Buffalo, WY June 2011

 Buffalo, WY. Population: 4888. Elevation: 4645. Buffalo is nestled along the Big Horn Mountains.

This 12 1/2 yrs old when captured.

Monday we  took the Polaris' out on a trail. Elgin Park Trail head. It was not what any of us expected at all. The trails here in Buffalo are - in reality - dirt roads that any kind of vehicle can access. There is no character or challenge to them whatsoever. Most of the time we were dodging dust from oncoming traffic.

After several hours we found a dead end and stopped for lunch. Tommy pulled out his .22 and we all took shots at an empty beer can. (They were hard to come by, HA! HA!) Cathy and I tried to play ‘kick the can’. It’s not the kick the can I remember as a child. This was where you had to hit the can with a bullet and make it hop up the road. You would continue this until you run out of bullets. Who ever gets the can the furthest away, wins. Neither one of us made it move more than a foot. But it was fun.

On the way back, just as we were giving up on the trails, we ran into ‘Ranger Rick’.  His real name is Stanley.  He was very cordial and very beneficial, but his idea of trail riding was the same as everyone else’s in Buffalo.... Boring! After leaving Ranger Rick we headed home, cooked a good dinner, had a lot of laughs and decided the next day we would try something different.

Yesterday, Tommy, Jim, Cathy and I went to Crazy Women Canyon. It was a drive through park that was filled with beauty. Jim drove.

This was not planned...too funny!

Who knows how long this was lying there?

The first pull over we did was a stream that was running tremendously fast. Still having snow melt from the top of the mountains, the water was glacial.

Tommy, as customary, decided to cross the river, ‘Tommy style’. He had all of us a little apprehensive but he was unwavering in his choice. He made it look so uncomplicated. The balance and the instability was a lot harder than he made it appear, I'm sure.  I saw some kind of memorial on the other side of the river and he was adamant on reading it for me. Even when I zoomed in on the camera, we still could not make out the verbiage. Ultimately, it said blah, blah, blah for some girl named Gail. Lucky  girl that someone thought that much of her to place this monument.

Once Tommy was back on the side of sanity, we walked a bit more down stream and again, he felt the need to venture out across the river. This time, on an exceedingly skinny log that looked like it would rip apart any moment. Jim, Cathy, and I all watched with bated breath. Thank God, again, he was successful. Show off! LOL.



As we ventured down the path we came across these rocks that fell from the cliffs. They somehow angled themselves against each other and created a picture of unspeakable beauty. I hope the pictures depict what we witnessed.

The next day Tommy, Jim and I hiked along the Clear Creek River. It was soothing. A blabbering brook. We searched and searched to see if  there were fish in it but to no avail. We really want to go fishing but we could not find any anywhere.

We finally gave up and went back to pick up Cathy at the cabin and headed downtown for dinner.  Tomorrow we plan on going fishing. Thanks for reading.

Last Week in Steamboat Springs, CO

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Let’s see….where to begin. The last week has been chock full. We started out having a wonderful meal once again with Mark and Susie. Last winter Mark had gone ice fishing and caught several trout. Susie froze them and we reaped the benefits. She stuffed them and baked them to perfection. Along with the fish, she made asparagus and wild rice. It was a meal fit for a king. Susie actually DE-Boned the trout! Just like Julia Child! Amazing!

Tommy and Mark finished up the edging on the new garage which looks wonderful. We played pool for 2 of the past 5 nights. Tommy and I lost both times, but it was a great deal of fun. The gang at the Glen Eden Resort are so entirely friendly and welcoming. We felt as if we were always part of the crowd.

The Glen Eden Resort is more of a dude ranch type of retreat. They offer horseback riding and tubing along the Elk River, have cabins to stay in and have a full restaurant, along with a lounge. It’s a genuinely nice place to stay while visiting friends or family in the area, or just exploring.  Next time you’re in Clark, CO (just outside of Steamboat Springs, CO), stop in and tell them we said hello.

Larry and Joann's house

WY in the background

Hahn's Peak from the ground

St

We went hiking one day up Hahn's Peak. It was difficult. We ascended 1638 feet in only 1.7 miles. There were 2 times I sat down and said I couldn't do it. The last 1/4 mile was all rock. Moving rock under every step you took. It was hard to breathe but Mark and Tommy cheered me on and I was thankful. The view was spectacular! Susie, who we dubbed as Heidi for her mountain climbing skills, was on top of the mountain just waiting for us. The trip back down was tricky. The rocks continued to move under you and without any depth perception it seemed almost impossible. Susie stayed in front of me the entire time to help guide me. It was a great day!

Mark took Tommy and I horseback riding up the mountain behind his house. The Elk River Ranch provided the horses. I rode Nacho. Tommy rode Cisco and Mark rode Ebony. I fell in love with my horse. I think we completely bonded. We rode to the top of the mountain. The views were incredible. I hope the pictures do it justice. On the way down we ran into the Wrangler, Robby. He is the #1 guy on the ranch and I believe we made a friend for a long time. At least we hope to ski and snow mobile, etc.)

During our last week there Susie and I spent time with neighbors and she hosted a dinner for a couple, Joann and Larry. (The house with all the windows.) From Mark and Susie's house you look up at Joann and Larry's.

We pulled out of the driveway of Mark and Susie’s house on Friday early afternoon. It was a tearful goodbye. It's hard to grasp the fact that we had just met them one year ago. They have come to see us in FL and we back to them again this year. Such wonderful, great, generous people and we are proud to say they are our friends.

Mark and Susie

 

 

 

 

 We are now in Buffalo, WY for a week along with Cathy and Jim. Thanks for reading. Have a great Sunday!