|
Sunday,
July 29, 2001
Bikes and Bears
 Tour
de Wyoming
Another
Black Bear Killed
'Crime'
in Sublette County
LOCAL FOCUS:
 Rocky
Shaver Passed Away Saturday, Memorial Service Scheduled for Aug 10
Fire
Update
Sublette
County Fair
Dale
Hill rides in Tour de Wyoming Bike Tour
Local
bicycling enthusiast Dale Hill just returned from the Fifth Annual Tour
de Wyoming bicycle tour, which kicked off Sunday, July 22 in Gillette,
Wyoming. The Tour ran through Friday, July 27th and passed through Gillette,
Wright, Newcastle, Sundance and Moorcroft, Wyoming.
Each year the Tour goes on a different route in Wyoming.
Last year the Tour passed through Pinedale. This year the Tour stayed
in eastern Wyoming, starting in Gillette and looping 360 miles through
Black Hills Country and Devil's Tower until returning to Gillette six
days later. The route took cyclists through the Thunder Basin National
Grassland and into the Black Hills, around Devil's Tower and past Keyhole
State Park. They spent two nights in Sundance before heading west through
more Black Hills country and across the National Grassland again before
returning to Gillette.
"It was a fast six days!" said Pinedale
biking enthusiast Dale Hill, who owns A to Z Hardware. Dale has participated
in the Tour de Wyoming for the past several years. When asked what he
liked about the Tour, Dale said, "It's small. It's Wyoming. It's
great!"
The Tour de Wyoming is becoming more and more popular
each year, but is still relatively small. Anyone interested in participating
should sign up early though, because the available spaces fill up each
year. Riders can get information about signing up to be on the 2002
mailing list at the Tour
de Wyoming web site.
Black
Bear Killed near New Fork Lake
Wyoming
Game & Fish authorities killed a black bear July 18, at the New
Fork Lake Boy Scout Camp north of Pinedale after the animal had been
allowed to receive food rewards at the camp. This is the second black
bear that has had to be killed because of entering area campgrounds.
Earlier this month another problem bear was killed near Fremont Lake
campground.
According to a Wyoming Game & Fish press release
the bear visited the New Fork camp on several occasions where it received
food rewards and on Tuesday night the 225-250 pound male bear entered
and damaged a tent where food had been left. Game and Fish Department
officials decided because the bear had become food-conditioned and had
lost its fear of people, they had to destroy it to prevent further property
damage and protect the safety of campers.
Dustin Shorma, Jackson Region Bear Management Officer,
says that unfortunate situations such as this can be avoided if people
prevent bears from receiving food when they come into contact with humans.
"Usually in situations like this where the bear has become so habituated,
trapping and relocating the bear usually results in just moving the
problem from one area to another," Shorma said. "The problem
we are fighting in cases like this are not problems with bears but problems
with people. A few simple steps could have been taken that would have
prevented this bear's death."
Past experience proves that once a bear has received
food at a residence or camp, they will continue to seek out meals at
those locations, even after the animal is trapped and relocated to a
remote forest site. Landowners and forest visitors are reminded it is
particularly important in dry years like this to store garbage, bird
feeders, barbecue grills and pet food out of the reach of bears.
Bears that are food-conditioned and habituated to
humans can become nuisances, causing damage to property and sometimes
putting human safety at risk. These bears are often killed to prevent
continued conflict.
Crime
in Sublette County
Each year
law enforcement agencies in Wyoming submit crime information which goes
into an annual Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Annual Report from the
Office of the Attorney General. The 2000 report came out earlier this
year and we thought some of you might be interested in the arrest statistics
for Sublette County.
Murder:
0
Rape: 0
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 15
Arson: 1
Forgery & Counterfeiting: 0
Burglary: 23
Larceny: 120
Locally Stolen and Recovered property:
$149,242 stolen/$145,443 recovered
Motor Vehicle Thefts: 6
Drug Abuse Violations: 15
Sale/Manufacturing: 0
Possession: 15
DUI: 63
Sex Offenses: 2
Runaways: 0
Total offenses for 2000: 164
This is a -3.5% change from the previous year.
The Sublette
County Sheriff's Office had 32 employees which included 15 male and
2 female officers and 15 civilians. This comes out to 2.9 officers for
every 1,000 people in the county. The Index Crime per Officers rate
was 9.6 for 2000.
The UCR
Annual Report on Crime in Wyoming contains data on reported crime from
January through December, 2000, as well as domestic violence incidents.
Law enforcement agencies also submit information that is compiled monthly
and released in quarterly Crime in Wyoming reports by the Division of
Criminal Investigation of the State of Wyoming Office of Attorney General.
Copies can be obtained by writing 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY
82002.
LOCAL
FOCUS
Rocky
Shaver Passed Away Saturday
Memorial Service: Aug
10, 10:00 am
Pinedale High School Auditorium
The
Sublette County Sheriff's Office reported that Chief Detective Rocky
Shaver passed away Saturday afternoon, July 28, from injuries he received
in a motorcycle accident on Teton Pass last Saturday. A memorial service
has been scheduled for August 10th at 10 am at the Pinedale High School
Auditorium. A luncheon will follow at the VFW Post 4801. Anyone wishing
to send a card to the Shaver family can send it to the Sublette County
Sheriff's Office at PO Box 701, Pinedale, WY 82941. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made to the Rocky Shaver Benefit account at the Bank
of Pinedale, PO Box 1510, Pinedale, WY 82941. Monday,
July 30 SCSO Press Release
Fire
Update
The
status of the fire situation on the southern portion of the Bridger-Teton
National Forest is about the same with no new fires to report. All campgrounds
and trails are open, and no restrictions are in effect. If you're planning
on coming to the Wind River Range, Green River area, Gros Ventres, or
the Wyoming Range, things still look great. Go
to our Fire page for local fire information.
See the Teton Fires web site
for information about the Green Knoll fire by Wilson near Jackson.
Yellowstone
National Park fire information
A
fire located south of Sylvan Pass in Yellowstone National Park has caused
officials to close the East Entrance to the park today, July 29, (US
Hwys 14-16-20) due to heavy smoke and the closeness of the fire to the
highway. Motorists are advised to use the Chief Joseph Highway, or Northeast
entrance, as an alternate route. More information may be found at the
Yellowstone
National Park fire website or by calling (307) 344-7381.
Thursday,
July 26, 2001
Fire
Update
Summer
Fun at Kid's Camp
Sublette
County Fair is Coming!
LOCAL FOCUS:
Update
on Rocky Shaver
Services
for Fred Hagenstein
Square
Dancing
Forest
Campground Host Needed
Trudy's
Take: Weddings
Fire
Update
Thursday,
July 26 , 2001 Fire Update:
The status of the fire situation on the southern portion of the Bridger-Teton
National Forest is about the same with no new fires to report. All campgrounds
and trails are open, and no restrictions are in effect. If you're planning
on coming to the Wind River Range, Green River area, Gros Ventres, or
the Wyoming Range, things still look great.
The
Green Knoll fire near Wilson, Wyoming, southwest of Jackson is currently
about 1/2 mile from the nearest structure in Black Canyon and is spotting
in the vicinity of homes (as of 7:30 pm this evening.) Firefighters
have been able to contain the spotting and no structures have been lost
at this time. Engines will be patrolling the residential areas throughout
the night. The fire is now 2,500 acres in size and being called 10%
contained. The Governor has stated that he plans to declare a 'State
of Emergency" for the fire area. Currently, this fire is the #1
firefighting priority in the nation allowing fire resources to be devoted
to this fire. Resources on this fire include 692
firefighting staff (400 additional ordered today), 8 air tankers, 12
helicopters, 2 air attack planes, 2 lead planes, 30 wildland fire engines,
9 structural protection engines and 9 bulldozers. The town of Jackson
is not threatened, and Grand Teton Park and Yellowstone are open. The
fire and smoke column can be seen as you travel to or from the Jackson
area, but the Tetons are still visible. Click here for a current web
cam picture of the Tetons.
For more detailed information about the fires, please visit our Fire
page. For
more fire information on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton
National Park, and the Yellowstone area, go to the www.tetonfires.com
web site. The
Wyoming Division of Tourism also now has information for tourists wanting
to know if fires will affect the trips they have planned in Wyoming.
Go to www.wyomingtourism.org.
LOCAL
FOCUS
Update
on Rocky Shaver
Thursday,
July 26, 5 pm. The Sublette County Sheriff's Office said that Chief
Detective Rocky Shaver is still critical but stable today as a result
of a motorcycle accident he had last Saturday on a sharp curve on the
Idaho side of the top of Teton Pass. Rocky is still in Bannock Regional
Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho, with injuries to his head, broken
ribs and a broken clavicle. He is currently in a medical coma which
was induced to try to reduce swelling to his brain. Anyone wishing to
send a card to the Shaver family can send it to the Sublette County
Sheriff's Office at PO Box 701, Pinedale, WY 82941.
Services
for Fred Hagenstein
Graveside
services for Fred Hagenstein will be held at the Pinedale Cemetery on
Friday, July 27, at 10 am.
Sublette
County Fair is coming!
The
Sublette County Fair is almost here! Events begin July 28 and run through
August 5th. The festivities start off with the Carriage Driving Competition
on July 28th at the Ag Center just outside Marbleton. The Little Buckaroo
Rodeo is on Wednesday, August 1st. The Talent Contest is on Saturday
at 4 pm and the Extreme Sports Show will be Thursday through Saturday.
There are many, many activities, performances and fun events scheduled
in addition to all the shows, so don't miss the Fair! For detailed schedule
information, please visit their web page at: Sublette
County Fair
Square
Dancing
Like
to Square Dance? You can most Wednesdays at 7 pm at the Pinedale School
Cafeteria. Call 537-5227 for more information.
Forest
Campground Host Needed
Have
you dreamed of spending a summer in Wyoming as a Campground Host? If
you are interested, the Pinedale Ranger has a position available. Hosts
live at the campgrounds (typically they have their own RVs) and provide
visitor information to the campground guests during the summer. Per
diem is included. For more details, call 307-367-4326.
Summer
Fun at Skinner's Kid's Camp
 Each
summer, Skinner Brother's Wilderness Camps offers programs for kids
at their base camp on Burnt Lake and in the Wind River Mountains.
They
offer programs for youth ages 9-19 including boys and girls wilderness
camps, open mountaineering and leadership camps. Young people attending
the camps learn outdoor skills such as horseback riding, backpacking,
rock climbing, nature skills, building outdoor shelters, map & compass
reading, campfire cooking, finding edible plants, fishing and much more.
The Leadership sessions offer fine-tuning outdoor skills with activities
like white water rafting, horse pack trips into the wilderness, and
hikes into the alpine wilderness.
 Much
of the time is spent on trips into the mountains, but we caught several
groups this weekend at the basecamp on Burnt Lake preparing for their
next outing. Boys ages 9-15 in the Wilderness Camp session were preparing
for a Survival Hike. During this adventure, they make their own packs
to hold their supplies, build their own shelters and campfires, find
edible plants and make soup, and fish in the creek for dinner. Other
groups were preparing for their horseback pack trip across the Wind
River Mountains to the Big Sandy area. Participants take everything
they'll need on their horse pack string. They camp in the mountains,
gaze at the brilliant stars in the night sky, go exploring, fish in
high mountain lakes, and learn about backcountry camping.
When
we asked some of the boys what their favorite part of the stay has been,
they all shouted out things at once, "Climbing!", "Shooting",
"Riding the horses!", "Making fun of Tara". They
also had some requests for the Moms out there reading this. "Please
send a care package or send me Grans address so she'll send one."
Items requested include King Size Snickers bars, SnackPaks, Coke, Dr.
Pepper, Sprite, Cherry Coke, and Root Beer. You know which one your
kid wants! Matthew from Texas (Mom, see the picture below) said to tell
you: "Having a good time. Everything at camp is great. Love you
and miss you! See you in two weeks. Please send the Sprite."
For
more information about Skinner Brother's Wilderness Camps, please see
their Wyoming Outdoors website, www.wyomingoutdoors.com.
Matthew from Texas and Rodney from Casper prepare the logs for their
nightly tipi campfire.
 TRUDY'S
TAKE
Weddings
Trudy Fry
To those fathers who have daughters of marrying age, the time of
"oh, let's just live together" is over for the upcoming generation.
As of last weekend there were seven - count them - seven weddings or
receptions in Pinedale. This coming weekend is also going to be busy
with nuptials. As one father-of-the-bride was told, "just be quiet
and pay the bills." It is a great time to get together and see
people that haven't been around for ages. We are all up for a great
celebration no matter what time of year it is. There isn't a more beautiful
place on earth to exchange wedding vows than what we see everyday. Our
thoughts and prayers are with Rocky Shaver and his family. Get better
soon, Rocky.
Wednesday,
July 25- Rocky Shaver Injured in Motorcycle
Accident
Chief Detective Rocky Shaver is described as "critical but stable"
today according to the Sublette County Sheriff's Office. Rocky was in
a motorcycle accident on Saturday in Teton County, Idaho. A Sublette
County Sheriff's Office press release
was issued this morning. Our
hearts and prayers are with Rocky and his family.
Wednesday,
July 25 , 2001 Fire Update:
While all's pretty quiet for us here on the south end of the Bridger-Teton
National Forest, things are picking up for the folks on the northern
end near Wilson, southwest of Jackson, due to the Green Knoll fire.
An evacuation was ordered today for 3 subdivisions of homes as the fire
advanced towards them. Currently, this fire is the #1 firefighting priority
in the nation. Resources on this fire include 615
firefighters, 7 air tankers, 9 helicopters, 20 wildland fire engines
and 10 structural protection engines.
We
don't have any active fires on the southern end of the B-T, all campgrounds
and trails are open, and no restrictions are in effect. The sky is a
little hazy from smoke coming from the fire up near Jackson and that
smoke column was visible today. If you're planning on coming to the
Wind River Range, Green River area, Gros Ventres, or the Wyoming Range,
things still look great, so come on over!
Our
fires on the southern end of the Bridger-Teton National Forest are all
under control. The Buck, Fisherman, Rim and Sacajawea fires still have
crews on them patrolling for hot spots. Forest Service personnel are
quickly responding to any new reports of smokes or possible fires. There
are currently NO RESTRICTIONS on campfires, although fire danger is
still very high. Please be careful with your campfire if you decide
to build one.
At
present all roads, campgrounds and trails are still all open on the
Pinedale and Big Piney Districts of the forest. We encourage anyone
wondering about coming to keep on making your plans. Everything is still
open, the fishing is great, and the sky isn't too smoky down here! For
more detailed information about the fires, please visit our Fire
page. For more fire information on the Bridger-Teton National Forest,
Grand Teton National Park, and the Yellowstone area, go to the www.tetonfires.com
web site. The Wyoming Division of Tourism also now has information for
tourists wanting to know if fires will affect the trips they have planned
in Wyoming. Go to www.wyomingtourism.org.
Fire
Update - Tuesday, July 24
The big fire on the Bridger-Teton National Forest creating the smoke
we are getting right now is the Green Knoll fire located in Mosquito
Creek by Wilson near Jackson and estimated today at a little over 1,000
acres. This fire is approximately 2-1/2 mile from several homes and
residents are being encouraged to prepare for an evacuation in case
the situation worsens. No formal evacuation order has been issued. Hand
crews, helitack and ground crews are working on this fire. Weather conditions
are expected to provide some relief with a drop in temperature and decreased
winds in the forecast. The Mosquito Creek Road has been closed to traffic.
Our
fires on the southern end of the Bridger-Teton National Forest are all
under control. The Buck, Fisherman, Rim and Sacajawea fires still have
crews on them patrolling for hot spots. One new small fire began over
the weekend in the upper Green River area due to a campfire that was
left unattended. There are currently NO RESTRICTIONS on campfires, although
fire danger is still very high. Please be careful with your campfire
if you decide to build one.
At
present all roads, campgrounds and trails are still all open on the
Pinedale and Big Piney Districts of the forest. We encourage anyone
wondering about coming to keep on making your plans. Everything is still
open, the fishing is great, and the sky isn't too smoky down here! For
more detailed information about the fires, please visit our Fire
page. For more fire information on the Bridger-Teton National Forest,
Grand Teton National Park, and the Yellowstone area, go to the www.tetonfires.com
web site.
Big
Piney & Marbleton Volunteer Fire Department annual Catfish Fry
The
Big Piney/Marbleton annual Catfish Fry was held Saturday, July 21st
at the firehall in Marbleton. Volunteer firemen cooked up catfish filets
complete with all the trimmings. Besides the great food, there were
door prizes and kids of all ages got free rides on the fire engines.
The guys at the Fire Department encourage anyone interested in becoming
a volunteer fireman to contact them, "We need more volunteers!"
Monday,
July 16, 2001
More
fires, but they're little...so far
More
Fires
LA
Times Article Highlights Pinedale
Lightning
Keeps Firefighters Busy
Monday,
July 16 , 2001 Fire Update:
Thunderstorms passing through almost daily the past several days have
produced many lightning strikes starting numerous small fires on the
Pinedale and Big Piney Districts of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
The Pinedale Ranger District has had four new fires in the past two
days. Firefighters are on those small fires as well as patrolling the
Fisherman Creek, Buck Creek and Rim fires, which are being called 'controlled'.
Forest Service personnel have been making daily aerial sweeps of the
forest to try and catch any new smokes. This is somewhat of a lull from
the last two week's of fighting flames, so firefighters are trying to
get rested up for what they know will be more to come when things dry
out more. Some of the firefighters have been working long days for two
straight weeks getting as little as four hours a night rest.
New
small fires include one east of Big Sandy Campground (appx 1/10 acre),
one near Sacajawea campground approximately 25 miles northwest of Big
Piney (appx 5 acres), and one in the Bridger Wilderness near the Scab
Creek Trailhead 1/2 miles north of Toboggan Lake (4 acres). Another
small fire, the Ker fire at the top of Cliff Creek Saturday, is now
being called controlled, contained and out. At present the roads, campgrounds
and trails are still all open. For more detailed information about the
fires, please visit our frequently updated Fire
page.
Forest
Service personnel are still finding campfires that have been left burning
and unattended by campers. Often these have long logs that have been
placed in the fire and left to burn with portions of the log extending
out of the fire pit. It is recommended that visitors use only logs that
will fit within the fire ring and have water nearby in case sparks get
out of the fire pit. PLEASE make sure your campfires are completely
out before you leave the camp and never leave a fire unattended. Current
fire danger is VERY HIGH.
Los
Angeles Times Article Highlights Pinedale
On
July 3rd, the Los Angeles Times featured an article about Pinedale.
The story, written by Geoffrey Mohan, was entitled, "Old West and
New in an Uneasy Truce." The article discussed the impacts of the
oil and gas industry on the economy and environment of Sublette County.
Pinedale Properties real estate agent Dave Hill, a former Ultra Petroleum
worker, was quoted several times in the article. Sublette County Assistant
Librarian Linda Baker, and Pinedale Roundup Editor Rob Shaul, were also
mentioned in the story. The web address of the article is: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-000054832jul03.story
or
go to www.latimes.com and search
on the word "Pinedale".
Two
New Laws Now in Effect
Two
new laws went into effect July 1st in Wyoming, the "Open Container
Law" and the "Move Over Law". It is now prohibited
for drivers to possess unsealed containers of alcoholic liquor or malt
beverages while operating a motor vehicle. It also prohibits drivers
from consuming alcoholic beverages while driving, a change from before
in which it was legal to consume alcohol while driving as long as drivers
were not legally impaired or intoxicated. The "Move Over Law"
is an effort to make it safer for law enforcement and emergency personnel
performing their duty on roadways. Drivers are now required to yield
the right-of-way to authorized emergency vehicles using lights and/or
sirens. Drivers are now required to merge to the farthest lane away
from an emergency vehicle with flashing lights on. Same-lane and oncoming
vehicles are required to slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less
than the posted speed limit when passing any emergency vehicle parked
on the side of the road. In the past several years, there have been
14 incidents of Wyoming Highway Patrol vehicles being struck while parked
along the roadside.
Rendezvous
2001
The
2001 Green River Rendezvous was a fun-filled weekend in Pinedale! Callaghan
Cabinets' parade float celebrated "the youth and heritage of Sublette
County". The musical group "Moonlighters" from Casper,
featuring 14-year old National Junior Fiddle Champion Tyler Enders,
entertained parade-goers as well as gave performances during Rendezvous.
Other Rendezvous events included Trader's Row, the Green River Rendezvous
Pageant, the Pelt & Plew Social at the Museum of the Mountain Man,
living history demonstrations by Michael Terry and Arthur Amiotte, the
beard shaving fundraiser, Rendezvous Rodeo, and many other fun activities.
Rendezvous,
Rodeos & Buffalo Feast
Pinedale
was bursting with activity this weekend, celebrating the Green River
Rendezvous. Saturday afternoon, the local residents reenacted historical
events in the Rendezvous Pageant. A tradition that has been carried
on in Sublette County since 1936. Bringing to life a time when trappers,
traders, mountain men and Native Americans met in the Green River Valley
during the 1830's and 40's, to trade, meet old friends, swap stories,
drink and have a rowdy good time. Besides the pageant there were living
history presentations, by Michael Terry, lectures by Dr. Fred Gowans
and Arthur Amiotte, the Pelt and Plew Buffalo feast and much, much more.
Sunday,
July 15, 2001
Rendezvous
Weekend
Rendezvous
Events
Two
New Shops
Rendezvous
Events
Sunday, July 15, 2001: Rendezvous weekend is a great time to visit
Pinedale. The community puts so much effort and hard work into giving
a variety of entertainment and activities and making sure there is something
for everyone to enjoy.
 Again
this year, the Pinedale Fine Arts Council brought Michael Terry's living
history presentations of the 19th Century Plains Indian Culture to Pinedale.
A new addition to Michael's presentation was the 17 hide brain tanned
buffalo tipi that he and friends constructed over the last few years.
Sioux artist and historian, Arthur Amiotte, gave two lectures concerning
the Northern Plains Intertribal Art.
Many
of the local residents as well as the tourists enjoyed the excitement
of the nightly rodeos hosted by the Sublette County Sporting Association.
The
seventh annual Pelt and Plew Buffalo feast offered a wonderful opportunity
to enjoy delicious roasted buffalo, listen to the music by Faire Wynds
and meet new people from all over the country. This feast was given
by the Sublette County Historical Society.
Saturday
morning kicked off with the Rendezvous
Parade down Pine street, hosted by the Pinedale Area Chamber of Commerce.
Crowds lined the street to watch the parade and shop at the many merchant
booths lined up along the streets. The Rendezvous Pageant was performed
at the rodeo grounds in the  afternoon.
The bleachers were packed with spectators enjoying the show presented
by the local residents.
Sunday
morning, the DeSmet mass was held at the DeSmet Monument outside of
Daniel Wyoming (Prairie of the Mass) where the first Mass of this area
was celebrated by Father DeSmet so many years ago.
We
appreciate the people of Sublette County for their dedication and hard
work in making this year's Green River Rendezvous a great success.
Two
New Shops Open in Pinedale
 Spirits
of the West opened on Thursday and has a wonderful collection of Native
American arts and crafts, unique collectibles and western memorabilia.
It is located on 46 North Franklin, across from McGregor's Pub. This
shop offers a variety of unique items from painted buffalo robes, Native
American jewelry, beadwork, quillwork, drums and much more. Summer hours:
Thursdays - Saturdays, Noon to 9:00 p.m. If you would like more information,
please call 307-367-2803
Rock
Rabbit Art Gallery, owned by Dan Abernathy, celebrated it's grand opening
on Thursday evening. The gallery features photography, bronzes, metal
sculptures and original oils. Summer hours for the gallery are from
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (crowd permitting), seven days a week. It is located
at 36 W. Pine next to Moose Creek Trading.
Fire
Situation Improving
Cloud
cover and rain showers are helping efforts to fight fires in the northern
Wyoming range and near Bondurant.
Monday,
July 9, 2001, 5 pm: Fire Update The
cooler and wetter weather conditions have helped firefighters considerably
in their efforts to combat wildfires near Bondurant and in the northern
Wyoming range. Expert firefighting crews have been brought in from all
over the country to help combat the blazes. Due to the improved weather
conditions and the more favorable situation here, some of these crews
have been released to go to fires in other areas.
Currently
there are no restrictions on campfires or firewood gathering.
- The
main two things to be aware of when hiking or camping outdoors right
now are fires & bears. Fire danger is Very High. If you don't
need a campfire, please don't light one, even though they are not
currently prohibited. Also be careful with cigarettes and anything
that may produce a spark in the forest. All campgrounds and trails
are currently open. Scattered mountain thunderstorms with lightning
are predicted over Wyoming for the next 7 days.
- Be
aware that black bears are being seen much more frequently along trails
and some are approaching people. Keep a clean camp, use bear canisters
to store food, and carry pepper spray. If you don't store your food
properly and keep a spotless camp, your chances of having a bear come
into your camp are pretty high. A black bear was put down by the Wyoming
Game & Fish Department over the weekend at Fremont Lake Campground
for repeatedly coming into campsites and confronting hikers on trails
in the Winds.
- Currently
there are no closures or restrictions on campfires or firewood gathering,
but they may be put in place if fire danger worsens. Please make sure
your campfire is completely out before you leave it.
- Pinedale
Online will be updating this fire information as often as needed.
- Click
here for frequently updated Pinedale
area fire status information.
- The
Teton Fires web site has daily fire updates by the Bridger-Teton National
Forest, www.tetonfires.com.
Bondurant
Grows to over 600
Fire
camp for the Fisherman Complex fires has swelled Bondurant's usual population
of 100 to more than 600 over the weekend with the influx of firefighters.
Lighted tents from the camp, located at the Forest Service Hoback Guard
Station just north of Bondurant, stand out in the darkness Sunday night.
More
The forest is extremely dry.
Please be very careful with fire.
Please
report any smokes by calling 911, the Sublette County Sheriff's Office
at 307-367-4378, or the local Forest Service offices. Be aware that
you may not get the local Sheriff's Office if you use a cell phone to
dial 911. Be prepared to tell them where the smoke or fire is, who you
are, your location, and a contact number where they can reach you again
if they need further information. Your fire information will be relayed
by the agency that receives your call.
Hoback
Fire Camp near Bondurant
National
Teams Arrive on Bridger-Teton
National Forest Fires
Homeowners
in the Hoback Ranches area are pretty nervous with fires both to the
north and south of them in the Rim area. A National Team arrived Friday
to take over firefighting efforts. Fire danger remains high, but overcast
skies and brief rain are helping keep the risk down a bit.
Fire
Update
Sunday,
July 8, 2001 2 pm: Cloud
cover and rain sprinkles over the past two days have helped firefighters
in their efforts to combat wildfires in the northern Wyoming Range and
near Bondurant that were started by lightning on July 4th. The small
fire near the Rim is under control. The Fisherman Creek fire is hoped
to be called contained by this evening. The Buck Creek fire is hoped
to be called contained tomorrow evening. These fires have consumed approximately
425 acres. At present, there is no immediate threat to homes in the
Hoback Ranches area from these wildfires. A public meeting will be
held at 8 pm tonight at the Hoback Guard Station near Bondurant for
interested community members.
Five
fires in the Greys River area, called the Greys River Complex, are approximately
200 acres total in size and being called 20% contained as of today.
Fire crews from the Bridger-Teton National Forest, National Park Service,
Idaho Department of State Lands, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish
& Wildlife Service and Lincoln County are working on these fires.
A Type II Interagency Management Team is managing these fires in the
Greys River area.
Currently
there are no restrictions on campfires or firewood gathering. There
are no fires burning on the Pinedale Ranger District now or in the Wind
River Mountains.
- The
Fisherman Complex near Bondurant is now estimated at 425 acres and
hoped to be called contained by tomorrow evening. The Greys River
Complex is estimated at 200 acres and is 20% contained. Firefighting
efforts involve helicopter bucket drops, fire engines, water hose
lines, and hand crews. Aerial and ground crews are patrolling the
areas for hold-over and possible new fires.
- Currently
there are no closures or restrictions on campfires or firewood gathering,
but they may be put in place if fire danger worsens. Please make sure
your campfire is completely out before you leave it and be careful
with cigarettes in the forest.
- Where
can you go? There are no fires presently in the Wind River Mountains.
Green River Lakes, New Fork, Elkhart, Boulder and Big Sandy areas
are still good places to go, as are the other areas all along the
Wind River range. The southern portion of the Wyoming range is also
not experiencing fires yet. The wildflowers: lupine, paintbrush, geraniums
and others, along with lush green grass, make this a pretty time of
year. If you're going to be in the backcountry, be aware of your surroundings,
the potential for fire, and your alternate travel routes in case a
fire breaks out in your area.
- Pinedale
Online will be updating this fire information as often as needed.
- Click
here for frequently updated Pinedale
area fire status information.
- The
Teton Fires web site has daily fire updates by the Bridger-Teton National
Forest, www.tetonfires.com.
National
Teams Arrive on
Bridger-Teton
National Forest Fires
Fire
Update
Saturday, July 7, 2001 10 am: Lightning-caused fires that were sparked
over the 4th of July are keeping firefighters busy on the Bridger-Teton
National Forest. A National Team has been brought in to manage the fires
near Bondurant and an Area Team has taken over management of the numerous
fires in the Greys River area. With the Hoback Ranches homes located
inbetween the fires in the Rim/Fisherman Creek area, homeowners are
understandably very concerned. Some 120 homes  and
ranches are remotely located throughout the rolling hills and timber
in this scenic area near the Gros Ventre Wilderness. Presently, homes
are not directly threatened, but firefighters are taking no chances
and are putting considerable manpower and equipment into efforts to
knock the fires down as quickly as possible. Overcast skies today, and
some rain yesterday, are helping to keep the fires quieter.
Currently
there are no restrictions on campfires or firewood gathering. Fire restrictions
may go into effect if conditions worsen and the hot, dry weather pattern
continues.
- 14
lightning-caused fires that started on the 4th of July are still burning
on the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
- The
Fisherman Complex near Bondurant is now estimated at 400 acres. The
Greys River Complex is estimated at 250 acres. Firefighting efforts
involve aerial retardant drops, heavy equipment, water hose lines,
and hand crews.
- Currently
there are no closures or restrictions on campfires or firewood gathering,
but they may be put in place if fire danger worsens.
- Where
can you go? There are no fires presently in the Wind River Mountains.
Green River Lakes, New Fork, Elkhart, Boulder and Big Sandy areas
are still good places to go, as are the other areas all along the
Wind River range. The southern portion of the Wyoming range is also
not experiencing fires yet. The wildflowers: lupine, paintbrush, geraniums
and others, along with lush green grass, make this a pretty time of
year. If you're going to be in the backcountry, be aware of your surroundings,
the potential for fire, and your alternate travel routes in case a
fire breaks out in your area.
- Pinedale
Online will be updating this fire information as often as needed.
- Click
here for more Pinedale area fire status
information.
- Click
here for the Teton Fires web site with daily updated information on
fires on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, www.tetonfires.com.
Click
for larger image
14
Fires on the Bridger-Teton National Forest
Numerous
fires have broken out due to lightning on the Bridger-Teton National
Forest. The largest fires are in the Wyoming Range in the South Beaver
area and near Fisherman Creek in the Grey's River area. Smaller fires
are also burning near the Rim north of Hwy 191. Fire danger is HIGH.
Friday,
July 6, 2001
Fires
begin
Fire
Update
Bears
LOCAL FOCUS:
Big
Piney High School Reunion
Old
Timers' Picnic
Friends
of the Library Book Sale
Trudy's
Take
Fire
Updates Click
to jump to fire update page
7/6/01 9 pm Fire Update
Fires burning
southeast of Bondurant and in the Beaver/Horse Creek/South Rim area
are the primary concern at the present time because the Hoback Ranches
home area is in-between these two fires. A Type I Incident Team came
in today to manage these fires as the Fisherman Complex. The Greys River
area fires are being managed by another team based out of Alpine.
At present,
no homes in the Hoback Ranches area are directly threatened, but Forest
Service and Sublette County officials are taking no chances with these
fires considering the very dry forest conditions. The closest fires
are 1-1/2 miles from any homes, with sagebrush areas between which aren't
carrying the fire very well. Every effort is being made to get equipment
and manpower on these fires to try and get them under control as soon
as possible. Information people will be assigned to be available to
Hoback homeowners to answer questions and concerns about the status
of fires for as long as needed. "Firefighter and public safety
are our #1 concern" said Greg Clark, Big Piney District Ranger.
The agencies
involved in the fire fighting are making every effort to respond to
the concerns of the residents in the area of the fires. Emergency evacuation
plans are being discussed as a precautionary measure, but are hoped
to not be needed with the manpower and equipment that will be devoted
to the suppression effort. While the specific PR plans aren't yet finalized,
discussions today were to hold frequent meetings in Bondurant with homeowners
and to have an information officer at their disposal to answer questions
and keep residents updated as much as possible.
7/6/01
8 am Fire Update: Fourteen lightning-caused
fires are currently burning on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The
largest is the Buck Creek fire in the south Beaver area at approximately
350 acres. This fire, along with the Fisherman Creek fire, appx 75 acres,
are being combined for management purposes. Other small fires are located
near the Rim north of Hwy 191 (appx. 2 acres) and in the northern Wyoming
Range. Currently there are no restrictions on campfires or firewood
gathering. Fire restrictions are expected to go into effect shortly
as fire danger is very high and a hot, dry weather pattern with more
lightning is expected to continue.
- 14
lightning-caused fires are currently burning on the Bridger-Teton
National Forest.
- The
largest is the Buck Creek fire, approximately 350 acres this morning,
burning iin the south Beaver area. No structures are threatened by
any of these fires, however there have been voluntary evacuations
of people out of the Hoback Ranches area due to fires to the north
and south within 3-5 air miles.
- Currently
no restrictions on campfires or firewood gathering.
- Fire
danger is high on the Forest and it is expected that fire restrictions
will go into effect shortly. Forest Service personnel are still finding
campfires that have been left unattended and are asking the public
to be very careful with any fires they build and to make sure fires
are dead out before they leave.
- Pinedale
Online will be updating this fire information as often as needed.
- Click
here for more fire status information.
Click
for larger image
Bears
Recreationists
in the Bridger-Teton National Forest should always be aware that this
is 'bear country'. Both black and grizzly bears live in the area and
may be encountered in the back country or even in area campgrounds.
Grizzly bears have been sighted in the Wind River and the Gros Ventre
mountains this year. Black bears occur throughout the forest. So far
no livestock depredations, or human confrontations, have been reported
due to grizzly bears this season. Human-bear encounters are typically
rare, but may occur. Black bears have been bold enough to come into
the Fremont Lake campground area already this year, and a report came
in to a campground host of an aggressive black bear confronting backpackers
on a trail on the eastern side of the northern Wind River Mountains
recently. Bear sightings have been reported from Gypsum Creek to Half
Moon Lake.
Hikers
and backpackers should always keep a clean camp and be "bear aware"
in properly storing food and disposing of waste products. With the exceptionally
dry conditions, food sources for bears are less than optimal and bears
may become more bold in their search for food. Black bears have been
reported coming into Fremont Lake campground and coming close to hikers
near Photographer's Point. Please report any bear or wolf sightings
to the Forest Service or the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.
LOCAL
FOCUS
Big
Piney High School Reunion -July 13-15
The Big Piney Class of 1991 10 Year Reunion will be held July 13-15.
Plans now are to have a get-together on Friday, July 13 at 7:30 pm at
the Big Piney High School for coffee and brownies. On Saturday there
will be a picnic at the Marbleton Town Park at noon. Food will be provided.
Attendees are asked to register and include $6.50 for food). Bring your
own drinks. Sunday there will be a get-together at 11:00 at Middle Piney
Lake. Graduates, if you have not yet been contacted about the reunion,
call Tanya Elliott at 307-276-3408 or e-mail tcubed@animail.net
for more information.
20th
Annual Old Timers' Picnic - July 15
The 20th Annual Old Timers' Picnic will be held at High Noon on Sunday,
July 15th, at the historic Daniel School House. Everyone of all ages
and stages is invited to attend this annual, historic get-together.
The famed, impromptu, Sagebrush Band will be entertaining - while you
cuss and discuss old times, the drought, and world affairs - so plan
to bring tapping toes, favorite jamming instruments, and songbird voices.
Specially-cooked, Sublette County-raised roast beef, and potatoes, bread,
drinks, and shade for sunshine or shelter from storm, courtesy of the
Daniel Community Center. Please share your favorite side dish and/or
dessert. Horseshoe Pits will be up, running, and ringing for the "big"
folks, and there'll be plenty of entertainment for the kids.
Whether or not you live in the Daniel Valley, we look forward to welcoming
you and your family to all of our Daniel events! See you on July 15!
(The Picnic is always held the 3rd Sunday in July, so mark your calendars
now for next year too.)
Friends
of the Library Book Sale
Fri
& Sat, July 20 & 21
The
Sublette County Library in Pinedale will be holding their annual Friends
of the Library Book Sale July 20-21. Book donations need to be in by
Wednesday, July 18. They will be accepting paperbacks, hardbacks, videos,
books on tape and puzzles.
TRUDY'S
TAKE
4th of July Spectacular
Trudy Fry
This year the 4th of July celebrations were extraordinary. It was
a matter of trying to choose which place to be at which time so that
you could attend all the events. It was a great time to remember all
the freedoms that we enjoy and so often take for granted. The fireworks
display in Pinedale was fabulous. As a matter of personal opinion, it
was the best one we have had. Thanks to all those that put so much time
and effort into making this such a wonderful day. Indeed we are a blessed
people to live in this country. Just before the fireworks went off we
all sat and took in the beauty of a spectacular sunset. Even the heavens
were part of the celebration. There was no better place to be, than
here, to appreciate Independence Day and all it means.
|
