Destination Sheridan

DESTINATION

SHERIDAN

The Official Lifestyle & Tourism Magazine of Sheridan County

Favorite Places OUR

FR

EE

www.DestinationSheridan.com A publication of

Favorite Places

OUR

12

A publication of

Fall/Winter 2014

10 Sheridan Ice

36 Luck of the draw

12 Snowkiting

44 Famous visitor

16 Antelope Butte Foundation

48 OUR FAVORITE PLACES

22 Blazing trails

56 Wyoming heritage

26 Search & Rescue

60 Hunting outlook

28 Winter survival

64 Campsite cooking

S heridan Area

34 The towns of Dayton & Ranchester

14 Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing

35 The community of Big Horn

24 Ice Fishing

68 NEW Destination Sheridan website 74 Local theater companies 76 Live music scene

DESTINATIONS & EVENTS

14 Snowmobiling

20 Bighorn Mountains

66 Sheridan Jaycees

42 Area battlefields 70 FAB Conference 71 Christmas stroll

38 Trail End Mansion 38 Sheridan County Museum

73 Community dinner 80 Advertising directory

40 Historic Sheridan Inn 32 The communities of Story & Clearmont

41 The Brinton Museum

82 Wyoming Information Center

60

Welcome to S heridan!

76 4 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Jonathan Cates A R T

D I R E C T O R

One of our favorite places...

I’m excited to be a part of the team at the city of Sheridan. The quality of life here is second to none. We will continue to protect and enhance our quality of life while working to diversify our economy. Agriculture, tourism and energy will always be our mainstays but we’re working to bring in other businesses that will be a good fit for the community. We want our kids to be able to stay here and prosper if they so desire. We value our senior citizens and a healthy local economy is critical to providing the services to make those golden years enjoyable and comfortable.

Sheridan is a fun place to live and visit. We want to keep it that way. Parks and pathways, street festivals, the world famous WYO Rodeo, First People’s Powwow, the Suds and Spurs Brewfest, the Best of the West Barbecue Festival and now we’re home to the World Champion Indian Relay Races — the list goes on and on. We are the midpoint between Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park. Building upon these events will keep folks here for a couple days and keep them coming back.

Sheridan has a true pioneering spirit, the people of this community are generous in nature. I feel blessed to live here in such a beautiful area surrounded by so many wonderful people. My door is always open and I welcome your ideas and suggestions.

Building a better tomorrow,

John Heath, Mayor

The Sheridan County Board of County Commissioners welcomes you to Sheridan County, which was established in 1888.

We are justifiably proud of our Western heritage and culture embodied in the fine people who choose to live, work and raise their families in Sheridan County. They make the area the special place that it is. Area residents are known for their hospitality, community spirit, volunteerism and generosity. They are the county’s greatest resource.

The main role of Sheridan County government is to ensure that Sheridan County continues to be a wonderful place to live and that conditions and services maintain pace with public need. Foremost among these efforts is comprehensive land use planning that strives to maintain the existing quality of life for current and future generations balanced by a healthy respect for individual property rights. This planning process depends on public input and participation. Sheridan County is fortunate to have so many stakeholders willing to participate in the planning process.

Sheridan County as a destination, whether for recreation, vacation or relocation of your home or business, has much to offer — its people, its landscape, its diversity, its quality of life. We are protective of what we have, but we are willing to share it with others and welcome new people, new businesses, new ideas and a shared interest in our wonderful heritage.

Come and see us. You’ll be more than welcome.

Sheridan County Commissioners

6 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

DESTINATION

SHERIDAN VOLUME 3 NUMBER 3

Published October 2014 Destination Sheridan is a lifestyle and tourism magazine dedicated to serving the greater Sheridan area.

Its circulation reach is into visitor centers, places of hospitality, motels, local businesses and other establishments in the greater northern Wyoming area, South Dakota, Montana and Colorado, and home delivery customers of The Sheridan Press.

It is also available online: thesheridanpress.com and DestinationSheridan.com.

Jonathan Cates Art Director Stephen Woody Publisher Phil Ashley Marketing Director Kristen Czaban Managing Editor

CONTRIBUTORS Janea LaMeres, Sales Maureen Legerski, Sales Lisa Marton, Sales Mark Blumenshine, Operations Justin Sheely, Photojournalist Mike Pruden, Journalist Christina Schmidt, Journalist Hannah Sheely, Journalist Alisa Brantz, Journalist Kendra Cousineau, Journalist All photos in Destination Sheridan are by Justin Sheely or are file photos from The Sheridan Press archives unless otherwise noted.

Copyright Sheridan Newspapers, Inc.

ON THE COVER Livestock graze as snow accumulates in the higher elevations of the Bighorn Mountains near Beckton, west of Sheridan.

Photo by Justin Sheely All uncredited stories are from Sheridan Press staff reports PICTURED: (from left) Commissioners Bob Rolston, Steve Maier, Terry Cram, Mike Nickel and Tom Ringley.

Talented Contributors KRISTEN czaban

STEPHEN woody

Kristen Czaban has covered just about every beat at The Sheridan Press. Over the last six years, that means she has had plenty of time to explore the corners of the county. The places that speak to her soul are less about the location, though, and more about the people who surround her. That means her favorite place could be at restaurant having conversations with friends or snowshoeing through the Bighorns with her husband and dog.

At times, her favorite place is anywhere there are no people — where there are no voices but those of the winds whispering to the trees.

Stephen Woody first began visiting Sheridan and the Bighorns in 1976. Over time, with children along for the ride and now with grandchildren, he’s visited mountain lakes and streams, city parks and most often, golf courses. There are three in Sheridan, all unique and worth a visit. He also enjoys Historic Downtown Sheridan as a “favorite” place along with Kendrick Park and Whitney Commons.

HANNAH sheely Government and outdoors reporter Hannah Sheely joined the Press staff in February 2013. She got married this summer to Press photographer Justin Sheely and has found every place to be enjoyable in his company. However, her favorite place in Sheridan County is at 9,500 feet on the Black Mountain fire lookout. She has always enjoyed being on top of mountains where the world and its woes fall away, replaced by sun, wind and a beautiful view of the place she is glad to call home.

Her other favorite place is walking down Main Street with coffee in hand.

ALISA brantz Whether going for a warm swim on a cold winter day or climbing around an air-conditioned Playland when the summer heat makes the park unbearable, the Sheridan County YMCA is Alisa Brantz’s — and her 2.5-year-old daughter’s — favorite place in Sheridan, any time of year. From the smile on Y employee Jill Martin’s face in the early hours of the morning, to the looks of determined joy given by the skaters of the women’s roller derby team that Brantz coaches in YMCA gyms twice a week, to her the facility is associated with happiness.

CHRISTINA schmidt

MIKE pruden

Christina Schmidt is a freelance feature writer for The Sheridan Press. She is an Oklahoma native who moved to Wyoming in 1999 seeking more wildlife and less people on the landscape. Most of her time at The Press has been spent covering education and writing feature articles, with a few art stories thrown in. Traveling, reading, bicycling and dog agility are some of her hobbies. She is now enjoying life in Dayton with her husband, two horses, two cats and three dogs where the only drawback is that the commute to work requires fourwheels instead of two.

The cold weather signifies one thing to sports editor Mike Pruden: basketball season. He’ll spend a majority of his winter on the couch crying that Paul George shattered his leg and the Pacers are going to struggle, but when he’s not doing that, he’ll be looking forward to getting to the gym and playing. To go along with noon ball at the Y with some good guys who have welcomed him to Sheridan with open arms, he’s ready for rec league to start. Everything Robbie Spencer and the Rec District do is done well and is extremely enjoyable, and he expects nothing different from the men’s basketball league.

KENDRA cousineau Kendra Cousineau was born in Wenatchee, Washington, but raised in Missoula, Montana, where she attended high school and college. She recently graduated from the University of Montana and took a job here at The Sheridan Press. She has only been in Sheridan three short months, and in that time, hasn’t had an opportunity to explore the Bighorns or the Tongue River as much as she’d like. Without getting an opportunity to hunt or fish yet, her favorite place so far would have to be Big Horn. The community beckons whether she’s on the sidelines of a Rams football game or at the Big Horn Smokehouse because Doug always puts the Griz game on for her. It is a beautiful town with great people.

8 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

JUSTIN sheely Justin Sheely is a Billings native with Sheridan roots. He joined The Sheridan Press in 2013 as a full-time photographer. The Sheridan area presents a great number of beautiful landscapes and vistas for a photographer to enjoy. The Bighorn Mountains certainly offer pleasant scenes, but Justin finds his favorite places east of Sheridan, near Ucross and Clearmont where a fleet of humble hills cast deep shadows across the country during sunrise. He particularly enjoys the guest ranch at Ucross and other places with rustic barns and tacksheds. These are scenes, he feels, are often overshadowed by the draw of the mountain.

S heridan ICE

by Mike Pruden

Photos by Justin Sheely

“Ice is humbling. It cares not who you are, where you work, your name, or your age. It cares how hard you try.”

The Sheridan on Skates website wants people to know that ice skating is for everybody. Which is a good thing, because the ice rink is a popular attraction during long Sheridan winters.

Outdoor pools have been closed for a while, football season is heading into the tournament, and everyone is hunkering down for the winter.

Sheridan offers a plethora of things to do in the summer. Whether you’re working on your short game at the Powder Horn or picking up a bite to eat downtown at Third Thursday, there isn’t a better place to be then outside in Sheridan in the warm summer months.

Those warm summer days quickly turn into cold winter ones, passing over brisk fall days as quickly as the winter winds blow.

It’s easy for someone to throw a few logs in the fireplace, grab their favorite novel and cuddle up under a blanket during these bleak months.

One destination, the Sheridan ice rink, has been waiting in anticipation for winter to arrive. It means it’s time for skaters and hockey players to sharpen their skates.

Sheridan Ice organizers couldn’t be more excited than they are for this upcoming skating season. After a num-

10 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

ber of years under the ownership of Whitney Benefits, the ice rink was gifted to Sheridan College in September and immediately re-gifted to Sheridan on Skates, a local nonprofit focused on building life skills, promoting positive self-esteem and teaching sportsmanship, all while encouraging friendly competition through skating.

The biggest objective for the new owners is converting the current ice rink into a new, indoor skating facility, complete with locker rooms, meeting rooms and an exercise room. Of the 82 people surveyed at the end of last skating season, 85 percent of them stressed that the most important improvement needed at the rink is covering it.

This requires Sheridan on Skates to raise $1 million from the community, which is expected to be matched 5:1 by a lead donor, for a total of $6 million.

The new facility would open up new opportunities for the skating community, including hosting tournaments and events, which would in turn generate tourism

and business for the entire community. Most importantly, though, it would allow the facility to remain open at least twice as long as it has been in the past, typically three months a year.

While the group isn’t expecting to break ground on the new facility until at least March, with the hopes of it being ready to go for winter 2015, that doesn’t mean the current ice rink doesn’t have plenty to offer.

The ice rink features open skating, figure skating and hockey programs for all ages. Most importantly, though, it gives Sheridan residents and visitors alike something to do in the wintertime.

So, before you climb under that blanket to escape the cold, consider a trip to Sheridan Ice. Remember, ice is humbling.

LEFT: Tongue River Valley Community Center kids Tyla Pitman, left, and Claire Justice glide over the ice.

ABOVE: Lane Barten, left, moves the puck across the rink with Lane Eisenman during practice for the Sheridan High School ice hockey team.

Fall/Winter

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S

nowkiting

by Hannah Sheely

“

Kiting turns the Bighorns into premium backcountry skiing.

”

– Josh Tatman Mark Jones jumps with his kite.

Courtesy photo

12 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Remember leaping off the porch as a kid with a towel tied around your neck? Or that time you thought it’d be a good idea to stand up on the toboggan with your arms spread wide as it careened down the snowy hill? Even weeks later with your leg in a cast, you could remember those few seconds when it felt like you were flying.

The allure of flight tugs at most every kid’s heart, and if we adults are honest, that tug never really goes away, does it?

There is a reason some of us parachute out of airplanes or leap from cliffs strapped onto a hang glider. It is the same reason a handful of Sheridan residents circle Oct. 7 on their calendars.

Each year around Oct. 7 the Bighorn Mountains become one of the first — and also one of the premier — destinations for a different kind of flight called snowkiting.

A cousin to kite surfing, snowkiting is essentially what it sounds like: using a kite to pull a skier or snowboarder over the snow — often at speeds pushing 30 mph and often resulting in some precious moments of air time.

“It grabs your imagination,” local snowkiter Josh Tatman said.

“The kite is pulled by the wind, and you’re laid back on your skis just trucking across these wide open spaces…fast.”

Tatman glances sideways, the fall sunshine reflected in his bluetinted sunglasses, seeming to forget for a moment that he is firmly on dry ground on the patio at the Blacktooth Brewing Company.

“You get this feeling that you could go as far as you want to and just keep going,” he said.

When the weather is good, which means nice and windy, Tatman and snowkiting comrades Mark Jones, Eric Holifield and Kevin Anderson will go and go until their legs are Jello.

Although the Bighorn Mountains feature Cloud Peak, the third tallest peak in Wyoming at 13,167 feet, they are not known for downhill skiing like the Teton Range in western Wyoming.

Still, come October, skiers from famous skiing towns like Jackson, Wyoming, and Bozeman, Montana, clamber to the Bighorns.

Bald Mountain, a somewhat nondescript, treeless dome seen from U.S. Highway 14A west of Burgess Junction, becomes a skiing hot spot for snowkiters.

“Once you strap on a kite, you see the terrain differently. Kiting turns the Bighorns into premium backcountry skiing,” Tatman said.

The allure?

Wind.

Even though the city of Sheridan is often shielded from Wyoming’s infamous winds, they visit the Bighorn Mountains in a steady flow ideal for filling a kite and setting a skier soaring.

Add the area’s wide open spaces and the fairly predictable snowfall that usually hits the Bighorns by early October, and hills like Bald Mountain become a snowkiting paradise coveted by kiters around the world.

Jones, one of the area’s few snowkiters, started kite surfing in Florida in the early 1990s. Also a ski bum, he later moved to Jackson

Local snowkiter Mark Jones catches air on a sunny day in the Bighorn Mountains.

Courtesy photo

THE MECHANICS OF SNOWKITING Snowkiting is much more than strapping on skis and tossing a kite into the air. (Remember that broken leg from that ohso-smart idea to stand on the toboggan? You don’t want to repeat that.)

Local snowkiters Josh Tatman and Mark Jones urge safety for anyone wanting to try the sport.

Tatman said it is a good idea to start small and progress from there, noting that mastering the kite is often the hardest part of snowkiting. He recommended beginning with a trainer kite that is only 2-4 meters in width and working up to 6-, 8- and 12-meter kites. He also suggested practicing with the kite without being strapped to skis to learn how it flies and reacts in various wind conditions.

There are two kinds of kites: foil and inflatable. Picking one or the other is a simple matter of preference. It may be a good idea to try out a friend’s kite before buying one of your own.

Jones said most kiters have a “quiver” of kites of different sizes and varieties to match wind and snow conditions of the day.

The kite attaches to a bar much like a bike handle that is attached to the skier via a harness similar to a climbing harness. Two inner lines attach to the center of the kite and the center of the bar to provide “pull.” Two outer lines attach to the ends of the bar and the outer edges of the kite to allow the kiter to steer.

Both Jones and Tatman recommended that skiers have a decent knowledge of downhill and backcountry skiing before attempting to add a kite to the mix. Then, strap in and get ready to fly.

and then Sheridan in the late 1990s. He befriended Eric Holifield and started snowkiting around 2007, shortly after the sport came to the area. Holifield was one of the first kiters in Sheridan.

“To go backcountry skiing takes a lot of time and effort to climb a slope you want to ski.

With a kite, it’s a matter of minutes,” Jones said.

Jones almost exclusively snowkites in the winter. Good areas like Bald Mountain are accessible by foot early in the season, and kiters often snowmobile to more remote locations later in the winter. Jones said most years he can snowkite from October into late June or even July.

“It’s just an addicting sport,” Jones said.

“Harnessing wind and weather is pretty cool.”

Tatman does backcountry skiing and snowkiting each season since he still enjoys the challenge of accessing the good skiing available in the Bighorns if he’ll only trek a bit.

But, he said, it’s hard to beat tossing a kite into the wind on a wide slope and gaining enough momentum to reach speeds of 30 mph or more — going both up and down the hill.

Other skiers mix backcountry skiing and snowkiting on the same day, using their kite to climb hills but skiing down without it in a traditional backcountry style.

Last year, regional kiters started the Bighorn SnowKite Summit, a week-long event featuring roundtable discussions on safety, ethics and the future of snowkiting, as well as on-snow clinics and plenty of kiting.

Days after the event was announced, the High Country Lodge was filled to capacity with kiters wanting to experience some of the nation’s best snowkiting. Many kiters tent camped near Bald Mountain, braving temperatures below zero for much of the week.

Some may call that crazy, but it is testament to the addictive nature of the sport.

What’s the allure?

Quite simply: flight, sweet flight — with skis for wings and a kite for a cape.

• 24 Hour Drop Box & VIP Service • It’s Right. It’s Ready, or it’s FREE Guaranteed • Express & Same Day Service available Mon – Fri

Mon-Fri 7am-7am • Saturday 9am-4pm

1360 SUGARLAND DR. (Behind Perkins) PH: 307-674-6799 Fall/Winter

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Area DESTINATIONS

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nowmobiling “We have 193 miles of well-marked and groomed trails, an additional 22 miles of ungroomed trails and thousands of acres of unbroken powder meadows,” according to the Bear Lodge website.

The Wyoming Department of State Parks, the Bighorn National Forest and local snowmobiling clubs work cooperatively to maintain the area’s trail system.

Riding seasons span November to April with elevations varying from 7,500 feet to 10,000 feet. Wyoming law requires that snowmobiles have a resident or nonresident user fee decal on the machine, according to the Bighorn National Forest. For those unfamiliar with the area a tour guide is recommended.

A full list of rules and safety tips can be found in the

S

nowshoeing AND

C

ross-country Skiing

For the winter sports enthusiast wishing to avoid the drone of a snowmobile motor, the Bighorn Mountains offer six cross-country ski and snowshoeing areas.

“These trails have yet to be discovered by most Nordic skiers and offer plenty of solitude,” according to a release from the Bighorn National Forest.

Trails can be accessed from U.S. Highway 14 coming from Sheridan and from U.S. Highway 16 coming from Buffalo. Willow Park and Pole Creek, in particular, offer great cross-country skiing opportunities. Trails are open December through May. NEAR BUFFALO • Pole Creek - #557 Seven different loops to satisfy any ski level. Nearly 11 miles of groomed trails. Light use. Trail begins and ends at the parking area on Forest Service Road 457.

• Pole Creek - The area provides opportunities for cross-country skiers and snowshoers to explore loops, hills, ridges and forested areas throughout the winter.

From Buffalo take Highway 16 west about 17 miles. Turn right on to Forest Service Road 456.

• Willow Park - #556 Offers 13 miles of groomed trails and a variety of skill levels. Skiers can experience loops, hills, ridges and wonderful scenery.

• Antelope Butte - #559 The trail is divided into four loops — providing for a 14 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Northern Wyoming Snowmobiles Trail Map or by visiting the Bear Lodge website at WWW.BEARLODGERESORT.COM. Also, a list of the many trails can be found under the recreation/winter sports section of the Bighorn National Forest website.

variety of skill levels. The trail winds through lodgepole pine forests and breaks into large open parks offering the skier excellent scenic views.

Located about 40 miles east of Greybull on Highway 14, the trail system begins and ends at the ski area parking lot, off of Forest Service Road 244.

NEAR SHERIDAN Cutler Hill - #552 Cross-country ski or snowshoe with your dog on gentle slopes, spur trails and a meadow loop. From Dayton, take Highway 14 west 19 miles. Parking lot is on the north side of the road. This is a popular trail for Sheridan residents.

Sibley Lake - #558 Some loops provide for skate/ski opportunities, snowshoers are also welcome. These trails are track set for classic skiing therefore dogs are not allowed. Trail begins and ends at Sibley Lake parking.

Fall/Winter

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Antelope Butte FOUNDATION

by Alisa Brantz

The Antelope Butte Foundation has been working to reopen Sheridan’s nearest ski area since 2011 and has yet to disturb dirt, having many residents wondering, why does the process take so long?

Paul Birkholz, vice president of the board of directors, said the main reason for the slow going is that the group is attempting to reopen in a sustainable way.

“Could we maybe have gone up there, got a lift running, got a porta potty? Sure, but how long is that going to last?” he said. “So from a timing stand point it takes a little bit longer to get there, but when it is there it’s sustainable and it stays around for future generations not just a couple years.”

So what exactly does a sustainable model look like, what are the steps to getting there and where in the process is the group?

Let’s start at the beginning.

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Children play in the creek under the ski lift during the Antelope Butte Foundation’s Summer Festival. The event was held to raise funds for the Antelope Butte Foundation and to raise awareness about the potential the location has for summer activities and recreational events.

THE PAST The foundation was formed as a volunteer effort to reopen the Antelope Butte Ski and Recreation Area located in the Bighorn Mountains 60 miles west of Sheridan.

The area defaulted to government ownership after closing in 2003, and with quite a bit of neglect (and expense) piling up on the mountain, the treasured recreational facility was facing the possibility of demolition.

In February 2011, now ABF board President Mark Weitz sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service asking them not to tear down the ski area, but rather give them six months to figure out a plan.

“So it really came out of either the wrecking ball or some model, and the model we chose was the nonprofit because none of us have the funds to open it and as we say, no white knight was coming in to rescue it,” board member Josh Law said.

Many people ask what a nonprofit ski area looks like and the board members say it’s simple: it looks like a ski resort.

“Whether it is a for-profit corporation or a nonprofit corporation the ski areas still run the same,” Birkholz said. “I think people hear nonprofit and they think, oh it’s going to operate different. No, it’s going to still operate the same we’re just not paying a shareholder.”

“Or they say it’s a nonprofit, it’s not allowed to make money, it’s going to operate at a loss,” Weitz added.

“Well, in our situation that’s really not true. It’s break even, but nobody is going to want to pour the however many millions into it upfront to make $10-20,000 a year, and with some risk.”

Weitz added that the other benefits of functioning as a nonprofit are reduced executive expenses thanks to the volunteer efforts of the board, not paying taxes and also being able to receive donations.

And they’re not the only ones doing it this way.

Fifty-year-old ski resort Mt. Ashland in Oregon has been operated as a nonprofit for 20 years with tremendous success.

With a similar mission to ABF, Mt. Ashland provides youth programs including after-school activities and winter science courses.

The principal mission of the ABF is to provide affordable, accessible skiing, mountain recreation and related training and education for all, especially youth and beginners.

While Ashland may be one of the oldest nonprofit ski areas around, it is by no means one of the only. Small community ski resorts across the nation that are not already operated as nonprofits seem to be transitioning that direction.

Sleeping Giant Ski Area near Cody reopened as a nonprofit in 2009 after a fiveyear closure, creating a reopening plan ABF was able to model.

“The model we have worked out is really a break-even operation,” Law said. “We want the ski area to not have to continually ask the community for more funds, but we also aren’t looking to create a lot of excess money to any degree.”

But for now, that is exactly what the board needs to do: seek funding from the community.

Weitz said though he has heard it said that the group is in perpetual fundraising mode, their true campaign has yet to begin.

“From my perspective, the first year we spent figuring out what the next step was; we figured out the steps and process to make this happen,” Law said. “It’s hard to raise any money if you don’t know how much it’s going to cost.

“Any fundraising that has been done to date has just been for us to be able to put a project together, not a capital campaign, which is coming next,” he added. “Once we get a purchase agreement in place, then we

Ski lifts at Antelope Butte Ski Area have sat unused for years.

Fall/Winter

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“

feel like we can come before the community and say ‘here is the project.’”

THE PRESENT In January of this year, the foundation ordered an appraisal of the ski area, a required step in being able to purchase it from the U.S. Forest Service.

Fast-forward to today — the appraisal has still not been delivered.

“When we finally get this appraisal done, and then hopefully negotiate a purchase sale agreement, that will have taken three years and I will have called that the discovery and project phase,” Weitz said. “Just getting the whole thing into something that you can put in front of someone to show them what it is, what the cost, the process, etc.”

Phase two? Capital campaign.

The group has determined they need just over $3 million, including approximately $1,787,000 for refurbishment, $1,155,000 for equipment and a small bank of operational capital.

They acknowledge, as well, the many assets they already have in place including a National Ski Area Association membership, and a Once we get a purchase whole lot of people. agreement in place, then we From specialized feel like we can come before legal counsel in ski the community and say ‘here area development to is the project. ski instructors, ski patrol, committed – Josh Law volunteers and “inspired, enthusiastic citizens in surrounding communities,

”

across Wyoming, and throughout the nation” the group knows a lot of people are ready and eager to roll.

Current plans call for reliance on a network of ski resorts across the nation facing similar circumstances to pool best practices as well as resources.

“The whole ski industry has changed. A number of community or what you might call ‘mom and pop’ operations are either struggling, or went out of business, or operating under the old business model found it harder to be sustainable because capital requirements have gone up; just the whole texture, the whole layout or ground of ski areas has changed,” Weitz said, adding that another big shift in the industry over the last 25-30 years has been the emergence of mega resorts.

“They are really more about selling real estate and having a village experience, a shopping experience and a flyin destination experience than it is about learning how to ski,” he said. “And that’s put difficult pressure on the smaller ski areas because if you’re running as a mom and pop, you’re having to carry your own insurance, you’re having to handle your own marketing, you’re having to buy equipment.”

Weitz said the problem is comparable to one farmer trying to compete against a Monsanto type entity; so the solution is similar to what farmers have done as well: form a co-op.

“As Antelope Butte opens and as mountains go more and more this way, it’s going to create more buying power,” Law said. “Several mom and pops come together and purchase ski jackets together, for example.

This increases buying power and decreases their marginal cost.”

And equipment is not the only thing that can be purchased in bulk.

The board said even for back office operations like not having to buy their own insurance, marketing and accountants, along with shared ski passes — where one pass gets you entry to multiple resorts — can all help keep small ski areas costs down and revenue up.

And though some people have expressed concern that the reopening could hurt nearby ski areas already in operation, the board of ABF says the opposite will happen.

THE FUTURE A place to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the winter; a place for schools, youth and recreation groups to meet and learn; and keeping a treasured tradition alive are but a few of the benefits of reopening Antelope Butte, Weitz says.

Statistically speaking, he says, there are reciprocal benefits of having “competing” successful ski mountains nearby, and there are economic benefits to be seen in surrounding communities, on and off the mountain.

“There are skiers that just like to go to Vail for the weekend and then there are other skiers who like to road trip and go to these community ski areas and just groove on the vibe and hang out in the lodge and we’re meeting a lot of those people,” Weitz said.

“It truly is when the tide rises all boats rise,” Law added.

“The Midwest is the only region of the country that

18 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

has a younger demographic for the sport that is growing,” Weitz said.

“And if you start driving west from the Midwest the first ski resort you run into is the one in the Black Hills or you run into Red Lodge and I see that midweek at Red Lodge; three quarters of the car tags there are North Dakota and Minnesota,” Birkholz added. “So Antelope Butte has an opportunity there to be a destination where we can start pulling in some of those people. With a small bit of advertising, they’ll keep coming west. And now they are not only spending money at Antelope Butte, they’re spending money in Sheridan, they’re spending money in Greybull and they’re stimulating the economy.”

Law added that the group has done some research into the population that would use the ski area and there has been about a 17 percent growth in the last 17 years that the ski area has been closed. So ABF is looking at a larger population base than there used to be.

Weitz added that even with the population the town had previously, Antelope Butte was able to draw enough support for three ski shops in Sheridan.

“The Sports Lure in Buffalo still has a lot of skiing goods, because they have Meadowlark,” Birkholz added. “But I would bet Big Horn Mountain Sports would still be open in Sheridan if Antelope Butte didn’t close.”

But it isn’t just ski equipment sales that will rise. They are quick to add that hotels, restaurants and essentially everyone else will “rise with the tide” too.

“Millions of dollars of infusion into a community is what Antelope Butte represents,” Weitz said.

But in the meantime, it all starts with owning the land.

If a purchase sale agreement can be obtained soon, and if a capital campaign proves lucrative swiftly, and if improvements can be acquired from the Forest Service to begin renovations to the area next construction season and if furnishings, equipment and employees can be acquired quickly after that, the ski resort could be open for the 2015 ski season.

“Would we all love to have had lifts running three years ago? Absolutely,” Birkholz said.

“And had we only had to raise say $3,000 and we were serving chili out of a cold garage, maybe we could have done that, but we don’t see that as a sustainable footing to grow from,” Weitz added.

So for now, in the name of future generations of ski lovers, we wait.

WWW.ANTELOPEBUTTEFOUNDATION.ORG

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AREA DESTINATIONS

STEAMBOAT POINT

Bighorn Mountains A PLACE TO PLAY The opportunities in the Bighorn Mountains for enjoyable day treks are endless — whether the adventurer chooses to follow established trails or blaze their own.

MEDICINE WHEEL NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK

The following is a list of some well-known sites. A complete list of trails and a map of the Bighorn National Forest is available from the U.S. Forest Service office located at 2013 East Second St. in Sheridan.

STEAMBOAT POINT

SIBLEY LAKE

A breathtaking landmark in the Bighorn Mountains, Steamboat Point is visible from U.S. Highway 14 and resembles the bow of a steamboat, especially during a fog-filled morning. Hikers can make the trek to the top of Steamboat Point for 360-degree views of the Bighorns. The hike is just under 1 mile but is a steep climb. Parking is available at the base of the landmark.

TONGUE RIVER CANYON

To reach this trailhead, head west on U.S. Highway 14 to County Road 92.

The trailhead begins at the end of County Road 92 and continues 11.2 miles to Forest Service Road 196.

Those willing to trek up the canyon are rewarded with an open meadow.

BLACK MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT

TONGUE RIVER CANYON

20 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

The walk to the landmark from the parking area is approximately 2 miles.

To visit the landmark, take Medicine Wheel Passage off of Highway 14A, then travel two miles northwest on Forest Service Road 12 to the parking area and gate BLACK MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT

This trail will take you to the historic Black Mountain Fire Lookout built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The elevation for the lookout is 9,500 feet and provides spectacular views. The historic site can be accessed by gravel road followed by a 1-mile trail.

To reach this short hike, travel west on U.S. Highway 14 to Forest Service Road 16. Then, head east on Forest Service Road 222.

MEDICINE WHEEL NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK

SIBLEY LAKE

While the drive from Sheridan to this historic landmark takes time, the impact of this historic site on visitors is significant. Constructed approximately 700 years ago, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel is believed to have been built by a member of the Crow tribe before the tribes that now occupy the territory arrived.

The landmark is made of rocks gathered in the area and each of the wheel’s 28 spokes reach about 8 feet in diameter.

The piles of rocks line up with stars to mark important dates in Crow culture.

This oft-traveled trail boasts two picnic areas and a campground. The trail provides hiking options in the summer and Nordic ski and snowshoe trails in the winter months. The trail includes several miles for exploration around the manmade lake built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Fishing, camping and picnicking are available and non-motorized boating is also allowed. To reach Sibley Lake, travel west on U.S. Highway 14 and follow signs once on the Bighorn National Forest.

AREA DESTINATIONS

ACCOMMODATIONS Recreationists have long known the attraction of the Bighorn Mountains and lodges and the local economy are reaping the benefits.

Owners of Bear Lodge, Elk View Lodge and Arrowhead Lodge estimated that those three lodges bring in $4 million of revenue per year.

Rick and Roberta Young have owned Bear Lodge since 1993, Arrowhead since 2008 and Elk View Inn since 2010.

Since their first days owning just one lodge, the Youngs said revenue has increased greatly, expanding to employ 6570 people. All three lodges are located near U.S. Highway 14.

In the wintertime snowmobilers are looking not only for a place to stay and buy food, they are also purchasing decals, which are required to ride on trails in Wyoming.

While wintertime is the busiest time for those three lodges, summer and fall can also bring in its share of business.

Hunters tracking big game often stay at the lodges.

Summer brings bus tours, weddings, family reunions and of course motorcy-

clists who are headed to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Those three lodges are not the only ones nearby that bring in visitors.

The Paradise Guest Ranch is 16 miles from Buffalo and hosts about 60 guests per week and runs at capacity during the summer months. The business relies heavily on air service and customers come from all over the country.

Wyoming High Country Lodge is located 30 miles west of Lovell. Between Dec. 1 and March 13 the lodge welcomes 670 guests with another 1,000 stopping through for food or gas.

The majority of visitors come from Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.

Local lodge owners have said the average person spends between $1,000 and $1,500 on their stays, which includes fuel, lodging and food.

There are plans for the lodge to possibly expand as they have received a permit from the U.S. Forest Service to allow RV and tent camping.

Meanwhile visitors will continue to spend time in the majestic mountains whether it be snowmobiling, hiking, horseback riding or other activities.

BEAR LODGE

ELK VIEW LODGE

ARROWHEAD LODGE

WWW.BIGHORNMOUNTAINS.COM — WWW.FS.USDA.GOV/BIGHORN

Destination Sheridan is proudly brought to you by THE SHERIDAN PRESS.

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AREA DESTINATIONS

B T lazing

During the snowstorms that frequently come through our area all winter, most of us hunker down in our warm and dry homes. However, several Sheridan residents head into the snow and the mountains to prepare local ski trails for users.

For more than a decade, members of the Black Mountain Nordic Club have sponsored maintenance of the cross-country ski trails in the Bighorn National Forest around Sibley Lake and Cutler Hill. The trails are open to both cross-country skiers and snowshoers.

The club was formally organized and achieved nonprofit status in 2001, but the founders and other volunteers had actually been grooming trails since the late 1970s.

“Jim Goodwin and myself and a couple other people started plodding around Sibley and thought there was some potential for ski trails there and it kind of got started from there,” Curt Schwamb said. “We formed the club and it has sort of grown from that point. We’ve accumulated equipment little by little.”

The group now has a handful of snowmobiles and six implements used for grooming trails. Six members of the club are trained to do the trail grooming.

“We try to groom once a week, depending on snow conditions,” Schwamb explained. “If you get a lot of snow, it is a lot of work. For an average weekend, if you got 6 inches of snow that week you are probably looking at 10 man-hours to get everything in good condition. It is a second job.”

“When we groom we usually try to go up at least two people at a time so one person isn’t up there alone,” he continued. “The grooming machines aren’t like snow machines, they are bigger and heavier. When you get one buried, it gets to be a lot of work to get one unstuck. There have been times I’ve been stuck and not sure I could get it out. Even if you aren’t right together, if you get stuck and don’t show up at a certain time, the other guy will go look for you and help get you out.”

The trails at Sibley Lake and Cutler are nine and four miles respectively, but each trail needs repeated passes to properly pack the snow. Therefore, it often takes 70 miles of travel over the trails to get them in usable condition.

Schwamb estimated that there are 125 members of the club who pay $15 per year in dues. However, some members pay extra and all the money raised is funneled back into maintenance activities.

The group operates under a volunteer agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain the trails. The group volunteers member time and equipment, while the Forest Service pays for fuel expenses for the equipment. The Forest Service also pays for and installs the trailhead signs.

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rails

“Our responsibility is to acquire and maintain the equipment to maintain the trails,” Schwamb said. “Last year we spent close to $8,000 between maintenance and another machine. This year it has been pretty good, nothing too major has gone wrong!”

Cheri Jones, a Forest Service recreation staff member, said the service the club provides is hugely beneficial to the Forest Service and the skiing public.

“I am amazed at what they do for us,” Jones said. “It is incredible to have that energy level and involvement and commitment. The forest I came from before this, we paid big bucks to have just 8 miles of trails groomed.”

“They just keep going and seem to be successful in getting new members and the more members they get the more they can spread that work out,” she added. “They are always coming up with ideas to make things better and new projects.”

One of the group’s ideas was to create separate trails for dogs to accompany their owners. Dogs are not allowed on the trails around Sibley Lake during the winter until maintenance ceases in the spring.

However, the group came up with the idea for the ski trails near Cutler Hill, which do allow dogs. In fact, the trails carry names

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Trails such as the Canine Climb, Mutt Meadows and Fido’s Fairway. While the trails at Sibley are packed and then have tracks set in them, the Cutler trails are just packed with no tracks set.

The volunteer nature of the club ensures that access to the trails is free to the public. Schwamb noted that many other ski areas are often operated by government entities or businesses that charge a daily or season pass fee to cover maintenance costs.

Schwamb said the group has seen some recent increases in membership, particularly after Antelope Butte Ski Area closed, but noted that he thinks the increased interest is mainly related to new converts to the sport.

“It is a good way to get out and you aren’t slogging through the deep snow like you would going through the trees,” he said. “You have nice packed trails to go on that makes it easier and the weather in the Sibley and Cutler area can be really good. It lies in a pocket and is kind of pro-

tected. A lot of times it is nicer up there than it is down here.”

Members of the club receive weekly email notifications of trail conditions and weather reports.

Schwamb encourages anyone interested in joining or supporting the group to contact them through their website at www.blackmountainnordic.com.

“They are an amazing source of expertise and assistance and support,” Jones said. “I don’t know if the public appreciates it enough. There is a lot of work that goes into that.

“It is hard to even quantify the value that they provide to us. We appreciate it tremendously, more than words can express.”

Ice Fishing

When it comes to ice fishing, staying warm might test your patience, but the activity is definitely worth a try for those willing to brave it.

24 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Sibley Lake and Lake DeSmet provide easy access from Sheridan for ice fishers. With a wide array of well-kept secrets and some longer drives, there are plenty of opportunities to try the popular winter activity in the area.

When it comes to treading on ice, safety is always important.

“Ice conditions often fluctuate throughout the winter months as water levels in lakes and reservoirs change, and freezing and thawing weather patterns come and go and can contribute to unstable ice conditions,” according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Four inches of clear ice is usually safe for fishing, according to the WGFD, and they recommend that ice be checked every 100 to 150 feet.

Ice on rivers, in particular, can prove dangerous as moving water underneath can change conditions quickly. For this reason, the state recommends that anglers stay off rivers.

Other recommendations from the WGFD include not driving ATVs or vehicles on the ice and always fishing with a buddy. Always bring a floatation device and an ice pick in case you fall in.

Be sure to get your fishing license and stamp before heading out on any fishing adventure.

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SEARCH

Rescue

AND

by Mike Pruden

ABOVE: During ice rescue training put on by Johnson County Search and Rescue, Bob Aksamit (right) attaches a belt around the waist of Ryan Madson (left). The goal of this maneuver is to get the victim and rescuer both on the surface of the ice.

Courtesy photo

26 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

It was a scary moment for Jerry and Tricia DeVille when their daughter was stranded in the Bighorn Mountains over Labor Day weekend.

Alissa DeVille and her boyfriend, Blake Fuhriman, set up camp near Bighorn Reservoir before climbing Black Tooth Mountain, the second-highest peak in the Bighorns at 13,000 feet.

After summiting the peak, the couple wasn’t able to make their way back down, leaving them stranded.

“We, as parents, experienced one of those scary moments that everyone hopes they never have to go through,” Tricia DeVille wrote in a letter to The Press after the horrifying event.

This isn’t a rare occurrence in the area, though.

Climbers, hikers, snowmobilers and hunters are taking to the mountains in the fall and winter in mass numbers. It’s a great way to get outside and enjoy the unique Wyoming landscape.

While autumns and winters in Sheridan can be beautifully majestic, they can also be uncertain and treacherous.

Luckily, Sheridan Area Search and Rescue has 40 members ready and eager to assist in situations similar to DeVille’s and Fuhriman’s.

Sheridan Area Search and Rescue falls under the umbrella of the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Dave Hofmeier, but it’s his lieutenants and the 40 volunteers that make the team what it is, he said.

“They get called at two o’clock in the morning, and they get up and go look for someone,” Hofmeier said of the dedication of the volunteers. “Most people get a call at two in the morning and say ‘sorry, I’m going back to sleep.’”

Lt. Mark Conrad acts as the liaison for the sheriff’s office and SASR, but also plays a huge role in joining the volunteers on search and rescue missions.

Conrad loves the outdoors, knows the mountains and has very strong snowmobile skills.

He says that, paired with his general desire to help people, mirrors the traits of the 40 members of the search and rescue team.

Prepare.

It’s not an easy process to become a search and As simple as it sounds — Conrad and Hofmeier almost laugh at the simrescue team member, either. Volunteers most go plicity of it — they say it’s one of the most common reasons things go through extensive background checks and intense wrong. training before they can hop in a truck and drive up “It’s a simple thing to say, but wear adequate clothing, bring adequate Red Grade Road to save somebody. equipment,” Conrad said.

That doesn’t deter people from lining up to join.

And don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Conrad said Sheridan Area Search and Rescue has a They added that another common problem that leads to trouble is waiting list of people wanting to volunteer their climbers, hikers and snowmobilers going beyond the boundaries of what time and services to help. they are actually capable of doing.

But as the weather changes, the search and rescue “I would say the vast majority of our searches have not been people who team preps for more of those 2 a.m. phone calls. are lost, but people who are stranded,” Conrad said. “If it doesn’t feel Bob Aksamit, president of Sheridan Area Search right, then it probably isn’t.” and Rescue, said the uncertainty of Wyoming “If your gut’s telling you no, it’s too steep or weather is the biggest cause for it’s not set up right, don’t go, “Hofmeier concern when it comes to trouble on the mountains. added.

“A lot of it is, people don’t reAnd if the worst case happens, and the call to It’s a simple thing to say, but alize how fast things can change,” search and rescue has to be made, they hope wear adequate clothing, he said. you’re prepared enough to tell somebody bring adequate equipment.

Conrad echoed Aksamit’s reawhere you are going. soning.

“Tell somebody at the desk at a lodge,” Ak– Lt. Mark Conrad “The weather alone changes samit said. “If we have an idea of where to start things dramatically,” he said. looking, it makes everything so much easier.”

“Your situation might be great if Taking the advice of Sheridan Area Search it’s 75 degrees, but if it’s 10 deand Rescue before taking an adventure might grees, your situation just changed. I’ve seen it snow be the difference in having to appreciate their services down the road. on the Fourth of July. You’re getting sunburnt, but “They volunteer to go out, in this case, at night and climb in the mounyou wake up to 6 inches of snow.” tains to help someone in need,” Tricia and Jerry DeVille said after their So what can you do to better prevent the chances daughter was rescued from Black Tooth Mountain. “We had never taken of search and rescue coming to look for you? this for granted, but didn’t totally appreciate what they do until now.”

“

”

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WINTER SURVIVAL

by Hannah Sheely

When some people think of survival, they think of a tanned and toned woman in a bikini eating bugs on “Survivor.” Others may think of Chris McCandless burning his money and throwing off the world’s restraints to live in a bus in Alaska from the story, “Into the Wild.”

Not many people think of huddling beneath a snowy pine tree, sopping wet and shivering so hard you can hardly breathe while looking at a starless sky and wondering if you’ll see the morning.

Not many think of the mixed feeling of stupidity and panic when you find yourself lost in an unexpected snowstorm without snacks and water because you thought you’d only be out an hour.

“People have this romantic notion of survival,” Sheridan College winter survival instructor Dave Malutich said. “They have this idea of heading into the mountains, something happening and relying on their intuition to get out alive. That kind of thinking leaves out a piece that’s very important to survival: what they should have done before they left.”

In short, survival is less about playing the hero and more about thinking like a Boy Scout. Prepping before trekking — anywhere for any reason — is key.

As long-time Sheridan Search and Rescue member and avid outdoorsmen Ron Condos would say: “The best survival tool anyone has is their brain.”

28 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

FACTORS THAT LEAD TO RISKY SITUATIONS There are several facets of human character that can often lead to risky situations that end up in survival situations.

F – Familiarity: When someone feels like they know a place and don’t notice changing conditions.

A – Acceptance: When people seek acceptance from their peers and don’t speak up when they are uncomfortable.

C – Commitment: When people cave in to a “We’ve come this far already,” or “We’re so close” mentality.

E – Expert halo: When people trust a leader’s judgment like he or she is wearing a halo of expertise.

T – Tracks: When people seek fresh tracks and a fresh thrill and ignore dangerous warning signs or get too far out.

S – Social proof: When people want bragging rights and push too far.

PREP LIKE A BOY SCOUT Always be prepared to spend a night outdoors when heading out on a winter excursion, Malutich said. If a trek does end up in a tight spot, the outcome will be better if trekkers are prepared.

“It’s not a morbid thought process focusing on what will kill you out there, and it is good to think about the possibilities,” Malutich said. “Just don’t freak out about it.”

Use your plan created with the five Ws to guide your preparations. Are you snowmobiling or snowshoeing? How long will you be out? What will the weather be like where you’re headed? Knowing what your trip will entail will help you prepare.

Malutich said every person on every trip — don’t rely on someone else — should always take the 10 essentials for survival in some form or another.

The longer the trip, the more supplies should be packed, but even an afternoon trek can turn into an overnighter if a snowstorm rolls in or a snowmobile breaks down. While a pack of supplies may seem cumbersome for a short trip, it won’t be if it’s needed.

One of the most important preparations? Tell your plan to someone you trust. Tell them where you are going, what you are doing and when you will return. Also give them an indication of when you would like them to call for help based on your comfort level with spending a night outdoors. Be realistic and give yourself some wiggle room.

AVOID OVEREXTENSION In his 30 years on Search and Rescue, Condos said the most common situation that gets people in trouble is overextension.

They go farther than they should, disregarding skill level or time constraints, forget how early the sun sets in the winter or get miles into the backcountry and their snowmobile runs out of gas, gets stuck or breaks down.

“It’s the snow machine that strands the person, not the person that strands the snow machine,” Condos said.

One example of overextension happened about 10 years ago near Cutler Hill Nordic Ski Area off of U.S. Highway 14.

Local skier Susan Savage had planned on cross-country skiing from Cutler to Tongue River Canyon but didn’t realize what that would entail. Thinking she’d be out for just a couple hours, she left her food, water and other supplies in the car and set out with her dog.

Over the course of the afternoon, she lost track of time and got farther from her car than planned. She also fell through the ice of the river, which sapped more time and energy.

Darkness fell, and she realized she’d have to spend the night. She curled up with her dog under a pine tree for warmth and waited for someone to find her. She got up to move around often to prevent sleep and to stay as warm as possible.

Rescuers found her early in the morning, cold and hungry but otherwise unharmed.

Savage said what she learned from the experience was to always have her backpack of survival gear with her.

“Having faith, family and friends is always comforting; additionally having fire, food and a first aid kit means surviving in the mountains,” Savage said.

Overextension can also occur when people push their limits, often as the result of peer pressure or fear of looking weak, Malutich said, or when they tolerate cold. Be honest about your abilities and combat cold the instant you feel it. Protect yourself from wind, cold and moisture with proper clothing and by generating your own heat through movement and calorie consumption.

“You must fuel your own internal combustion engine,” Malutich said.

THE 10 ESSENTIALS FOR SURVIVAL 1. Navigation (map and compass) 2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen) 3. Insulation (extra clothing) 4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight) 5. First-aid supplies

6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles) 7. Repair kit and tools 8. Nutrition (extra food) 9. Hydration (extra water) 10. Emergency shelter

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IF YOU DO GET STUCK…

MAKE A PLAN

Even the most prepared can wind up in a sticky situation. If you do get lost or stuck, stay calm. Panic leads to poor decisions.

“Stop what you’re doing. Smoke the proverbial cigarette,” Malutich said.

Do something small like eating a snack or looking at a map. Focus on what you can do in that moment and not on what you should have done or can’t do. Examine the situation and decide on a rational course of action.

If you are 100 percent sure of the way out and have enough light to make it, start the trip out. If darkness is setting in or you aren’t sure, build a shelter, put out markers to catch rescuers’ attention, ration calories so you have enough to last the night, build a fire and hunker down for the night.

“It’s better to stay put. If you’re prepared and someone knows where you are, you’ll make it,” Malutich said.

Also, don’t underestimate the importance of staying warm. It’s better to go a night without sleep and keep moving to stay warm, Malutich said.

Condos noted that common sense can go a long way, too. He was once on a rescue where a woman had been told to stay with her snow machine if it got stuck, so she did. However, she was so panicked about being stuck and about not leaving her machine that she didn’t realize she was only 30 feet from the road even though she could hear other snow machines passing nearby.

In that situation, it would have been better to keep the machine in sight but trek toward the sound of potential help, Condos said.

Remember: your brain is your best survival tool, so don’t forget to use it.

…and stick to it.

Before any trip, even an afternoon of crosscountry skiing, make a plan.

Malutich said the five W’s work well. Ask yourself who you are going with, what you are doing, where you are going and when you will depart and return. The “why” is obvious: because it’s fun!

Use maps, books, the Internet and friends to gather information on the area you will visit.

“Know what you know, and know what you don’t know. Look for the question marks,” Malutich said.

If you’re not sure what the terrain is like where you’re headed, ask someone who knows. If you don’t know how to properly read a map, learn.

Knowing distances, terrains and predicted weather conditions will help you create a realistic plan.

Also, know the skill level of those going with you on the trip, Malutich said. Be honest with each other about what is do-able with the time and skill levels in the group.

If possible, avoid being a lone ranger, and always stick to your plan. Condos said several rescue operations have resulted in rescuers searching in the wrong area because people didn’t go where they said they would go.

30 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

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Sit & Knit Every day!

Fall/Winter

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AREA DESTINATIONS

Sheridan County Towns

For more information on Sheridan County, visit WWW.SHERIDANCOUNTY.COM

STORY

Nestled in the thick pines, shady and cool in the summer, Story can also be a great winter destination.

Story, an unincorporated community 20 minutes south of Sheridan, sits on the banks of Piney Creek, according to Wyoming Travel and Tourism. Story was first platted by a horse trader, Marshal Wolf, who was going to name the town after himself, but was dismayed to find that Wolf already existed.

The town was instead named after Charles B. Story, a rancher who was instrumental in getting a post office established — the first building in what had until then been a town made up of only tent structures.

Today, Story acts as a gateway to ATV and other trails, and features the Story Fish Hatchery. With $2.6 million in funding from the Wyoming Legislature, the hatchery celebrated a grand reopening in September 2011.

The remodel included improvements in water delivery systems, fish rearing areas and egg incubation facilities. Many features were designed specifically to house the additional brood stocks and for spawning activities and egg incubation.

The hatchery is open daily year round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information about the Story community, visit WWW.STORYWYOMING.ORG.

CLEARMONT If small town America is something you love, Clearmont is the place for you.

According to the 2010 Census, Clearmont had a population of 142. It’s not the booming population that inspires travelers to stop in, though, it’s the history.

Clearmont sits on what used to be a major route to Yellowstone National Park and the Black Hills, Highway 14-16. Since travel flows easier along the interstate, Clearmont has seen a decrease in activity.

Still, its historical markers are enough to make weary travelers stop and stretch their legs.

The old jail was built in 1922 for $827 and is available for visitors to check out. The jail is currently listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Just off Main Street sits the Arvada-Clearmont High School.

Next to it is the Old Rock School, which is a one-room schoolhouse that offers a glimpse at days gone by. Although not in use anymore, the building was refurbished in recent years.

Visitors to Clearmont can also enjoy picnicking in the town’s park, which is located on Main Street.

World War II enthusiasts will be interested to know that Clearmont once housed a German prisoner of war camp. Prisoners were allowed to work in the fields growing and harvesting beets.

32 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Clearmont was founded in 1892 as a railroad town servicing the Burlington-Missouri Railroad (currently known as the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad). When railroad officials arrived the town site was moved 1.5 miles and renamed to Clearmont.

Aside from being a major railhead, Clearmont also served as a major point on rancher’s trails servicing livestock from Buffalo, Crazy Woman and beyond.

As is true with many Western towns, Clearmont also has a heavy agricultural influence as is indicated by the concrete elevator built by the Leiter estate and later used by the Best Out West Flouring Mills.

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AREA DESTINATIONS

RANCHESTER History and prehistory come alive in the first stop off of U.S. Highway 14 on the scenic trip to Yellowstone National Park.

Ranchester is located just north of Sheridan along the Tongue River.

This unique town has much to offer travelers on the way into the Bighorn Mountains. Situated just miles from the Bighorn National Forest, Ranchester is home to the Connor Battlefield State Historic Site, Tyrannosaurus Rex Museum, Rotary Park and beautiful mountain views.

In 1865, Gen. Patrick Connor led the Powder River Expedition into battle with Chief Black Bear and Arapaho tribe. This fight was the only major encounter that the Powder River Expedition was involved in. It ended in Connor’s

troops being forced out of the area.

The park also provides playground equipment for children and a monument in honor of the site. A visit to Connor Battlefield allows travelers a chance to walk in the footsteps of Connor and Black Bear.

Feed your brain at the T-Rex Museum on Main Street. This museum transports you back to the time of dinosaurs. Learn about the prehistoric timeline and natural history of the area.

Rotary Park offers visitors a place to relax and enjoy paved walking trails, fishing and picnic facilities.

DAYTON Nestled at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, Dayton is home to the first rodeo in Wyoming, the first female mayor and the famous artist Hans Kleiber.

Dayton was founded in 1882. Its name is derived from one of the founding members, Joe Dayton Thorne. The first mayor of the town was Cornelius “Nea” H. Ketchum. His successor Susan Wissler has the distinction of being the first female mayor in Wyoming — possibly in the United States.

Dayton was incorporated in 1906 and saw some growth as mining and agriculture took its hold.

German born Hans Kleiber came to the Dayton area in service of the U.S. Forest Service as a ranger. He soon gave up his career to capture the beauty of nature in art.

Mostly self taught, Kleiber became known as the Etcher Laureate of the Bighorns for his amazing depictions of wildlife, Dayton, historical figures and life on the prairie.

Kleiber’s cabin studio is often open for tourists and sits just a few hundred feet from its original location. It’s a must see for anyone passing through Dayton.

After checking out the Kleiber studio, travelers can

34 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

stretch their legs at Scott Bicentennial Park. The park features volleyball pits, picnic areas, biking/walking/running trails and a great view of the Tongue River.

Hikers can also use Dayton as a stopping point before heading off into Tongue River Canyon or into the mountains for a day on the trails.

For more information, visit the town’s website at WWW.DAYTONWYOMING.ORG.

AREA DESTINATIONS

BIG HORN Located on the eastern slopes of the Bighorn Mountains alongside Little Goose Creek, Big Horn has more than doubled in size since 2000.

The population of Big Horn in 2000 was only 190. Now, according to the 2010 census, the small town has grown to 490 residents.

This is by no means the largest the town has ever been. At one time, Big Horn had as many as 1,000 residents. The city had a college, a brick factory, saloons, churches, a hotel, a livery barn and a mercantile.

The town saw a massive downsizing when it lost the bid to be the county

seat to neighboring Sheridan. More people left when it learned that railroads were surveying Sheridan — the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. When the railroads arrived in 1893, Big Horn quickly became a satellite community of Sheridan.

Big Horn was founded in 1882 by wealthy cattle and sheep ranchers. Some of the early settlers included the sheep-breeding Moncrieffe brothers, English noblemen, Oliver Wallop, Goelet Gallatin and Bradford Brinton.

The trend of those with higher means continues today as many distinguished, but low profile executives call Big Horn home. Some work in nearby Sheridan.

Big Horn boasts two polo clubs — Big Horn Polo and Flying H Polo Club — that offer a more laid back atmosphere compared to their eastern and European counterparts.

In 1884 Queen Elizabeth II stayed in Big Horn while visiting her friends, Lord and Lady Carnarvon, at the Wallops’ Canyon Ranch. The event brought national media to Big Horn, all interested in recording the visit of royalty to a small, Western town.

Destination Sheridan is proudly brought to you by THE SHERIDAN PRESS.

Fall/Winter

35

OF THE

LUCK DRAW

by Christina Schmidt

Talk to almost any hunter and they will tell you that the keys to being successful in a hunt are good marksmanship — gained through months of practice — a familiarity with your quarry and its habits and habitat, and certainly a dose of luck sometimes…being in the right place at the right time.

However, the opportunity to even be in the field with an elk or deer tag in hand is also largely a game of chance, as getting a license in many areas of the state is contingent on your application being picked in the statewide license draw conducted each year by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The state is divided into a series of numbered hunt areas for various species such as deer, elk and antelope. The game and fish commission, based on recommendations and input from state biologists, landowners, hunters and other members of the public, sets the number of available licenses for each species in each hunt area in the state each year.

Because the number of hunters can sometimes exceed the number of available licenses or tags, the WGFD operates a computerized, random drawing for licenses in sought after, or limited quota, areas. Each spring, residents and nonresidents submit applications to the draw, with draws for different species being operated differently.

As an example, Jean Cole, WGFD fiscal division chief, described how the nonresident elk draw takes place, beginning by stating that only 16 percent of the elk tag quota is reserved for nonresidents.

“What happens in the drawing is, nonresident landowners are allocated licenses before anyone else,” she explained, noting that landowners must meet certain criteria set forth in WGFD commission regulations in order to be eligible for the draw. “Then, whatever is left, that quota is split.

Forty percent is for the special draw, 60 percent for the regular draw. Special means the applicant has paid a higher price for that license ($1,057 compared to $577 in the case of elk). They are paying a higher fee because they figure fewer people are willing to pay that higher amount and the odds might be better.”

For the special draw, the 40 percent is then divided 75 percent and 25 percent. The 75 percent of licenses are put into another drawing for preference point holders. Hunters who have been unsuccessful in previous years’ draws receive one preference point per year, or they can purchase one preference point per year for $50. As those points accumulate over the years, their odds of drawing a license in the future increase.

The applicants are then ranked according to how many preference points they have, and in the case of a party application where up to six people apply together, the total preference points for everyone in the group is averaged.

“We sort applicants by the highest number of points they 36 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

“

There are lots of drawings being held within a single allocation of elk licenses. It is very complicated.

– Jean Cole

”

have,” Cole explained, noting that each one is also assigned a random number. “Those with the lowest random number and highest preference point value, they have the first shot at the hunt area they are looking for.”

The remaining 25 percent are entered into a separate random draw that is not based on preference points.

When the special draw is complete, an entirely new process is started for the regular draw.

“As you can see, there are lots of drawings being held within a single allocation of elk licenses,” Cole said. “It is very complicated.”

Wyoming residents have a much better chance of getting a license for a limited quota area, since 84 percent of the available licenses are reserved for them. The process is similar to how nonresident elk licenses are drawn, however, it is simplified. After the landowner licenses are taken off the top, the remainder of the quota is then put through the draw, with no preference point allocations.

Residents also have the option of purchasing a general license over-the-counter in many hunt areas that have a general season, versus a limited quota.

Of course, certain areas of the state are more sought after and therefore, harder to draw. In general, areas with large tracts of public land are harder to draw for, because more people apply for those areas due to easy access.

Areas that are easier to draw tend to have lots of private land where access can be restricted and fees are sometimes required. Also, some areas of the state are known for producing large bull elk or buck deer and antelope and have large numbers of hunters seeking to hunt there, decreasing the draw odds for those areas.

Aside from having an accumulation of preference points and putting in for a hunt area with good drawing odds, there is little a hunter can do to increase his or her chance of getting a limited quota license. However, the WGFD website does note that hunters should submit their applications well in advance of the deadline, in case any mistakes or omissions are found on the application and it needs to be returned for corrections.

Despite the sometimes complicated effort to get a license, once in hand, a large portion of hunters are successful. Based on harvest surveys completed by hunters last year, 45 percent were successful in harvesting an elk, 56 percent were successful in harvesting a white-tailed deer, 52 percent took home a mule deer and 89 percent harvested an antelope.

For more information, visit the WGFD website at WWW.GF.STATE.WY.US/

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AREA DESTINATIONS

Trail End Mansion Built in the Flemish Revival style, the 13,748-square-foot mansion known as Trail End at 400 Clarendon Ave. provides an intriguing glimpse into life in Sheridan from 1913-1933.

Exhibits and displays throughout the home utilize original artifacts and provide information on daily life, entertainment, interior design and changing technology, as well as 20th century ranching on the Northern Plains.

The permanent exhibit pieces throughout the house — the furniture, the clothing, the house itself — don’t change from year to year, but themes may change.

One year, the museum focused on how kids would have lived in the house. Another year, the exhibit focused on enter-

tainment — what people did for fun without TV, iPods and phones. In other years, exhibits featured advertisements and explored how early ads influenced what people bought.

Construction began on Trail End in 1908.

After the home was finished in 1913, the Kendrick family only had a short time to enjoy their new home. John Kendrick was elected governor of Wyoming in 1914, and the family moved to Cheyenne. Two years later, Kendrick was chosen to serve in the U.S. Senate, and until his death in 1933, Trail End was the Kendrick family’s summer home.

From 1934-1961, Eula Kendrick, Kendrick’s widow, lived at Trail End with family. In 1968, the home was purchased by the Sheridan County Historical Society and ownership was transferred to the state of Wyoming in 1982.

Trail End is open from 1-4 p.m. April 1 through May 31, except for extended hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Day weekend.

From June 1-Aug. 31 the site is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from Sept. 1 through Dec. 14 the site is open from 1-4 p.m. daily except for extended hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Labor Day weekend.

Trail End is closed to the public Dec. 15 through March 31 except for during the holiday open house.

For more information, call 674-4589 email trailend@state.wy.us, or log on to WWW.TRAILEND.ORG.

S heridan County Museum The Sheridan County Museum gives visitors a local perspective on the history of the American West. It presents a variety of exhibits that investigate history, culture, agriculture and the ingenuity of Sheridan County inhabitants.

The Sheridan County Museum is open from 1-5 p.m. daily in May, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 1 through Labor Day, and 1-5 p.m. daily Sept. 1-Dec. 24. The museum gift shop is open Tuesday through Thursday 1-5 p.m.

The museum is located at 850 Sibley Circle in Sheridan, just off Interstate 90,

38 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

exit 23.

Admission fees are $4 for adults, $3 for seniors (60 years and older) and $2 for students and military. Children 12 years old and younger get in free of charge.

The Sheridan County Museum is owned and operated by the Sheridan County Historical Society.

The purpose of the museum collections is to further the appreciation and understanding of the prehistory, social and cultural history of Sheridan County.

In 2007, the museum began offering a free program for children, the Junior Curator program. To participate, all kids have to do is pick up a museum guide and activity book at the admission desk. The book is full of activities that children can do while exploring the museum.

Children who participate in the program become Sheridan County Museum Junior Curators and receive a patch or a bookmark.

For more information about the Sheridan County Museum and new exhibits, call 307-675-1150 or go online to WWW.SHERIDANCOUNTYHISTORY.COM.

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AREA DESTINATIONS

THE HISTORIC

Sheridan Inn Despite a tumultuous recent history, the Historic Sheridan Inn remains the most well-known home for this community’s history.

Once deemed the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco, the Sheridan Inn opened its doors May 27, 1893. Today, visitors can walk the same porch from which William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, once the inn’s owner, frequently conducted auditions for his Wild West Shows on the front lawn, offering the visiting train passengers a taste of the West from their windows.

As one of the first Western hotels with running water and electricity, the Sheridan Inn quickly became a favorite stop for passersby. Notable among the hotel’s guests was Ernest Hemingway, who labored over “A Farewell to Arms” in the late 1920s.

However, as passenger trains grew less popular and cars became the preferred mode of transportation, the inn’s business began to dwindle. By 1965, it was bankrupt. The inn was given new hope when Neltje, a local abstract artist and philanthropist, began a campaign to save the historic building in 1967.

After almost 50 tumultuous years of opening and closings, the Sheridan Inn was reopened in 1990 by the Sheridan Heritage Center, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that owned the inn and began renovating the hotel’s rooms.

In 2008, the nonprofit board decided to borrow H E AT I N G & A I R C O N D I T I O N I N G I N C . $1.8 million from Furnaces Heat Pumps Wyoming Bank and Trust in Cheyenne, Fireplaces Stoves as part of what was believed to be a Air Conditioning & More final push to finish the renovation of the inn. The loan 529 North Main Street, Sheridan was to be paid off through the is-

KOSMA 674-9070

Locally owned & operated for over

40 YEARS!!

Independent Dealer

It’s Hard To Stop A Trane!

40 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Courtesy photo

suance of revenue bonds.

But, the downturn in the economy left the nonprofit with unaffordable monthly loan payments, short of the money to finish the inn and facing ongoing operational and maintenance costs.

In the late summer of 2012, the inn was foreclosed on and put up for sale. In 2013, Bob and Dana Townsend, a couple with numerous family ties to the Sheridan community, purchased the historic structure.

The Townsends have quickly gotten to work trying to finish the mission started by the nonprofit Sheridan Heritage Center. Work has begun to finish the rooms on the second and third floors of the building. Owners said they hope to have some of the rooms available for rental in the spring.

In the meantime, the inn is open for events and banquets. The Townsends have also said they are in talks to provide a family friendly restaurant within the inn that would be open to the public.

For more information on the inn or to follow the renovation project, find the Historic Sheridan Inn on Facebook or visit WWW.SHERIDANINN.COM.

AREA DESTINATIONS

Brinton Museum

THE

Until recently, the economy — and in fact, the future — did not look good for The Brinton Museum, a key arts attraction in Sheridan County.

“A couple years ago, it looked like by this time we might have closed down and sold everything,” Associate Curator Barbara Schuster said.

History, a landscape and a fine collection of art could have been lost.

But then several patrons made significant financial commitments to not only keep the museum afloat but launch it into a higher level of art exhibition, education and enjoyment.

A neighbor to The Brinton, Forrest Mars Jr., along with several foundations and individuals donated millions so that the museum could keep its doors open — and build a whole new set of doors on an innovative, 23,000-square-foot museum built into the hillside next to the current gallery.

An official agreement in 2012 to become the permanent home for the Goelet and Edith Gallatin Collection of Native American artifacts — works which were created in the Big Horn area — provided another incentive to expand.

In February 2013, the Northern Trust Company agreed to transfer its trustee status of the Helen Brinton endowment that had kept the museum operational for more than 50 years to The Brinton Museum’s board of directors.

The endowment was running out of funds, and the new trustees of her will felt they were better suited and motivated to replenish the endowment and preserve the Bradford Brinton Memorial, as well as other key pieces of art from local artists.

With the change in trusteeship, the Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum was restructured into the New Museum at the Bradford Brinton Ranch, or The Brinton Museum.

“Preservation of the Bradford Brinton Memorial was paramount,” Brinton Museum Director and Chief Curator Ken Schuster said.

The expanded gallery space will exhibit pieces of the Bradford collection not currently displayed in the Brinton Ranch House.

It will also have three new galleries dedicated to artists integral to the development of Sheridan County as a haven for the arts: Hans Kleiber, Bill Gollings and Ed Borein.

The new building will include three floors. The first and second floor will be buried underground to prevent light degradation. The 6,000 square feet of gallery space — triple what the

Brinton currently has — will be climate controlled, and preservation of artwork will be front and center, Barbara Schuster said.

The building will also feature educational space for groups like Sheridan College, Science Kids and local school districts, expanded visitor services, a gift shop and sales gallery and a bistro.

The museum is being built into the hillside in order to preserve the landscape in the area, which was important to Bradford Brinton. It will be built off two radiuses to represent the idea of teepees without being too overt, Barbara Schuster said.

The building will also feature a rammed earth wall that will be the longest and highest in North America, Ken Schuster said.

The expected completion date is Dec. 31, 2014, with hopes of opening for a full 10-month season in spring 2015.

Already the museum has increased its staff, which is a boost to the creative economy, and the Schusters hope it will become a significant tourist draw for the area, helping to include Sheridan as an arts destination.

Ken Schuster said he hopes The Brinton Museum will not only preserve historical arts but also preserve the work of contemporary artists and inspire local art collectors.

Once the addition is complete, the board will launch a campaign to renovate the current museum to house classroom space, a printmaking studio, a leatherworking shop and more.

“On the one hand, we can say art is the least important thing we need to be alive,” Ken Schuster said. “On the other hand, art transforms us from just existence into the next level of being. It makes us human beings and not just one step above animals.”

For more information, visit WWW.BBMANDM.ORG.

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AREA DESTINATIONS

HISTORIC

Battlefield Sites

Courtesy photos

LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT George Armstrong Custer, who had a reputation for doing as he pleased, received information that Indians were camped on the Little Bighorn in 1876.On June 25, 1876, without authorThroughout the 1800s, as settlers began traveling ization from his superior officer, Custer led his men into an ambush which killed over 250 men and Custer himself.It was a crucial through and staking claim to land in the West, forts engagement, as it was the last major Indian victory in North Amersprang up along the path to give weary travelers and ica. This site has a museum and historic interpretations of the battle.

railroad workers food and other supplies. The remnants of many of those forts are in Sheridan County today. ROSEBUD STATE PARK CONNOR BATTLEFIELD STATE HISTORIC SITE Located in Ranchester off of Interstate 90, this was the site of the Battle of Tongue River between the Army and the Arapahoe tribe. It was the single most important engagement of the Powder River Expedition of 1865 and caused the Arapahoe to ally with the Sioux and Cheyenne at the Fetterman Fight a year later.

The park has picnic areas, a playground, overnight camping facilities, fishing access as well as historic interpretations.

FORT PHIL KEARNY STATE HISTORIC SITE Fort Phil Kearny was one of three military posts established along the Bozeman Trail, and is located 25 miles south of Sheridan. This fort was built in 1866 as a cutoff from the Oregon Trail. Immigrants used this trail en route from Fort Laramie to the Montana gold fields. It was abandoned by the Army in 1868 under the terms of the Treaty of Fort Laramie in an effort to establish peace with the Indians, who under Red Cloud constantly harassed the garrison during its existence. The military portion of the fort was 600-by-700 feet, surrounded by an 8foot stockade of heavy pine logs. As the Army abandoned this fort, the Indians burned it to the ground.

Located approximately 30 miles northeast of Sheridan off Highway 334, this site is of the 1876 campaign of General George Crook. On June 16, 1876, Crook and his men moved toward the Rosebud. The next morning while they were camped at the head of Rosebud Creek, shots rang out and his men turned to meet the Indians on the ridges above them. The battle raged for three hours. Nine men were killed and 30 were seriously wounded. They remained and camped for the night. The next morning, after burying their dead, the troops withdrew to the camp on the Goose Creeks. Crazy Horse stopped the expedition, protected his villages and his warriors returned victorious.

WAGON BOX FIGHT STATE HISTORICAL SITE This fight site is located about five miles west of Fort Phil Kearny near the town of Story. On Aug. 2, 1867, a detachment of 32 men and officers under the command of Capt. James Powell expected to be massacred by hundred’s of Red Cloud’s braves. However, the men had one advantage — they had cover behind a corral of 14 wagon boxes and new rifles which could fire rapidly and repeatedly. Over the eight hours of battle, they were able to repulse the many attacks of Red Cloud’s warriors.

WWW.DESTINATIONSHERIDAN.COM

42 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

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General Crook

by Alisa Brantz Sheridan County has been attracting visitors since long before the shops of Main Street and the dude ranches of the Bighorns were even a thought, since before there was a Sheridan County to speak of.

For as long as modern American history can remember, the plethora of streams ripe with fresh fish, the beauty of the Bighorn Mountains and the abundance of wildlife thriving nearby has made what is now known as a Sheridan a popular destination for Indians, roamers and even warriors.

From 1876-1877 The Great Sioux War was fought in the Montana, Wyoming and Dakota territories.

A battle between the Lakota Sioux and the United States government — each aided by allies from other Indian tribes — sparked primarily by the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, included battles commissioned by General Phillip Sheridan, coordinated by brigadier generals Alfred Terry and George Crook.

During his 1876 campaign, Crook arranged for his troops to join with their Crow and Shoshone allies on the east side of the Bighorn Mountains at the junction of the Goose Creeks.

Crook set up “Camp Cloud Peak” near present-day downtown Sheridan from June 11-15, 1876, with more than 1,000 men and nearly 2,000 horses and mules.

Here they found comfort and necessities thriving in the creeks and hillsides, many soldiers writing about the beauty of the area and someday intending to return under more peaceful terms.

Current map of Sheridan with a rough outline of Crook’s camp (marked in blue).

This retelling of the Crooks Campaign by Officer Thomas C. McMillan comes in the form of a letter drafted on typewriter an unknown number of years after the campaign, on file in The Wyoming Room at the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library.

These reflections on the state of the area 12 years before Sheridan County was formed show a beauty in the Bighorns still discovered by visitors to Sheridan today.

While hunting, fishing and farming remain staples of the area, it is clear the culture of living off the land came from the offerings of the region, not just the choices of the inhabitants.

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Two days after departing Camp Cloud Peak, Crook’s campaign led him to the Battle of Rosebud Canyon — which immediately preceded the Battle of Little Big Horn — along with Capt. John Gregory Bourke and Capt. Azor Nickerson in Big Horn County, Montana.

Bourke served as an officer under Crook for many years and was an avid diarist.

He later went on to write “On the Border with Crook” based on his firsthand account of the time spent on the Wyoming/Montana border.

The Nickerson family living in the Sheridan area today — Dr. Scott and Anne Nickerson and their sons David, Phillip and Gregory — are cousins of Azor Nickerson.

Nickerson served as aide de camp for Crook after the Civil War before going on to be appointed assistant adjutant general of the Army by his friend, and newly elected president, Rutherford B. Hayes.

Several other accounts of Crook’s campaigns throughout the Sioux War have been written and published throughout the years.

In June of this year, The Wyoming Room joined the ranks as they dedicated a writing on “General Crook’s Camp” along with a new permanent exhibit of a diorama and painting depicting the Camp Cloud Peak set-up and location in Sheridan.

Additionally, the Sheridan Chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution dedicated a monument to Crook that now stands in Kendrick Park.

It reads: “Dedicated to the Memory of General George Crook his gallant soldiers and scouts who in June 1876 camped in the valley of the Goose Creeks on the present site of Sheridan while waiting for their Crow and Shoshoni Allies.”

Crook’s visit to the area now populated and cherished by thousands was but one of many throughout history that left its mark on Sheridan County, leaving stories to tell and sites to see for generations now and to come.

“

With the grass becoming scarce on the Tongue River, Crook moved his command to the confluence of the two forks of Goose Creek…and during the march a hail storm of great severity visited us and continued its pestiferous attentions for some time after tents had been erected.

”

– John G. Bourke

General George Crook and his generals

General Crook and the "friendly Apache.”

Founder of KWN Construction and Sheridan native Tom Warnke created “Camp Cloud Peak,” his 20th historical diorama.

Connie J. Robinson, a fellow Sheridan native and graduate of the University of Wyoming with a fine arts degree, painted the backdrop for the piece after partnering with Warnke previously on his “The Battle of the Rosebud” diorama. The diorama stands as the centerpiece of The Wyoming Room, which is open to the public during regular library hours.

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Favorite Places OUR

Sheridan County is home to many magical places. Some of those places are remote — hidden among the trees, rivers and canyons of the Bighorn Mountains. Some are gathering places for artists, performers, thinkers and difference makers.

No matter which kinds of places you choose to explore, you’ll likely stumble upon some of our community’s favorites.

The following eight people were asked to share their favorite places in Sheridan County. The results are as varied as those who contributed.

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Colin Betzler

Tongue River

This fall I found a new favorite place, one of many here in our backyard of the Bighorns. I first stumbled on the location years ago, after hours of searching on Google Earth for new fishing spots; I spotted a stretch of river that contained multiple picturesque pools, and I was convinced that behemoth trout, long forgotten by time (and anglers) were there waiting to be caught.

However, arriving at this idyllic location would be no easy feat. A few weeks ago, I finally reached that stretch of river and found one of the most spectacular places I’ve visited in the Bighorns.

My friend and I left town around 6 a.m., and within an hour and a half we were hiking along the ridge that would guide us to the only access for descending into the canyon sans climbing gear. At the edge of the cliff we could hear the dull roar of the river and see its white ribbon, more than a thousand feet below us.

We worked our way down a sizeable ravine, interspersed with large, flat granite outcrops, grabbing at trees and rocks to keep our balance. We scrambled down a hundred feet of steep rock and I started to wonder how we would get back if the rocks became slick. At the final crux, a 10-foot climb down a tree, the river had become increasingly loud.

It was hard to resist the urge to pick up the pace, but we knew one twisted ankle would ruin this longawaited fishing day.

At the river’s edge we found an old campfire ring, the first of many we saw that seemed untouched since the 1970s, judging from the bicentennial 7UP pull tab cans left behind. This canyon had clearly been a favorite place to many before us.

Arriving at the river’s edge, we put together our rods, switched out footgear and began fishing gor-

geous plunge pools and pocket water within minutes. We didn’t have to hurry, we were certain that we had this stretch to ourselves. The fishing picked up mid-morning and as we broke for lunch a few hours later, we’d both lost count, a sure sign of a successful day on the water.

Finally, we reached the pool that I had been eyeing on Google Earth.

While I didn’t end up finding the behemoth I had hoped for, it seemed the fish had been waiting patiently to take our flies and dive back into the deep frothing water.

A late afternoon storm had been in the forecast, and as thunder rumbled

Courtesy photo

through the canyon, we quickly changed and packed up our gear while downing a few handfuls of calories before starting the climb up the canyon. Fat raindrops began to fall and then the sky let loose. As we slogged upward, soaking wet from sweat and rain and smelling faintly like trout, there was no doubt that our trip to this new favorite spot was worth every single, un-counted fish.

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Rindy West

Sheridan

As the Development Director at the Sheridan Senior Center, I wholeheartedly believe that Sheridan is a place rich in destinations. Those destinations are varied and bountiful and why I believe Sheridan attracts people from all over the globe to visit, and for many even to relocate.

At the center, we get to meet and greet people, who in their travels from coast to coast, come to Photo by Kristen Czaban

Sheridan and stop off for a bite of lunch in our bubbly dining room. We enjoy being able to tell them about the uniqueness that is Sheridan.

My son just came home from middle school with a homework lesson on the themes of geography. Those themes include: location (where it is); place (an area that is defined by everything in it, things that distinguish one place from another); region (an area defined by certain similar characteristics); movement (refers to the way people, products, information and ideas move from one place to another); and human environment and interaction (looks at the relationships between people and their environment).

All of these themes are represented in Sheridan, but to me it is a “place” more than any other. The distinct characteristics and flavor, such as the history that is intertwined throughout Sheridan, can be seen at

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destinations like The Brinton or King Ropes museums, and the polo games at the Equestrian Center add spirit that is not found everywhere. Any given city in the nation is unique, with certain histories or landscape that make it an enriching spot to visit, but Sheridan is one I would say is “more.” Only in Sheridan can you take in a concert in Kendrick Park, an Indian Relay Race at the WYO Rodeo and a scenic 5-mile run all in one day. Only in Sheridan can you snowmobile the top of the Bighorn Mountains during the day and visit a big city vaudevillian show at the WYO Theater by night.

I completely enjoy the ability to go for a jaunt on one of our many walking paths and also the opportunity to visit a battlefield such as the Wagon Box from many years past. Sheridan is a place that hosts beautiful art on its streets, in its shops and in its workplaces.

I gladly take in as many of these places as I possibly can, but for me my most special Sheridan place is one where I find peace, tranquility and a sense of harmony. That place for me is right along the creek bank at our house. It is a spot that when I hear the water rippling by and the soft whisper of the willow trees I subdue. It’s a spot that when I can see the horses grazing and can visibly feel the warm sun sifting through the trees on a fall afternoon that I feel Sheridan is simply the most beautiful place on earth.

I’m so glad to call Sheridan home.

Daniel Mediate

Spear-O-Wigwam

Ernest Hemingway once said, "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.

Most people never listen."

Standing over pristine Park Reservoir in the Bighorn Mountains, all is calm. The occasional splash from rising trout ripples the water's glassy surface.

Surrounded by beauty, yet unencumbered in spirit, I can hear the faint whispers of wind through the trees.

Better, still, I can hear myself — the beckoning cry for adventure from a wayward soul.

Indeed, Mr. Hemingway, we can learn much when we take a moment to listen.

The Spear-O-Wigwam Mountain Campus, Park Reservoir's bordering neighbor, offers the ideal place for introspection and exploration. Hemingway knew this firsthand. In 1928, the renowned author retreated to Spear-OWigwam, writing a version of "A Farewell to Arms," his first bestseller and a timeless voice of the World War I generation.

Spear-O-Wigwam is about an hour drive from Sheridan, up Red Grade Road. In 1923, W.M. Spear established Spear-O-Wigwam, which features 14 buildings on 16 acres. Spear's daughter, Elsa Spear Byron, a celebrated photographer, is the namesake of Lake Elsa, a short distance from SpearO-Wigwam.

In 2011, Sheridan College trustees, equipped with uncanny foresight, authorized the acquisition of Spear-O-Wigwam from the Riehms family. The board of trustees recognized taking the classroom outdoors as a vital fabric of the Northern Wyoming Community College District, seizing the opportunity to turn the former dude ranch into a mountain campus.

Spear-O-Wigwam propositions college students, staff, faculty and the community with endless educational and recreational opportunities.

The NWCCD's Recreation and Outdoor Education program, helmed by Julie Davidson and Trudy Munsick, offers a diversity of courses throughout the summer at Spear-O-Wigwam. From canoeing to horse pack trips to plein air painting, excitement abounds for those willing to answer the call. Student-

leaders and athletes visit regularly for team-building exercises. The National Outdoor Leadership School offers unique programs, like Wilderness First Responder. Community events dot the calendar, as well.

Spear-O-Wigwam is home to the annual Mountain Lecture Series, which is free and open to the public.

Photo by Dennis Jacobs

Valerie Hemingway, daughter-in-law and former secretary of the late wordsmith, highlighted this summer's lecturers, delivering an insightful speech about Mr. Hemingway to more than 100 listeners.

Resting at 8,300 feet, Spear-O is an idyllic hub, a gateway to parks, fishing and the Bighorn's 1,200 miles of trails. It's the ultimate setting for students and life-long learners, adventurers and kindred spirits. I love spending time at Spear-O-Wigwam.

It cajoles me to challenge myself, to step away from the office and into the unknown.

Spear-O-Wigwam is your mountain campus. Go exploring. And keep listening.

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Mary Jo Johnson

Little Goose Canyon

Born and raised in Sheridan, Wyoming, I was one of the typical Sheridan High School graduates who couldn’t wait to not only leave this town, but also this state. Fifteen years later, like Dorothy when she clicked her ruby slippers, it dawned on me that there truly is “no place like home,” so my husband, daughter and I settled into life here.

There are many parts of this area that I love very much: Kendrick Park; my parents’ backyard; the many views of, and shifting light on, Black Tooth; the switchbacks up DaytonKane. But no place Photo by David Skatula means as much to me, nor holds such a significant place in my heart, as my aunt’s and uncle’s cabin and surrounding property in the Little Goose Canyon.

My aunt and uncle have always generously allowed my parents, my siblings and our respective families ongoing access to enjoy the cabin at any time.

Whether for a late summer afternoon quick picnic trip or longer visit,s no matter the season, I have many cherished memories of that canyon get-away.

I remember going there to celebrate my 12th birthday. The road is quite rutted on the best of days; my birthday is in January, and my parents, a good friend of mine and I bounced our way over the drifted trenches, laughing as our heads smacked the roof of our 4-wheel drive, pizza toppings shifting on top of my birthday dinner and frosting sliding into a new design on my birthday cake.

Summers as a young girl, I loved swimming in a special hole my grandfather dug in a smaller creek that had been diverted upstream from the Little Goose River. The bottom of the hole was sandy and soft, and he’d made it deep enough so that we could surface dive into the icy water and come up sputtering in refreshed delight.

As I got older, I went down to the big river and 50 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

clambered over the huge boulders.

I’d sit in the sun and think about life.

If a friend or a sibling was along, we’d splash around in a bigger swimming area, the water slightly more glacial in temperature than the smaller creek.

When my three siblings came home for a visit — I’m the baby of the family by several years — we were certain to go up to the cabin. Hours were spent hiking to jagged rock formations or following the river further into the canyon. If they brought friends home from college, or sweethearts-who-became-spouses to “meet the family,” as some kind of unspoken initiation, we took them to the cabin.

For my oldest sister — the firstborn — the cabin and the surrounding Bighorns around Little Goose Canyon stayed in her heart wherever she lived and traveled. In 2008, after an 18month fight against ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), she died.

Her wish was to have her ashes scattered in the Little Goose River, returning home to the mountains she so loved. My aunt and uncle readily allowed her wish to be granted, and our families gathered on a bridge while my brother and her partner sent her home. We all threw her favorite flower — lilies — in after her, and they took their sweet time traveling over the rocks and downstream.

Yes, there are many places that I love in Sheridan County, but none mean as much to me as Little Goose Canyon. It is family. It is home.

Gordon Rose

Upper Tongue River Valley I’ve lived in Sheridan County for 15 years now.

Over that period of time I’ve come to love many places in the area. From skiing at Antelope Butte before we even moved to town, to hiking and backpacking in the Cloud Peak Wilderness.

My favorite place, however, will always be the upper Tongue River valley just above Burgess Junction. Being a lifelong fly fisherman, this “place” has everything I could ever want: relatively quick, easy access from Sheridan; a fairly wide variety of fishing experiences; and lots of wildlife viewing against a gorgeously scenic background.

Twenty-five years ago I’d come down from Montana with my family during those hot days in August. We’d set up our tent at Prune Creek Campground, and then fish the North Tongue during the day, cook a little dinner back at camp and fish for a bit along the South Tongue before crawling into our sleeping bags for the night. The air up there is so fresh and clean; what a wonderful place to relax, cool down and recharge our batteries before heading back to work at our Montana fishing lodge.

My stretch of the North Tongue begins just above Bear Lodge where the river is comprised of small rainbows and brook trout who are always eager to jump on your fly anytime from early July until the first snow in September. As you work your way upstream, you begin to encounter more cutthroat trout and fewer rainbows and brookies.

Once you reach the confluence of Bull Creek and the Tongue, you enter a catch and release zone where all trout have to be released back to the water, and you’re only allowed to use artificial flies and lures. Finally, once you’ve gone far enough upstream to reach the confluence with Spring Creek, the Tongue seems to be too cold to harbor any trout at all.

The catch and release section is the most popular

with most fly fishermen. It seems to have the largest fish, but also receives the most fishing pressure. By late summer each year, the fish have obtained enough “education” to make the “catching” part of the equation much more challenging. I prefer to fish just below the catch and release

Courtesy photo

where there’s fewer fishermen, but still a nice population of larger trout.

No matter where you fish the North Tongue, it’s just a spectacular place for any fisherman to spend the day. It’s just so nice to pause your fishing to gaze up the hillside toward Garden of the Gods to spot a herd of elk quietly grazing through the afternoon. Or when you walk back through the willow trees to reach a different section of the river, you’re likely to spook a few deer along the way. Once you reappear from the willows to reach the stream again, you’re just as likely to encounter a moose standing in the water as you are to encounter another fisherman. I’ve fished all over Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The North Tongue isn’t just my favorite place in Sheridan County, it’s my favorite place in the world.

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Sonja Caywood

Main Street

As an artist I paint our last vestige of "the West," as subjects thought to be permanent features of our landscape disappear. Asked to write about my favorite place in Sheridan County, I wanted to list several— artist Hans Kleiber brought friends to his "favorite place" in the Bighorns. After his death, folks realized with delight that Kleiber had many favorite places. I chose Sheridan's Main Street because the history preserved in its architecture, signs and atmosphere appeals to me as an artist.

The concrete scrollwork, carved features and architectural flourishes on Main are a testament to a time when workmanship and beauty were essential—think of the penmanship of that era. Study trimmings around the doors that Photo by lead to upMichael Roberts stairs apartments. We often walk by without a glance, but these details are worth seeking out.

Speaking of doors, the arches at the Beaver Creek Saloon were once doorways through which horses pulled fire wagons when it was the Sheridan Fire Department. How cool is that?

Take Downtown Sheridan Association's "Historic Downtown Walking Tour" with your smartphone, and learn the stories behind some of the structures on Main. Imagine the Cady Building with its third story as an opera house. I remember when the Custom Cowboy shop was where Bucking Buffalo Supply is today. My mom remembers the Cady building as the Helvey Hotel.

Many Main Street buildings were hotels, and several, like the Trail Hotel, Hotel Crescent, Hotel Rex and the Edwards Hotel, still have signage reflecting those days. I like to sit on downtown benches and imagine how they looked on the inside. I see high

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ceilings, thick wood trim, wood floors, iron beds and shared bathrooms. I picture electric trolleys running passengers up and down the Main Street rails.

Several of Sheridan's Main Street businesses have been in the same location for many years. Some, like Sheridan Stationery and The Mint Bar, give history of their building and business on their websites.

People of Sheridan appreciate the beauty and history retained or restored in our Main Street architecture. As kids we saw movies at the filthy, run-down WYO Theater, then in the ‘80s, it was renovated to former glory. I like that they repainted "Brown Palace Bar" on the side of what was Ole's Pizza when I was young, and is now AT&T on Main. I love that the hideous facade on what was "Gizmo's" on South Main was removed, exposing brick with a blue Mansard roof and enormous windows, which remain covered at this writing. Replacing the tall streetlights with shorter, ornate, black iron ones brought the "old town" atmosphere back to Main Street in a major way.

Tourists visit most historic districts, but renovations of upstairs living spaces, unique businesses and street festivals keep Sheridan's Main Street culture alive with local residents as well.

The next time you walk down Main, search for remnants of the past in architectural details, the barely readable "ghost signs," or the atmosphere of appreciating, preserving and celebrating its history that makes Sheridan's historical Main Street one of my (many) favorite places.

Melissa Butcher

Tongue River Canyon The Tongue River Canyon west of Dayton is, for me and many others, a thin space. The ancient Celts used the term to describe places where the distance between heaven and earth collapses. In this canyon, it’s easy to believe in the possibility.

Approaching the canyon from Dayton, you can feel the cares of the day drain away as the hayfields turn to rolling foothills and then to sheer cliffs. You’re on “canyon time” now. The Tongue River — a haven for brown and rainbow trout — winds along the road, is visible in glimpses as you approach the canyon entrance, carving its way through layers of sandstone and limestone to create this sacred place.

The canyon plays with the light, hiding or revealing itself depending on the time of day and the season. After hiking here for years, I still catch my breath at the site of an arch or spire, previously unnoticed, suddenly emerging in sharp golden relief as the sun touches the canyon’s high walls.

Nature, more than the calendar, signals the seasons here. We know it’s spring when we see the first herons return to raise their young near the canyon mouth, and we know fall has settled in when the first bald eagle flies downriver in the early morning, searching for his breakfast. The area is home to whitetail deer, wild turkey, black bear, elk, coyote, fox and mountain lion, as well as an incredible variety of bird species, from tiny redstart to burly red-tailed hawk.

The canyon has something for everyone. If you’re on a tight time schedule, it’s a stunning scenic drive, a beautiful day hike or a quick dip in a swimming hole. If you have more time to spend, you

can enjoy world-class rock climbing, backpacking, fishing and one of the most spectacular wildflower displays you’ll ever see.

As much as I’d like to keep the canyon all to myself, it’s simply too extraordinary to not share. To get there, turn off

Courtesy photo

US Highway 14 onto River Road/County Road 92 just northeast of Dayton. The road turns to gravel after a few blocks. Public access and camping begins at approximately 3.5 miles, and the road ends at a parking and camping area at mile 4.5. The more than 11mile canyon trail takes off from the north side of the parking area.

If you come, please help us preserve this special place for future generations by minimizing your footprint, packing out your trash (and anyone else’s trash you happen to see) and dousing your fires.

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Tyson Emborg

Sheridan Pathways

In 1888, my great-great-great uncle James Glasgow signed the petition to create Sheridan County. Shortly after, he was elected as Sheridan County’s first road supervisor. In those days, transportation routes were the lifeblood of a community and an indication of its future survival. When his father, my great-great-great grandfather, visited Sheridan in 1890 it took days of wagon and train travel to Billings from Iowa and then another long wagon ride to Sheridan. It is no wonder he didn’t visit Sheridan for another 17 years!

Today the quality of our lives, and our most enjoyable travel, depends on Sheridan’s extensive pathway system. Our pathways connect our community and add life to our years. Everyday a who’s who of Sheridan young and old walk, bike, stroll, run and skate from places here to there with ease and comfort. That is why the pathway is my destination.

When I walk the pathway along Goose Creek, I often imagine that I am following the route taken by Crazy Horse in the hours before the Fetterman Massacre. Toward the west my imagination takes me to the Crow and Shoshone warriors who came to Sheridan with Chief’s Plenty Coup and Washakie to meet with General Crook, or to the immigrants who stopped near the Fifth Street bridge before crossing

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along the Bozeman Trail. On the ridge overlooking the city in the shadow of Mr. Kendrick’s mansion, I marvel at Howard Eaton and other local conservationists who brought elk from Jackson Hole to repopulate the Bighorn Mountains. To the south of town, I am often amazed by the variety of wildlife, especially the Great Blue Heron nesting grounds. All are part of the Sheridan pathway system.

The pathway adds economic value and a quality of life to the areas and residents it serves. A look at the Sheridan Pathway Plan shows some exciting extensions in the works. One of my favorites will connect the area around Meadowlark School with Kendrick Park by skirting the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery. This will be a great opportunity for families in that neighborhood to safely reach the heart of our city. The other major extension, and a much needed one at that, is from Sheridan College to the Woodland Park School. Our community has endured heartbreak in that location and enough is enough. This would include a crosswalk near Sheridan College.

Sheridan has changed a lot since 1888 with new roads, bridges, buildings, schools, even a railroad; but some things stay the same. Transportation enhances the quality of life and brings communities and people closer together. The Sheridan pathway system is my destination and I hope you make it yours.

WYOMING

Heritage

by Kendra Cousineau

In 1977, the University of Wyoming released a study that showed wildlife was Wyoming’s most important natural resource. Even in 2010, the agricultural sector, including hunting and fishing, took in more gross domestic product revenue than oil and gas extraction.

That hasn’t always been the case.

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“

Both the Native Americans and settlers found that Sheridan was the last sweet spot to raise horses.

– Brodie Farquhar

In the 1900s there was so much hunting and trapping done in the area, big game was very scarce.

Brodie Farquhar, a freelance journalist, once said that after the Indian Wars when the Native Americans were driven to reservations, Sheridan and the surrounding areas developed pretty quickly.

“Both the Native Americans and settlers found that Sheridan was the last sweet spot to raise horses,” Farquhar said.

He meant that the farther north you go, the colder and harsher the winters get, and the tougher it is to keep livestock.

Trappers had found their way into the area earlier than the settlers, though, either developing relationships with surrounding tribes, or staying away from the hostile ones.

According to Farquhar’s article for wyohistory.org, one of the earliest trappers, Montreal-based François-Antoine Larocque, found the Bighorns crawling with bears in 1805, and wasn’t really a fan of the mountains.

Farquhar said that once the land opened up and settlers flooded in, there was a very steady flow of traffic between trappers in the Rocky Mountains and fur companies and businesses in St. Louis.

“All of a sudden, there was no market and no supply,” Farquhar said of the fur business.

One of the reasons for this was simply over-trapping beavers to extinction in the area, and the other was fashion.

In 1840, the look for men included top hats, made of things like beaver fur. By 1865, John B. Stetson bought $10 worth of fur and founded his famous company. By the 1900s, women started wearing the very loud and feathery silk hats, thus eliminating most need for pelts in the line of fashion.

After that point, trappers became scouts for incoming settlers or the Army, and some of them even settled down themselves.

Some of these hunters and trappers turned Wyomingites are featured in Jay Lawson’s book, “Men to Match Our Mountains.”

Lawson wrote by the end of the 19th century, big game in the area had been eliminated by market hunting and unregulated shooting.

The only exceptions to be able to hunt were wilderness horseback hunts in the most remote portions of Wyoming.

These hunts would last a month or more, and draw pack strings of 20 or more horses and hunters.

Max Wilde was one of the many men Lawson wrote about, and maybe more of a famous trapper and hunter in the area.

Wilde set up his headquarters in 1916 on the South Fork of

”

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Heritage

(from left) Chief

Wheeler, Ty Cobb, Max Wilde, Tris Speaker - Circa 1926 near the Thorofare Region.

Courtesy photo

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the Shoshone River, and in 1918 spent the entire winter in Thorofare wilderness trapping pine marten and red fox pelts.

When Wilde and his partner returned that spring, they had more than 120 pine marten pelts, and a number of red fox pelts.

“Everyone turned trapper after that,” Wilde said to Lawson.

In and around the 1920s, Wilde took some well-known names on a few successful hunts in the Thorofare region.

Baseball great Ty Cobb and Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey were among those hunters who bagged big game under Wilde.

Although all the men profiled in Lawson’s book have a fascinating story, there is one about a woman named Mary Price that stands out.

Price was born May 6, 1911. According to a 1940 census, she and her husband lived in Teton County. But the census was conducted when the Prices only had five kids. They went on to have two more.

By the time they had seven kids, Lewis Price became a wayward husband, drawn to the lights of the city, and was hardly ever home. This left Mary to take care of herself and the children alone.

Sometime in the 1950s or 1960s, she had shot a cow elk, and after a man tried to claim it as his kill, she reloaded her Winchester, and told the man to move along before he “broke a leg.”

As Mary grew older, and her Alzheimer’s set in, she would be found wandering the banks of streams with beaver traps in her hands.

After she was placed in a nursing home, her daughter told Lawson she was “always huntin’ and fishin’ her way down the hospital hallways.”

S heridan County

HUNTING OUTLOOK

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing, pumpkin spice lattes are out, and men and women across America are heading out for one of America’s favorite past times: hunting.

It is no secret that Wyoming and the surrounding states are the most sought-after lands when it comes to big game hunting.

Check any Boone and Crockett record book, and Wyoming, Montana and Colorado are almost certain to be somewhere in the top 10; if not the top five.

Rob Marosok has owned and run Wyoming Wildlife Outfitters for 30 years now and knows the area around Sheridan and Johnson counties well.

One of the biggest things non-residents come to the area for are large mule deer and antelope. But that may be changing.

“The biggest thing I have noticed is the mule deer are declining in numbers, not sure why, but they definitely are,” Marosok said.

The 2013 harvest report from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says the same thing.

Whitetail and mule deer harvest numbers are down significantly from the past 10 years.

“I don’t think you can make a general statement like that about whitetails,” said Bud Stewart, the public information specialist for the WGFD. “Typically whitetails are holding their own (for population) or on the increase.”

Marosok said that thanks to the moisture this spring, there are better than normal numbers of mule deer out there this season, and the fawns seem to be healthy going into the winter.

As for elk, harvest numbers are raising, too. According to the WGFD’s harvest surveys, the total harvest for 2013 was 25,968.

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from the

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Story by Kendra Cousineau

This includes bull elk, spikes, cows and calves.

Though 2013 was down about 1,000 from the harvest numbers for 2012, the numbers are much higher than they have been in the past 10 years.

Antelope harvest numbers double that amount for the state at approximately 40,000.

However, elk have the lowest success rate after mountain lions and black bears at 44.9 percent.

Antelope tops the list with a success rate of 89.2 percent.

As for where the best public spots are, that’s hard to say, especially for non-residents.

Much of the land in the central and eastern part of the Sheridan region is privately owned.

“The biggest challenge that non-resident hunters probably have is trying to find a place to hunt,” Stewart said. “In the Sheridan region, sometimes access can be hard to find.”

Marosok added that when non-residents do find those access points to public land, there’s not much left to harvest by then end of the season.

“The non-residents that come here and hunt on their own tend to get less quality of animals then ones that book with the outfitters,” Marosok said.

According to a northeast Wyoming hunting outlook released by Stewart, antelope, whitetails and elk numbers are in good shape this year for the region.

Mule deer, unless hunted on private lands, will be more difficult as there will be a lot of competition.

If you’re going out looking for mule deer this year, be sure to know your boundary lines (trespassing fees have increased to $420), or hire a private outfitter to ensure that trophy kill. Then celebrate with a pumpkin spice latte.

Outlook ELK

PRONGHORN Antelope populations are still at high levels in several herd units, so hunting seasons have been designed to give hunters plenty of opportunity in those areas. The outlook for antelope hunting in most of the Sheridan region is once again pretty good. However, in those hunt areas north of Gillette and Moorcroft, antelope populations are lower than a few years ago, so license numbers have been set accordingly. In the Sheridan region, and all other antelope hunt areas in the state, hunters are allowed to purchase a second any antelope license and up to four doe/fawn licenses. However, potential hunters need to be aware that most antelope hunting is found on private land and they should make arrangements for a place to hunt prior to buying licenses. Hunters willing to wait until after the opening day and first weekend of the season may find it easier to get onto private lands. It is possible to find some antelope on the parcels of public lands scattered around northeast Wyoming, but hunters can expect to find other hunters also using those lands. Because of crop damage issues, Hunt Areas 22 and 102 near Buffalo will once again have early rifle doe/fawn seasons beginning Sept. 1 in portions of the hunt areas.

The Sheridan region contains some of Wyoming’s well-known elk hunt areas. Those hunters who were successful in drawing one of the highly sought after limited quota any elk licenses for a hunt area in the Bighorn Mountains, the Rochelle Hills, or the Fortification will have the opportunity for a great hunt with the possibility of bringing home a real trophy.

The limited quota any elk hunting season in Hunt Area 113 will be open this fall after being closed since 2012. Because potential hunters know there are some large bulls in this hunt area, it was one of the hardest licenses to draw in the state. For those hunters who did not draw a license, there are still some leftover antlerless elk licenses available and residents can purchase a general license to hunt in Hunt Areas 36 and 37. Success for general license hunters and limited quota antlerless elk license hunters tends to be much lower than those who have a limited quota any elk license, but they can still enjoy time together hunting with family and friends. In a portion of Hunt Area 37, cow/calf hunting opened Sept. 1 and closed Sept. 30.

This season is designed to allow rifle hunters the opportunity to harvest an elk before they leave a small portion of public land or harvest elk off the national forest. Antlerless elk (Type 4 license) hunting in Hunt Area 38 will again begin on Oct. 1 which should significantly increase hunter success. A second year of enhanced brucellosis surveillance will be conducted in the Bighorn Mountain elk hunt areas. Elk hunters are encouraged to collect blood samples from harvested elk in the blood tubes provided as part of the brucellosis surveillance project. WGFD personnel in the field will have spare blood tubes available and accept samples from successful hunters.

MOOSE The Bighorn Mountains continue to have a thriving moose population.

Limited quota moose licenses for any moose in Hunt Areas 1, 34 and 42 are some of the most highly sought after licenses in Wyoming. It is expected that there will be some large mature bulls harvested again this fall as some “trophies� have been observed during the summer of 2014. Although bull moose can be observed during the summer along roads and highways soon after the hunting season begins, many bulls head for deep cover making for a challenging hunt.

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Outlook DEER Deer hunting in the Sheridan region is forecast to be about average in much of the region with less than average conditions in the northeast part of the region. Deer hunters in areas around Gillette and Moorcroft can again expect to see less deer than they did a few years ago. White-tailed deer hunters in the Sheridan, Buffalo and Kaycee areas will notice the negative impacts of the 2013 EHD outbreak with lower numbers of whitetailed deer in some places. Overall, hunters with access to private lands are expected to continue to have high success, while hunters on public lands can expect large numbers of hunters and comparatively lower success. Antler growth and body condition of deer appear to be good in those areas where deer have had access to better forage during the summer.

There will likely be some real nice trophy bucks harvested this fall in the Sheridan region. Hunters are advised that if they have access to private land they should consider buying reduced price doe/fawn deer licenses as several thousand doe/fawn licenses are available throughout the region with many of them restricted to private lands.

Several deer hunt areas from Sheridan to Kaycee opened to doe/fawn rifle hunting beginning on Sept. 1 to address crop damage issues. In Hunt Areas 24, 27, 29, 30, 33 or 163, hunters can again purchase an unlimited number of doe/fawn deer licenses until the quota is exhausted. In Hunt Area 24, no quota (unlimited) was set for the Type 8 whitetailed deer doe/fawn licenses.

GAME BIRDS Ducks · Dark Geese · Light Geese · Snipe Rails · Mourning Doves · Sandhill Cranes Game bird hunters in the Sheridan region during 2014 will likely have similar results as in 2013. There was some residual cover for nesting habitat in the spring of 2014. Field personnel report observing some hens with small broods. Spring “lek” (breeding ground) surveys of sage-grouse showed that sage-grouse numbers were still below long-term averages.

Wild turkey numbers vary throughout the region. In the Buffalo and Sheridan areas, turkey numbers remain abundant. Pheasants from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department bird farm will again be released on several Sheridan region walk-in areas. Hunters are reminded that most game bird hunting occurs on private land except for blue grouse hunting on the Bighorn Mountains and pheasant hunting on the WGFD walk-in areas.

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CAMPSITE Cooking

by Alisa Brantz

Curling up next to a fire in the middle of the woods can be an enjoyable and relaxing experience for the entire family.

But sequestering yourself to a campsite for a night does not mean your taste buds have to suffer.

Next time you pack your sleeping bags and tent for some mountainside R&R, leave the hot dogs and cereal bars at home in favor of some campfire gourmet.

No matter where your travels may lead you, or what your favorite recipe may be, with the right tools and a bit of practice you can create almost any meal, destination style.

IDEAS: VARIATION Pizza

icken Barbecue Ch ue sauce for ec Substitute barb tomato sauce. za Breakfast Piz eg lls, gs and Use crescent ro tatoes. hash brown po Dessert Pizza e crust. lls and bake th Use crescent ro with to m heat and p Then remove fro ch ur oice. and fruits of yo cream cheese

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CAMPFIRE PIZZA Maybe you have some picky eaters in your clan of campers, and you want to make sure you’ll cook something that will be sure to fill their bellies for the long, cold night.

As long as you have a Dutch oven, there is very little you can’t cook campsite style. In a single Dutch oven, you can cook by deep frying, roasting, baking, boiling, stewing, simmering and steaming…and you can even make a pizza.

Ingredients: Vegetable oil Tube of pre-made pizza crust Small can of tomato sauce Shredded mozzarella cheese Grated cheddar cheese Garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste Toppings Preparation: 1. Pour vegetable oil in the cold Dutch oven, spreading it around the bottom and sides.

2. One tube of dough is enough for two campfire pizzas so split it in half. Since the tubes are meant to be for rectangular pizza, patch and spread the dough around to cover the bottom of the pan.

3. Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza dough and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add your toppings.

5. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the dough is done.

6. Remove the lid and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

7. Replace lid back and let the cheese melt. Tip: place hot coals on the outside of the lid to melt the cheese faster.

HEATING TIPS • Most recipes cook better over charcoal, so you may want to consider bringing a bag. But if there’s no room in your pack, wood will work as well.

• Stick to hardwoods, which retain more heat and burn slower. Softwoods tend to burn the outside of your food and leave the inside raw.

• Start the fire well before cooking time and let the wood burn and break up into coals, then use the hot coals for cooking, not flames – avoid high flames all together.

• To estimate the heat of the coals, place your hand about 6 inches over them and count one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three… Remove your hand when it is uncomfortable – one is high heat, two is medium heat, three is low heat and four or more you are just warming food, not cooking.

OMELET BAR… IN A BAG Bring the Sunday brunch experience camping with you with a simple way to make personalized breakfast orders for the whole family. Before hitting the road, dice up any number of ingredients like ham, cheese, peppers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms and bring them in individual bags or bowls.

After a long day of fishing and a cold night of camping, a fun and easy hot breakfast will surely be just what the doctor ordered.

Ingredients: 2 eggs per order Your favorite omelet ingredients Preparation: 1. Get a large pot of water boiling over the campfire.

2. Crack two eggs into a heavy duty quartsized zip lock bag. Close the bag and shake it to scramble eggs.

3. Add your favorite omelet ingredients to the egg and close, squeezing out as much air as possible.

4. Submerge up to eight bags in the boiling water for exactly 14 minutes. Tip: write names on bags for multiple omelets in one pot.

5. The omelet should roll out of the bag nice and easy for a hot and ready feast for one.

LEMON HERB SALMON For this recipe, you will layer herbs, lemon and Dijon mustard on salmon in tin foil and place it directly in the hot coal, but endless combinations of proteins, spices and fruits can be used to create a flavorful campsite dinner.

Ingredients: 4 salmon filets 8 slices of lemon 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard 4 sprigs of dill 4 tablespoons butter 2 garlic gloves, chopped 1 shallot, sliced Olive oil Salt and pepper

FOIL TIP

Don’t have a Dutch ov en? Alumin foil is a cam um pfire chef’s best friend: throwing to gether a co mplete mea easy and cl l is eanup doe s not includ dishes. For e moist and ea rthy campfire corn on the cob, tr y removing the silks of a cornhusk (but leave th grassy inna e rds), wrapp ing the ears in foil and throwing ov er the cam fire for app proximately 10 minutes .

Preparation: 1. Season salmon filets liberally with salt and pepper.

Spread 1 tablespoon of mustard on the tops of each filet.

2. Layer 2 lemon slices, a sprig of dill, a few slices of shallot, 1 tablespoon of butter and some garlic on each salmon filet. Splash the tops of the filets with a big gulp of olive oil.

3. Wrap salmon filets individually in aluminum foil.

4. Put aluminum foil wrapped salmon directly in fire pit.

5. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until preferred doneness is reached.

MOSTLY MESSLESS S’MORE CONES When it comes time for everyone’s favorite meal of the day, dessert, you don’t have to miss out on the camping tradition of s’mores to do something more creative — and less messy…

You can have them both with s’more cones. By stuffing ingredients in a waffle ice cream cone, the possibilities are endless.

Switch the chocolate for caramel, add diced fruit to your marshmallows, the sky’s the limit – just don’t try to use another kind of cone…it won’t work.

Ingredients: Mini-marshmallows Chocolate chips Waffle ice-cream cone Optional additives i.e. chopped fruit, nuts, caramel pieces, candy Preparation: 1. Wrap the waffle cone in tin foil leaving plenty of extra at the top of the cone.

2. (Over) stuff your cone with your favorite ingredients.

3. Close the foil over the top of the cone and toss it in the fire to cook for 5-7 minutes.

4. Enjoy a warm and gooey, wrapped up s’more cone like ice cream, or with a spoon.

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by Hannah Sheely Photos by Justin Sheely

Usually the term “export” carries positive connotations of economic vitality, but not always.

An oft-heard phrase in Wyoming is that the state’s number one export is its kids. While job options may drive the export of Wyoming’s youth to pursue a more urban lifestyle, fostering a sense of belonging in college and career-aged young adults may help stop the outflow, keeping them here to contribute to family, career and community endeavors.

In Sheridan, many young adults have found that sense of belonging with the Jaycees, an organization dedicated to empowering people ages 18-40 to create positive change in their communities through leadership training, community service and social networking.

“You hear the talk around town, or statewide even, that ‘all the young kids are leaving,’ ‘they don’t want to stay here,’ ‘our number one export is our kids.’ You hear that a lot, so I think an organization like this really gives you that belonging and makes you want to stay,” Sheridan Jaycees President Michelle Edwards said. “Once you are in and you have all these friends, and you’re doing all these events, and you have these duties, even, it improves your quality of life.”

The Jaycees, which is short for United States Junior Chamber and has ties to the Chamber of Commerce in each of its locations around the nation, was started in the 1920s and has had prominent members of society in its ranks including aviator Charles Lindbergh, former President Bill Clinton and former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

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Local leaders who have been members of the Jaycees include Sheridan City Council members Alex Lee, Jesus Rios and Kristin Kelly, state Reps.

Kathy Coleman and John Patton, Ptolemy Data Systems CEO Ryan Mulholland and U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi.

The Sheridan Jaycees have been active in the community for more than 50 years and currently have more than 30 members. Four local Jaycees officers recently sat down with The Sheridan Press to talk about what they do and why the organization is important to them.

Edwards described the organization as threepronged.

The most visible prong is community service, and volunteer opportunities are often what draw members into the organization. Events held by the Sheridan Jaycees range from a fun run where contestants dress in wacky green costumes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, to an annual Christmas Shopping Tour that allows underprivileged youth to buy gifts for their to casino nights at Sheridan College and a Halloween Parade in downtown Sheridan.

“There’s so many opportunities to give back to the community,” Vice President of Community Brianna Straub said. “There’s that opportunity year-round, and we give that to the people.

There’s such a variety of opportunities that there’s almost always going to be something that matches your interests.”

A second prong is personal and professional development, which is accomplished through a variety of training sessions and through members stepping up to be project managers for events.

All four women said being part of the Jaycees gives young adults a safe place to practice business and leadership skills, which has direct positive results in their careers both now and in the future.

The third prong is social interaction. While a heart for volunteer service got Edwards, Straub, Vice President of Individual Development Jamie Ostermyer and Vice President of Management Bil-

lie Chapman in the door of the Jaycees, all four women said a desire to find a group of friends was an underlying reason to join.

Whether young adults are returning home after college or have moved to the area to pursue their first career, they often find themselves struggling to connect with others their age.

“I’m so glad I’ve done it. It’s done great things for me, personally and professionally. I just really like the Jaycees!” Edwards said, unable to keep a joyful squeal out of her voice.

All four women said they had planned on leaving Sheridan after a few years at their first job or when an internship was done. However, having volunteer opportunities and a network of friends with the Jaycees played a big role in their decisions to settle down in the area.

Chapman, who works as a clinical social worker at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said the mental health aspect of having a good support system in place should not be downplayed. She also said she’d add a fourth “prong” of leadership development to the purpose of the Jaycees.

“I can’t not add the mental health aspect of it, especially since suicide rates have really been making the news lately,” Chapman said. “Having that belonging, having that quality of life, having a sense of meaning and purpose and a support system really, because the Jaycees provide that, too, helps people be healthier beings.”

GET INVOLVED The Sheridan Jaycees host a variety of community events throughout the year. Get involved as a participant or contact the Jaycees to become a member or volunteer. Find the Sheridan Jaycees on Facebook, email sheridanjaycees@gmail.com or visit sheridanjaycees.org.

Events include: • monthly business meetings and social gatherings the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

• leadership trainings on finance, business management and more throughout the year.

• Halloween Parade with downtown trick-or-treating: Oct. 25, 2014 • Christmas Shopping Tour, which allows underprivileged children to shop for Christmas gifts for their family: Dec. 12, 2014.

• St. Patrick’s Day Fun Run: annual event, date to be announced.

• Nothing but Nets, a fundraiser with an international reach that provides mosquito nets for children in third-world countries to prevent malaria: annual event, date to be announced.

TOP: Jaycees member Jarod Martin, left, is congratulated by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyoming, after Martin receives the JCI Senator award during the Jaycees Convention Banquet at Blacktooth Brewing Company. The Junior Chamber International award is the highest honor a Jaycee can receive.

BOTTOM: Xavier Brown walks around dressed as a fire truck during the Sheridan Jaycees Halloween Parade on Grinnell Plaza.

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www.

DestinationSheridan

The Sheridan Press launched a new recreation and tourism website, www.DestinationSheridan.com earlier this month.

The website pairs with the media organization’s three annual Destination Sheridan magazines, which highlight area attractions, people and businesses for locals and visitors alike.

As part of the website launch, The Sheridan Press partnered with the Sheridan Community Land Trust to present a recreation map.

The map allows visitors to the website to pick a category — such as hiking, cycling or fishing — to find area destinations for those activities.

The map also provides a brief description and directions to the location highlighted on the map.

The possibilities for a map like this are endless, and plans to expand the map’s options are in the works. In addition to recreation opportunities, the map could provide guidance on restaurant options, local businesses, real estate agencies and other aspects of the Sheridan County area.

“It’s really exciting to be able to offer something like this to the public,” Press managing editor Kristen Czaban said. “The Sheridan Community Land Trust and A Better Map really impressed us with the work they put into this. It offers website visitors a chance to explore what

68 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

.com

Sheridan County has to offer from one place before they hit the open roads to take in the local recreation options.”

In addition to the recreation map, the Destination Sheridan website will bring The Sheridan Press’ magazines to life.

While free PDFs are still available to download, readers can now browse the stories published in the magazine one at a time. Visitors can also stay up-todate on local happenings with the website’s event calendar and check out photographs from local events in the photo gallery.

The website will also be updated regularly with new stories from The Sheridan Press that will interest local and visiting recreationists and tourists.

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Local

EVENTS

FALL 2014

Meet the nominees: ADA KIRVEN

ERIN NITSCHKE

JILL MARTIN

“Ada approaches each situation with a kind, service-oriented attitude that makes an impact on the people she is working with and the projects she is involved with.”

— Misty Taylor

“Four strong qualities that stand out when I think of Erin are honesty, communication, confidence and commitment. She wears all those qualities very well with pride and passion...”

— Erin Kilbride

“Every day, Jill leads those with whom she comes in contact by indirectly showing them how kindness and caring can build character in others.”

— Diane Ballek

KATHIE KAY

KELLEY MASON

JUDY SLACK

“I think that she goes above and beyond to make our shelter a better place for the homeless animals of Sheridan.”

— Amy Powell

“Kelley’s belief and philosophy is that people intrinsically desire to help one another — Give. Receive. Pay it Forward.”

— Terry Olson

“Judy is someone who is living proof of preserving history. She finds the stories of the past and brings them to the present...”

— Barbara Osborne

JENNIFER DAFOE

CARLA KLOPFENSTEIN

“Jennifer is one of Sheridan’s silent leaders. She elicits confidence, effectively maintains leadership in a group environment, takes charge and inspires the cooperation and confidence of others.”

— Ann Elizabeth Gardner

“Carla is an involved citizen. She doesn’t complain about what is wrong in this community; she embraces making a difference for Sheridan through her actions.”

— Dr. Paul Young

FAB Women’s Conference 2015 is coming this spring. For more information, see www.thesheridanpress.com/fab.

70 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Carmen Rideout 2014 WOMAN OF THE YEAR

“

Carmen Rideout is one of the most beautiful people inside and out that you will ever meet. She is kind, compassionate and smart.

Her social skills background coupled with her nonprofit savvy make her an ideal person to promote community. Carmen’s work at the Sheridan Senior Center has been extremely dedicated and her service to community through volunteer leadership astounding.

– Rindy West

”

LOCAL EVENTS

Christmas Stroll One of Sheridan's most beloved winter events is set for Nov. 28, as always, the day after Thanksgiving.

The Christmas Stroll was developed many years ago in an effort to bring Black Friday shoppers to downtown Sheridan. It is a community event to kick off the holiday shopping season.

Friends, family and neighbors gather downtown to take photographs with Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy free rides on the trolley, a hay wagon and miniature train.

Hot drinks and food are also available on Grinnell Plaza, the centerpiece of Sheridan's downtown.

Live music also typically highlights the annual event.

In conjunction with the Christmas Stroll, the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce organizes a "stroll button" design competition.

The contest opens in April and ends in May. Children in first through sixth grades submit their button design to the Chamber and are asked to base their design on the year's theme.

This year's Christmas Stroll theme is "Sugar Plum Stroll."

The design is used on buttons distributed and sold throughout the holiday shopping season. If your number

matches the number hanging in participating businesses you win a prize worth at least $50.

Registration slips are also available in businesses to enter your button number into weekly drawings for $100 in Chamber Bucks. All of the button numbers gathered from registration slips are then entered in a grand prize drawing on Dec. 31 for $1,000 Chamber Bucks.

This year's Christmas Stroll button design winner will be announced toward the end of October.

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LOCAL EVENTS

Community Holiday Dinner The Sheridan County Community Holiday Dinner has become a heavily attended holiday tradition in the area and organizers have said volunteers are what make the event.

Chamber ambassadors dish out food to a line of guests at the 32nd Annual Community Holiday Dinner in the Holiday Inn Atrium.

72 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

And they do.

In past years, more than 150 people volunteered for the event, helping before, during and after the actual feast.

In past years, the Sheridan County 4-H Club has helped pack food bags that were distributed during the event.

Another organization that helps out before the big day is the Wyoming Girls’ School. For several years, students at the school have helped pull the meat from the

turkeys prepared for the meal.

Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors have also volunteered at the event since its inception in 1991.

“When we started the dinner, we really didn’t have a signature event that the ambassadors did every year and that they could consistently fundraise for,” one dinner organizer Debi Isakson said. “So they took this on as what they felt was a community event where they could get out and be visible while working for the community.

“They know what they are doing, and they do it year after year,” Isakson said, adding that the ambassadors dish out the food each year.

Other groups that make the event possible are local Girl Scout troups that help families carry their plates to tables, local church organizations who help set up and tear down all of the tables and chairs used at the dinner and businesses who come out to help any way they can.

“And this wouldn’t be possible without the Holiday Inn,” Isakson said, noting that the event has been held at the local hotel every year. “They are the only venue that could handle this kind of event with all of the food preparation. They order it, prepare it and use their employees to help oversee the volunteers.”

“It has been wonderful to work with them and they don’t charge us a penny,” Isakson added.

On average, more than 50 turkeys, 70 pounds of green beans, 20 gallons of gravy, 60 pounds of cranberries and 1,200 cups of ice cream are made ready for hungry Sheridanites. But it is not just organizations who help out at the event.

“We have a lot of individuals who want to volunteer as well,” Isakson said.

One year, according to Isakson, a family arrived with their children to volunteer because they wanted their kids to see what the event was all about.

“So we’ve had volunteers as young as 9, 8, 7 years old, and as old as 70,” Isakson said.

Adding to the tradition of community and holiday spirit, the Holiday Brass Band and the Craft Brothers have performed at every Sheridan County Community Holiday Dinner.

Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce ambassadors help fill the plates of attendees at a past community holiday dinner.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus are always on hand to greet attendees.

While the Sheridan County Community Holiday Dinner is free, organizers ask that attendees get tickets in advance. Check the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce website for locations where tickets are available. The dinner includes turkey and all the trimmings and will be held from 4-7 p.m. at the Sheridan Holiday Inn Dec. 7.

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SHERIDAN

Theater Companies

by Christina Schmidt Photos by Justin Sheely

LEFT: Deborah Saurage throws a tablecloth for the next scene during a rehearsal for “Good People” at the Carriage House Theater.

CENTER: The student cast of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” poses at the Sheridan College Henry A. Whitney Academic Center. Students from the theater club did live performances along with the showing of the film in the atrium.

RIGHT: Miniature mock-ups of the stage sets are seen at a dress rehearsal of “The Rivals” at the WYO Theater.

74 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Outdoor activities abound in the Sheridan area. However, if you are more inclined to seek your entertainment inside, then Sheridan can offer that as well.

Though it may be more well-known for things such as rodeos, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling, Sheridan is also home to a surprising number of theater groups that entertain Sheridan audiences year round.

DannyLee Hodnett, a theater faculty member at Sheridan College, said there are several theater groups operating in Sheridan, including Pick Your Poison, the Civic Theater Guild, the Twisted Stair Theater Company, the New Lear Theater Company and Tandem Productions as well as the WYO Theater, Sheridan College and local high schools.

But how have all these groups been started and even more importantly, how do they stay afloat?

“They have very different focuses,” Hodnett said.

As one example, he explained that the Twisted Stair Company operates at Sheridan College and is comprised mostly of SC theater students who sometimes are not able to get a role in one of the college’s plays. He said there are often more students than there are roles to fill in a certain play. To allow more students to participate, Twisted Stair operates plays independent from the ones the college offers.

He also highlighted the Civic Theater Guild, which is open to all community members with an interest in theater and Tandem Productions, which focuses on children’s theater productions.

Starting a theater company can be a challenge. There are often many costs involved, including purchasing costumes, props for sets, lighting, sound, royalties for use of

plays, renting a venue and of course, marketing of plays to attract audiences. These costs can run into the thousands of dollars, requiring financial donations from sponsors, as well as strong ticket sales to audiences.

However, it is possible for a theater group to skip all of these components and simply act whenever and wherever possible.

“Pick Your Poison is the town’s only improv company,” Hodnett said, noting that SC students as well as community members participate in the group.

“They don’t produce scripted shows with sets and things like that. It is improv which is a totally different thing than having a script and memorizing it and working it out. They might just ask the audience to give a location or a subject and they build it from there. So people can start theater companies with almost no budget. “ “Students love it,” he added. “One reason they love it is it is very flexible. Some students don’t have the time to be at a rehearsal every day for four months, and with this, you can be involved as intensely as you want or less intensely if you just don’t have the time. They might meet once a week or every other week to keep up on their skills and do different games and exercises to think on their feet.”

But how can a relatively small town like Sheridan build and maintain such a strong theater presence?

Hodnett said there are at least two reasons he has considered, and they have been in the making for many years.

“One, Tandem Productions has been going for at least 20 years,” he said. “It was started by Dick and Tami Davis and they do children’s theater. Having done it that long, kids have been raised doing the-

“

ater. It has become an important thing for a lot of people growing up and they continue doing it in their adult life and support it. I think that is an important reason why this is an unexpected theater town.”

“The Civic Theater Guild is also important,” he continued.

“I think they are in their 57th year, so we have over half a century in this town of building an audience. Add to that the WYO which has been bringing in acts since the 1980s and we have a pretty firmly established theater culture here.”

Another vital component of the theater scene noted Hodnett, is the strong financial support of generous patrons.

“They want theater and entertainment and culture,” Hodnett said, noting that donors work hand in hand with a strong base of performers wanting to offer plays to the public. “You have people who want to do theater, but also have the patrons who demand it as well and it is important to them that it gets done. They help direct it, finance it or help in other ways. It is just an important thing in this community.”

It [theater] has become an important thing for a lot of people growing up and they continue doing it in their adult life and support it.

LEFT: Jack Vernon performs on stage during a rehearsal for “Godspell” at the WYO Theater.

CENTER: Jacob Claytor plays Jesus, middle, as he commences the last supper at a rehearsal for “Godspell” at the WYO Theater.

RIGHT: Former WYO Theater Director Nick Johnson makes announcements from the stage prior to the production of “Cabaret.”

” – DannyLee Hodnett

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LIVE!

From Sheridan, Wyoming, it’s...

by Kendra Cousineau

There’s an old saying amongst guitar and bass players: “play until your fingers bleed.”

Maybe it originated from the Bryan Adams song, “Summer of ‘69”, but either way, it means to play your guitar hard, and for a long time.

Lance Loring from the local rock band Redrocket has a different goal for the shows that they play.

“Play until the cops show up,” Loring said, laughing.

Redrocket recently played a show on top of the bar with no name at the corner of Fifth

Lancifer performs at the Best Western Sheridan Center during his concert for the release of his new album “One Night to Live.” Lane Terzieff moved to Sheridan with his parents when he was 12 and went to Sheridan High School. During his junior year he decided to leave high school and pursue his dreams of becoming a professional musician. He is now know by his stage name “Lancifer.”

76 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

and Main streets, and although no police showed up on night one of their gig, the band said there was always one more night to change that.

On the second night on the rooftop of the “No Name” bar, Loring got his wish.

The police showed up around 9 p.m. for a noise complaint and shut the show down.

Redrocket was formed about three years ago by four members who grew tired of the bands they were in.

Joe Dahlke, guitar; Lance Loring, guitar; Jack Shannon-Smith, drums; and Rob Luckie, bass; are the four members of the band. All of them share vocals, except for Jack, they said.

Luckie said he was excited to join a band in more of a rock genre, saying their similar taste in music is what brought them together.

“Jack (Shannon-Smith) moved back here and I was itching to play some rock,” Luckie said.

Redrocket plays everything from Green Day to AC/DC to Candlebox.

Loring said they just love to play what they want, but aren’t the kind of band you will find at Third Thursday.

“We’re probably one of the only bands who will turn a gig down,” Luckie said.

Due to low cost and low maintenance of DJs, they usually take precedence over local bands on the weekends.

“You know, you play for $800, that’s only $200 a piece,” Loring said, “and you’re moving 10 times the equipment. You don’t get paid to play, you get paid to move equipment twice.”

But for Doug Meier, owner of the Big Horn Smokehouse, having local bands play is more than just making money.

“Music is a rare talent that few people really get to experience,” Meier said. “That’s why we don’t do karaoke. It’s a chance for people to showcase their god-given talent.”

Meier says he has all different varieties and genres of music come out to play in Big Horn.

“There’s amazing amounts of talent in Sheridan County,” he said.

Once the weather turns bad, he shuffles the musicians inside for open mic night on Wednesdays, or a more intimate concert.

“People get to hear the actual singing and actual guitar picking,” he said.

Several other local restaurants and bars highlight local talent with live music offerings throughout the year, including the Blacktooth Brewing Company, Luminous Brewhouse and the American Legion.

The WYO Theater also offers up music events throughout the year, when outdoor venues like the bandshell at Kendrick Park, the Trails End Concert Park and downtown festivities are put on hold until warm weather returns.

This winter, for example, plans are in place for several holiday-themed concerts, live broadcasts from The Metropolitan Opera and productions of well-known musicals.

For a full list of events coming to Sheridan this fall, winter and spring, see

ABOVE: Brandon Adsit, left, and his 3-year-old son Bryson hold a rock salute during at the ‘80s Rock Fest at the Trails End Concert Park.

BELOW: The Craft Brothers perform for the Habitat for Humanity of the Easter Big Horns “Homes, Community and Hope” event.

WWW.DESTINATIONSHERIDAN.COM.

Photo by Kendra Cousineau

Redrocket performs on the roof of the “No Name” bar earlier this year.

78 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

Fall/Winter

79

Advertising Directory ACT

39

Farmer’s COOP

25

Affordable Autos

15

Farmers Insurance – McCoy Agency

19 31

Hospital Pharmacy

28

Interior Images

77

Kosma Heating & AC

40

Kraft’s Fine Jewelry

69

Landon’s Greenhouse

42

Little Goose Liquors

43

Mac’s Moving and Storage

31

Martinizing Dry Cleaning

13

McDonald’s

35

Nest Home and Holiday

41 31 24

Apsaalooke Nights Casino

83

Fiberhouse

Atter’s Furniture

69

Big Horn Tire

68

First Federal Savings Bank

Big Horn Trading, LLC

73

First Interstate Bank

Carpet Design

84

73

Cloud Peak Energy

30

First Light Children’s Center First Northern Bank

81

Gina’s Beauty Bar

34

43

Hammer Chevrolet

58

D&J Coins

58

H&R Block

37

Ebia Hearing

43

Heartland Kubota

43

Northeast Wyoming Pediatric Associates

Holiday Inn

39

OK Corral

Cottonwood Properties, LLC Cowboy State Bank

ERA Carroll Realty

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70 & 71

2

3 19

Pack & Mail

33

Pizza Hut

31

Plaza Gallery & Frame

15

Pony Grill and Bar

79

Ptolemy Data Systems

11

Quick Printing

66

Rahimi’s Taxidermy

Sagebrush Community Art Center

18

The Clothing Company & Baby Too

33

Security State Bank

67

Tegeler and Associates

15

Sheridan College

55

Tire Rama

80

Tunnel Inn

15

Turned Antiques

79

Urgent Care at Sheridan Memorial Hospital

40

Westview Health Care Center

23

Wind River Hotel and Casino

59 61 35

Sheridan Community Federal Credit Union

25

34

Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce

83

REMAX/Bighorn Properties

80

Sheridan County Implement

Rendezvous Liquor & Lounge

60

Riverside Paint

68

Rocky Mountain Discount Sports Rocky Mountain Exteriors

27 39

9

Sheridan Stationery

42

Sheridan Travel & Tourism

84

Side Street Bed & Bath

21

Wyoming Wildlife Outfitters

Sports Lure

39

WyoVision Associates

The Brinton Museum

7

WY Sheridan Works

5

The Sheridan Press thanks its advertisers for fully funding Destination Sheridan Magazine!

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Sheridan CENSUS DATA County • 29,116 total residents • Median household income 2006-2010: $48,141 • Percent of people 18 years and older with a high school diploma: 92.7 percent • Percent of people 25 years or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 23.1 percent • Persons below poverty level: 11.2 percent • Mean travel time to work: 17.9 minutes CITY OF SHERIDAN • 17,444 total residents • Female: 50.4 percent • Under 18: 22 percent • Persons 65 and older: 15.8 percent • Persons per square mile: 1,596.3

According to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data, Sheridan County is home to 29,116 residents. The city of Sheridan has 17,444 residents.

TOWN OF RANCHESTER • 855 total residents • Male: 432 • Female: 423 • Under 18: 278 • Largest age group: 50-64: 160 TOWN OF CLEARMONT • 142 total residents • Male: 64 • Female: 78 • Under 18: 43 • Largest age group: 50-64: 40

Wyoming Information Center

TOWN OF DAYTON • 757 total residents • Male: 376 • Female: 381 • Under 18: 192 • Largest age group: 50-64: 197

BIG HORN COMMUNITY • 490 total residents • Male: 244 • Female: 246 • Under 18: 144 • Largest age group: 50-64: 117

TOWN OF ARVADA • 43 total residents • Male: 26 • Female: 17 • Under 18: 5 • Largest age group: 35-46: 18

STORY COMMUNITY • 828 total residents • Male: 423 • Female: 405 • Under 18: 118 • Largest age group: 50-64: 280

Looking for information on local hotels, restaurants and entertainment?

Visit the Wyoming Information Center located on the east side of the Interstate 90 Fifth Street exit.

The center offers friendly specialists to aide with any travel needs, 24-hour public restrooms inside the building, a kiosk where you can check out the area’s different points of interest, a children’s playground, a mini-museum and a picnic area with panoramic views of Sheridan and the Bighorn Mountains.

The information center and museum are owned by the state.

The information center is equipped with a flatscreen television, computers with Internet service and wireless access.

Parking at the facility is ample and able to accommodate vehicles of all sizes. There is also an RV waste disposal site for the convenience of travelers.

Summer hours (mid-May to mid-October) for the information center are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays the rest of the year.

Sheridan Travel and Tourism can be contacted at 307-673-7120 or online at WWW.SHERIDANWYOMING.ORG. 82 DESTINATION SHERIDAN

WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE: • 24-hour public restrooms • One-on-one assistance from travel specialists • Information kiosk • Brochures on area’s points of interest • Dog-walking area • Picnic area • RV waste disposal site • Parking • Panoramic view of the Bighorn Mountains • Wyoming Game and Fish regional offices nearby