We took the Harley for one brief run through Jackson, back to the one diner on the road to Yellowstone for breakfast, and then it was time to drop it off at the hire agency.

Our last day, and a day we had been looking forward to. Our appointment was to meet the guide at 8:30 in the morning “by a stand of cottonwood trees” down by a stream that joined the Snake River not far south of Jackson. After a few false starts, we found the right track (gravel, rutted, rough, not ideal Harley territory!) and headed off for what we hoped were cottonwood trees (another oversight on my part: I don’t know what a cottonwood tree looks like). Fortunately, we were also told he was driving a red Jeep, which I could recognise.

We set of early Monday morning, because it is a quite a long way to Yellowstone from Jackson—about 70 miles to the southern park entrance, and then over 100 miles to do the ‘short’ loop in the park itself, then 70 miles ‘home’ again.

Well, if nothing else, Montpellier did provide the biggest breakfast we had had up till then! We ordered eggs, bacon and pancakes, and it came on two plates—each! David likes his food, but this stumped even him. Still, it’s one heck of a way to start the day.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at the sports bar before heading off. Wimbledon was on, and we got chatting to our friend of the previous evening. Apparently (and here I am demonstrating my credulity) he played tennis as a junior, up to College level (on a sports scholarship to College), and used to play with Andy Roddick when they were teenagers. He damaged his elbow at some point and had to stop playing, hence, as he said, he is now managing a restaurant in Salt Lake City. Well, interesting story.