Russ and Kappys' Adventure 2017

Jeez, the morning was fine.  Russ made it back to Buffalo and got the tire fixed.  That was the good news.  We departed the Tie Hack campground at 9:30am and made good time traveling west through the Bighorn Mountains with the final destination being Cody, WY. The drive was beautiful as promised by the notations on the map.  We crossed the Powder River Pass (elevation 9,666) and headed down the TenSleep Canyon.  Here we were treated to truly spectacular views.  Deep gorges and massive rock wall formations.  Also involved in this little journey was a road repair job that necessitated all of us being lead by a "pilot car."  Actually all they were doing was a slurry seal that involved gravel on the bottom and some black substance sprayed over it.  Well by the time we got through that road construction and stopped for a pee break, this is what had happened to the front window of our brand new lance trailer: 😢 So, we spent the rest of the ...

Took an early morning hike to Tie Hack Reservoir with Russ and Ceilidh – did I mention that our dog loves it when both Mom and Dad go with her!   She chased quite a few chipmunks and even one deer, got drinks out of the creek and just generally enjoyed herself.   The hike was beautiful as you can see in the photos I took.   The plan was to visit more of the great outdoors but alas, mother nature would not cooperate.   It rained pretty much all day.   We went to town and had lunch at the Occidental Saloon (associated with the Hotel and The Virginian Restaurant).   Established in 1880, this place has seen many a cowboy and western historical figure including Theodore Rooselvelt , before he was president.   After enjoying a relaxing lunch including having Russ drench me with an entire glass of coke, we explored the hotel a bit.   Since it was raining and we could see that only an indoor activity would do, we settled on checking out the Jim Ga...

This morning I finally got in a run.   The base we stayed at, Warren AFB has some nice paved roads and gentle hills which affords a person a good workout but It was not good, had to stop several times but I finished 3 miles..   The altitude in Cheyenne could be part of the problem – 6400 feet but I still was disappointed in myself.   For the next 2 days we will be up at 7800 feet so I have decided not to ask myself to attempt another run.   The drive between Cheyenne and Buffalo was straight and somewhat uninteresting.   The topography consists of rolling hills and vast plains.   I could just imagine cowboys and Indians chasing each other on horseback.   Also, once again, I considered the hardships that the pioneers endured walking through mile after mile of desolate territory.   The saving grace for them as well as me was the spectacular skies. After reaching Buffalo, WY, we turned east and headed into the Bighorn Mountains.   Wh...

6/27/17  Cheyenne, Wyoming We're spending the night at Warren Air Force Base on the outskirts of Cheyenne.  Because I'm retired military, we can use the RV facilities that most bases have.  It's a pretty good deal; for 15-20 bucks you get power, water, sewer connections and a gated community with an armed guard. Life is subtly different on a military base.  Time is measured by bugle calls that can catch you by surprise.  The Post Commander determines the schedule, so it can differ a little from base to base. At the sound of "To the Colors" everyone on base stops whatever they are doing and turns toward the music.  It's like when you were 10 and somebody yelled "freeze".  It is a moment of oneness when everybody is doing the same thing, privates and generals, bound by ritual and ceremony. Military bases are cloistered societies.  They evolve socially at a different rate than civilians.  There are charming remnants of chauvinism.  In...

Sunday, June 25th dawned the perfect day for a wedding.  Blue skies with puffy, white and non-threatening clouds.  Fortunately, we had perfect candidates Andy Freund and Emily Euclid for the job!!  The wedding was held at the Breckenridge Nordic Ski Center.  I met the owner/builder,  Greg Dayton who was wearing his lederhosen and acting every bit the host.  Mr. Dayton's son is a retired nordic olympian!  As you can see from the pictures the venue was perfect! The welcome to the wedding and champagne reception was scored with music from an exceptional, kinda blue grass, country group called "The Pine Beatles."  Russ said that Jeff Jackson would have been right at home with these fellows.  Following champagne, we were seated for dinner inside the lodge.  The party went on until about 9:00 with an awesome DJ who got ALL of us up and dancing. Russ and I had to leave early because our dog Ceilidh was at home.  Gla...