Dispatch from Cody
Walking in a Winter Wonderland...
In his treatise called Nature, celebrated American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson noted about winter that “we are as much touched by it as by the genial influences of summer.” A bold statement coming from someone who lived most of his life in Concord, Massachusetts, where winter’s wrath has no mercy. As an inhabitant of the northwest Rockies, I would quite concur with Mr. Emerson’s observation. Yes, winter is cold and unforgiving in this part of the country, but that doesn’t mean the fun and excitement must come to a grinding halt. There are adventures to be had here, albeit of the frosty nature.
The East gate of Yellowstone is closed, the rodeo arena hushed, the Buffalo Bill Reservoir nearly frozen, the Ponderosa campground shuttered, and the tourists long gone, but Cody is alive and well heading into winter. Buffalo Bill’s eponymous town snuggled at the eastern edge of Yellowstone National Park is surrounded on four sides by mountains, making her an All-American playground for the outdoors enthusiast. Tourist season may be over, but now that we locals have our town back, the fun has only just begun.
The week before Thanksgiving, the whole town gathers downtown to shoot turkeys hanging on a string—a fifty-one-year tradition. Before you choke on your Skoal, let me explain. The Lions Club Turkey Shoot takes place every year at the Bob Moore Memorial Parking Lot to raise funds for worthy causes. Here’s the deal: participants have the chance to take home a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving dinner if they can shoot and sever the string on which the turkey hangs. All shooters must use the .22 caliber rifles provided. Anyone who severs the string and brings the turkey crashing to the ground takes home said turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s the rub though, shooters can only take so many shots. That’s some good ol’ country fun. What’s more American than folks of all ages gathering downtown to eat kettle corn, wear hunting camo, and shoot guns? Proceeds from this year’s shoot benefitted two veterans’ groups: Operation Finally Home, an organization that provides mortgage free homes to wounded service members, and Downrange Warriors, an organization that supports vets suffering with PTSD.
Any folks back East tired of shelling out $80 every year for a pre-cut Christmas tree from a pop-up roadside operation? Head on down to the ranger station on Yellowstone Ave and buy a Christmas tree tag for eight bucks, then journey out in the 2.4 million acres of the Shoshone National Forest to cut down any tree one finds desirable—up to 20 feet! December lumberjacks will probably want to bring along a 10mm Springfield for the chance encounter with a cougar, wolf, or even a grizzly late to den. Certainly, this is more appealing than heading down to the gas station to bring home some crappy sushi and a tree wrapped in cheesecloth.
Another rich tradition here in the back yard of Yellowstone is the Cody Cowboy Christmas Parade down Sheridan Ave. Once again, all the Whos down in Whoville come out, this time to inaugurate the advent season. Local churches provide hot drinks, Christmas ornaments, and “good news” with tables set up along the sidewalks. The Christmas parade might be the social event of the year and with the tourists gone, there’s plenty of elbow room to pull up a stool at the Silver Dollar or the Irma Hotel and feast on a gamey burger with an ice-cold brew. Hours before the parade, shop owners in town set up bonfires and supply hot chocolate while carolers spread Christmas cheer up and down the parade route. I particularly enjoy sampling cowboy hats in the Cowboy Palace and giving treats and belly rubs to the blue heeler pupper who gently greets customers as they enter. The parade culminates with Santa’s much anticipated arrival in an old west wagon drawn by two draft horses, running the gauntlet of festive lights on Sheridan Ave. At Christmas, Cody is the Bedford Falls of the West.
With the bears now cozied in their dens, hikers can frolic and play anxiety free on the snow covered trails in and around Cody…but don’t leave that 10mm at home just yet. The snow belies other predators prowling about our mountain paradise. Head up to Sheep Mountain where the Wapiti wolf pack makes regular appearances; trekkers can easily trace wolf tracks in the snow, which also belies where the mountain lions travel. From the peak on Sheep visitors can behold the vastness of the semi- frozen Buffalo Bill Reservoir and let the American West course through their veins in real-time; better than any desktop background for sure.
Drive a bit further out on the North Fork to Pahaksa Teepee to enjoy Nordic ski and snowshoe trails all the way into Yellowstone National Park. More daring adventurers might attempt heading up Sylvan Pass in a snowmobile, but bundle up—temps in the park during winter regularly drop below zero. Sometimes it’s cold enough that even the bison complain, so leave your Crocs-n-socks at home.
In his song Okie From Muskogee, legendary country singer Merle Haggard explained that life was so simple in Muskogee that “white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of all,” implying that the simple things in life are often the most enjoyable; like a kid opening an expensive gift on Christmas day and playing with the box instead. Cody’s version of white lightning is the cosmos. On a clear winter night in Wyoming the stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun* reminding us to “lift up our eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name” (Isa 40:26). Without the light pollution of bigger cities, it’s not uncommon in the dead of winter for stargazers to view the Milky Way or enjoy the elusive Northern Lights on occasion.
What I’ve described here are simple winter pastimes that reflect austere life in a small town. People live in Cody because they like this way of life and don’t desire all the trappings of consumerism and fast-paced living offered in bigger cities. Living here has taught me that simple pleasures are better pleasures because they open my eyes to God’s blessings. I agree with Henry David Thoreau who wrote “in winter we lead a more inward life. Our hearts are warm and cheery, like cottages under drifts, whose windows and doors are half concealed, but from whose chimneys the smoke cheerfully ascends.”
*Read My Mind by The Killers
Love it! The simple life!
Love the tree you picked out!
Jane, again, thank you!!!