My Journey

[Arjan]

Sorry to have been so long - but away on travels that are work..
Love the pictures and the story - this is a seriously good and intersting post.
Some of those books are hard to find on this side of the Atlantic..


The dogs claim to have missed me..

I've driven the Ineos with the BMW diesel and yes, it's quite good. But also seriously expensive here and there seems to have been some issues that took quite some time to sort and the manuals and parts books seem still to be in the air for the owners..

Please share your travels with us - makes my day !

Thanks

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

furbucket.....it seems as though I went from "admitted knucklehead" to living legend in a single post ! Seriously.....that's really cool.....a total surprise. I liked it.....thank you.....

ITTOG.....I'd love to see you get it. I suspect you're familiar with Thomas Mangelsen since you're a seasoned Teton Mountain man ? He's an actual for real living legend who resides in Jackson, Wyoming.....has a shop there as well. His photography is legendary so getting his signed print in addition to Bottle #399 would be amazing.....

Here's a link to the auction that I received from blockbar.com if anyone is interested (it's well worth it to check it out.....all of it).....

https://blockbar.com/producers/wyoming-whiskey/wyoming-whiskey-queen-of-the-tetons-straight?A360=241750627

Arjan.....welcome home ! Love the dogs.....



"When a horse is warning you, the most common sound is a squeal. This high-pitched sound is often used as a defensive warning or threat, indicating that the horse is annoyed and may become more reactive if further provoked. Squeals can also be used in other contexts like during aggressive interactions between horses or when a mare protests unwanted attention from a stallion.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of horse sounds related to warnings and other communications:

Warning Sounds:

• Squeal: A high-pitched, piercing sound used as a warning or threat.
• Blow: Short, intense exhalations of air that indicate the horse senses danger and demands caution.
• Snort: A forceful exhalation through the nostrils, which can indicate alarm, frustration, or even be a sign of contentment."

I posted the above because I wasn't quite certain how to describe the sounds coming from these two small herds of wild horses (it was pretty much all of the above). One small herd was made up 3 and the other small herd was made up of maybe 6. Each small herd had one dominant male and that dominant male was very aggressive towards the three of us.....making the above described sounds as well stomping their hooves and making false charges.....



Becoming one with the wild horses.....well, not quite.....



Next we loaded ourselves into the Jeep and headed deeper into the Pryor Mountain Range.....



We drove through maybe 5 miles of ranchers' land.....some of the roughest roads that I'd driven on for quite some time. When I noticed a cave along the way, you can bet on it, that we stopped right there and took a quick hike to.....once again.....see what we could see.....



The landscape was quite stunning from up there.....



Looking out from the mouth of the cave was even better.....



This cave had multiple small chambers but unfortunately none of them went deep into the mountainside.....



I couldn't help but to compare the beauty of a naturally occurring cave to.....say for an example, the mine shafts that we had just previously explored in the Dragoon Mountains.....



When we had set out that morning we had two goals for the day. First we hoped to see the Big Ice Cave and afterwards, climb Big Pryor Mountain (8,786'). We continued driving east, eventually entering into the Custer National Forest.....here the quality of the road completely changed.....I thought it would finally be clear sailing the rest of the way.....



Unfortunately the road almost immediately began to climb from the valley floor and within just a few minutes we encountered patches of snow. As we climbed, the road became snow covered and with 9.5 miles still to go, I decided to bag it.....too risky all alone.....

In this picture, you can see where my tracks ended as I was backing out.....there were no tracks beyond.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Of course I was a bit disappointed that we hadn't achieved either of our goals but the day was still young.....very young.....so I decided that we'd head further south to see what we could get into next.....Highway 310 led us to Lovell, Wyoming and here we turned east onto Highway 14 but for just a few short miles. Our next stop for this trip was at the Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area.....



The weather was a real mix during our brief stay here.....rain & high winds, cloudy skies & beautiful skies.....constantly changing. We set up our camp on a high point overlooking a small pond.....



Then we took off for a walk into the areas that were filled with thick, low growing vegetation.....



A downpour & high winds made me second guess this campsite so now I decided it best to stick to the roads. With clearing skies, I grabbed me a bunch of trash bags and we headed back out.....



It sure made feel good to have cleaned up nearly two miles of the back roads while we did nothing more than waste the afternoon away.....



This also gave me the opportunity to scope out additional campsites.....



I found that the deeper into the forest that we went, the more appealing this place became.....King of the Cottonwoods.....a name I bestowed on this absolute monster of a Cottonwood tree.....



As you might imagine, nobody was here.....and I couldn't have been more pleased.....just many birds of many different feathers.....




Our new campsite was tucked into a forest and we now found ourselves surrounded by large Cottonwood trees.....the perfect buffer from the high winds that blew in from the west.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

That evening.....as the winds were temporarily dying down, we went for what turned out to be one very long evening walk.....



We followed one of those seldom traveled gravel roads that eventually turned into nothing more than a seldom traveled trail that wandered into the forest.....



As I look back on this short trip from the warmth of my small cabin, I think this walk may have been my most favorite part of this entire trip.....



I recall the temperature being near perfect for a long walk.....the sun now shining through the forest trees.....and I remember this near perfect slight breeze that swayed through the tree tops.....



And there were birds.....lots of birds. We saw deer on several occasions during this walk.....it seriously was & is the reason that I love the outdoors.....



That night the winds picked up again.....



.....and I was thankful that we had chosen to sleep amongst the towering Cottonwood trees.....



We only stayed here that one night.....the following morning.....on the way out.....we stopped to view an old, abandoned homestead.....not far from our campsite.....




And then we were back on Highway 310.....once again, driving south.....

 

[Riversdad]

Good on you for cleaning up after people too lazy to clean up after themselves.
It's just a shame that you have too. People have no respect for the environment.
By the way. How's your knee treating you. It must be feeling better now that you're walking more.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Riversdad.....people pretty much suck. I'd guess that 90 % of the trash consist of drink bottles / cans. It's difficult to understand why people can't just take it home / dispose of it properly.....but then I remind myself that people suck.....

Both the General Physician & the Sports Medicine Physician @ MSU diagnosed me with mild arthritis in my knee. It's one of those diagnoses that you accept and live with. No cure. Surgery isn't an option because it's so mild. The pain can be anywhere from a zero to a near ten. My options, per the doctors, are knee brace, soothing cream, cortisone shot, nothing.

The pain is most significant after an hour or more of driving or downclimbing mountains (I found out both of these from the last trip). We're headed back out soon.....a much longer trip. I'm thinking that I'll try the cream.....and cancel the cortisone shot appointment.....

Thanks for asking.....



Yesterday was Day One of the Wyoming Whiskey Auction. I registered and set my limit at $2,000. I feel like it's a good investment. If you look at their website, many of their bottles fetch $2,000. In this auction you get Bottle #399, an additional bottle & the signed print. Anyhow, I spent the morning trying to figure out how to bid. I got so darn angry at my incompetence as I just couldn't figure it out. I was ready to throw my phone out the door. I checked the auction last night and it was at $2,500 (still at that figure this morning). All that anger was wasted.....but isn't that really typical with anger ? I'm just hoping that ITTOG is the leading bidder.....

I'm now content with Bottle #209, my baseball cap, and the souvenir metal sign that hangs on my barn door.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

The goal was simply to leave that stiff wind behind. And the only way to do that, was to drive south.....I kept watching for flags along the way.....hoping to finally see one that didn't look like this.....



We, of course, were in no hurry, so we made stops at every roadside sign to learn a little more about Wyoming.....




We stopped at the Museum of Flight & Aerial Firefighting in Greybull, Wyoming.....



It was still closed for the winter season.....a price to pay when traveling in the shoulder seasons.....a price I'm more than willing to pay to avoid the crowds.....




We passed by Kirby, Wyoming.....our intended destination for this trip. The winds had finally died down here, but we continued driving south. Maybe 20 more miles south, we made a stop in Thermopolis, Wyoming.....home of the worlds' largest mineral hot spring (while difficult to read, thats what is painted on that mountainside just outside of town).....



On the northeast side of town is the Hot
Springs State Park. I'd say that this place is near perfect for the traveler.....at least during the shoulder season. Few customers and no entrance fees.....water that flowed into the pool at 122 degrees which leveled out at 104 degrees.....it was sensational.....




We spent that night camped somewhere north of town.....alongside Highway 310.....all alone.....until the sun set. Then a small motorhome pulled alongside, fired up their generator, and ruined a near perfect day in Wyoming.....

 

[ITTOG]

Riversdad.....people pretty much suck. I'd guess that 90 % of the trash consist of drink bottles / cans. It's difficult to understand why people can't just take it home / dispose of it properly.....but then I remind myself that people suck.....

Both the General Physician & the Sports Medicine Physician @ MSU diagnosed me with mild arthritis in my knee. It's one of those diagnoses that you accept and live with. No cure. Surgery isn't an option because it's so mild. The pain can be anywhere from a zero to a near ten. My options, per the doctors, are knee brace, soothing cream, cortisone shot, nothing.

The pain is most significant after an hour or more of driving or downclimbing mountains (I found out both of these from the last trip). We're headed back out soon.....a much longer trip. I'm thinking that I'll try the cream.....and cancel the cortisone shot appointment.....

Thanks for asking.....



Yesterday was Day One of the Wyoming Whiskey Auction. I registered and set my limit at $2,000. I feel like it's a good investment. If you look at their website, many of their bottles fetch $2,000. In this auction you get Bottle #399, an additional bottle & the signed print. Anyhow, I spent the morning trying to figure out how to bid. I got so darn angry at my incompetence as I just couldn't figure it out. I was ready to throw my phone out the door. I checked the auction last night and it was at $2,500 (still at that figure this morning). All that anger was wasted.....but isn't that really typical with anger ? I'm just hoping that ITTOG is the leading bidder.....

Here we are again with something I may be able to provide some guidance on. Knee issues! I too have arthritis in my knees. My situation isn't exactly the same because I have other issues with my knees. With that said, the pain cream is kind of a "pain" (pun intended). For me, it didn't work unless I rubbed it on three times a day, which is difficult when you are not at home. I found much better relief with shots. So you might want to compare the two, especially if the cream isn't working or high maintenance. In addition to the shots, I take pain meds when I know I will be on my feet a lot. I know you don't want to take pain meds but they are worth it. I pushed it off a long time and wish I hadn't. The pain meds can give me a day with zero pain. The shots and cream cannot. The shots are still valuable though because they reduce the amount of pain meds I need, by a lot.

No that is not my bid, not yet. My plan is to watch until a couple days before the auction ends. If it is in my price range at that time I will create an account and bid.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I have family in Thermop, (well and many other places in Wyoming) it’s always great to see and visit Wyoming. Even through the eyes of another.
Unfortunately, no fix that works for all people. And everything is a tradeoff. Hope you find something that works for you.

 

[chet6.7]

Boron helped with my knee pain.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG.....I'm still hesitatant to get a shot.....current bid is $3,500. Still cheap if you've got the cash to spend.....

PNWY.....the more I visit, the more I love it......

chet6.7.....I was reading about Boron last night.....Boron almost seems to be too good to be true.....it has my attention.....



We awoke to the same sounds that we feel asleep to.....an old generator humming away and ruining any chance of hearing the sounds of the morning song birds. We hit the road early (because of that).....much earlier than we had planned. The bar didn't open until 10:00 a.m., so we decided to visit Gebo, Wyoming to kill some time. We drove north on Highway 310, took a left onto Sand Draw Road and headed west. A few miles up the road, I saw this.....



i stopped, strained my neck a bit.....and tried to figure out what had happened here. It looked as though it had been attacked by a bear or a pack of wolves. I decided to have a closer look.....what a shocker ! It appeared to have died while giving birth.....the calf was laying by the mothers' side.....ugh, what a way to start a day.....



We moved on quickly.....nothing to see there for sure.....



Just a few more miles up the road and we were in Gebo, Wyoming.....



The dogs loved this place.....cause.....there were Antelope everywhere. I was surprised that there was any glass left in my truck as the dogs, for some reason unbeknownst to me, hate Antelope.....



Apparently Gebo, Wyoming was once a thriving coal producing town.....with a population of 2,000.....



Now it was nothing more than the remains of a few stone buildings.....



.....and, I read.....that there's also a cemetery here.....which we did not bother to see. I was already creeped out enough by the dead cattle and the remains of the ghost town.....I didn't feel the need to see a cemetery.....




At this point, it was 10:00 a.m. and, honestly, we were just ready to get to the bar and get ourselves a bottle of whiskey.....

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Always sad to loose stock, for all involved. So much land, So many head, and few " cowboys" per/head

 

[ITTOG]

Well that was a sad one. I can't help but wonder about the suffering of both cows.

I have a feeling that bottle of whiskey is going to fetch more than my limit. Even though I will miss out, I am glad because that means the park will benefit even more.

I get wanting to wait on the shots. It makes sense to try other remedies first. For me shots were the easy thing because I was already getting shots in my back and elbows. It was nothing to add the knees, and even a shoulder after that. I keep telling my anesthesiologist he should just put a pic line in me.

One time we tried a radio frequency ablation on my knees. That is where they go in and burn the nerve to deaden it. Well, I chose to do it awake because I am stupid, I mean tough like that. Well, that was a mistake. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and that one took all that I had. They slowly crank up the heat over about 25 seconds. The last 15 seconds was very very uncomfortable, and it increased in heat and pain the entire time. It was very hard to continue with the other knee. I don't think I will ever do that again without being put under. They try to talk to you the entire time to take your mind off of the pain and when I tried to respond it was just gibberish. So on the second knee we recorded the conversation. It was hilarious. If I can find the audio I will have to post it.

Pic Line

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

PNWY.....I hate to see any animal like that.....it pains me.....

ITTOG.....it's now up to $3,800.....


On the opposite side of Highway 310 from  Gebo, Wyoming, lies the tiny town of  Kirby, Wyoming. The first thought that came to my mind as I crossed the railroad tracks that bisected this town was "how is it that Wyoming Whiskey built a distillery here ?".....



It was well after 10:00 a.m. when we finally pulled up to the storefront of Wyoming Whiskey. I could see a red neon sign in the front window which said "OPEN" yet I found myself questioning its legitimacy. Another sign, posted next to the front door said "NO DOGS" (or something equivalent to that).....



I pushed open the door and was instantaneously impressed with what I saw.....first impressions can be everything.....



Since it was so early in the day there were only a few bar patrons. One old lady that seemed to be lost.....she wandered in and out of the bar several times looking for something lost which was finally found.....



And then there was this old guy that I struck up a conversation with. He claimed to be a mountaineer and an explorer.....he hailed from Montana. Honestly, I felt like he was full of ****, but he was friendly enough. He volunteered to have a picture with Bottle #209.....



There were two women working the store and the bar.....as friendly as anyone could possibly be. They make you want to buy souvenirs (or Whiskey if that's your thing).....I went with the souvenirs.....



I left spending just under $100.....not bad but I did tell myself prior to entering that bar that I'd purchase nothing more than Bottle #209.....



I didn't stay too long since I had two dogs anxiously awaiting my return. At the end of the street.....was the actual distillery. They unfortunately no longer give tours.....I don't recall the reason why.....



The dogs and I walked around town for just a short bit.....then we saddled up.....and then we were right back on the road.....



We continued driving north on Highway 310.....making our next stop in Worland, Wyoming. We walked the streets of  Worland, Wyoming.....grabbed lunch.....and then continued driving north.....but not yet headed for home.....

 

[furbucket]

it seems as though I went from "admitted knucklehead" to living legend in a single post ! Seriously.....that's really cool.....a total surprise. I liked it.....thank you.....

You're welcome; that quote just resonated with me. I too base where I want to go by how few people I might find there, prefer dogs to crowds, and hate generator noise.
Thank you for sharing your journeys, one day I will work less and explore more and maybe I'll be fortunate enough to share with anyone interested...

Recalling a funny meme I saw recently, "I'm old enough to remember when my knees were named Left and Right, not Good One and Bad One."
While [only] 43, I identify as 29 (although if I lose any more hair I may have to make it into my 30's). My knee however often reminds me otherwise. Hiking up hill doesn't hurt near as much as down hill - do you use trekking poles? I found they make a BIG difference going downhill, with proper technique they take a lot of load off my knee.