On the occasion when my family got together for BBQ’s or holiday dinners we have always purchased our meat from Cody Meats Country Store and will continue to do so! No pink slime here!

We like to BBQ as a family and holy smokes do we like to eat! But, in the past, I would generally save myself the convenience of picking something up at Wal-Mart while I was there just to save some time. After finding out about Pink Slime I will not take the chance on purchasing low quality meats ever again!

Cody Meat Country Store – Fresh Cut & Local Favorite!

Cody Meats Country Store is by far the best choice in town for fresh steaks, burger, chicken, pork, lamb, buffalo and fresh sausage that is made right in the store. They also make their own smoked ham, bacon and roast beef!

The staff is super friendly and helpful.

Everything sold in store is farm or ranch raised right in the area.

Locally owned and operated, Cody Meat Country Store sells only local raised black Angus beef that have never been treated with growth hormones or antibiotics.

Why is this important?

As a child our family owned a small meat shop in a small town in Pa. I remember eating raw fresh ground beef and never had any fears of dying or becoming sick as a result. The beef was locally raised, sold and processed. I even knew most of the farmers my family dealt with in our small community.

But like many Americans, as I grew into an independent adult my eating habits drastically changed along with my life style. Work and classes at the local college kept me constantly on the go and meals had to be quick and cheap. I never really paid attention to what I was putting into my body.

Then, I happened to catch the news one night several weeks ago, and listened in horror as I learned that large meat processors have been using a low grade filler called Pink Slime and adding it to ground beef. I realized that I was feeding my family low grade crap!

Pink Slime, which is low quality scraps originally used for dog food or cooking oil is treated with ammonia hydroxide to kill the harmful and often fatal bacteria E-coli along with salmonella. What we don’t need is MORE chemicals in our meat!

I was at first surprised then again horrified that the US government (USDA) would allow such a thing and not require a label for foods treated this way. Then, the more I thought about it I wasn’t surprised at all.

Gross right?

When in the Cody area please note that Wal-Mart does sell pink slimed meat and is not looking to change this process anytime soon.

Albertson has discontinued buying meat with pink slime and the meats there are generally good.

But for really great tasting, locally raised meats without pink slime, additives or growth hormones guaranteed:

Local Favorite! No Pink Slime here folks! Locally raised stock.

Cody Meat Country Store  is the locals favorite butcher shop and would NEVER process any meat with pink slime. When searching for the highest quality food for your family dinner or picnic, Cody Meats can supply you with all your beef and lunch meat needs, plus tons more. It’s healthy, locally raised and has the best quality meats you will ever wrap your taste buds around.

Also available – smoked ribs, BBQ pulled pork ribs, large or small meat bundles, in store breads, seafood, cheese and deli meats, spices and rubs, farm fresh eggs, cut to order and a processing plant for hunters. Full list and site here.

702 Yellowstone Ave Cody, Wy on the West Strip…

Enjoy your stay in Cody Wyoming… Eat well and healthy!!

Trees are frozen,
in mid winter bliss
Branches near breaking,
on a morning such as this.

A blanket of white
covers the ground,
as the snow falls gently
not making a sound.

A black wolf watches
above the new fallen snow
As a lone man travels
to where the elk herd go.

Breaking the silence
upon his 4-wheeled beast
he pushes onward
not alone in the least.

This place, this time
few men will ever see,
the true beauty of God
as it was meant to be.

None except this man,
riding alone
hunting horns
far from home.

Love You Dad!

Finding the right fit for you and your family while on your vacation is key to really enjoying your vacation. Have fun and enjoy your stay!

This is an example of what you can find in the Cody Wyoming Visitors Guide —>>>

 Campgrounds within 52 miles of Yellowstone Park:

Absaroka Bay

– Located on the south end of Cody, Absaroka Bay features nice views of the Cedar and  Rattlesnake Mountains. Beck Lake  is basically right across the street. You can access Beck Lake park for walking or fishing with a short 3 minute drive or 10 minute walk. The Absaroka Bay camp site includes areas for tents, campers or RV’s.  Hot showers and laundry on site. The roads are blacktop, and the pads are gravel. Each site has green grass and a picnic table. Ice and WiFi on sight.  Located right across from Taco Johns, K-Mart, Beck Lake, McDonalds, and BK so you won’t go hungry! 2002 Mountain View Drive (top of hill, right beside Burger King) (800) 557-7440 (307) 557-7440. Website: http://www.cody-wy.com/indexF.htm

Ponderosa Campground

– This definitely offers the best location for those who want to tour the Cody area! The Ponderosa is within walking distance to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and to downtown shopping and dining. Lots of spaces. Full RV hookups that include cable TV and Wi-Fi, very clean laundry room, bathroom and showers. A lot of trees that offer shaded spots. Heated cabins and grassy tent areas also available. For the more adventurous stay in one of the Tepees! Gift shop, pool tables, video arcade and nightly rodeo shuttle. 1815 8th Street (307) 587-9203 http://codyponderosa.com/

KOA

– 3 miles from downtown Cody, the KOA has a lot to offer. Starting on Thursdays is Bingo, Friday is ice cream social time and Saturday is S’mores night! Everyday fun  includes the inground swimming pool, hot tub, separate wading pool for tots,  game room, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, and sand volleyball court. Also nightly Rodeo Shuttle. On site amenities include, laundry room, restrooms and showers. All you can eat pancakes for breakfast. RV sites are gravel – Cabins and tent areas are also available. 5561 Greybull Highway (800) 562-8507 (307) 587-2369 http://koa.com/campgrounds/cody/

Parkway Trailer & RV Park

– Level sites, trees and some shade clean restrooms and showers. Nice laundry facilities electric, water and sewer. 132 w Yellowstone Ave (307) 527-5927

Yellowstone Valley Inn

– 18 miles west of Cody, 32 miles from Yellowstone. Camper and RV park is in desert area, entirely gravel, level sites, grassy areas for tents. Laundry, outdoor pool. hottub. Restaurant and Saloon on site. Wi-fi, Can’t be beat for its’ absolutely 360 degree amazing mountain views. Many extras http://www.yellowstonevalleyinn.com/

North Fork Campground

14 miles west of Cody first left past the reservoir.  This campground is a large grassy area right under Sheep Mountain on the north shore of Buffalo Bill dam. Bathrooms, picnic areas, fishing. Tents, campers RV’s . Awesome views. http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?id=1511

Wapiti Campground

= For those who like to be right smack in the forest. You will be within walking distance of Shoshone River for easy access for bird or wildlife watching, fishing and hiking. 20 electric RV hook ups on the right side as you enter. Each spot includes, picnic tables, fire pits, bear boxes, (grizzly and black bear country – carry bear spray) outhouses, water spigots, fishing.  30 miles west of  Cody. on the Shoshone River 2225 HWY 14-16-20 – Look for signs. http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?id=1545

Green Creek Inn

– Wapiti valley, 20 miles west of Cody. Quiet RV Park with full hookup sites -water/electric (30 & 50 amp) with sewer. Sites are level, wide and do not have any satellite TV obstacles. Guest coin-op Laundromat is available. A playground and  large grassy areas for family fun. Amazing views. Located just 30 miles from Yellowstone Park East Gate. Right off the highway but without the highway noise.. 2908 North fork Highway 877-587-5004 Call ahead – limited space and rooms  http://www.greencreekinn.com/

Santa House Opens

Saturday Dec 10th, today, Santa House will be opening in City Park from 1-3 pm. Exciting! Here are the times…

• Friday Dec 16 — 4-6 pm
• Saturday Dec 17 – 1-3 pm
• Sunday Dec 18 — 1-3 pm
• Monday Dec 19 thru the 22 — 4-6 pm

Now that I am a grandma, the holiday brings me more cheer than ever. Last night after we watched Friday episodes of KnockOut, yes, I have grandboys, we headed out in search of Christmas lights. Naturally we headed up to 24th street which is always a grandioso of holiday lights, but the house wasn’t lit up. For someone that doesn’t even have the tree up yet I’m not complaining, it still is a bit early (the 9th) for the seasonal holiday lights – there is always next weekend.

We traveled around a bit in search of lights but not many houses were decorated and even less were lit up. We didn’t give up though and what we found was awesome, at least my grand kids thought so. And, if they think this is awesome, so do I. Snuggled back on a dead end road we came across 2 homes that were exactly what we were looking for. Holiday Spectacular!!

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We will be out again next weekend, right after KnockOut, to see the holiday lights once again. The way the kids are all oooo’s and ahhhh’s and the way their eyes light up when the see the beautiful displays is so worth it!

Every year, along with the help of dozens of volunteers, The Cody Cupboard holds its annual food drive. They are out this morning in the first big snow of the season collecting donations for the Cody Cupboard. Those brave souls!

The volunteers will be going door to door Saturday morning from 8:30 until noon. The Cody VFW is the drop off headquarters for items collected by the volunteers. Last year the annual food drive collected just under 11,000 pounds of canned goods and non-perishable food items. These items helped over 2500 families throughout Park County.

This year marks its’ 24th year of helping out families in need. The Cody Cupboard is not a government subsidized agency, so it must rely solely on donations from the public to restock the pantry.

The Cody Cupboard helps those families in need that can’t often afford food after the bills are paid. This includes single family parents who do not receive child support or a limited amount, recently laid off families, families with large medical bills, the unemployed, seasonal workers and poor wage families. (Which Wyoming has many of since Wyoming is a non-union state and generally has the lowest wages in the nation)

If you want to donate this year drop off locations are at Albertsons, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Park County Library, Pinnacle Bank, Sunlight FCU and Wells Fargo.

The Cupboard really needs: canned soups, fruits, cereals, peanut butter, pasta and jelly. But everything is needed and put to good use. Any donations of diapers, soap, shampoo, TP, dish soap, ect… is also greatly appreciated.

For more information on the Cody Food Drive visit this CodyEnterprise article

When ever hunting or visiting the state of Wyoming, Montana or Idaho you need to keep in mind that this is grizzly country. In the past several months grizzly bears have been exceedingly active in the area. This past summer alone, there were 2 deaths  in Yellowstone National Park due to Grizzly encounters. These deaths were that of hikers who were hiking in Yellowstone Park. These hikers were not carrying bear spray.

Grizzly bears are wondering just outside of town too.

On two separate occasions, 2 Grizzly bears were trapped and re-located; the first was in mid September and the other early October after foraging apples at an apple orchard near Cody. And then more recently, on Friday, October 29th a grizzly killed 19 chickens in the Clark area.

Recently several hunters in Wyoming and surrounding states have been attacked by Grizzly.

Elk hunters especially need to beware this time of year. A surprised Grizzly is a dangerous Grizzly. Grizzly bears are now foraging for winter. As in the early spring when Grizzly come out of hibernation and forage for food, this time of year is prime time for Grizzly to be storing fat for the winter snooze. Grizzly are known for traveling long distances to hunt for food. Do the math – 600 grizzly @ 500 mile foraging radius = they could be anywhere!

In early October, an out-of-state hunter surprised a Grizzly while he was hunting near Meeteetse. He was charged but not seriously wounded. A Casper man was also charged while hunting in the Dubois area. He dropped and played dead. Luckily he only suffered bites to his ankles and rear end.

More recently, on October 30th,  another bear incident occurred in the Grand Teton Park. A Jackson man was attacked while hunting Elk in the area. He was carrying bear spray, but it was in his holster. He had no warning before the bear attacked. Grizzlies are quick and a holstered can can be difficult to release in just a few seconds. He dropped and played dead. Fortunately for him his bites were not serious.

Remember that this is grizzly country! If you are going to scout for elk or what ever poor creature is in season, have your bear spray in hand at all times. Just like the Jackson man above, he was carrying his bear spray but it was holstered. A grizzly attack can happen quickly and you must be prepared.

Play it safe with Griz! Pay attention in grizzly country. Look for fresh signs of a grizzly such as tracks, scat, digs and carcasses. Inform yourself on bear habitats, what bears eat, ect… If your gutting a kill, keep all intestines ect… far from your camp area, as a griz will make quick claim of anything left behind. Keep your bear spray in your hand at all times, don’t hunt alone, (one man to spray the bear and the other to shoot it if need be!) and keep all food supplies, especially carcasses out of reach of the bears!

A must-read on these magnificent but sometimes deadly creatures—thoroughly revised, expanded, and updated

Mark of the Grizzly

This is what I learned about this little town I live in. It’s amazing! There are so many things to do here that if I was vacationing I would absolutely come to Cody! Especially if I lived overseas or in a big City. Yellowstone is only 52 miles away.  What seems like a hour drive takes about two. The landscape is so gorgeous that you really don’t want to drive very fast or you may miss it. There are many things to see along the way too.

The Smith house. Weird but absolutely fascinating to see. Your driving along in the Wapiti Valley and taking in the mountain vistas. The views are phenomenal,  when all of a sudden looming to the left of you, sitting on a hill is this weird monstrosity of a house.  The Smith Mansion.

And you’re thinking WTH is that? If your wondering the same thing here is some information about the Smith house. I found Sunny Larsen’s web site, very interesting to know that she is in the process of restoring it.

The History- Francis Smith began construction  of the mansion in 1973 with a dream. He wanted  to create a home that would naturally fit into the beautiful Wapiti Valley, ie: all wood and majestic. Well, Mr. Smith died in 1992 while working on the mansion and it was not finished and stood for a long time untouched. His granddaughter, Sunny Larsen is the new owner and is currently restoring the Mansion. She has created the Smith Mansion Preservation Project. Amazing! Click on the picture above and read more about the Smith Mansion Preservation Project.

Ok, back to the story. As I was researching Cody I found out that Cody has a little more than 800,000 visitors each and every year. Visitors that stay in Cody for one – ten days just to take in the views and visit Yellowstone. That is a lot of people! I’ve run into people regularly, who when they find out that I actually live here start asking me a ton of questions. Where is the best place to eat? How long does it take to tour the museum? Where’s the post office?

Well, now it was my turn to ‘play tourist’ and ask the questions. I literally drove all over Cody visiting all the hotels, motels, restaurants, gift shops, white water rafting shops and smoke shops. I visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which is absolutely lovely, I visited all the city parks and I drove up the NorthFork Hwy through Wapiti Valley to the east gate of Yellowstone and renewed my seasonal pass.

I met some lovely business owners who were more than happy to show me around and offer me vital information,  and then I  had some business owners and employees who were so busy yapping with their co-workers or on their cell phones who completely ignored me without any kind of acknowledgment that they ever saw me. Interesting.

I didn’t mention the negative things in my book,  giving the place the best write up, as minimal as it was, that I could. I focused on the positive highlights and avoided the personalization of my visit as much as possible.

Yes, it has been an adventure and a fun one at that. As for the Amazon Publishing process? Well, it was difficult at first but somehow I got through it. The next one will be much easier I’m sure. The next one? Yes, I will be doing a Red Lodge Visitor Guide, a Northfork Hwy tour and then the big one, Yellowstone Visitor Guide book. I’m stoked! Hopefully it won’t take me 4 or so months to get it done!

About Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide - This book was created for Amazon Kindle users and app users who prefer to carry their libraries in their pocket or have their books ever ready on the desktop, laptop, iPhone, iPad or Android. The Kindle form makes it so easy for readers to navigate throughout the book to find the information they need fast.

The Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide book is a handy little reference guide for anyone that is new to Cody. If you want to go sightseeing but don’t know where to begin, I highlighted all of Cody’s attractions. The book has vital information about each place, a short narrative describing what they will see or do, with phone numbers and addresses of each place. The only thing missing in the book is a map of Cody, but, I am working on breaking up the major sections of Cody and will update the book before the 2012 vacation season starts. So a digital map will be available.

Sometimes the unexpected happens, like a tire blowout or engine trouble. If you need a mechanic, the Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide will help you to find one fast! The Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide is a handy dandy little reference guide showing you all that Cody has to offer. Stuck without a RV spot? Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide can help you with that! Need a cheap place to lay your head? Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide will tell you the best spots in town. Want something old and historical? How about a 5 star uppity up hotel? A wonderful updated historical Inn? Yup! Got that too.

The Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide leaves out very little, except the local fishing hot spots! But, that will also be available in the 2nd edition, Spring of 2012. (Working on that)

So, if a Cody Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park trip is in the cards for you, pick up Cody Wyoming Visitor Guide and start planning your trip. Map out the many attractions and historic sites you will not want to miss.

On Sale Now at Amazon.com

The body of 59 year old John Wallace was discovered August 26th by 2 hikers less than 10 miles from where another hiker was killed by a female grizzly on July 6th. Apparently he was camping and hiking alone without bear spray right smack in the middle of grizzly country when he was killed. With more than 600 grizzly bears in Yellowstone who are known to frequent the Hayden Valley regularly, I can’t help but wonder what was this man thinking?

Be Smart or Be Mauled

This recent death along the Mary Mountain Trail could have possibly been prevented. No disrespect to the victim or family but Mr. Wallace, a know nature enthusiast and hiker, broke 3 very important rules of thumb when hiking in Yellowstone that may have saved his life.

1. He was alone. You have a better chance of avoiding a grizzly attack when hiking in groups of 3 or more. The more noise you make, the better. A bears hearing will protect you since a bear will avoid human contact when ever possible. Many people going it alone or in pairs are more susceptible to a grizzly attack as they are generally not making a lot of noise. Startling a grizzly in his natural habitat will have deadly consensuses. Venturing too close to a carcass or grizzly food of any kind is viewed as a threat to the bears survival. If you smell a rotting carcass, head the other way. That is HIS food, his personal belongings and he will protect it any way possible.
2. He WAS NOT carrying bear spray. Mr. Wallace was an educated man, he worked in a library, he loved books, but, he was not carrying bear spray? It is always important to be prepared when hiking or camping in grizzly country. Think of it this way, this is the ‘wild wild west’. Your not likely to encounter a bank robber or notorious outlaw but there is a large probability that you may encounter a 200 – 500 pound muscle bound beast with 3 inch claws who neither talks or reasons. Your gun is your bear spray. It is attached to your belt. You are a gunslinger. Your ‘gun’ is loaded and ready to go. Be prepared.
3. Location – The Mary Mountain as well as the Lamar Valley area is known as a grizzly travel and hunting area. In the spring, The Mary Mountains in the Hayden Valley are closed to the public during the awake/feed cycle of the grizzly. The bear emerges from his den and the first thing he wants to do is eat. Dead carcasses from the winter are a valuable source of food to the grizzly March-June. Bears don’t know when humans declare their feeding season is officially over and it is time ‘to move on.’ And a grizzly never knows when your coming for a surprise visit. They haven’t gotten the email that says “stay away from the Mary Mountains today for I will be hiking there. I don’t want to startle you or do anything stupid that may cause my death.” Your friend Bob.

Living in the Cody, Wyoming area, 52 miles east of Yellowstone park I am privy to the grizzly attacks that don’t make national news. Just 3 weeks ago my friends daughter lost her horse to a grizzly. I don’t know any other way to tell you that GRIZZLY BEARS ARE DANGEROUS. They are unpredictable and they will kill you!!

Don’t be foolish! Be prepared. Take responsibility for yourself and your families. Don’t expect that it will never happen to you, because quite simply, It Could! Mr. Wallace didn’t expect it to happen to him. Right?

How Many Close Calls And Deaths Will It Take Until People Wise Up?

In this area, and especially in the Yellowstone area the grizzly bear is at home. This is his domain. He lives, eats and sleeps under the broad night sky. He fishes in the streams. He eats dead things. He goes where he wants and when he wants. It doesn’t matter if we have built roads and designated hiking trails. He will roam where and when he chooses, according to his senses and territory desires. A grizzly bear ‘OWNS’ a territory of up to 500 miles. If he smells a long dead animal, he will venture toward it. It won’t matter if you are walking up the trail or not.

This territory is his backyard, dining room and bedroom. To him, we are the trespassers in his domain. He has not extended us an invitation to visit him, nor does he offer us any hospitality. He WILL avoid us at any cost but he will protect what is his. A grizzly is always searching for food. Always. He is a scavenger by nature and the more dead and rotting, the better.

Feature Read:

Some Bears Kill –

In light of the most recent grizzly bear attack in Yellowstone Park, I would like to once again stress the importance of being prepared and taking precautions when hiking in Yellowstone.

While many are out hiking and enjoying the scenery in Yellowstone this time of year, mother grizzlies are out and about teaching their cubs how to forage for food. This is prime time to take precautions when traveling through Yellowstone. It is always great to see the Grizzlies, especially sows with cubs, but it is absolutely necessary to carry bear mace when walking or hiking ANYWHERE in Yellowstone.

Grizzly bears will naturally try to avoid people. But with more than 600 grizzlies roaming the park and millions of tourists visiting Yellowstone each year, it is possible that another encounter with a grizzly could happen. 

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Yellowstones Last Grizzly Attack Was 25 Years Ago – 1986

The last attack inside the boundaries of Yellowstone Park occurred 25 years ago. 

Last year alone, there were 2 deaths directly related to grizzly attacks within 7 miles of the Parks borders. In June 2010, a tranquilized bear had been left sleeping approximately 7 miles outside the east entrance of Yellowstone Park.  Hiker and cabin owner Botanist Erwin Frank Evert was hiking in the area and probably came upon the sleeping, tranquilized bear. He was later found just 20 yards from the bear capture site.

Only one month later in July 2010, a female grizzly savagely attacked sleeping campers in the Soda Butte Campground- killing one man and injuring 2 others. The female sow was later located and euthanized. The campground is located just 5 miles from Yellowstone’s Northeast entrance.

And now Wednesday July 6, what began as a hiking adventure between husband and wife, resulted in the mauling death of the 57-year-old man. The man and his wife had been hiking in the Yellowstone Grand Canyon area when they crossed the path of a mother grizzly (Sow) and her cubs. The hike turned tragic when the sow charged the couple. The man was mauled to death and the woman picked up in the grizzlies massive jaws. (It wasn’t clear to me if she was attacked before her husband was killed or after). What I know is that the grizzly picked her up by her backpack, shook her a few times, dropped her and left. She survives with a few scrapes and scratches only because she played dead.

The grizzly will not be sought and euthanized as the attack is considered a ‘natural’ occurrence as it is believe the sow was protecting her cubs. Since grizzlies obviously have more rights than we do this is considered the right measure. Let’s just hope the grizzly DID indeed feel threatened and more attacks are not forthcoming.

The path to Artist Point has been blocked by barricades to prevent further attacks if the bear is still in the area.

Please read Bear attacks are rare but they do happen to learn what you should do to prevent a grizzly encounter and what to do if you would encounter a grizzly.

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Aside from it’s historical significance and mouth watering food, the Irma Hotel and Restaurant is best known for it’s Cherry Wood Bar. Currently valued at $100,000+ the famous bar was a gift given to Buffalo Bill from Queen Victoria in 1900. 

Queen Victoria was a friend and a fan of Buffalo Bill. She valued and admired Buffalo Bill’s charisma and generosity as he put on Wild West shows free of charge for the orphans of Great Britain and France. His stunning and awe inspiring shows where quite the adventure of the day, drawing in mass crowds overseas with his daring western stunts. Buffalo Bill gained many fans and admirers as they witnessed the stunning – never before seen - Native American horse manuvers and gallent performances.

The Cherry Wood bar was made in France and then transported to New York by steamer. From New York it traveled by rail car to Red Lodge Montana. From Red Lodge it traveled 2 weeks over mountains and rivers on a horse pulled freight wagon before it was finally delivered to Buffalo Bill in Cody. Quite the trip in those days.

In the early days, the Irma Hotel’s restaurant was once a bar room that featured billiards, booze and cards. The bar room is gone and has been replaced by a stunning dinning area that offers you a full relaxed dinning atmosphere. The popular Prime Rib Buffet (the best in town) is served during the summer season and has something for every taste bud. You can also enjoy the breakfast and lunch buffet before you set out for Yellowstone National Park.

When in Cody Wyoming, make sure you stop in and tell the staff at the Irma Hotel Hello. You are welcome to browse the halls, restaurant and lounge to look at the historical architecture and capture the feel of the west as it was. The hotel offers guests true authentic rooms including Buffalo Bills original suite where he stayed after his many Wild West tours. The historical rooms have been restored and modernized for convenience and relaxation.

In addition to the Buffalo Bill Suite you could book a stay in either the Jimmy Tuff Suite, Caroline Lockhart Suite, Vern Spencer Suite or Henry Dahlem Suite. Each suite holds it’s own little piece of history. Room 35 is also frequently requested as it’s become known as the most ’haunted suite’.

The Irma Hotel has its share of disembodied footsteps, unexplained  noises and dark shapes ‘caught out of the corner of my eye’  tales from regular patrons. Apparitions have been seen in various parts of the old hotel including the dining room. Rocking chairs rock by themselves, strange voices call your name and unseen spirits walk the halls in the Irma Hotel. WAPS (Wyoming Area Paranormal Society) did two investigations on the Irma Hotel and were not disappointed.

Hold on to your hats, your wallets and your ladies.

Besides the residential spirits that roam the halls of the Irma you can find a few residential gunfighters shooting it out in the streets. Starting at 6pm, Monday thru Saturday, the Cody Gunfighters are going to thrill you with their old fashioned gunfight! Comedy and guts meet in the street as the good guys and the bad guys (and ladies too) battle it out. 

Make it a point to stop in the Irma hotel. Step into the era of older charm and grace.

Spring hasn’t been to kind to Yellowstone visitors this year. With an overload of snow that continues to fall,  the posiblility of more mudslides and avalanches in the Sylvan Pass area are still  high. This makes travel into Yellowstone difficult. A mudslide that occurred in mid May over Sylvan Pass has been cleaned up but the threat of another one is restricting access from the East Gate except from the hours of 8 PM to 10 AM.  Why these hours? Temperatures are lower during the night and early morning, so the possibility of another slide would be slim. 

Also for Yellowstone travelers there has been a road washout along the norhteast shore of Yellowstone lake, which is along the East Entrance road into the park. The washout has left the east side of the road unusable. Travel is restricted to one lane with flaggers guiding the traffic.

Update:: The East Gate and Sylvan Pass is now open 24 / 7.

Visitors may call Yellowstone’s 24/7 road report hot line, (307) 344-2117 for current road conditions.

I love to watch the seasons change and spring is my favorite time of the year. I enjoy feeling the air blowing warmer and seeing the green grass sprouting new life onto the dry and barren land. Brown lifeless  trees regain their life again with new leaves and happy robins building nests. The sounds and smells of spring are just around the corner.

This year I plan to do more traveling into Yellowstone, up the Chief Josephs highway, Cooke City and Red Lodge. It’s been several years since I just traveled for pleasure and to film what ever caught my eye. A rare black wolf evaded me a few years ago on Chief Josephs Highway as I fumbled to insert batteries into my camera. (For some reason it just eats batteries even when it’s off) So this year I purchased a JVC Camcorder and will be ready. That elusive black wolf won’t catch me offgaurd again!

Bears Will Be Looking For Food

While we are anxiously awaiting the full effects of spring, Yellowstone Park is already active with grizzly and black bears scouring for food. With so much snow in Yellowstone, far more than in the last 10 years, finding food will not be so trouble free. Bears generally look for the ’easy’ meal such as; dead rotting carcasses of elk or buffalo that have died during the winter, berries (not out yet) and roots (that will be deeply buried this year). Of course there are the small and plentiful animals such as rabbits, moles or mice that can be caught fairly easy but would not very gratifying to a hungry bear. I am guessing that bears will be more extremely aggressive this year as they hunt, find and protect their precious food stashes.  

For those of us in the Cody area who are awaiting the opening of the East gate on May 6th, this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy some quiet peaceful times in the park and perhaps spot some early bear activity. The snow is still plentiful but crews are working diligently to remove it from the trails and roads. According to the Cody Enterprise, Sylvan Pass has about 22 feet of snow with 30 foot drifts. More than we have seen in previous years!

Yes spring is in the air and I am excitedly awaiting its arrival!