Chill 2015

5 1 0 2 R E WINT

Head

Enjoy all the winter fun available in Cody Country.

Cody Enterprise publication

Stay

warm

out

Keep busy indoors with interesting activities.

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26 Winter Carnival

Red Lodge Mountain concludes its annual Winter Carnival with fireworks.

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Special publication of the

Cody Enterprise Special sections editor: Amber Peabody NEWS STAFF: Bruce McCormack, Buzzy Hassrick, Jeanette Johnson, Rhonda Schulte, Lew Freedman DESIGN/Production: Jeff Carter, Cassie Capellen, John Sides Advertising: John Malmberg, Donna Merkel, Megan McCormick, Sarah Felsheim, Mike Voss Photography: Raymond Hillegas

3101 Big Horn Ave., Cody, WY • 587-2231 codyenterprise.com

Sandy Whalen talks to James Davis at Sleeping Giant.

6-7 8-9 12-14 18-19 24-25 36-37

backcountry snowmobiling nordic skiing ice skating Ice Fishing Macaroni & cheese

Be aware of the dangers when outside during winter Soak up great outdoors riding a snow machine

Ski group offers clinics, fun food experience

Break out your skates during public skate at Riley Arena

Buffalo Bill Reservoir offers great cold weather fishing

ON THE cover: Maddox Growney, 11, enjoys the winter weather.

Change up this classic comfort food

Chill 2015 • 5

Backcountry safety

“

It’s necessary to have some training.

Sometimes nature can trick you. I don’t think you can be ready for it 100 percent of the time.

”

Make a good plan and be well-prepared before heading out for adventure.

By LEW FREEDMAN Staff writer

M

att Walsh loves snowboarding because it offers the sensation

of flying.

But after getting buried under three feet of snow in an avalanche last winter he’s more skittish than ever about the backcountry.

Walsh, now an 18-year-old Powell High School senior, and his brother Michael, two years older, did not anticipate volatile conditions at Polecat Bench last February.

“I jumped off and the whole thing erupted,” Walsh said. “I was buried in the avalanche.”

Perhaps no more frightening thing can occur in the wilderness in winter.

Rather than being completely pinned, helplessly, Walsh was tossed into a position where he had an air Snowsports enthusiasts need to be cautious of avalanche danger in the backcountry. pocket for his face and his hand was raised in front of his face, so blankets and warmed (at the shelter).”

“So they can get he could dig frantically to aid himself as The snowmobile club is involved in a through the night,” he Michael dug from above. month-long avalanche safety course in adds. “And you need to Walsh believes he was only trapped for January. The first day is a classroom-like think twice about going two or three minutes, but “it felt like 15 or setting at Mountain Valley Motor Sports and if it’s zero degrees, mi20.” the second day is at the Beartooth snow nus-10 or minus-20.

While Wyoming and the area around shelter.

Knapp does not recCody is a winter playground for outdoor Miller said he’s taken the course twice ommend backcountry sports enthusiasts, it also can be deadly and Tom Phipps at Mountain Valley says travel solo, but has one dangerous for snowboarders, snowmobilthey keep running it “because it’s really tip about the area.

Matt ers, ice fishermen and skiers. important.

“It sounds like I’m Walsh “I was just dumbfounded by the whole “One of my friends just died in an avacondescending, but avalanche thing,” Walsh said. lanche in Cooke City. It’s necessary to have it’s hard to get lost,” survivor Martin Knapp of Park County Search some training. Sometimes nature can trick he said. “If you walk and Rescue said his group is called out for downhill you hit a road, you. I don’t think you can be ready for it emergency assistance about six times a 100 percent of the time.” you hit the river, or you see lights of the year for hunters and a few times a year for Al Langston, Game and Fish spokesman city.” snowmobilers in trouble. in Cheyenne, says anyone going ice fishing Avalanches can be a serious problem, “In winter, it’s usually a snowmobile Knapp says, but on the average of less than should be cautious and ensure the ice is wreck where someone got hurt,” ” Knapp thick enough, but also should be careful one a year locally. said.

“But we do training every year,” he adds. walking.

In this technology driven age, he said “I don’t think many people ice fish on One group quite safety-conscious is calls for help usually come in via cell phone rivers,” he said. But they might cross rivthe Cody Country Snowmobile Associaor satellite phone. Savvy backcountry travel- tion. There’s an elaborate safety shelter in ers rather than go up a little ways to the ers also are equipped with beacons that bridge.” operation in a parking lot at about 9,000 send a signal that converts to an alert.

They should watch their step, Langston feet in the Beartooth Range. It’s powered by “But we do get calls on people being says. a generator, is heated by a wood stove and overdue and, by the time we get going, Walsh said he thought he was careful bethere’s telephone service. they’ve come in,” Knapp said. fore the Polecat avalanche swallowed him.

The shelter is for emergencies, club He recommends anyone heading out for He has no plans to give up snowboarding, director Bert Miller says, and periodically backcountry adventure tell people where but this winter he expects to be buying more riders get stranded or break equipment. they are going, tell an estimated return lift tickets at Sleeping Giant and Red Lodge “Maybe they hit a rock,” he added. “Last time, and be well-equipped. instead of freelancing in the backcountry. year someone broke a runner. Sometimes Travelers also should carry water, snack “I haven’t gone to the backcountry since. a person ends up upside down in a creek food and be prepared to start a fire.

It definitely can be dangerous.” and gets all wet. They can be wrapped in

Chill 2015 • 7

Beartooths

Snow

Mobiling

By LEW FREEDMAN Staff writer

O

n winter weekends the snowy territory about 60 miles from Cody along the Beartooth Highway might as well be its own city.

Members of the Cody Country Snowmobile Association prefer to soak up the great outdoors, even if it’s cold and snowy, rather than lock themselves indoors for three months.

These are fun-for-all-ages outings for the 200 members of the club – dad, mom and the kids – exploring about 100 miles of groomed trails.

“It’s miles and miles of beautiful riding,” club director Bert Miller says.

“It’s gorgeous. On a sunny day you can

8 • Chill 2015

climb up and just sit there.”

“There” is 9,000 feet above sea level and on a clear day the view is spectacular enough to remind people why they live in Wyoming.

For the most part there is no such thing as being snowbound if you have a snowmobile and bring along good judgment and warm clothing.

“We have a tremendous number of regulars,” said Miller, 52, who has been snowmobiling since 1982 and never tires of it. “It gets in your blood.”

He believes the current membership count of 67 families is partly because of the “quite reasonable” $20 annual dues.

Newcomers are welcome and the trips are all about touring and not racing. Top speeds attained are 45-55 mph, he said, which does mean that if you have not done a good job of bundling up you can flirt with frigid extremities.

Miller can’t emphasize enough the need for warm gear, equipment that can cost $1,000. Required so there’s no exposed skin are helmet, bibs, jackets, gloves, pants and boots.

“But good gear will last you 10 years,” he adds.

A new model snowmobile might cost $15,000, but used ones are available in Cody. A newcomer to the sport is encouraged to give it a whirl on an older model to make sure they like the sport.

“We range from a lowest of $1,000 for a used snowmobile,” says Tom Phipps at Mountain Valley Motor Sports in west Cody. “And we go up to high figures for a new one. Most newcomers start with a used model, but the technology has changed greatly from what was in use 20 years ago.”

The trend in snowmobile clothing also has changed in recent years, Phipps

Members of the Cody Country Snowmobile Association enjoy riding in the Beartooth Mountains last year. said, from heavier, bulkier protection to thinner layers that can be peeled off.

“You can add on or take off as the temperature changes,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 40 years and I wear the most current clothing available.”

Jenni Rosencranse at Roger’s Sports Center on Big Horn Avenue echoes Phipps on major points for newcomers to the sport and for smart shoppers.

“I would suggest a pre-owned snowmobile, but one that’s fairly new,” she said. “People need to learn if they like it. They can get some nice machines for $6,000-$8,000. One of the most important things is to keep warm. It will cost you $1,000 to outfit yourself. If you don’t do it right, you’ll be miserable out there.”

Snowmobiling is more exercise than most people not involved in the sport might think, said Rosencranse, 38, who learned to snowmobile 18 years ago.

“Many people think you just sit down and ride,” she said. “They think it’s like riding a four-wheeler or motorcycle.

But there’s more upper body strength needed.”

Mike Kelly, 55, is another veteran Cody club snowmobile rider, who said he has been out in temperatures as low as minus-40, but he also offers a comment that contradicts conventional wisdom.

“Many times it will be cold in Cody, below zero, but it will be 20-above in the Beartooths.”

Kelly, who has been riding “all my life,” refers to that area as terrific country “to play in,” which he, his wife, son and his wife and their two daughters, do regularly.

“It’s going out in the outdoors,” Kelly adds. “Seeing new country and enjoying the snow. A person can have great fun in the snow if they are dressed right.”

Kelly’s tips for new prospects are to join the club, check out equipment at local stores, find other people who are riders and go out with someone experienced.

Club president Levi Signor is a fairly new rider, with about four years of snowmobiling experience. He started slowly in the sport and fell in love with it, upgrading his snowmobile three times in one year.

“I just love being outdoors,” said Signor, 32, who actually rode a snowmobile with his dad when he was 5, and then returned to the sport after more than 20 years. “It’s kind of nice of have others around who like to do the same thing. I was hooked. It’s a blast. I kept wanting to go more places. I try to go every weekend.

“The club is just a big family. Some of the little ones got their first rides in harnesses on their dad’s chests.”

Chill 2015 • 9

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Chill 2015 • 11

Nordic skier “ I’ve had the honor to coach alongside former Olympic athletes and coaches and authors.

That’s been pretty awesome.

”

12 • Chill 2015

Meggin Becker devotes many hours coaching and fundraising for the sport she loves.

By BUZZY HASSRICK Special to the Enterprise

M

eggin Becker pursues her passion, cross-country skiing, as a competitor, coach, instructor and board member of the Park County Nordic Ski Association.

“For me, I like the ability to go anywhere I want to,” she explains about her zeal for the sport.

Equally as important is the camaraderie among contestants who to her create a “family atmosphere” before the start of the race. They smile, chat and goof off and then get serious about competing.

After crossing the finish line, they relax again and congratulate each other.

“I love that part – the sense of community,” Becker said.

While often striving to improve her style, such as extending her glide, Becker also plays.

“I can push myself or just have fun dinking around,” she said. “I like the versatility.”

Becker, 38, credits her brother for leading her and her parents, Richard and Marge, into the Nordic world.

“My family is self-taught,” she adds.

She started in high school, when there were some trails at Pahaska Tepee. “(Owner) Bob Coe did a great job of grooming with the equipment he had at the time,” a half 55-gallon barrel and bedsprings, she recalled. “That was pretty cool he did that.”

Birth of the Nordic club

When the Becker family traveled around the region to races, they began to wonder why Cody couldn’t offer quality trails like those in Jackson and Casper.

That spurred Richard to join with others and create the PCNSA in 1994 and offer to groom and maintain the trails at Pahaska. Coe allows the group use the wrangler/tack shed for a warming hut, pays the electric bill and lets the organization operate under his Forest Service permit.

“He’s a great supporter of outdoor activity,” Becker says in praise of the partnership. “It’s been a great marriage.”

The benefits to members are many.

Anyone can use the almost 20 kilometers of trails, but PCNSA asks for donations and also asks all users, even sledders, to sign in so the group can document usage.

The numbers help secure grants and show the Forest Service the area serves as a recreation hub.

“Members ski guilt-free,” Becker said.

Because the trails wander Shoshone Forest land and the USFS oversees the operation, “we can’t charge. That’s why we rely so much on members,” to help subsidize the costs.

Members receive emails about the weather at Pahaska and have access to a members-only report about trail conditions. The website, nordicskiclub.com, displays a list of upcoming events, including popular youth programs, for which members get a discount.

Last summer the PCNSA board surveyed members to determine their priorities, Becker said. First on the list is a bigger warming hut, followed by expanding the trails and maintaining their good quality.

Members also would like a permanent outhouse. Presently the group rents three portable toilets that are nestled behind the historic Pahaska Lodge.

The last item is continuing the programs. Last year PCNSA hosted kids’ programs, the high school Nordic Meggin Becker State Championships, Taste of instructs Trails and moonlight skiing. young skiers This year the local group will during a Kids host the Wyoming Senior OlymNordic Ski pics in February. Also in FebruClinic last year. ary, on Valentine’s Day, will be Taste of Trails.

‘Taste of Trails’

“It’s our biggest fundraiser,” said Becker, who’s organizing the second-year event. “Last year we sold out tickets three times.”

The ticket number began at 50, which were “easily sold,” she said. They added 25 more, which also went quickly, “so we decided to go to 100. Within 24 hours we sold the remaining 25 tickets.”

The ticket count this year is 150.

While the event is billed as offering a “taste,” Becker noted, “They’re pretty hefty portions. If ‘Taste of Trails’ is anything like last year, we had an amazing amount of desserts.”

Despite bad road conditions, “we had 100 percent attendance” as big snowflakes fell. “It was nice and quiet.”

The groomers will start in the dark and work until the event begins to ensure good trails, she added. A groomer for 20 years, Richard explains the best time to prepare the trails is when the temperature starts falling so the snow firms up.

“Two a.m. is the best time,” he adds.

If he’s too tired to drive home, he grabs a sleeping bag and dozes in the wrangler shed. And if there’s eight inches of snow, grooming can take 12 hours. Asked why he does it, Richard answered, simply, “so I can ski.”

The groomed trails will include an entree prepared, once again, by Sherrie Frame.

“We’re doing roast turkey and somecontinued on page 14

Taste of Trails “Taste of Trails,” scheduled 1-3 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 14, will offer samples from a four-course menu.

Adult tickets to this major annual fundraiser for the Park County Nordic Ski Association are $30, or $15 for ages 6-14.

Participants ski or snowshoe to four stations on the threemile course, selecting among two appetizers, two soups and one entree with a side dish and ending with assorted desserts.

Gluten-free options for appetizers and soup also will be available.

NORDIC SKIING

continued from page 13

Meggin Becker helps groom trails during the high school state races. thing orange,” to combine a safe item with something edgy, a new taste, Frame said. “It’ll be vitamin D, orange and wonderful.

“We learned last year the cooking has to be good, but what it boils down to is taking care of people.”

The participants, rosy-cheeked and excited, would come down the trail, round the corner and find a food surprise, Frame recalled. They would visit and tarry and then move on.

“It was magic, in the middle of nowhere,” she added.

The Irma Hotel again will donate

soup, Becker said, and her employer, Big Horn Basin Bone and Joint, has signed on as a sponsor.

Balancing vocation, avocation

Becker works as the medical records custodian at the clinic. She earned a B.S. degree from Montana State University in health and human development and exercise science with an emphasis on pre-physical therapy.

Her Nordic coaching career began on

a cross-country ski weekend for women in Colorado with her mother. When she overheard trainers using her as a model – “See what Meggin’s doing? Do what Meggin’s doing” – Becker figured she could coach.

In Bozeman she went to a local Nordic center, Bohart Ranch, and knocked on the door of the owner, who hired her.

Becker spent eight years there leading private and group lessons. She also worked with Bozeman Public School children when a grade would spend a day at Bohart. In addition, she coached MSU students enrolled in credited classes, teaching them skating and classic techniques.

Several years ago Becker sent her resume to the West Yellowstone Ski Festival, which hosts an annual, fall Nordic clinic, and she was hired. The event attracted 4,000 participants in 2014.

“I’ve had the honor to coach alongside former Olympic athletes and coaches and authors,” Becker says.

“That’s been pretty awesome.”

She learned about the event more than 20 years ago, when she competed in a 25K race in West Yellowstone and found in her packet a notice of the annual fall camp. She applied and got in, although it was billed as a master’s program for those older than 30. She survived arduous days, starting with a class, skiing for two hours, lunch, another class, another ski, dinner and a final ski.

“Now I get to coach with some of those instructors,” Becker adds with a grin.

Her winter plans include working with Red Lodge coaches and helping with PCNSA’s youth programs.

Becker says her advice to beginners is simple – “Just go and have fun.”

Nordic events • The Park County Nordic Ski Association will offer Saturday night moonlight skiing/ snowshoeing at 7 p.m.

Jan. 31 and Feb. 28.

•Group also will host the Nordic races of the Wyoming Senior Olympic Winter Games for people 50 and older Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21.

14 • Chill 2015

Skiers enjoy last year’s Taste of Trails fundraising event.

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Riley Arena

Public

ice skating

By JEANETTE JOHNSON Staff writer

F

rom the outside it looks like a normal community center building that’s easily big enough to accommodate crowds.

Open the door and it’s like getting hit with a blast of enthusiasm. It’s cold, icy, loud and boisterous.

Young and not-so-young are racing, literally and figuratively, to fill the cavernous ice rink with the sounds of excitement.

Welcome to public skating day at the Riley Arena.

18 • Chill 2015

Watch where you’re going because it’s a race to lace up skates and get on the icy oval. It doesn’t take long to acclimate to the temperature. Stocking caps and multiple layers take care of the chill factor.

Just watching children enjoying a field trip, away from the confines of a class room, warms the cockles of even the most hardened naysayer.

Look out. The crowd of Meeteetse students and chaperones are circling the headcount area, chattering about the great time they’ve had. Even the adults can’t help but feel the pulse of the pounding music blaring in the background, adding to the ambience.

It’s a once-a-year outing for the kids.

Meeteetse Recretion Director John Fernandez, 54, brought the group to Cody.

It’s an affordable way to spend a couple of hours. The 19 kids love it.

And where can you find a better deal?

“It’s $60 for 19 kids. Plus, a cup of hot chocolate,” he says with a smile.

As they line up to march back to the bus, arena manager David Koch’s voice rises above the hubbub.

“Guys, you totally rock and I want you to come back,” he shouts. He’s rewarded with screams of joy.

It’s time to make way for the next group of students escaping the confines of two buses from Thermopolis. The best way to describe the action is “organized chaos,” but no one seems to mind.

The doors open and 80 Thermopolis students push and shove their way to the counter to get skates so they won’t miss even a minute of their two-and-a-half

Aspen Leonhardt, 10, of Lovell (from left), and Josey Steed, 10, and Marty Welling, 10, both of Cowley, enjoy public skating at the Riley Arena.

Skye Keller, 10, (below, right) gets a push from his Big Brother mentor Tyson Bednarz.

hour allotted time. They’re accompanied by 13 staff.

After School Coordinator Sarah Cox, 34, manages to maintain order. The group gets out of school early on the second Friday of every month for field trips.

Each person who gets to come to the rink is doing something they don’t get to do every day, Koch says.

“We would like to host groups like this on a daily basis,” he adds. “If we did, it would add to the success of the Riley.”

Speaking of enthusiasm, Koch is like the cheerleader who amps up the frenzy as the doors open and the Hot Springs County students pour in.

At the top of his lungs, he yells, “Who wants to have fun?”

During the winter they offer the “most affordable family fun entertainment available,” Koch says.

It takes volunteers to help with arena programs. Robyn Beadles, 27, is involved with all aspects of volunteering, from coaching the youth hockey to turning the inside into a Christmas display. It’s her way of being a positive role model.

She can be found four days a week skating with the kids. It won’t be long before the disco balls will sparkle, getting ready for night time skating activities.

“It’s going to be like the oldtime rinks,” Beadles says.

Besides the open skating, the arena is home to youth hockey, the Absaroka figure skating group and Yellowstone Quake hockey team.

“We serve many diverse interest groups,” Koch says. “And the Quake games always are a blast.”

The Quake crowds are growing as the team continues its success.

Janet Douglass, 56, Beadles’ mother, comes to watch her grandkids skate and play hockey. She describes the venue as “fabulous.”

Beadles lets the cat out of the bag – her mother comes to watch all age groups skate.

While there’s nothing about the arena that reminds one of a library, many people bring books to read as the kids practice.

Future plans are to develop a skate school to promote more use of the facility. The goal includes teaching others how to skate. There are plans for public and private ice skating lessons.

Also planned is Fitness on Ice, an exercise program with healthy activities for muscle toning and balance.

“I hope my excitement rubs off on people,” Koch says.

It’s obvious that happens often.

“If you build it they will come,” he says, borrowing the familiar movie phrase. “We built it. We would like to see groups here on a daily basis.”

Check out skating schedule Public skating is offered multiple times per week.

For a current schedule, visit rileyarena.com.

SG ski patrol

“

Children who were there when I started now are bringing their children up. I plan to do this as long as I can strap skis on my feet.

�

Sandy Whalen has spent nearly 35 years helping keep skiers safe.

By AMBER PEABODY Special sections editor

W

hen Sleeping Giant opens for the season, the lifts can’t turn with the dedicated members of the North Absaroka Ski Patrol.

One of those is Sandy Whalen, who is beginning her 35th season as part of the National Ski Patrol (NSP).

“It’s nice when the first flakes appear,” she says. “I always look forward to that time.”

Whalen didn’t grow up skiing.

She lived in a rural agricultural area of Iowa where there was little opportunity to ski.

“My fun as a child was mostly ice skating and sledding in the winter and horseback riding in the summer,” she said.

She began Nordic skiing on frozen snow-covered Iowa creeks and rivers in the 1970s to relieve stress from the rigors of anesthesia graduate school.

Sandy Whalen and James Davis prepare a rescue toboggan at Sleeping Giant Ski Area.

Whalen later took some Alpine lessons in Colorado and in 1979 helped establish and joined the Sunset Ski Area Patrol, a member of the central division of the NSP, in Cherokee, Iowa, and became certified as both an National Ski Patrol began in 1938 Alpine and Nordic patroller.

Whalen, a certified registered nurse anesthetist and certiThe National Ski Patrol Dahlem family and fied Family Nurse Practitioner worked for six years in private was founded in 1938 ski club began skiing practice in Iowa before accepting a contract in 1982 with Yelin Stowe, Vt., when at the Sleeping Giant lowstone Park Medical Services to provide anesthesia services the then-president area. Skiing began at Lake Hospital in Yellowstone. of the National Ski there on a run called Whalen’s family had vacationed in Yellowstone several times Association, Roger Moose Gulch, which in the 1960s and the rugged mountains of the Absarokas left Langley, convinced later became known an impression.

“To return to Wyoming was a dream come true,” she said. the founder and as The Gulch just east A year after she arrived Betty Woodruff, then owner and leader of the Mount of today’s Big Horn operator of Sleeping Giant Ski Area, hired Whalen to work on Mansfield Ski Patrol, complex, according the professional patrol when she was off work in the park.

Charles Minot Dole, to patroller Sandy “I would ride a snowmobile 70 miles round trip over Sylvan to form a national ski Whalen.

Pass from Lake to the east gate to work outside the park three patrol.

Sleeping Giant Patrol times a week,” she said.

Dole was convinced changed its name to Her membership with the NSP was transferred to an affiliaof the need for a North Absaroka Ski tion with the North Absaroka Ski Patrol. national ski rescue Patrol in the 1980s.

Years later, and now retired, she still enjoys making the trek organization due to Sleeping Giant/North up to the ski hill each winter. both the loss of a Absaroka Patrol was “Children who were there when I started now are bringfriend in a ski accident the first ski patrol to ing their children up,” she adds. “I plan to do this as long as I the year prior and an be registered in the can strap skis on my feet. It’s a good way to interface with the on-slope accident in Northern Division of public and is great exercise.” which he himself was the NSP and offer There currently are 20 North Absaroka patrollers who, like seriously injured. educational and Whalen, spend countless hours in sometimes dismal weather The Sleeping Giant training opportunities conditions and on difficult terrain performing rescue missions, Patrol was first provided by the administering first aid, checking trails, weather and snow conorganized in the national organization, ditions and conducting avalanche awareness and control to continued on page 38

late 1940s when the

Whalen said.

Chill 2015 • 21

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Monday-Friday: 9:30-6 • Saturday: 9:30-5

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348 Yellowstone Hwy., Cody, WY 82414

www.skisg.com • (307) 587-3125

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Winter Schedule of Events 2015 JANUARY: 3 16 23 24 30 31

FEBRUARY: 2 12 13 13-16 14 14-15 19-22 20 24 27 28 28 MARCH: 14-15 19 APRIL: 10 17 24-26 27

Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody Missoula Children’s Theatre/Cody

Community Concert/Powell Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody 17th Annual Cody Ice Climbing Festival/Cody Missoula Children’s Theatre/Powell Ice Fishing Derby/Meeteetse Wyoming Senior Olympics Buffalo Bill Center of the West Winter Games/Cody Jan & Feb Hours: 10–5 Thursday–Sunday Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody March & April Hours: 10–5 Daily O Sole Trio/Cody Heart Mountain WWII Interpretive Center Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody January to April: 10–5 Wednesday–Saturday Buffalo Bill Birthday Ball/Cody Yellowstone Quake Hockey/Cody

Powell Homesteader Museum Mid-March & April Hours: 10–4 Tuesday–Friday Meeteetse Museums Feb to April Hours: 10–4 Tuesday–Saturday

Rails N Bails & Baby Buffalo Jump/Cody Community Concert/Powell Park County Arts Council 30th Anniversary Celebration/Cody TEDx “Depicting the West”/Cody Songs of the Cowboys/Cody Community Concert/Cody

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Ice fishermen “

Some of the finest days I’ve had were when we caught 50 or 60 cutthroat trout or splake.

”

Greg Mayton and Jim Kent always are ready to hike out on the ice to catch some cutthroat trout.

By LEW FREEDMAN Staff writer

G

reg Mayton’s uncle had a well-equipped ice shack in Iowa that shielded them from the elements and also featured lights, a heater, radio, and leather furniture.

While many summer anglers have no interest in year-round fishing, Mayton shrugs off the potential effects of Wyoming winter.

“It’s never too cold,” he said with the assurance of a born sportsman. “It just gets windy.”

Mayton, 31, has his own homemade, portable shack he can drag around to various lakes. Rather than being too cold, Mayton and other devoted ice fishermen most often are disrupted in their pursuit of fishing through the ice because of the Cody area’s frequent warming trends.

His ice shack never will be confused with a Sheraton Hotel, but it’s pretty darned cozy if the weather does ambush him.

The most critical aspect of ice fishing is venturing out with confidence on ice that is so solid there’s no danger of falling through and cycles when winter takes a few days off with temperatures zooming into the 40s or 50s pretty much ruin the buildup of ice.

“You’ve got to know the lake,” Mayton said. “You have to watch the weather.”

Some people fear ice when it crackles, but Mayton said “you want that crackling.

It’s making ice.”

Mayton is an aquatic invasive spe-

cies crew leader for Game and Fish in Cody, but ice fishing is more passion than profession for him. When there’s ice that can be relied on – usually after New Year’s – he tries to ice fish a couple of times a week.

Mayton lured his wife Heidi and her parents into ice fishing. Several convenient ice fishing locations are located close to Cody, he noted, including Sunshine Reservoirs near Meeteetse.

“Some of the finest days I’ve had were there when we caught 50 or 60 cutthroat trout or splake,” Mayton said.

Beck Lake and Newton Lakes in Cody also can be hot spots for cold-weather fishing, Mayton said, but Buffalo Bill Reservoir must be approached warily.

“It’s one of the most dangerous lakes in the state,” Mayton said.

Winds on Buffalo Bill often are the enemy of the ice and may weaken it and fool the unsuspecting.

Mayton said the use of live bait is banned in Cody, but is allowed in the rest of the Big Horn Basin. Mealworms, night crawlers and shrimp are common bait in this area.

“These trout are swimming around, spending the majority of their days looking for food,” Mayton said.

In mid-December, G&F spokesman Al Langston of Cheyenne issued a list of ice fishing safety guidelines. Mostly, Langston said, staying safe while ice fishing is a matter of common sense.

One key warning is to not drive on ice that has yet to be proven solid.

“I don’t understand why anyone would want to ride on the ice if it’s a little bit thin,” Langston says. “Mostly people need to be aware of the conditions. Look at the ice. I advise people to never drive on the ice. You look at it and think you could probably drive a train on it, but there could be thin spots.”

Ice augurs are used to drill holes in the ice before people settle in for fishing, and careful drilling is one way to determine the depth of ice, Langston said.

“I don’t think jumping up and down on it is the answer,” he said.

Langston recommends being with a partner when ice fishing. It’s smart to have a rope that can be used to toss to someone who falls through the ice. But if someone breaks through and is having trouble climbing out because the edge of the ice keeps breaking, one remedy can be driving long nails or spikes into the ice the way mountain climbers use ice axes.

Mayton describes himself as an ice fishing gear junkie who likes to own the latest stuff, but said that’s not necessary. A minimal investment in an ice fishing rod may be all someone else needs.

Heidi and Greg Mayton display two nice fish they caught.

“You can spend $30 and be set for the rest of your life,” Mayton said.

Jim Kent, another long-time devotee of ice fishing in Cody, began ice fishing when he was 9 and has 30-plus years in the sport.

Kent, who operates South Fork Jigs, and ties “thousands of flies” a year for ice fishermen to use instead of live bait, says spending big bucks is not necessary.

“Anyone can do this,” he adds. “You can do it with basic stuff. It can be a family thing.”

He, like Mayton, also shrugs off the chill of winter. “You can use a shed or you can use a fire.”

But Kent said if someone wants to it’s also possible to invest significantly in costlier electronic fish finders and other electronic gear that can help pinpoint the whereabouts of fish. Kent, who doesn’t ice fish as often as he previously did because he has young children and time invested in fly tying, said he’s enjoyed Yellowtail Lake where sauger, walleye and catfish may be caught. But, he added, “perch are probably my favorite. They’re good eating.”

A thrill that an ice fisherman is more likely to have than a summer angler, Kent said, can occur when circumstances are right.

“If you’ve got nice clear water and it’s not deep, you can see the fish come right up and take the bait.”

And the hook.

Chill 2015 • 25

Red Lodge

winter

Carnival

I

f you want to know what makes Red Lodge Mountain tick, be there for Winter Carnival on Saturday, March 7.

The event on spring snow with costumes, parades, live music, feats of daring and tons of duct tape, Winter Carnival is the party of the year, at least until July rolls around.

The 2015 theme is “Camelot.” So start saving cardboard and planning your sled.

Saturday, March 7 Most Creative Craft Judging

Stop by the base area courtyard 9-11 a.m. to see all the cardboard crafts before they are destroyed in the upcom-

26 • Chill 2015

ing race.

Speed is only one of the elements for putting together a great Cardboard Racer.

The other is making sure it looks good and fits this year’s theme of “Camelot.”

First and second place prizes will be awarded to the best looking crafts in all categories.

Cardboard Classic Race

The main event of the day is the popular Cardboard Classic Race.

Spectators enjoy speed, crashes and an overall spectacle as the racers try their luck racing down Show Off Alley.

The fun starts at 11:30 a.m. with the Parade of Racers, as they transport their crafts up to the starting line.

Races start at noon in this order: •12 and younger •Ages 13-18 •Ages 19 and older •Unlimited (four racers required) Awards for first and second place will

be handed out as the winners exit the finish area. Results will be announced to the public on the Bierstube Deck at 3 p.m.

Carnival Costume Contest

Come dressed to win. The 2015 Winter Carnival Costume Contest will be at 3 p.m. on the deck of the Bierstube. First and second place awards will be given to the best dressed guy and gal.

Torchlight Parade

Organizers close the Winter Carnival with a bang.

The torchlight parade starts at sundown, with a train of lights rolling off the top of the mountain and down Limited to the base area.

If that’s not enough of a light show, the parade takes place under a fireworks display, with great views from the base area.

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1801 17th Street (Next to Albertson’s) • 587-3380

Winter crafts

Beading

Group

By BUZZY HASSRICK Special to the Enterprise

S

even seemingly sensible women sat around a kitchen early this winter, engaged in an activity they acknowledge has affected their health.

“It’s a disease,” Linda Burwick proclaimed.

“But a good one,” hostess Sharon Moss added.

“And an expensive one sometimes,” Sue Granger noted.

The “disease” is beading, which appeared on their pillows, purses and a blouse and also as hatbands and small bottles. The group, totaling about 10 women, formed about 15 years ago and meets once a month in someone’s

28 • Chill 2015

home. They don’t have a name, and the structure is loose.

“There are no rules and no dues, except to bring food,” Moss explains.

“We sit and eat and giggle,” said Burwick, gesturing at the array of treats. “And we were afraid we wouldn’t have enough food.”

To which Moss jokes, “When has that ever happened?”

That morning the food remained untouched as the beaders concentrated on their projects. While counting beads, they discuss their work and exchange tips about different techniques.

“We just share stuff,” Burwick said.

Recently they shared approaches to beading a vanity tissue box, as instructed

by Lynda Covert, who wasn’t present.

She’d exhibited some examples during Rendezvous Royale arts week and offered to teach the women, ordering wooden boxes for those interested.

Lynn Parker (left) and Marian Fergerson work on their beading projects during a monthly gathering.

Jennifer Woods-Duneman was punching holes into the leather for a grid-design that would embellish her box. A relative newcomer to the group, she admitted, “I just pretend to bead.”

Burwick disagreed, pronouncing, “She’s really come along.”

Moss had already beaded the leather that would cover her box and was puzzled by how to attach it as her glue had solidified. Granger suggested putting marbles in the container to raise the level of the liquid.

“Then you wouldn’t lose them because they’re all glued together,” Woods-Duneman quipped.

On a serious note, Woods-Duneman said she decided to investigate beading because she’d always had an interest in Native American beadwork and wanted to do it. Her entry into beading was particularly intimidating, she admitted, “because I didn’t even know how to sew.”

Most of the group’s output is inspired

by Native American work, Lynn Parker said. For inspiration she goes to the Plains Indian Museum and also looks in magazines.

“Compared to the rest of these gals, I’m an amateur,” Parker said. “But I love it.” While the Native American design and technique provide ideas, she noted, “We add our own creativity to it. We learn from what’s been done. We’re not copying.”

Moss explained that she loosely followed a historic pattern for her leather pillow, using different colors and scale.

“But it kept getting bigger and bigger, like a recipe,” she said. “By the time I get done, it doesn’t resemble the original.”

One corner of her pillow has an additional leather layer with some beading, which turns out to be a method for covering a flaw in the material.

“Hides are not perfect,” Burwick explained.

Granger has produced 20 pillows, using high-quality upholstery leather, and estimated their cost at up to $3,000 per pillow, considering the price of materials and the 100 hours spent on each.

“I do all my stuff on leather,” she said.

Granger draws a grid and punches holes for the thread, which “makes it easier to bead.”

A student of Covert’s, Granger has

made a couple of tissue boxes using the “lazy stitch,” six beads up and back in rows.

“It’s basic and easy,” she said of the technique, which is typical for Native American work. “It’s a fun thing to sit and while away the hours.”

Looming is another technique she employs, again directed by Covert who gave her the basics and then left, saying, “‘Figure it out,’” Granger said. Moss suggested a “little guidance is good.”

“I think looming is fun,” Granger adds.

“It’s so smooth and symmetrical.”

Myrna Stadtfeld creates her hatbands on a loom, following patterns her husband creates. She uses “delicate beads,” which are uniform, tubular and flat on the top and bottom so they fit together.

“They make beautiful patterns because they’re so precise,” she said.

Stadtfeld mostly works with size 11 seed beads, noting some beads are so small they necessitate using a magnifying glass.

Bigger beads, Burwick added, are better for bigger projects “because it takes less time.”

After selecting a project, beaders face more choices.

“Buying the beads is the fun part,” Parker said.

The choices seem endless – opaque or translucent, matte, and lined in silver, gold

and copper – along with a vast range of colors, sizes and shapes, Burwick said.

Beaders also must calculate the quantity a project will require and buy enough in advance because dye lots can vary.

“The nice part about beading is you always can back out,” Statfeld added.

Or, Moss suggested, “Just rip them out and start over.”

“My other favorite pastime is ripping out,” Burwick added.

Another option with a mistake, with a bead that’s an anomaly, is to dub it with a special name, a “spirit bead,” Parker said.

Moss noted Native Americans had spirit beads because if they ran out of one type, they’d continue with another.

Still another option is to shelve the project and label it a “UFO.” “We all have UnFinished Objects,” Burwick says.

When she decided to tackle a project that supposedly couldn’t be done, it didn’t become a UFO. She’d seen a miniature glass vase with beading and decided to bead one freehand, with no form, learning that the work assumed unexpected shapes.

“They take on a life of their own. I like doing itty bitty things,” Burwick adds. “I can sit and bead for hours. I have enough (beads) for 400 years.

“It’s therapy.”

Blacksmith artist “ Half of what I do is stuff I dreamed about at night. I’ll get up in the morning thinking about something and go make it.

”

30 • Chill 2015

N.J. Pawley’s fascination with the trade propelled him to begin a successful career.

N.J. Pawley heats up a piece of metal in his workshop on the Willwood.

By AMBER PEABODY Special sections editor

D

riving up to N.J. Pawley’s place near the Willwood Dam, you’ll likely hear him before you see him.

The blacksmith, 43, spends much of his time in the little shop by his house working on various metal pieces.

With his steaming cup of coffee and headphones blasting classic rock, he’s as “happy as a little pig” and ready to create his latest work of art.

“It keeps me fit,” he says of blacksmithing. “I’m the happiest guy ever because when I’m angry I just smash something and the anger and anxiety goes away.”

His interest in blacksmithing began at a young age. During the former Frontier Days event in Cody blacksmith Jeff McManus used to set up his forge.

“I was about 10 and thought that was slick,” he said. “I sat around for two days watching him.”

A few years later Stan Floyd, the horseshoing instructor at Northwest College, hot-shod his parents horses and that was it.

“I knew I had to take that course the minute I saw him do it,” he said.

He learned to weld in ag class at Powell High School and it was there he created his first metal wreath.

“That wreath is still hanging on the door at Susie Erickson’s house,” he said.

He then went to farrier school at NWC in 1989 and shod horses for about 20 years, blacksmithing in the winter.

“I learned how to make horseshoes and basic tools and carried it from there,” he said.

He moved to Utah in 1998 and got married “for about five minutes,” he said. He spent 13 years there. He shod jumper and dressage horses, and later began focusing on his metal art. He eventually became artist-in-residence at Sundance Mountain Resort.

“One of my claims to fame in Utah was wine racks made from used horseshoes,” he said.

Pawley also was Check out more able to learn from other artists there.

N.J. Pawley’s work “Someday I want also can been seen on to work with silver the Facebook page jewelry,” he said.

Runningiron Works.

“It’s one of the continued on page 32

Chill 2015 • 31

BLACKSMITH

continued from page 31

things I learned in Sundance and not something I’d have gotten to do here. There were many other artists around in other mediums.”

Pawley has been back in Wyoming fulltime for four years.

“I came back in the spring to start colts for my dad,” he said. “I’d be training horses in the spring and summer, and in the fall and winter I’d blacksmith.”

These days he spends less time training horses and more time creating. The last few summers he’s done blacksmithing out of the back of his truck near Sheridan Avenue.

“In the winter the days are so short I try to get in about six hours,” he said. “When it’s really cold I do jewelry in the house. I bend horseshoe nails into bracelets.”

He says he enjoys the creative process of making jewelry.

“Half of what I do is stuff I dreamed about at night,” he said. “I’ll get up in the morning thinking about something and go make it. It’s a great thing to put it into the fire and if you don’t like how it turns out you just put it back in.”

About 80 percent of Pawley’s work is forged blade knives.

He makes his knives from used materials such as truck springs and horseshoes. The handles are wood or elk horn.

He also makes a variety of other pieces including steak turners, dinner triangles, fireplace tools and interior pieces such as towel racks, lamp stands and candle holders.

“I’m always challenging myself,” he adds. “The minute you think you’re good at it you go someplace and there’s a guy 10 times better than you.

“I’ll never be a master at it.”

Many of his pieces are made from used materials.

“Nothing goes to waste,” he said. “I throw little pieces in a pile and make stuff with them. I also use some new material too. That material is easy to come by with the oil industry here.”

While much of his work has practical uses, he says he also enjoys making more artistic pieces.

“I’d like to do more art pieces because I enjoy making sculptures,” he said. “But it’s hard because you can’t make much money from it.”

At some point he plans to get a shop in town and offer some classes.

“I know many guys who want to learn how to make knives,” he said.

Many of Pawley’s creations can be seen at Grizzly Jim’s, 1236 Sheridan Ave. “When I opened I wanted Western art and what’s more Western than a blacksmith,” Grizzly Jim’s owner Henry Jones said. “The yard stakes, horseshoe nail bracelets and knives all are popular.”

N.J. Pawley strikes initials into a belt buckle.

Chill 2015 • 33

Games

Bingo

fun

By RHONDA SCHULTE Staff writer

B

ingo is thriving in Cody.

With four organizations offering the lotto-style game, players can sit down nearly any day of the week to socialize while scanning and marking bingo cards in hope of winning a prize, usually cash.

Cody’s senior center bingo is the only daytime game, played at 12:30 p.m.

Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“We’re the most fun,” Jackie House, caller for the past two years, says with a laugh. Much of that is because of her seamless melding of number calling with player interaction.

Twenty some players – mostly women, a few men – are gathered in the dining

34 • Chill 2015

room, each with one or two cards on the table.

Edith Vehnekamp, a slender woman with a grayed boy-cut hairstyle, has played at the senior center for two years.

She believes the jackpot of money that comes from the 50 cents-a-card purchases has improved the game.

“Before that, some people in the back weren’t paying,” she says.

Players can buy as many cards as they want for regular bingo, but use only one for the blackout. With this small group, chances are good for a jackpot win that typically pays $15-$23.

It’s time to start.

House calls for players’ attention: “Let’s see if I can hold onto my balls today,” she quips as she gets to work grabbing the air-blown balls from a metal box. Players, chuckling at her humor, turn their attention to the cards.

Other than adeptness at managing

hordes of cards at the same time, there’s no skill to bingo – just luck.

The game goes back to 1530, to an Italian lottery still played in Italy. From Italy it went to France in the late 1770s where it was a game played by the wealthy.

When the game reached North America in 1929 it became known as “bean,” first played as a country fair game in which a dealer would select numbered discs from a cigar box and players would mark their cards with beans. They yelled “beano” if they won.

While at a carnival near Atlanta, struggling New York toy salesman Edwin Lowe renamed it “bingo” after overhearing someone accidentally yell “bingo” instead of “beano.”

“It’s a good social activity for seniors,” says Maxine Riley, a three-year senior center bingo player. “It’s a time we can feel happy. I love it.”

Play Bingo in Cody •Elks Club, 1202 Beck, Monday, 6 p.m., 587-3296.

•Senior center, 613 16th, Wednesday and Thursday, 12:30 p.m., 587-6221.

•Bingo Supreme, VFW Hall, 808 12th St., 7-9 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday, 578-6312.

•Eagles Hall, 1001 13th St., Friday, 7-9:30 p.m., 527-7356.

Jane Hughes celebrates after winning blackout bingo at the senior center.

She too is enticed by a chance to win the jackpot and points out the affordability.

And there’s the comradeship.

“Some people have been (friends) since they were kids,” Riley says, reciting the names of three ladies sitting at her table as examples.

N35, N38, B4, I19 …

“Bingo.”

All attention turns to a woman in black pants and red quilted vest taking a card up front for House’s inspection.

“Yep, sure thing,” House says.

As the woman turns her attention to browsing the thrift store prizes displayed on a low stage, House continues calling.

Soon there’s another bingo, and a third.

While checking more winning cards and calling numbers, House interjects comments: “Pretty shirt.”

“Just get your hair done? It’s pretty.”

She continues pulling whirling balls from the metal box. Soon a stream of players is passing by her and perusing

the prize knick knacks, picture frames, jewelry, books, Christmas decorations, pillows, hats, decks of cards and more.

A man chooses a package of small gold ornaments as his prize. His choice does not get past House.

“Going to decorate your tree?” she asks, grabbing another white ball.

“G59.”

Everyone has declared a bingo. It’s time for the more serious blackout play and a chance to win today’s $18 jackpot. House walks through tables, collects extra cards, then regains the group’s attention with a, “Hidee ho, ready or not, here we go.”

A few minutes pass as players concentrate on moving tabs on the cards.

House, looking at a petite lady with black rim glasses, says, “You don’t have any (marked) yet Jane?”

As Jane puts a finger to her mouth motioning shhh, House jokingly advises, “I think I’d trade in that card.”

Calling continues. The I’s are all covered, now the N’s.

Jane Hughes wins the blackout, and sashays sideways in her white sneakers up front to verify the win.

“It’s a good bingo,” House declares, holding the card high. “That’s good for not having anything at first.”

Game over, the group quietly disbands.

Bingo has taken less than 30 minutes, but there’s the next evening or next week to look forward to – and another chance to win that coveted jackpot.

Chill 2015 • 35

Macaroni & Cheese

36 • Chill 201 4

Ditch the box and stir up everyone’s favorite comfort food – creamy, homemade macaroni and cheese.

Favorite Mac and Cheese Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until done; drain.

2. In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.

3. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Kicked Up Mac and Cheese Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rotelle pasta 4 tablespoons butter, divided 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon dry mustard 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper 3 teaspoons hot pepper sauce 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs 2 teaspoons chili powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. In large saucepan over medium heat, melt two tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, one minute.

A little at a time, whisk in milk, mustard, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Bring to gentle boil, stirring constantly. Boil one minute, then remove from heat and whisk in pepperjack, Cheddar and Parmesan until smooth. Stir in cooked pasta and pour into shallow two-quart baking dish.

4. Melt remaining two tablespoons butter. Stir in bread crumbs and chili powder. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture.

5. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Fried Mac and Cheese Balls Instructions

1 (7.25 ounce) package macaroni and cheese mix 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup milk 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 3/4 cup pimento cheese spread 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon white sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 4 eggs 3 tablespoons milk 4 cups peanut oil for frying, or as needed

Instructions

1. Fill a pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Stir in macaroni, and return to a boil.

Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is cooked through but still firm to the bite, about seven minutes.

Drain. Stir in two tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup milk, and cheese packet from the package.

2. While the macaroni is still hot, stir in the Cheddar cheese, pimento cheese spread, and Italian cheese blend, and continue to stir until melted. Place the macaroni and cheese mixture in a container and refrigerate until firm, about four hours.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the macaroni mixture from the refrigerator, and, using a cookie scoop, scoop into balls. Place mac balls on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for at least two hours.

4. Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F. 5. Whisk the bread crumbs with the paprika, chili powder, black pepper, sugar, and cayenne in a shallow dish; set aside. Beat the eggs with the three tablespoons milk in a small bowl. Remove the mac balls from the freezer, coat in the egg wash and then dredge in breading.

6. Fry the mac balls in small batches until golden brown, three to five minutes.

Drain briefly on a paper towel-lined plate; serve hot.

Four Cheese Macaroni Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni 9 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the oil and the pasta and cook 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain well and return to cooking pot.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt eight tablespoons butter; stir into macaroni.

3. In a large bowl, combine Muenster cheese, mild and sharp Cheddar cheeses, and Monterey Jack cheese; mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Add half and half, 1 1/2 cups of cheese mixture, cubed processed cheese food, and eggs to macaroni; mix together and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a lightly greased deep 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and 1 tablespoon of butter.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges; serve.

Smoky Mac ‘N Cheese Ingredients

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) 8 ounces smoked Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 (14.5 ounce) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, well drained 1/4 cup sliced green onions 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs 2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on box. Return to saucepan; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In two-quart saucepan, heat cream, mustard, salt and red pepper to boiling. Reduce heat; stir in Cheddar cheese with wire whisk until smooth. Pour sauce over macaroni. Stir in tomatoes and onions. Pour into baking dish. In small bowl, stir together Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; stir in oil.

Sprinkle over top of macaroni mixture.

3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown.

For more TASTY recipes, visit allrecipes.com.

SG SKI PATROL

continued from page 21

ensure the safety of those who recreate at Sleeping Giant.

“The main goal of the North Absaroka Ski Patrol is to provide other outdoor enthusiasts a safety net so they can feel free to enjoy the recreation activities of the mountain,” Whalen said. “Most of the patrolers are outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy being outside and interacting with the public.”

Patrollers dedicate many hours to training and becoming proficient in skills such as skiing, handling rescue toboggans, outdoor emergency care, CPR, awareness and control and lift evacuation, among others.

“We’re the first responders on the scene and have made a difference in people’s lives,” she said.

Patrollers also enjoy the early morning “fresh tracks” and the camaraderie that comes from being a member of a world-renowned rescue organization, Whalen said.

Volunteers are requested to patrol 14 days each season, but many do more than that.

Each day the mountain is running, head patroller Kenny Gasch is there, as well as two paid patrollers and four volunteers.

“Sandy has been on the patrol the longest,” Gasch says. “She has a good knowledge of the history of the patrol and Sleeping Giant.”

Anyone interested in being on the patrol should contact any patrol member at the ski area.

Skiers get on the chairlift at Sleeping Giant in December.

Looking for a Family Doctor?

Our experienced family medicine physicians, working as part of our primary care team, are here to provide complete health care to you and your whole family. They provide a variety of services including: • • • • • •

Women’s and men’s health Children’s health including well-child exams Immunizations Skin Care Care for colds, allergies and sinus problems Sports medicine and sports physicals

For more information, call us at (307) 527-7561 or visit us at 201 Yellowstone Avenue. www.billingsclinic.com/cody

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