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Pinedale Updates
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Below are the updates from earlier Pinedale Online front pages for
those of you who would like to know what's been happening in our area.

Fremont Lake Boat Ramp
Photo by Pinedale Online!
The ice is mostly off Fremont Lake now, as this picture taken Saturday shows.


April Updates:
April 30 - Ice is melting off the lakes
April 23rd - Green leaves and bike riding weather
April 15th - The inbetween time
April 10th - Calving season is here
April 4th - It's no April Fool's Day joke, the snow is melting!

March, 2000 Updates
February, 2000 Updates
January, 2000 Updates
December, 1999 Updates
October-November, 1999 Updates
August-September, 1999 Updates
June-July, 1999 Updates


April 30th - Ice is melting off the lakes

What's open? The road along the east side of Fremont Lake is clear all the way through the Forest Service Campground at the end. We enjoyed a wonderful picnic right next to the lake. Kind of windy, but great to be out again! Surprisingly, there were a couple of campers who were already ahead of us in the campground.

The water still isn't turned on at the campground, and the restroom facilities aren't open yet, but there is no fee to stay. There was ice on Fremont Lake just yesterday morning, but in the afternoon the picture above shows what it looked like. Even though it looks open, boaters are cautioned that there is still submerged ice and to be careful if you take a boat out. The Forest Service asked us to remind folks that even though it seems early, things are dryer than usual and to be careful with fire.

Skyline Drive is open only as far as White Pine Ski Area turnoff. The road down to Half Moon Lake is open. The restaurant at Half Moon Lake Resort is now open. This year, Half Moon Lake Resort will be operating the Forest Service campground on Half Moon Lake and space reservations should be made through them. Lakeside Lodge opens for the season May 15th. Advance reservations are recommended for both resorts.

The road to Green River Lakes is clear for motor vehicles only to the parking lot at the National Forest boundary. Snowmobiles can still get from the parking lot to Green River Lakes Campground if they stay on the snowpacked road. The roads to New Fork Lakes and Soda Lake are still closed off by Game & Fish gates. Soda Lake opens for fishing May 10th. Big Sandy is still about a month away from opening up to vehicles.

It's still just the beginning of May, so none of the wilderness trailheads are accessible yet. For those of you who just can't wait for a taste of the great outdoors, we're sure you'll be pleased to know that the mosquitos are out now too. With the mild winter we had, no doubt we'll get a bumper crop of ticks and assorted other creepy-crawlers and flying bugs this year.

More signs of spring: Meadowlarks and Red Wing Blackbirds are back. Buttercups and Bluebells and blooming.

Some of you might wonder why we pay so much attention to these little things. We feel lucky to live in a place that has four distinct seasons. Spring, summer, fall and winter each brings its own special magic to the landscape. Winter is the longest season here though, and by the end of 7-9 months of snow, we long for the warm sun of spring to bring things back to life once again. Yes, we love the snow, and have lots of fun playing in it. But come May-June, we're ready to have spring & summer come back. Seeing the first robin, and hearing the call of the Sandhill Cranes, are sure signs warmer weather is not too far off. As the first green leaves emerge on the willows and trees, Pinedale is once again transformed. Soon, we'll be greeting our "Snowbird" friends once again as they too migrate up from the south.

Moose at the Sublette Center last wee,
Photo by Pinedale Online!
This BIG bull moose made himself comfortable in one of the gardens at the Sublette Center last week. His antlers are just starting to grow, and by fall will be an impressive rack.

April 23rd - Green leaves & bike riding weather

Green leaves are just starting to emerge, lawns are greening up, and it's starting to look like spring around here! The only flowers blooming yet are dandylions, but tulips are making their way up through the ground. We're all very much enjoying the 40-50+ degree weather and hoping it just gets better and better! (But this is the high country in Wyoming, and we can remember years when we've had snow in July!)

Today-Easter Sunday- is White Pine Ski Area's last day for this season. They'll spend the summer finishing the Day Lodge and getting everything all set for next year's season when everything will be fully operational. Despite not having everything completely open this winter, White Pine offered fantastic skiing and snowboarding to those who took to the slopes. They were treated with uncrowded skiing conditions, great snow, and friendly staff, all at extremely reasonable lift ticket prices! We'll keep you posted on the progress of White Pine periodically through the summer. (White Pine Ski Area information & pictures)

Snowmobiling is winding down too. Time to put the snowmobile away and bring out the boats, 4-wheelers and mountain bikes! The Pinedale area offers many lakes with boat dock access for fishing, waterskiing and recreational boating. Soda Lake opens May 10th for fishing.

Boat rentals are available by the hour or day from Lakeside Lodge for Fremont Lake and Half Moon Lake Resort for Half Moon Lake. For the mountain biking and 4-wheeling enthusiasts, you'll find miles and miles of roads for riding, with views of 3 different mountain ranges (Wind Rivers, Gros Ventre, and the Wyoming range). Routes vary from valley bottom back-country roads, the desert Mesa, to challenging forest mountain trails. (If you are planning on going onto National Forest lands, please check with local Forest Service offices for any special regulations for the areas you wish to go.) For suggestions on great mountain biking areas, stop by A to Z Hardware (formerly Coast to Coast) here in town and ask for Dale Hill!

The 4th annual Tour de Wyoming Bicycle Tour will pass through Pinedale in mid-July. The 380 mile tour, which begins in Jackson on July 16th, will have cyclists stopping overnight in Pinedale on their way over South Pass and into the Wind River Basin. Read the article at left in The Sublette County Journal for more information.

Upcoming Events:
May 1st Museum of the Mountain Man & Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course open for the season
May 10th Soda Lake opens for fishing

Horses
Lazy days in the pasture
Photo by Pinedale Online!

April 15th - The inbetween time

This is the inbetween time. Not enough snow left to enjoy winter, not warm enough for spring to be officially here. Grass is greening up, folks are out in their yards raking and tidying. Even had our first lightning storm of the year. Unfortunately, a strike hit a ranch out Daniel way and set a haystack on fire. Luckily, no one was hurt and the fire was quickly stopped, but losing a haystack is very much a hardship to any ranch.

White Pine Ski Area will be open daily until Easter Sunday, April 23rd. They are currently operating on a 24"-36" base on machine groomed & granular runs. Just one week left to ski! Come on up and enjoy some family fun up at Pinedale's new ski area!

The Museum of the Mountain Man and Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course open for the season May 1st. The Museum has many events planned for this season, with the highlight being the Green River Rendezvous Pageant the second weekend in July. Rendezvous weekend events will include the annual buffalo feast, craft classes in the ancient art of beading, a tour of trade sites with Fred Gowans, entertainment games from the 1800s, and living history demonstrations on the Plains Indians in the 1800s. During 2000, the Museum will have a special exhibit by the American Mountain Men featuring artifacts and replicas from members throughout the U.S.

Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course is an 18 hole designed 9 hole course located on the west end of Pinedale. They have a Pro Shop, Lounge, Practice Green, and Driving Range. Tee times are available. They are open May - September, and are open to the public.

Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail Report
Irish Canyon to Pinedale:

Ungroomed, 0" Base, 0" new snow
Pinedale to The Place:
Ungroomed, 0" Base, 0" new snow
Upper Green River:
Ungroomed, 0" Base, 0" new snow

Winter Valley

April 10th - Calving season is here

More signs of spring: Bluebirds and killdeer are back and the antelope are drifting up from the south. The snow has melted off all but the most shaded portions of yards and lawns are beginning to green up. Wobbly calves are appearing in the pastures all around. Calving season is in full swing.

On Thursday, April 13th, the Daniel Library Tea is being revived for the first time since 1987! The event is in honor of the Joe Hausen Library, housed in the Green River Bar, and this year recognizes the community of Daniel and its 100th birthday. Hats and gloves are requested, but they can be any kind, and the wilder the better! There is no charge for the Tea. Donations for the Daniel Book Project are greatly appreciated, and proceeds benefit the Daniel Schoolhouse renovation. The Tea begins at 4 pm at the Green River Bar. Read the article in The Sublette County Journal for more information. Story

The 19th Aniel Daniel Chili Cook-Off was a huge success! Judges this year were Sublette County Commissioners Betty Fear and Gordon Johnston, and Sublette County Sheruiff Hank Ruland. Red Chili Winners were: 1st Place Burleigh Binning Jr, 2nd Place Joan Bohannan for the Sublette Center, 3rd Place Lisa Sedivy. Green Chili Winners: 1st Place Norm Walker, 2nd Place Gray Schouboe, 3rd Place Joan Rahm. The Cook-Off tradition began in 1982 when two Daniel locals got into a debate over who made the best chili. A bartender at the Green River Bar suggested they have a cook-off to decide the matter. No judges were used, bar patrons voted on which they liked best. This led to quite the competition as entrants encouraged all their friends and fans to come and "help" with the deciding and determining the winner. The event grew each year and in 1986 moved from the Green River Bar to the Daniel Community Center to accommodate the growing crowd. Still an annual event, proceeds from the event and cake auction help raise money for maintenance costs of the Daniel Community Center throughout the year.Grooming the slopes at White Pine

White Pine Ski Area will be open daily until Easter Sunday, April 23rd. They are currently operating on a 32"-34" base of packed granular and machine groomed granular runs. Come on up and enjoy some family fun up at Pinedale's new ski area!

Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail Report
Irish Canyon to Pinedale:

Ungroomed, 0"-4" Base, 0"" new snow
Pinedale to The Place:
Ungroomed, 4"-12" Base, 1-2" new snow
Upper Green River:
Grooming, 24-36" Base, 1-3" new snow
The Official Wyoming Snowmobiling Page

High in the Winds
Fremont Peak
Photo by Pinedale Ranger District, USFS

April 4th - It's no April Fool's Day joke, the snow is melting!
Some of you might not get the humor in the April Fool's Day edition of The Sublette County Journal articles, but we couldn't stop laughing when the paper came out this week. Many thanks to Editor Rob & Staff for the fun twist on the news. Besides the great stories, we loved the special edition ads local businesses came up with! We hope the "April Fool's Day Edition" becomes an annual tradition at The Journal! If you don't subscribe to the Journal, this edition is worth an e-mail to Rob to get a copy of!

The annual Pinedale 100 Snowmobile Race on Fremont Lake last weekend had racers pushing 100 miles an hour over the 10-lap, 100 mile race. Sponsored each year by the Pinedale Snow Explorers Club, this year's overall winners were 1st Place Team: SkiDoo, Travis Pollard, Brent Cheeney and Troy Bredhauer.

White Pine Ski Area is open every day through Easter Sunday, April 23rd! The downhill skiing is still great and there are also 6 Km of x-country trails adjacent to the ski area. All day tickets are $22, half day are $15, and Little Spirit lift is $10. White Pine offers downhill skiing just 10 miles from Pinedale!

Schools are out for Spring Break this week, but you don't have to go to Florida for great weather! The snow is melting off, buds are swelling on the shrubs, and the willows are coming to life. The 50-60 degree daytime weather means t-shirts and shorts to some folks here who are calling this a heat wave. Ice hockey skates have been traded in for skateboards and bicycles. Nighttime temps are still dropping to below freezing. No sign yet of tulips, daffodills, or anything resembling a green leaf, but it won't be too long now! Sandhill Cranes can be heard in the pastures and the robins are back in full force. Calving season has begun. Read Wyoming Cowgirl for the diary entries about life on a real Wyoming ranch.

Upcoming Events:
April 13th Daniel Library Tea at the Daniel Bar
April 15th Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course "Swing Into Spring" Fundraiser, Stockman's in Pinedale starting at 5 pm
May 1st Museum of the Mountain Man & Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course open for the season
May 10th Soda Lake opens for fishing

Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail Report
Irish Canyon to Pinedale:

Ungroomed, 0"-4" Base, 0"" new snow
Pinedale to The Place:
Ungroomed, 4"-12" Base, 1-2" new snow
Upper Green River:
Grooming, 24-36" Base, 3-5" new snow
The Official Wyoming Snowmobiling Page


New on Pinedale Online!

Randall's Fishing Guide Service has over 20 year's experience fishing on the New Fork and Green Rivers. They offer personalized float trips on the New Fork and fly fishing or spin fishing on the Green and Snake Rivers in Wyoming.

Logcrafters designs and builds unique, hand-crafted log homes. Their team of experienced designers and skilled craftsman have been planning and designing award-winning log homes for over 25 years.

The First National Bank of Pinedale was established in 1963 and is Pinedale's only locally owned and operated bank. In addition to their many regular banking services, they offer Saturday banking hours and 3 Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) in Pinedale and one in Big Piney.


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