Wow!!!!! Home Home on the Range!!!!
Wide open spaces, no trees, no cities, few people and lots of antelopes. Wyoming. I have returned to my roots, home of Wild Bill Arf, Bat Masterdog, and Wyatt Slurp. No
kidding! They were all there- along with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid! I love it. Zoe is not impressed at all, but the rest of us were.
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| Boots all over Cheyenne |
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We spent 2 days in Cheyenne and the folks really liked the town. It had an old type of downtown with some of the brick buildings there for a long time. The Wrangler was one of the first buildings
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| State Capital - home of first woman governor in US! |
constructed in 1892 and has had some sort of store in it since that time. Most of the really original buildings burned down more than once. They finally got smart, and built the banks and hotels out of brick. Papa and Mama took a trolley tour of the city and saw the capitol, governors home, old hotels, plus the depot which played such an important part in the development of the city and of the West. Cheyenne was a huge railroad hub. It was also the "Denver" of the times.
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| Big Boy |
All of the Cattle Barons, "Important Green Horns", and everyone else who had money and wanted to be in the west came to Cheyenne. Famous people like I mentioned before were there. Even the Hole-In-The-Wall Gang visited the "watering holes" and made friends with the "ladies", too. There were beautiful hotels; many, many, many brothels; important banks; and, of course, trains coming and going all of the time. Since the trains were wood-burning, and the tracks ran through the middle of a "city' of wooden buildings, the downtown buildings burned down at least four times before they got smart and started building our of brick.
Even as late as 1941, trains were really important to transportation in the US. There were 25 "Big Boys" which were gigantic steam engines built by the Union Pacific Railroad. Each locomotive weighed 1.2 million pounds and was 132 feet long. You can see Papa looks kinda small next to the 4004, which was it's name. On October 31, 1958 it took it's final run and then was put in its kennel in Laramie. Finally, in 1963, it was adopted by the wonderful family of Cheyenne and lives in a beautiful city park now. Isn't it nice that there are people who rescue pups like us and locomotives like " Big Boy" in this world? Since Zoe and I are both rescues, we know what it's like to wonder when we will get a family. At least we didn't have to wait 5 years for our forever home!
Casper was the next stop and it was hot, hot, hot there. But, as mama tells Papa, it was not humid. Not one of us believes her. Hot is hot, right? They would take us for walks at 95 degrees and we weren’t as hot as we would be in Chapel Hill, though. There was always a breeze which made it nice.
Casper mountain overlooks the valley. We went there a couple of times to get great views. We, also, hiked up to the base of a small
waterfall. Zoe and I got to go in the stream which was fun. The water was very cold, though. The folks visited a Historic Trails Center which described the main ways people came west. There was a guest speaker who talked like he was a traveling medicine man. He said that most of the medicines he had contained alcohol and opiates. They might not have worked on what they were supposed to, but they always had some effect - not all good, either.
The main trails were the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and the California Trail. They all came close together in Wyoming. After gold was found in Montana, the Bozeman Trail started, too. You know, you can still see the ruts in some places. You may not know this, but Mama grew up (when she was young) right on the Oregon Trail near Lewellen, Nebraska. There is still a place called Windlass Hill where settlers on the Oregon/California Trail had to lower the wagons down by ropes because there was a 25% descending grade. The ruts are still there. We saw them four years ago. Sure glad Zoe and I don’t have to walk all the way to Oregon like dogs back then did! WOOF!
We also visited a state park near our campground. We went bird watching and hiking along the North
Platte River. Mama spent time growing up in Nebraska along the North Platte River. It was fast moving so we couldn’t get into it at all. We’d have ended up going down the Mississippi in no time at all!
From Casper, we drove to Buffalo, Wyoming, a small town located at the base of the Bighorn Mountains. We have never been to these mountains and really wanted to see the pass.
We took a road trip right away. It took us into the mountains and Dad drove us down a gravel road (20 miles) through a place called Crazy Woman Canyon. The road was filled with giant potholes, rough, winding, and narrow. You should have seen Dad’s face when he met a car coming up the road. NO!!!!!! Mom and Zoe did not like it at all. We were worried that Zoe would get sick. But Papa and I were not worried at all. Crazy Woman Canyon is a perfect name for the place. That’s what Mama was after (as she says it) her preserves were well shaken up!
We also went on a 60 mile drive across the pass heading toward Cody. It was a great ride crossing at 9600 feet. Lots of campers were traveling on the road. We were looking for moose and elk, but did not see any!!! But, Zoe did not get sick at all so that makes it a successful drive.
The third day we were left to “guard the camper” (what do you think we’re saving it from - I don’t have a clue). They spent 2 days trying to find this out where to go to visit this area which has petrified trees. Even the BLM people couldn’t tell them where to go and it’s their land! Anyway, they loved the hike through the High Sierra land, but kept eyes pealed for rattlesnakes. Mama was really disappointed when they didn’t see any.
Then, there was Fort Phil Kearney which was built to protect travelers heading on the Bozeman Trail. The fort lasted only two years and was abandoned and then burned down by the natives. This was the location of the worst defeat of the American Military prior to Custer’s defeat. Chief Red Cloud of The Sioux had negotiated a treaty which was broken by the military so he organized other tribes to join his warriors and plotted to lure soldiers out of the fort and surprise them. It worked and 81 soldiers were killed. But, it's funny, that none of the native peoples deaths are recounted
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| One of the largest forts and the only one with a fence around it. |
on the placards. The nice lady in the visitors center made sure to tell both sides of the conflict. Mama and Papa liked knowing the "whole story".
WE did’nt see any of it, but nothing happened to the camper while they were gone. We did a good job “guarding the camper”.
Soon, we head into SE Montana. Hope Zoe is up to the task of filling you in about that area. You know, some people think this land is ugly - not so for Zoe, Mama, or me. I’m not so sure about Papa, though.
So long Pardners!
the area. He signed this rock which is now a National Site. I have to mention a theme that seems to follow us. Mama likes snakes.
She is thrilled that she might get to see a rattlesnake out here in the
west. I don't like to think about coming across the one of those.
The next day they went to visit Pictograph State Park which consisted of a mile walk to various caves containing neat cave paintings up to 2000 yrs old. And, guess what? There were people living in Montana about 12,000 years ago. The way that the story gets known is by pictures drawn on cave walls and stones. I think I could do a better job of drawing people and weapons, but I don't think mine would last as long as the pictographs.
So, anyway, we left the camper in Red Lodge and drove it. This was 
the most beautiful road that we have ever been on and the most switchbacks. Papa did a great job with lots of stops along the way. He said it was for pictures and to rest me, but I really
believe it was for him because he was a "little" nervous. We had cold,
rain, sleet and a little sun. The views were fantastic, but the only
critter we saw was a Yellow-Bellied Marmot.
The next day we were back in the car for over a 200 mile trip looking for the Pryor Mountain Wild mustangs in the area of the Bighorn
Recreation Area. This National Park straddles the Wyoming and Montana
border. It was another 6 hour day in the car and we never did see the Mustangs.
There are around 140 wild horses living in the area. No one does
anything for the horses. They survive on their own like they have done
for the past 250 years. These horses are descended from the Spanish
Colonial Horses that got loose and roamed in herds in the west. Some
horses still look different from the regular horses you see mostly.
Some even have a stripe down their back or on their legs like zebras.
Wish we had seen that!
