State of Mine
All things Wyoming
Heaven’s Blueprint
For your bucket list consideration…
It was Lyn’s idea to begin with. “We need to take a road trip,” she said in July. “Maybe up to the park or somewhere in September.”
We took a look at our calendars. As luck would have it, I was available for exactly two weekends and so was she. But the opposite weekends. So, we settled for a plan B during Labor Day weekend.
Yellowstone National Park
Don’t mock my mountain, man
There are three things in my life I keep close to my heart. One is my family. Sure, I can make fun of them and tease them but you had better not. Two is my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And three is my home state of Wyoming (see rule for number one). Nothing turns me off faster or makes me become more defensive than someone mocking my state or hometown. Especially if that someone hails from that one state to the southwest right next to us.
My town happens to sit in a valley between two small mountains. I get tired of hearing how unimpressive our mountains are. I admit, neither one tops the double digit k range. But here are some things to think about before you turn up your nose in disdain.
There are a lot of mountain snobs amongst us. The general consensus seems to be a mountain is not a “real” mountain if it is below 10,000 feet (3048 m). That seems a bit unfair. I mean, 5280 feet is one mile (1609 m) – straight up. That’s one mile closer to heaven, after all. Both of the mountains in the vicinity of my town reach higher than that.
White Mountain runs north and south on the west side of town. It does not tower over town like the Wasatch Mountains over Salt Lake City. But, the peak does reach 7,623 ft (2,323 m). Really, that is nothing to sneeze about, mockers. The highest point is a rock formation called Pilot Butte that stretches to 7,949 ft (2,423 m) in elevation. But the thing to remember is, my town is located in the Rocky Mountains. We sit at 6,759 ft (2060 m) above sea level. So, of course an extra 800 ft is not going to look too impressive.
Aspen Mountain south of us looms to 8,657 ft (2,639 m). And Wilkins Peak reaches 7,650 ft (2,332 m). For the snobs out there, I admit, all under the 10,000 benchmark. But c’mon, still far enough up to take someone’s breath away. Literally.
To compare, Salt Lake City, Utah is only at 4,327 ft (1,320 m) above sea level. The Wasatch mountains highest peak only reaches 11,928 ft (3,636 m). Just barely over the 10,000 ft snob rule. And that’s just the highest peak. The Oquirrh (pronounced Oaker) Mountains that run parallel on the other side of the valley only reaches 10,620 ft (3,240 m) at the highest peak. So yes, when the valley is so near sea level (not even a mile high) the mountains are going to look quite imposing.
I used Wikipedia for all my numbers. Saturday I spent the day on my mountain. She may not be as big as some, but she’s good enough for me. Enjoy the videos!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGtgJPCNxHM
The best part of Idaho is Wyoming
The Wind River Mountains in Wyoming.
Wait, wait wait. One of those little blips in the distance is my ride.
Sand dunes, Rexburg, Idaho
Idaho Falls and the temple in the distance
A view of Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the valley. On the summit of Teton Pass.
Wyoming scene without the fence
and with the fence. Which one do you like better? I like them both.
The Tetons (and my weekend trip) in the rearview mirror. Wait, is it to late to go back to Jackson and make that left turn instead of right? Trust me on this, Sunday ck, Monday ck will regret that right turn.
Top 10 Reasons to live in Wyoming
1. The wind is breathtaking. Seriously. Wear a scarf.
2. Don’t have to worry about all those pesky seasons.
3. It’s practically, nearly, almost in the middle of the United States.
You know it’s cold in Wyoming when…
Right next door to me
there lived a celebrity.
You may have heard of him before –
he always takes flight on night 24.
Wyoming Rain
I wanted to go for a bike ride
but I waited around.
Then the sky turned dark
and the rain came down.
South Pass, Wyoming
A visit to South Pass in 2013 prompted this post of an even earlier reflection writing. The site is now little more than an old ghost town near Lander, Wyoming but it is a special spot for me. Years ago, while still in college, I took a week long history class that visited different sites every day. The following semester, I took a writing class and was given the assignment to write about “My special place.” I chose to write about South Pass. This is my paper I wrote approximately 18 years ago.
ck's days 