Author: Easin' Along

When we put our itinerary together months ago, our plan for Cheyenne, Wyoming, was to camp in the Crow Creek FamCamp on F.E. Warren Air Force Base. Although retirees can book a campsite no more than 30 days out, we were not overly concerned and felt we would secure a spot as soon as the booking window opened. It wasn’t that easy.

When we called to make a reservation, the lady on the other end of the line just laughed. “Sir,” she said, “obviously, you didn’t know that the dates you want are during Frontier Days, and we have no sites available.” She was right. I did not have any idea that Frontier Days are a big deal, but I’m so glad we had the opportunity to learn all about the event firsthand.

Frontier Days, the World’s Largest outdoor rodeo and Western Celebration, took place this year from July 23rd to August 1st–the 125th year of the event. On the week before we arrived in Cheyenne, Helen tried once more to call Crow Creek to see if the impossible had happened, and someone canceled. Indeed, someone had, and we moved into a spacious campsite for four days to celebrate all things western.

Crow Creek, filled with veterans from all over the country, and the campground was buzzing. One group from Alabama was recovering from a long night after the Garth Brooks concert the previous evening. Scheduled throughout the week, a slate of shows included a star-studded lineup and culminated the last day with Blake Shelton on the stage. There were no tickets left for Frontier Night shows, although scalpers offered tickets to Blake Shelton for as much as $3,000.

On our first day, we opted for two events held on the base. The first, a precision riding demonstration, took place on the parade field. The Trotters, a snappily dressed group of six cowgirls and one cowboy, put on a show for us. One lady would call out commands, and the Trotters would move in the direction called. The riders did not know in advance what order would come next, but all horses moved uniformly without a hitch and impressed everyone in the audience.

We attended another event put on by a group representing the Buffalo Soldiers, African-American Regiments formed after the Civil War and stationed primarily in the western part of the country. This event gave young kids an opportunity to sit on a horse and gave parents a photo op. We took advantage of neither chance but did learn much about the contribution of the Buffalo Soldier to our country as it advanced westward.

Back in the campground, we learned that tickets for the “Daddy of “Em All” Rodeo were available at the gate. Neither of us had ever been to a rodeo, and I jumped at the opportunity. A shuttle bus picked us up at the base entrance and took us about a mile to the Fairgrounds. The ticket lines were long but moved swiftly. Helen and I obtained seats in an upper deck. We were some distance away but had an unobstructed view of the action.

For the next two hours, we watched a heckuva show. The bull riders went first, and all I could think about was, “Why would anybody want to do that?” The bulls were enormous, and when they bucked, all four hooves left the ground. The rider had to last for seven seconds, and few did that.

After the bulls, the bareback bronc riders gave us an equally impressive show, perhaps only slightly less dangerous. Next came both men and women calf ropers, saddle bronc riders, and daredevil stunt riders. It was the fastest two hours I can remember, and I can say with confidence, I am now a rodeo fan thanks to the “Daddy of ‘Em All.”

Before we start Easin’ Along toward Colorado, I wanted to share a little about our stop in Dubois, Wyoming before arriving in Cheyenne. We camped in Dubois last summer and had a great time exploring the area. I inserted a link to that visit here. For this year’s visit, we decided to slow the pace a bit. Helen worked her puzzle beside the Wind River, and I read books. Each campsite in the Longhorn Ranch Campground came with at least four Prairie Dogs, so, between books, I fed the little critters peanuts. One fearless little fellow eventually worked up enough courage to take them out of my hand. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. See y’all next week.

Under clear skies, we departed Big Sky, Montana, and drove 60 miles to Ennis RV Village, our home for the week. During our stay in Big Sky, smoke from distant wildfires occasionally drifted overhead but never presented much of a problem. Eventually, the smoke found a resting place in Ennis.

This visit to Ennis RV Village was our second in two years. We enjoyed a delightful experience last summer and booked a return trip for 2021. Last summer, a storm in the valley gave me a great afternoon of fun with my camera (Link here). However, this summer, smoke replaced the rainbows of the year before. The pictures below illustrate the difference a year can make. (Slide arrows left or right to compare in larger view)

Although the smoke limited our view of the mountains, it offered an opportunity I hadn’t considered–very colorful sunsets. The setting sunlight, filtered through a layer of smoke, gave off a bright palette of colors more than once during our visit, and I captured some of them to share here.

In Ennis, Helen and I also looked forward to visiting with our friends Ann and Frank, Knoxvillians who have owned a summer home in the area for many years. Frank is a very experienced fly-fisherman, and I let him know that if he planned a fishing trip during our stay, I would love to tag along. Frank did much better than that.

On our way into town, I checked in with Frank to learn that he had just got off the phone with a friend who offered a rare opportunity. Frank’s friend had booked and paid for a guided day of fishing on Henry’s Fork of the Snake River but couldn’t make it. Not wanting the trip to waste away, he gave the trip to Frank, who invited me to join him. It took me only a fraction of a second to accept, and we made arrangements to meet early the following day.

We met around dawn for a drive to Island Park, Idaho, about 90 miles away. During our drive, I thought about how long it had been since I was active this early in the morning, but when we passed a large cattle drive, I realized that there are many early birds in this world–I’m just not one of them anymore. We also passed a large campground filled with firefighters already at work on the nearby wildfires, and I sent up a prayer for their safety and success.

Henry’s Fork is well-known as a haven for trophy trout, and I was so excited, I could hardly stand it. We checked into Henry’s Fork Anglers, a well-stocked gear shop, and met Shawn, our guide for the day. Shawn was a polite and professional twenty-something, with a handsome face reddened by wind and sun due to many hours on the Snake. He directed Frank and me to the snack shop to pick up enormous deli sandwiches for our lunch and waited for us at his car with a drift boat attached.

On the way to the launch site, Shawn told us that he had worked at Henry’s Fork Anglers every summer since he was fifteen and bitten by the fly-fishing bug. He began guiding at age eighteen. We also learned that he grew up in Knoxville and went to high school about 10 miles from my house…an unbelievable coincidence. Knoxvillian or not, this young man knew trout fishing.

Shawn expertly guided the drift boat to the rising trout, chasing insects hatching at the surface as we drifted the Snake River. He carefully explained the technical details of catching fish in these waters. On either side of the river, wading fishermen and women hauled in some nice Rainbow Trout.

It wasn’t long before Frank hooked a large trout and fought it for several minutes before escaping his hook. I also snagged a large fish, only to meet the same result. We repeated the experience many times during the trip and, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t land one in the boat. I admit to a bit of disappointment in losing some nice trout, but the overall experience was wrapped in nothing but joy for this old mountain boy. I am very grateful to Frank and his friend for sharing a delightful day on the water.

Shawn, you’re the best too! Here’s hoping we can do it again! For now, we’re Easin’ Along.

It’s been a few weeks since we shared another stop on our trip to the northwest and the Rockies. There’s a reason for that. After four months on the road, we encountered the inertia of returning to life at home. We had two large boxes of mail to sort (most of it was junk), medical appointments to keep, my mom needed some catch-up time, and my PC was in the throes of a death spiral. Catching up with home life went well–the computer issues did not.

I ordered a Big Mac only to find that converting over thirty years of files and pictures from a PC to a Mac required more effort than I wanted to expend, so I returned it. I ordered a mid-level PC but found that the resolution for picture editing wasn’t as good as the small laptop I use for travel. I returned it as well.

For now, I am using my small laptop connected to my PC monitor by way of a $60 docking station.  I should have used my travel computer to start with, but my old eyes work better when I don’t have to squint at a small screen. It’s not an ideal situation, but it gets me back to my blog, which I missed while spending a lot of time to no avail. It’s good to be back; let’s go to Big Sky, Montana.

Before Big Sky, Helen and I spent three days in West Yellowstone, MT, a small town located beside the western entrance of Yellowstone National Park. We wanted to meet up with Helen’s niece, McLeod, working as a housekeeping manager at Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge. We visited Mammoth last summer on the northern end of Yellowstone and looked forward to another visit. We met for lunch in nearby Gardiner, MT, and had a great time while learning much about the challenges of working in a lodge in the time of COVID. Back in West Yellowstone, we rode our bikes a lot, explored a little, and found a saloon suitable for gaming.  Helen loves gaming.

Last summer, we discovered The Inn on the Gallatin, a campground that offered everything we love about RV travel. We booked another stay at the end of that experience and eagerly looked forward to a return trip in this unique setting. The Inn on the Gallatin is a “boutique” for RVers.  The owners, Deann and Steve, take great pains to enhance the experience of their guests.  The campsites sit adjacent to decks overlooking the scenic Gallatin River. The flower beds and the lawns are immaculately maintained and colorfully accented with artwork and whimsey.

On weekends, Steve and Deann open a cafe next to the office for campground guests and feature gourmet breakfast offerings complete with warm doughnut holes and fresh coffee.  Breakfast at the Inn is a not-to-be-missed experience, and we invited Debbie, our friend from Knoxville, now living close by, to share this pleasure with us. Debbie had visited the cafe often after moving into the area and knew Deann and Steve well. They greeted her with open arms. We lingered long over the breakfast table before waving Debbie goodby and retreating to Dora for a nap.

The following day, Debbie’s husband Rick, also from East Tennessee, picked me up for a fly-fishing trip on the Gallatin. Rick is an expert fisherman and tied the flies that he shared with me.  On this day, Rick unselfishly decided not to fish and offered to wade the river and guide me through the section of the river he chose for us.  After several misses, his counsel paid off, and I landed a rainbow. The picture below illustrates my elation. Even if I had not had success at fishing, I would have been fine.  Fly-fishing in a mountain stream requires a degree of concentration that shuts out a lot of life’s noise. I find it very calming, and I owe Rick a big thank-you for a delightful outing.

The remainder of our time at the Inn was relatively low-key.  I prepared a delicious meal of scallops and bacon that we purchased frozen in Morro Bay, CA, and saved for dinner on our deck in Big Sky.  Smoke from distant wildfires drifted above us during our stay but was of no concern (yet).

At the end of our visit to Big Sky, we flowed away as calmly as the river behind us.  It was time to Ease Along.