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Friday, May 2, 2008
818 - My Wyoming Bucket List
We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round. Jack Nicholson.
The concept of figuring out those things that you want to do before you die was the theme of a popular 2008 movie called The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
I found the movie inspiring and immediately put together my own personal bucket list.
On the big picture I want to visit the Holy Land, South America, Africa, China, do some major charity work, make a movie, write a novel, spend lots of time with grandkids and well, you can see how this works.
But I also put together my own “Wyoming Bucket List,” – those places in our great state that I would like to experience before kicking the proverbial bucket.
Now, my portfolio of places in the state already visited is terrific. Readers of this column have shared vicariously some of those experiences.
We experienced some doozies in 2007. For example, it was my first time visiting the Medicine Wheel. And that trip involved the mind-boggling scenery of US Highway 14A from Lovell to Burgess Junction.
This past summer was my first time to travel that exotic road between Saratoga and Laramie. It also marked my first visit to the original Hobo Spring in Saratoga.
As a long-time aficionado of Flaming Gorge, this past year was my first ever visit to the Fire Hole area, a Grand Canyon-like location at the north end of the 91-mile long lake.
Perhaps in the early 1970s I once drove on highway 191 south of Rock Springs, but I have forgotten it. In 2007, we took that journey and wow, the vistas were expansive, to say the least.
There were probably a few other “firsts,” last year but what I want to share with you now is my list of things that are on my Wyoming Bucket List for 2008 and the future. Here goes:
• Hoping to get back to Frontier Days this summer – there is nothing like this event in the world.
• A closer look at Veduwoo area outside of Laramie deserves better. Again, I have driven by hundreds of times. It is time for a closer look. Also, to spend some time at Curt Gowdy State Park.
• There is a man-made rock arrow in the Red Desert that points toward the Medicine Wheel. It is between Jeffrey City and Wamsutter and will make a nice quad runner trip.
• Between Jeffrey City and Muddy Gap is an odd rock formation I call Stonehenge. Reportedly it has names written in it including John Sublette. Sometime this year it will finally get checked off.
• Our family lived on Squaw Creek for 23 years outside of Lander and our view looked out at Red Butte. Hope to climb it this summer.
• If Fossil Butte is not on this list, my friend Vince Tomassi will let me have it. He serves incredible meals every Thursday night in Kemmerer-Diamondville at Luigi’s. Perhaps a tour and dinner, Vince?
• I have snowmobiled Yellowstone a couple of times but not for 20 years. Hope to do that again.
• The Killpecker sand dunes north of Rock Springs are unique. Sounds like another great quad runner trip.
• In 1993, I spent a very nervous time hunting a bighorn ram in the Double Cabin Area northeast of Dubois. Would love to go back for a more relaxed trip this time around.
• Some 36 years ago, I photographed what looked like a horrible scar on Togwotee Pass when the area was clear-cut. Would like to go to those areas and see if the timber has recovered or not?
• Is there anyone out there who might give me a tour of the “breaks” north of Lusk? I flew over that area by private plane many times and looked down in awe at this rough country.
• NE Wyoming is an interesting area including Keyhole Reservoir and the Vore Buffalo Jump. Would like to spend some quality time around Devil’s Tower, too.
• A tour of Wyoming’s giant coalmines makes sense.
• Would like to do some fishing in Bighorn Canyon.
• It is easy for me to get LaGrange and LaBarge confused – perhaps I need to visit them.
• On the Wind River Reservation, I would like to visit the Arapaho Ranch and also visit the mountains at the extreme north end of the rez.
• And finally, I want to spend some quality time in Bill, Wyoming.
So that’s my Wyoming bucket list. What’s yours?
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