A Radical Turn

Having said what I just said below, I'm now going to turn around and say something environmentally incorrect. It's the time of year when people are deciding where to work next summer, and I'm remembering how hard it was to plan for that first summer in Yellowstone. Should I (for instance) bring my car?

Yes, absolutely. If at all possible, bring your car. Reasons: the Greyhound bus is the 28th circle of hell, and without your car, your mobility will be severely limited, no matter how good a hiker you are. If you were worried about global warming, forget about it. You won't have much impact puttering around in your old Honda, and the world economy just went off a cliff anyway. Oil consumption is going to ease whether we like it or not.