From Pullman to Wichita

Dear Friends, This blog is a brief note on my current journey with Aleksander, my son, on a trip from Pullman, WA to Wichita, KS.  For those of you who do not know, Aleksander was hired to a tenure track professorship at Wichita State, GO Shockers.  He was also offered a job at Florida State College in Jacksonville.  But for a variety of reasons, he chose Wichita.  One reason is that Emily was told she could be an adjunct voice professor when she wants a job, other than chasing the girls around.  So, they bought a house, sold the one in Pullman, and I am driving one car and Aleksander the other, as we enter the heat wave of several weeks of 100 deg. plus heat in KS.  It is a dream job for him, especially in todays job market.  He will be teaching composition and theory, as well as developing an "online" course, like he did in Wa. State.  Wichita also has a wonderful Opera, thanks to oil money and a benefactor who shall remain nameless.  Wichita is old oil money, and I am told by a friend who grew up there that they have a world class western wear clothes store, and cowboy boots are for everything from work to play to opera.
     Today we hit a major hail storm in Cheyenne, WY and tonight we are bedded down in Sidney, NE.  For those of you who do not know, Cabella's (see first blog of las trip) has a 62,000 foot store here.  We will check it out tomorrow.
  We left Pullman on Friday afternoon, and stopped just west of Missoula, in St. Regis Montana.  We then fished Rock Creek, Sat., where Aleksander had some luck.  As you all know from the news, the west and midwest are being flooded by big snow melts, and Montana and Wyoming are not excluded.  The water was high and fast, and has been everywhere we have been.  We had hoped to do some more fishing but the water is too high and fast.  We next drove to Cody, WY and spent the night.  There must have been 5,000 Harley Davidson's in town.  Everyone is going to Yellowstone and then on to Sturgis, South Dakota for the big Bike get together.  I felt very much at home as all the men were bald, middle aged to old, and looked like befuddled, accountants, lawyers, dentists and insurance salesmen.
     Today we drove through the Wind River Valley alongside the Bighorn River.  The picture that follows does not do justice to the immensity and beauty of it.  It is a miniature Grand Canyon in sweep.  We stopped at the Buffalo  Bill Museum for a few hours in Cody.  It is so impressive that I joined the museum and hope that I can go to the benefactors dinner and break bread with Dick Cheney, and family.  He has gifted many guns to the musuem.  I wonder if he will give them the one he shot his friend with?
   Tomorrow we head to Wichita, I think, unless we can find a place to fish.  It has been great to spend some time with Aleksander on the road, despite the fact we are in two separate cars.  We have walkie talkies, and I point out lots of fascinating things to him, AND don't have to see him rolling his eyeballs.  So many important things to know, such as why the Sinclair gas company has a dinosaur as its logo.  Or why the snow  barricades are built and installed alongside the freeway the way they are, and why the Bear Tooth mountains looking from the east are called the SawTooth mountains and why the French Trappers and explorers of the region named them the Grand Titons, and what are Titons in French?
So here are a few pics.

WIND RIVER VALLEY, WY

cloud in Cheyene

WIND RIVER VALLEY

Aleksander catches a fish.  Can you find it?

David just fishes!

So hope you are all well and hope to see you all at weddings or vacations in the near future.

Love David and Aleksander

End of the road

October 17, 2010       Alameda, CA

Well its over.  4,095 miles.  What a great trip.  Some highlights.....
Gas in most areas of the West....$2.65 to 2.75.  85.5 octane and no vapor recovery nozzles on the pumps.  Won $500 on three card poker at the Peppermill Casino in Reno on the way home.  Lunch at the Silver Dollar Cafe in Cody, Wy, Buffalo Bill Museum, Custer Battlefield and Crazy Horse Monument.
Some disappointments... No Bighorn Sheep, no Eagles, no Bears seen.  Minor disappointments considering the pluses. 
The endless prairie lands, soft rolling hills and warm breezes constantly wafting over the grasslands.  The long stretches of road at 75 mile hour speedlimits.  Covering distances in a metal canister that took days, weeks, months and years to do less than 150 years ago.
Driving over Lolo Pass from Missoula to Pullman you cannot help but wonder how Lewis and Clark did it with almost no maps, or idea where they were going or what was around the corner.  Jefferson expected that they would encounter Woolly Mammoths.  Most every town, River, animal or plant in the west has some connection to them for us white Europeans.  They cataloged so much, named so much, and had so much named after them.
The biggest surprise was the battlefield at the Little Bighorn.  It is amazing how much modern science has been able to recreate, along with the fact that we are now listening to the surviving Indian stories.  What is most amazing is that in the two days of the actual fighting the three detachments of cavalry were within shouting distance of each other, but had no idea what was happening to each of them.
Of course all of the places I visited catered to the tourist trade.  Of them all, Crazy Horse outdid them all with actually decent stuff, educational items, and as a private, essentially charitable location they were priced reasonably.  I wish that I could be here in 40 years to see its completion.  I hope to go back in around 5 years to see the horses head carved out.
Deadwood was kind of a dud, the main problem being that it only comes alive in the summer, with gunfights, colorfully dressed people on the streets, etc.  However, I doubt I would go there then.
I am obviously most sorry I missed Heather, Lizzie and Emma, however they will rate a separate trip.
I await my handmade leather Riata from Kings Rope in Sheridan.  I got to see the manufacturing area which was cool and if you were into horses, this is the place, with saddles, tack, etc gallore.
Ah the fishing and the weather.  The weather was unseasonably warm, and the winds unusually calm.  The highest temp was just over 80 and the worst day was fishing at Yellowstone at 40 degrees.  But, the hiking and fishing kept me warm enough, especially with fleece longjohns.  TMI!  Having Jake along would have been cool, but dogs are not allowed out of cars in the Parks, except to go to the bathroom in small designated areas.  It makes sense, but what a denial of fun.  I would give anything to see Jake square off with a Bison.  I fished within 20 feet of one Bison, who could have cared less about my presence.  Trout are gorgeous in their fall colors, but I caught way to few of them.  I did catch a few within 5 feet of me in a little Yellowstone lake that was crystal clear.  One of the previously attached pictures shows the rocks in the water.  You could see rocks at the bottom for as far as you could see in that lake.
It wasn't disappointing seeing Old Faithful.  It cannot be over-hyped, nor can the Old Faithful Inn.  What a magnificent structure.  The all you can eat Prime Rib dinner was pretty nice as well.
I enjoyed the people I met along the way.  At each place I stopped, whether gas station, restaurant, hotel, motel, gift shop, etc. I inquired of the people how things were.  The fact is, despite what you read in the paper, or hear on the news, things are pretty good all over.  Obviously, the economic woes are everywhere, but everyone seems to be moving through it all, with good spirits, humor, and most importantly with the spirit of individuality and perserverance that gives the West its mystic. 
One of my new John Wayne coasters says "A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by."  The West's answer is contained on another..."Courage is being scared to death-but saddling up anyway."  We are all saddling up in our own way.  And not to over do it, as the Duke says..."Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much'" So I won't.
Thank you to Debra and Joey for such good care taking of Jake, Bryden and Free for covering my cases and keeping the streets safe for my clients, for all who answered my errant phone calls during the long drives, and for those who read this blog and commented on it.

Ruby Ann

Engaged!  About time! 

Missoula, my new home?someday?maybe?

October 10, 2010               Missoula, MT

Well, it will not be 10/10/10 for another 400 years, so I hope you all made good use of today.  I certainly did.  I fished the Rock Creek area outside of Missoula and am now esconced in my room at the Motel 6 watching the 49er's disapoint as usual.  Thank GOD Singletary wears that offensive wooden cross or God might really be pissed at the niners and let them win a game.  Maybe he should switch to a star of David.  Or maybe he should try and put some effort into coaching instead of praying.  Who knows, as I look up for a bolt of lightning.
Well, yesterday I left Yellowstone after fishing in a cute little lake for native (planted many years ago) brook trout at the Northwest part of the park.  I drove through the north east route looking for some more interesting wildlife, wolves, bears, etc. but only saw the ubiquotous Elk, Buffalo, deer and humans.  The park was amazing and defies my ability to describe.  Get a video!
I spent the night in Butte, known for more bars than people.  Then today, I drove to Missoula, came to town drove around, bought a fishing license and headed to Rock Creek for a day of fishing.  Lots of strikes but not a single fish put on the hook.  Tomorrow I intend to see a realtor to get the skinny on local housing, I am really fascinated with this town and consider retiring here.  Then on to Pullman, Salem for kid and grandkid visits, and home.
That means that this is the last on the road blog.  I will summarize it all when I get home.  Thanks for listening.

Brook T\rout

Cute Lake with Brook Trout (I had a friend in Tucson named Brooke Salmon)

Rock Creek

So long.

Two, two, two days in one

October 8, 2010                Snow Lodge, Yellowstone Park
I write from the Snow Lodge, next door to Old Fathful Inn in Yellowstone.  They are adjacent to each other, but I am here because, Old Faithful Inn has no WiFi.  This is a more modern new hotel, but built in the same tradition as the Old Faithful Inn, but lacks some important things.  Old Faithfull is approximately 200 yards from the geyser and can be seen from balcony's at the hotel or the short 100 yard walk.  I have seen it from both locations. 
Without Wifi yesterday, and getting in late I was unable to blog, so I will start with yesterday.
October 7th started out around 8:00 a.m. with a visit to the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum.  I spent over two hours purusing a magnificent display of all things western, from a Whitney art Exhibit including Wyeth's, Russels, Remingtons, etc, bronzes and pictures, to an incredible Buffalo Bill collection, to the Winchester gun collection wing and a plains Indian exhibit.  It was easily as good as a Smithsonian exhibit and many handsome guns were donated by great Americans, such as Dick Cheney.  There was also an additional Indian exhibit and a natural history wing.  I made some great purchases at the bookstore, and in light of my trip to Medicine Bow, bought a reprint of the original Virginian as copied from a copy given to
Buffalo Bill.  I was shocked to learn today that it is a work of fiction.
  After viewing the museum I hit some local gallery's and fly fishing stores.  I garnered some local intel on the fishing scene, geared up and stopped at the local eatery, Silver Dollar, and was provided with an excellent burger and the owner sat down and spent an hour with me gabbing about the local life.
After lunch I hit the river in town, no luck and moved on toward Yellowstone, stopping on the a section of the Shoshone above the Buffalo Bill resevior, and fished, no luck again.  I drove on in to Yellowstone, stopping for a fishing license.
I arrived rather late in the day at Old Faithful and got one of the two last rooms available at the Inn or this Lodge.  I booked it for two nights and made a dinner reservation at the restaurant, walked back to the car to get my bags and bang, off went old faithful.
Here is the Inn, from the outside, some interior shots and the geyser.  I suggest that you google the Inn to get a good view.
    
But first good ol Buffalo Bill.



I am having great difficulty downloading pictures here.  It is taking almost 7 minutes per picture, so I will just toss in the Elk and Bison for now and try and do a major dump when I get somewhere they have a faster server, or something.

Today I spent on the rivers of the park.  I fished the Little Firehole, the Firehole, Nez Perce Creek and the Gibbon.  Tomorrow I fish the Lamar and a lake I was told about and at the end of the day I will scoot on out of here and hopefully make Missoula, or Bozeman.

When I arrived here yesterday afternoon I was greeted with  very cool weather.  Today, it did not get above 45 and tomorrow it may rain and snow.  Oh well.  A good day fishing in the snow is hard to beat.  I caught quite a few native cuthroat trout today but was unable to hook about a 100.  They were all small but fun to catch.  I fished on one creek about 15 yards away from a Bison, just sitting there and tomorrow I head to the section of the park known for the bears, wolves and sheep.  Hopefully I will see some.  I leave you with one more picture and then it is to bed.

 

Mystic Falls on the Little Firehole (I walked up the river 1 mile fishing as I go!  Fun and cold 40 degrees.

October 6, 2010 From Last Stand to Small Trout

October 6, 2010           Cody, WY

The day started with a tour of the Custer Battlefield on the Crow Indian Reservation.   Wow.  "Everything that could go wrong will go wrong."  That is the lesson of Custer.  I have read quite a bit of the battle of Little Bighorn.  Even saw the movie with Errol Flynn.  But, you do not know the battle until you have seen the site.  The most amazing part of it to me is what a small area this all took place in and how with all the flat plains land in the entire area Custers cavalry was in the only spot where a few miles of gently rolling hills blocked the vision of the three main bodies of troops from seeing what was happening to all of them, although they all would have, and did hear all the gun fire.  Back in the late 90's a major grass fire over the battlefield left the area stripped of grass, so that a major archeological dig could take place.  It has rewritten history.  With modern CSI techniques, especially around the identifying firing pin signatures on spent cartridges, they have been able to track the literal steps of the soldiers and Indians.  There was no stand.  There were almost no bullets found on Custer hill, where his body was found.  Instead, it appears that the Indians, running, not riding up the hill, fired thousands of arrows in high arcs over Custers position and killed most of his men, before the Indians reached the top of the hill.  Once they reached the top the Indians fired, many Indian cartridges found there and finished him off.  Custers part of the battle took around 1/2 hour.

This is the hilltop where Custer was found.
The other part of the new history is that Custer was not on the defensive, but was rather on the offensive.  He apparently went down this hill to the Indian Villages, to capture women and children, to take as hostages so that the Indian warriors would give up instead of attacking.  Afterall Custer had taken this approach previously and successfullly.  Only after he saw some 6,000 women, children and old men, did he realize his very small force would not be effective did he cross back over the river, to this locale.  By this time, Reno, Benteen, and other small troop detachments had been or were being attacked.  He called for help, but the help was in battle, and by the time the note of "Come quick" was recieved, the others were already pinned down.  The bullet evidence also indicates that many men took panic flight off the hill, which sort of suggests Custer and other officers went down first, so there were no officers to maintain skirmish lines.
Indians 1, Cavalry 0.  Three medal of honors were given to soldiers who risked going down the hill to the river to fetch water by the Indian villages to give to the wounded Benteen troops.  Here is the hill to the water where up to 7,000 warriors were located.

Enough history.  From the bighorn to Sheridan and a trip highlight, Sheridan.  Named for the General who conceived of the three pronged attack on the plains Indians to enforce Pres Grant's Indian policy.  What a nice and friendly town.  Went to King ropes and was wowed by the huge selection of rope, saddles, tack and more rope.  I spent some time talking with one of the owners, and bought a few ropes and have a 40' Riata on order.  It is drying, I got to see the rope factory and the drying room for Riata's.  The weather through the plains has been unseasonably warm this year.  It has not dipped below the 70's during the day, and has been in the 80's at times.  The nights have been moderate as well.  So warm that the store has not turned on heaters in the drying room yet.  Once they do my riata will be dryed and shipped.  I will hold a viewing when I return.
Went to the local fly shop accross the street and gathered local intel on the rivers and streams of the area.  As always, a nice guy behind the counter provided invaluable information, a fishing license a couple of flies and off to the bighorns on the path to Cody.  I hit a stream on the road.  Pulled off.  Got my rod together, and went fishing.  Within two casts I hooked up with a native trout and the fun was on.  I caught fish after fish, and moved on to Cody.

Well, it's a tour of the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical musuem today, fly shop, maybe some western wear, and into Yellowstone.  Excitemen permeates the air!

October 5, 2010 Carving Day

Hardin Mt,  Outside Crow Reservation on the Little Bighorn River

Today was spent viewing man's insatiable apetite to carve nature into his own image, or that of others.  I saw the Crazy Horse monument and Mt. Rushmore.  I stopped at Crazy Horse first, and thought it would not be interesting.  However, it turned out quite the opposite.  First its scale.  All of Mt. Rushmore would fit into the left cheek of Crazy Horse.  Second the man who began carving it was an incredible person, who was great friends with Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds.  He refused any money from the government and believed in total independence and self sufficiency.  He married a woman 20 years younger, had ten kids, 5 boys in the hopes that they would help him do the work, which they did, and now continue to do.  Seven of the 10 are still there working on the project and one, girl doing her own sculpting.  He was prolific in work, including building a tomb for himself and his wife on the property.  He was asked to work on the project by the chiefs based upon his winning work from the New York Worlds fair.  He worked under Borglund on Rushmore, but it appears they came to odds over techniques.
Here are a few pics.

Then on to Mt. Rushmore.  Of course impressive but I was gone after a brief look and tour of the gift shop.  The only picture that would not be typical is that when driving in from the direction I did there was a single view of GW.  Here it is.

Into the Heart of the West

October 4, 2010                                 Custer, SD

I do not know why the name but it appears to be where the touristas to Mt. Rushmore stay.  What's big and wonderful?  Why, Wyoming of course.  Saw some deer and antelope.  Not playing, rather earnestly eating the abundant grass that is Wyoming and the plains.  From Flaming Gorge north to I 80 and Rawlins.  To know Rawlins is to know Wyoming.  Rawlins is about trains, oil and its decision when offered to be the site of the University of Wyoming or the State Penitentiary it chose, well check a book.
In circa 1978 I was married to Danni who hailed from Rawlins.  Upon the death of her step father we went back there to see her mother.  Danni and Heather took the train, I drove a small Datsun pick up with 4 on the floor.  (important fact)  Danni went first and I followed after staying back home to take my contractors exam.  I then drove back.  When I arrived I was made the gift of a 1960 era Ford 1/2 ton pick-up truck.  After spending a few days we left, but not before loading up an upright piano, we apparently just had to have and several thousand glass utility pole insulators.  They are very colorful, very heavy, and I was informed, exceedingly valuable.  So valuable that someday it would make us rich.  We also brought back my young niece.
Into the vehicles we went and navigated to Salt Lake City on a Sunday where my truck (Datsun) broke down.  Next day we rented a tow bar and hooked up the Datsun, put it in neutral, and loaded up suitcases on the seats because there was no room in the beds of the trucks, since they were carrying far more valuable cargo.  Driving through the barren wasteland with four people in the front seat of the Ford, with no airconditioning we pulled off the road at "Boomtown" Nevada, outside of Reno.  Yes David, Boomtown holds important memories for me.  While turning on the 360 degree exit the suitcases fell off the seat of the Datsun, pushed the stick shift into first gear and completely eradicated the transmission.
Since it was destroyed anyway, we filled it up with gas, and proceeded to try and drive over the Sierra's.  Did I mention it was the dead of summer, very hot, and no air conditioning?  Well, the Ford began to overheat, and to alleviate this problem I turned the heater to the truck on to dissipate the engine heat.  An old Arizona trick.
Upon arrival to our home in Berkeley, I took the Datsun to the shop and had a new transmission installed.  It was expensive to say the least, but to add insult to injury, when I went to pick it up, the Ford blew its engine two blocks from the mechanic.  New engine, because, as it turns out, Wyoming and California have radically different beliefs regarding engine emissions.

This is what Rawlins looks like today.



 On the bright side.  I bought 85 octane gas for 2.65 9/10 today from the Sinclair station.

After leaving Rawlins I headed over to Medicine Bow, WY.  You will remember Medicine Bow from the book, movie and TV show, "The Virginian."

From Medicine Bow, I took a detour to Giza, Egypt to take a brief look at the pyramids.

Well tomorrow Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood, and on the Sheridan and Cody.

Hi Annie, It's Monday Night Football!