the people who hiked the 13-mile trail through the wilderness 
were correct. They were basically nature lovers who respected their surroundings. Working up towards the campground in the valley where the Green River flows is mouth-dropping. You follow the forest road with the Bridger Wilderness on the right and the Tetons on the left, while sometimes a moose or wolf crosses your path . The scene at Green River Lake, just down the hill from our campsite, where Square Top Mountain stands watch, is out-of-this-world! (See first photo in this post.)
Add to all of this that we were able to bring our grandson, Ben, at eleven years old, to visit us for two weeks. He tried his hand at trout fishing in the ponds and streams even though the giant mosquitoes chose those two specific weeks to swarm in our locale. Yes, he did catch a few trout and they were scrumptious.
What a memorable summer! We haven’t had the chance to revisit the Pinedale, Wyoming area, but would definitely like to do so.
P.S. Fast forward to today………Our current home is still in Bushnell, Florida. This is a new scenario for us - two months (Jan-Feb 2010) in one location when we are not committed to volunteering. Seems as though there’s been a shift in our needs/outlook. We’ve been taking a good deal of time for pondering the future while in a friendly park with a nice climate. Stay tuned for more developments.
Thanks for visiting Hurley Travels. Talk to you later.
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Hi: Thanks for your thoughts.