What whirl wind months July & August were!

I can't believe I let two months go by without posting an update.  To say the least we are enjoying Snow Mountain Ranch and the people we are meeting.  My job here is Interpretive Guide at an old Homestead.  I've learned a great deal about the Homestead Act and about the hardships people suffered in this area back in the early 1900's.  T's job is in maintenance where he does anything from pickup garbage to service cabins that might have a problem.

This posting will cover both July and August.

We arrived at Snow Mountain Ranch on the 2nd of July, got checked in and were given a quick tour of the place.  Wow! What a difference from Keyhole State Park where we were one of seven volunteer couples to Snow Mountain where we are one couple among over fifty volunteers.   The first night here we participated in “game night”, which was held every Tuesday evening.  


YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch is just outside the town of Granby, Co.  Granby holds an annual 4th of July parade that they bill as the “best small  town parade in Colorado.”  I of course had to see it.  I was quite impressed.  The parade started with a fly over of some vintage airplanes.

I spent the entire morning at the parade taking pictures.  I got carried away taking pictures of dogs.  I’m just putting a few pictures here.  I can only image what they were thinking.

 

Jill Miles, owner of Grand River Coffee Co.

I also met the owner of a little coffee chop called Grand River Coffee Company. Jill, has owned and operated the coffee shop for fourteen years.  She made visiting Granby fun and T and I often went to her place for coffee and a scone in the morning while here.  A great place to meet the locals.

Since the months went by in a flash, I’ll just cover the highlights.

Milner Pass

We of course went to Rocky Mountain National Park at the first opportunity.  All I can say is, “WOW!”  It rivals the Grand Canyon for beauty, though my heart will always be in Arizona.   My pictures of the Rockies will not do it justice.  

I knew the Continental Divide was the midway point between the Atlantic and the Pacific, but I did not know that it "separates drainage to the Atlantic from drainage to the Pacific. It traverses America from Alaska almost to Cape Horn."

We had the opportunity to go on a Zip Line.  The way to the top was either climb a ladder or a pole.  Those of you who know me, know I didn’t do it the easy way.  I went up the pole and zipped down.  What a thrill!

Our granddaughter, Sammy, came for a week.  Some of the things she got to do for the first time are listed below. T & I get to do these kinds of things on a regular basis, living here in Granby, Co.  Her visit was way too short.  Alas!  She had to leave due to starting kindergarten the following week.

Sammy coming down from the top of the Rocky Mountains

• Go to the top of the mountain- We took her to Rocky Mountain National Park and she walked part the way to the top.
• We drove Berthoud Pass, a winding, curvy road with many switchbacks.  She loved it.

Look closely, you'll see Sammy's name on the stick.

• One of the many highlights of being at Snow Mountain Ranch is that you get to make your own walking stick.  Sammy worked hard at it and has a very unique stick to show for it and Granddad burned her name on it. 

Waterfalls @ Snow Mountain Ranch

• Hike to the waterfalls - There is a waterfall trail at Snow Mountain.  It is a mile and a half one way with a significant incline, or so T & Sammy thought.  We made it to the falls and Sammy got to use her walking stick.

• She went to “work” with me one day and saw humming birds up close and loved the ground squirrels one of which posed for us.
• We had s'mores by the fire.

After a week of fun, it was time for her to fly home, alone. She was thrilled beyond belief and had an uneventful flight.

Grandma and Sammy Canoeing

Some other things T & I have done while here are:

Drive Rollins Pass, also known as Corona Pass. 

Rollins Pass, Elevation 11,600 feet

“John Quincy Adams Rollins established a toll wagon road through this pass in the mid 1860’s.  David H. Maffot’s Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway crossed the Continental Divide at this point in 1903.  First know as Bolder Pass, then Rollin's Pass, the railroad workers dubbed it “Corona”, the crown of the “Top of the world.”  

 It is incredible and hard to believe that wagons used to traverse that pass.  In later years track was laid and the train used to come across the pass.  I’ve seen pictures where the train was buried in snow.  Around 1928 the Moffet Tunnel was built and the track across the pass was abandoned.  Now it is a rocky rough drive to the top, but well worth the drive ONCE.

Top of Rollin's Pass

T & I went to Winter Park Resort and road the Alpine Slide.  What a thrill!  I think it is the longest alpine slide in the US.  We rode a chair lift up to the top and looked out over a magnificent view.  I can only image what it must look like in the winter.  I even tried my hand at getting through the human maze.

Top of Winter Park

I hiked the Monarch Lake Loop, a 4.4 mile loop around Monarch lake.  While on the loop, my friend, Andrea, and I came upon a moose.  I’d been told they will charge at you, so I of course backed away and waited for the moose to make up his mind as to which way he wanted to go.  I wanted badly to step onto the trail and get a good shot of the moose, but I thought better of it and stayed out of his way.

Moose up close and personal

Andrea & Glo hiking Monarch Loop

Osprey nest

Along with all the activities here in Colorado, I flew back to Myrtle Beach for four days.  Our son, Thomas, came to the visit the "grannies", on his way to Quebec for a speaking engagement.  I couldn’t pass up the chance to see him when he was so close. (For those of you who don’t know, Thomas lives in England.)  So I drove to Denver, two hours away, to catch a flight to Myrtle Beach.  Got back on a Thursday, drove the two hours back to Granby, worked on Friday and on Saturday drove to Santa Fe, NM (8 hour drive) to pickup Sammy for her week with us.

Oh! And during all of this, I traded my Miata for a Mini Cooper.  Call me crazy, but it was time for me to have a car that would allow me to carry more than myself and one other person.  Plus my body said it was time to get something a little easier to get in and out of.  I do miss “Red”, but life goes on.

We have another month here before we head to southern Arizona for a few months to work at Kartchner Caverns in Benson.  That is if the weather holds out. The weather here has been wonderful.  We’ve had highs in the 70’s and lows in the 40’s all summer.  However, fall is fast approaching.  Today the high was 59 and the low tonight is forecasted to be 38.  The next few days are forecasted to be the same.  We will be on the road as soon as snow is forecasted if that is before October 3rd.  

Cheyenne & Laramie

June 30

We left Moorcroft and headed south to Cheyenne.  We spent two days there and took in the sites before heading to Laramie and on  to Colorado.

Cheyenne Depot

The Cheyenne Depot is a National Historic Landmark,  the former Union Pacific Depot.  In front of the depot and scattered around town are these 8 foot tall boots beautifully decorated by local artists.

We took a trolly tour of the town to get a  quick overview of the history and the sites.

The Plains Hotel

The Plains Hotel, built in 1911 was “the first hotel in the US to have a telephone in each room.”  It is a five story structure with a solid marble  front desk.

The Capital Building was built in 1888, two years before Wyoming became a state and Cheyenne was named the state capital.

Wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote and the first female Justice of the Peace was from Wyoming. She is honored with a statue in front of the Capital Building.

Esther Hobert Morris, first Justine of the Peace

Laramie

After leaving Cheyenne we went through Laramie and visited the Territorial Prison.  The prison was a former federal government prison built in 1872 and is one of the oldest buildings in Wyoming.  It operated as a federal penitentiary and state prison from 1872 to 1903.  “It held the most notorious outlaws in the territory - including Butch Cassidy.”

Butch Cassidy

While there we interviewed for a possible volunteer position there next summer. We had lunch at a cute little restaurant and fell in love with the town of Laramie.

The last days at Keyhole State Park.

So what did we do the  last two weeks we were at Keyhole State Park?  We've grown closer to the people here. I think one of the best things about the life we live is we get to emerse ourselves in the culture and see how the people in the area live. The folks in this area a good, down to earth people who enjoy the simpler things in life. They value friendship and are warm and caring. I've enjoyed getting to know them. The remoteness and the cold I did not enjoy, but I am glad we had the time here.

Wednesday, June 25

Glo & Kelly

I went into Gillette and met my friend Kelly for lunch and a little girl time. Though Kelly lives here at Keyhole she is new to Gillette. So, who better to show her around than me, the gal who is always checking out the area. I was amazed at how much I knew about where things were and what to see in Gillette. We went to historic downtown Gillette and walked around. T and I were there the week before, but all of the street was torn up. The week I met Kelly only half was in disarray.

Kelly and I found the best coffee shop, Brother's Coffee Co. We sat on a cozy sofa and chatted with Twila and Sara, a couple of the baristas and learned a bit about the shop and the owner. Twila & Sara made the visit so pleasant. Of course I had to meet the owner, Judy, and get a picture.  Judy named the restaurant for her brother. She has his picture on the wall. The walls are covered with pictures of people and places. Makes it feel quite comfortable.

Judy the owner in center, Sara & Twila on each side.

Glo with owner of Cheese House

After leaving Brother's Coffee Co., Kelly and I went to the Gillette Cheese House. Wow what a selection of cheese and meat. Their cheeses come from Wisconsin and South Dakota. I didn't know they made cheese in a South Dakota. I bought some to try and was pleasantly surprised at the quality.

We went to Mufa for lunch. Wonderful meal and the company made it even better. Then to shop at Walmart, of course, since it is truly the only place in town to shop.

Later that day the volunteers and staff got together for a barbecue. They bid us farewell and gave us a couple of neat gifts to remember the park. As always we had a great time. 

Thursday, June 26
I went Kayaking with my friend, Kelly.  Having been here for two months, this was my first time on the water. What a wonderful morning and how magnificent the view of the rocks from the water. My photos were taken with my phone from the kayak so they aren't the best, but you can get a sense of the view. 

Kelly Lee

Glo

Ted Davis

June 28
I was up early to meet a group in Sundance to go bird watching. The day started off rather gloomy and cold, but it got sunny after a bit. After birding I went into Sundance to spend a little time at the Wild West Espresso in the hopes of meeting some of the locals. I was rewarded by meeting Ted Davis.  He is a local politician who is running for Representative House District 1. Even though he knew from the get go that I was not local and could not vote for him, he stayed and talked. We had a great discussion about politics and our differing points of view. Ted seemed to be genuine in his passion and open to other viewpoints. I learned a great deal from him about the system of Wyoming politics and the local community.

After my discussion with Ted, I went down the street to a car show and I got to see quite a few old cars. T would have enjoyed it had he been with me. One of the most interesting was an amphibian car.  Earlier I stated I didn't have a photo of the amphibian car.  I found my photo.  

Amphibian Car

June 29
Our last night at Keyhole we went out to dinner with Kelly & Terry Lee and Kelly's daughter Miranda.  We ate at the Buffalo Jump Saloon in Beulah, population 33.  Yes!  The Buffalo Jump is the only good restaurant for miles and a great way to end our stay in Wyoming.

Miranda, Kelly, Glo,T ,Terry

Life at Keyhole and Surrounding Area continued

June 18-Eagle Butte Coal Mine 

Tire from a coal truck.  

This gives you an idea as to the size of the trucks.

One of the attractions in Gillette is touring one of the open pit coal mines.  Not having had any experience in or around a coal mine I had no idea as to what we would see.  To say the least, T loved the tour and all the BIG trucks.

The mine operates 24/7 and this area of Wyoming supplies 40% of the coal in the US.  

240 Ton Coal Truck,
holds enough coal to fill two train cars.

Open Pit Coal Mine

 June 19- Bird Banding @ Keyhole State Park

What an exciting day I had working with the Audubon Society helping with bird banding.  We started at 5:30 am and worked until about 12:30 pm.   I got to hold birds in my hand and learned how they are caught and how the information is logged. Oh so many birds. And on top of all that I made some new friends.   If you’ve never been bird banding, you should try it.  It is quite a thrill!

Common Yellow Throat 

Eastern King

Yellow Warbler

Life at Keyhole

June 7 - Free fish in day in Wyoming.

I haven’t been fishing since I got to Wyoming.  Mostly because the cost of a license for out of state residents is $92 and I thought that was a bit high.  

Today was ‘free fishing” for everyone, so I went fishing.  T & I joined a few of the other out-of-state volunteers who were taking advantage of the “free fishing.”  I caught a little one and tossed it back, but had to have a picture.

Caught a nice bass a little later and that was all I caught all afternoon.  

After fishing we had a cookout and a few drinks to end the day.

June 11- Volunteer & Staff  Potluck

T & i hosted a potluck and we had quite a turnout.  Even though the weather didn't cooperate.  It was windy and cold. 

Left to Right 1st Row: Kelly, Terry, Shawna,Glo, Estella 2nd row, Joann, Kenny, Jim, Nancy, Sandy, Mike 3rd row: Dennis, Jim, Gerri, Wayne, T

June 12 -Hiking @ Keyhole

There is an old, somewhat, abandoned volksmarch trail at the park.  Sadly it hasn’t been maintained for several years.  One of the staff members here said she would go with me to find the trail and I was excited to have someone to join me on my adventure.  However, at the last minute she backed out.  t was around 3:30 pm and I had so been looking forward to this hike.

I had a few choices, I could not go or I could go alone.  Guess which one I chose.  I know it isn’t wise to hike alone, but I figured I was on the park property, I had my cell phone and I had water and a snack.  I am so glad I went.  

It was great being out in the woods, seeing the wildlife, the flowers and the trees. I saw a fox and a deer and I came upon a couple of fawn prancing through the grass.  I think they were as enthralled as I was.  They let me get quite close.  Then I think one of them remembered, “Mom said run and hide in the grass.”  So the wiser of the two ran and hid, then the other one realized that’s what he was supposed to do.  So he went and hid.  However, he thought like most children, “If I can’t see you, you can’t see me.”

Hiding fawn

While on this hike, I had it in my mind that I wanted to walk to one of the other camp grounds. I was advised that there was a “rather large culvert” between our campground and the one I wanted to hike to.  When I asked was it possible to hike it, Andrea said, “It is possible, but..”  So as I hiked I kept thinking I can do this until I came to THE CULVERT.  Then I knew what she meant.  Definitely not something I would try to cross alone.

THE CULVERT

The folks here find things to entertain them.  As you can see by the poster.  There was a “Chicken Roping” contest.  Sadly I didn’t make it to the event.

Chicken Roping contest

June 16 - Pine Haven Cemetery

It took awhile, but I found a cemetery in the area to explore.  The Pine Haven Cemetery appears to be less than twenty years old.  It has thirteen graves.  I saw the most unique grave there.

Dad was a fisherman

After visiting the grave I went for a hike along Colter Bay.  Keyhole is a beautiful park when the sun is shining.

Keyhole State Park from another angle

Spearfish Canyon

June 5,

What a difference a sunny day makes!  Today we drove over to Spearfish, SD and it was like we were in a totally different place than when we went last month.  The sun was shining and the surrounding area was beautiful!  We found a great little coffee shop called Common Grounds, where we had lunch and coffee and sat outside basking in the sun.

We drove the scenic road through Spearfish Canyon and hiked back to the falls.

We hiked the 1 1/2 mile trail to Roughlock Falls and enjoyed the beauty of the area.  Being outdoors with the sun shining, hiking though the woods, seeing the wildlife and enjoying the fresh air, what more could a person ask for!!!!

. 

Bridal Vail Falls

Roughlock Falls

Buffalo Wyoming

With the weather warming a bit(hah!), we have been on a few trips to see the surrounding area.  On June 3rd, thinking the weather would be decent, we drove over to Buffalo, a 2 hour trip one way.

Buffalo, Wyoming is nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Big Horn Mountains and is conveniently located at the intersections of Interstates 25 and 90. Wyoming State Highway 16, on it’s way from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone National Park, runs through Buffalo. Buffalo has a population of about 4600. 

As has been the case for most of our outings while here in Wyoming, the weather turned gloomy and it rained a little.  We did stroll down main street and visited the Occidental Hotel with it's 134 years of history.  They say Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stayed there.  When rooms aren't rented the hotel leaves the doors open so visitors can take a peak and the lobby is quite charming.

Occidental Hotel Lobby

Town Mural

While there I took in the Jim Gatchell Museum.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It is one of the best small town museums I've seen.  So much history and thousands of artifacts with diaramas depicting the trails and battles of the past.  Unfortunately, photography wasn't allowed, so I have no photos, but if you are ever driving by Buffalo on Interstate 90, it is well worth the stop.

Jim Gatchell opened a drug store in Buffalo in the early 1900's.  His customers included cowboys, lawmen, settlers, cattle bronx, and famous army scouts.  he was also a trusted friend of the region's Native Americans, who fought in the last Indian Wars.  They considered the pharmacist a "Great Medicine Man."  For more than fifty years, Gatchell cherished these friendships.  In turn, he was present with priceless artifacts of a vanishing era.