Green River Rondy Sled Dog Race
The Green River Rondy Sled Dog Race was held over New Year’s weekend in the Upper Green, north of Pinedale. The event brought mushers and teams from eight states to compete in the 6-dog and 12-dog races, hoping to win the $6,000 purse. The course is on the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail, paralleling the scenic Green River. As a unique aspect of this sled dog race, mushers wore local rancher’s brands on their race bibs instead of the traditional numbers. More
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Lakeside Lodge Expansion
In January, the Pinedale Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) released the second go-around for their Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Lakeside Lodge Resort Master Development Plan (MDP). Located on the southern end of Fremont Lake, approximately three miles northeast of Pinedale, the resort has operated under a Special Use Permit from the Forest Service since the early 1950s. The expansion is controversial due to concerns over what increased use might have on the water quality of Fremont Lake, Pinedale’s water supply. More
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Elk comingle with cattle - transmit Brucellosis
In late January, wildlife managers converged on the Muddy Creek Elk Feedground near Boulder to begin the elk test-and-slaughter pilot project at the state-managed elk feedground. The purpose was to identify infected elk in order to reduce brucellosis in the Pinedale Elk Herd and minimize potential to transmit the disease to cattle when they co-mingle. Elk passing the disease to local herds caused Wyoming to lose its coveted brucellosis-free standing, severely impacting the state’s beef industry. More
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Winky Shrinker
In February, the Green River Valley Winter Carnival provided a fun assortment of events to liven up the dead of winter in Pinedale. It started off Friday night with the “Winky Shrinker” Frozen Fishing Pond Plunge in the Kid’s Fishing Pond at the Pinedale Town Park. Four courageous souls braved the -11 degree temperatures to take a full dip in the icy pond. Two who dared were local Pinedalians, the other two were from Iowa and Wisconsin. Here Phil Swanson, from Iowa, braved the icy water to take the plunge in the pond. Other events over the weekend included a variety of kid's snow races, a drag beauty queen contest, arm wrestling competitions, finishing off with a “Cabin Fever Ball” dance. The event was organized by the Pinedale Roundup newspaper and sponsored by EnCana USA. More
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Haliburton Hotel
In March, workers began framing on what has been nicknamed the “Haliburton Hotel”, a new motel-like building on the west end of Pinedale along Highway 191. According to the developers the 100-room motel has been privately leased to Haliburton, a provider of oil and gas services, for housing of their oil and gas field employees for the next five years, and will not offer lodging to a single tourist guest during that time. The project sparked considerable controversy in Pinedale, as residents and the town officials debated what they felt was essentially a “man camp” right on the outskirts of town. Locals wondered how the influx of transient workers would impact the town, social services and crime. More
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Winter in Wyoming
Some ranchers in the county continue to do their operations the old way, using teams of horses to pull hay sleighs to feed in the winter. At forty below, with three feet of soft snow and almost three hundred animals to take care of, feeding hungry cows and horses every day is a survival exercise for the cowboy and his herd. Lennie Campbell takes care of the Dell Fork Ranch in Bondurant. He must deal with the worst Wyoming can give each winter: Deep snow; ice too thick for the cows to get to drinking water; moose raiding the hay stacks: necessary repairs to the stack yards fences. We typically get most of our snow in February and March. More
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$17 million dollar Aquatic Center breaks ground
In April, Sublette County School District #1 hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Pinedale Aquatic Center, which is being built just north of the tennis courts at the Pinedale High School. The $17 million dollar facility will replace the aging existing pool. It will include a competitive swimming pool and viewing area, a leisure pool, a current channel, a 3-story climbing wall, a running/walking track, two racquetball courts, and a gymnasium which can be used for in-line hockey, indoor soccer and dances. There will also be additional rooms for daycare, classes and parties. The facility is expected to be completed by August, 2007. More
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Spring fishing
Each year in May, people anxiously await the opening of the road to Green River Lakes. As the snow melts and muddy conditions gradually dry up over the weeks, the way opens into the Upper Green River Valley. Dollar Lake is along the road, about half way to Green River Lakes. Those who simply can’t wait to get back out fishing after the long winter enjoy coming here as soon as the road is passable. They are perfectly happy and willing to endure the frigid snow-melt water so they can cast a line into the small lake, breath the fresh mountain air, and enjoy being outside in this beautiful place. More
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Concrete Canoe in Fremont Lake
In May, Pinedale High School physics students in Mr. Bernethy’s class built and floated a concrete canoe on Fremont Lake. The students did the project in the manner they would at an engineering firm, with project managers, engineers, project reports and computer aided drawings. Some thought the canoe would sink, but they took it to Sandy Beach and tested it anyway. When it stayed on top of the water like it was supposed to and individual students took it for a ride, the students clapped and cheered. More
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Little League Baseball
Family and kids are an important part of our lifestyle here in Sublette County. Kids participate in a variety of sports, with strong support from parents and local businesses. In the spring, Little League baseball teams organize in Pinedale and in Big Piney for kids ages 6 and up. In May, the Sublette County Little League held their 1st Super Saturday Jamboree at the Big Piney Ball Fields. The littlest kids showed as much enthusiasm and energy for their positions as seasoned older players. More
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Calf Branding
In May and early June, local ranchers hold their annual brandings of the new crop of calves, which are typically born in March and April. Brands have been the primary method of identifying ownership of cattle in the Upper Green River Valley since the arrival of the first cattle in then 1870s. In Wyoming, as well as several other western states, cattle can not be moved across county lines, state lines, or be sold without a brand inspection to prove ownership. All cattle in the state are branded. Local photographer Tara Bolgiano visited a branding at Chris and Carla Sullivan's ranch near Boulder and recorded the event. More
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Green River Valley Museum
The Green River Valley Museum in Big Piney is open seasonally from mid-June to mid-October This museum houses a remarkable collection of exhibits related to the settlement era of the Upper Green River Valley, with the goal of honoring the many hard-working families who have built a unique community. The Museum began in 1990 through the hard work of local enthusiasts and volunteers. More information about the museum can be found on their website, www.grvm.com. This photo is part of the Oil & Gas display at the Museum, showing the Bud #1 Gas Well in Big Piney. The well blew in on December 4, 1938. Tons of ice covered the derrick before it was shut in six weeks later. More
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Kid's Fishing Day at the CCC Ponds
The Wyoming Game & Fish Department held their annual Kid’s Fishing Day at the CCC Ponds in conjunction with Wyoming’s Free Fishing Day in early July. About 60 kids, ages 1-13, signed up and participated in the many activities for the event. Various stations showed kids how fly and spin casting, fish identification, fish anatomy, knots, water bugs and fish food and more. All the necessary fishing equipment and bait was provided. The local chapter of Trout Unlimited chapter provided a free hotdog/hamburger lunch. The CCC Ponds, located near the lower end of Fremont Lake, were stocked with rainbow trout and many kids caught fish, the best part of the event. Pictures here, 3-year old Clayton, from Pinedale, takes home his fish. More
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Green River Rendezvous
The Green River Rendezvous is held each year on the second weekend in July in Pinedale. It is our biggest event of the year, a celebration reliving the era of the fur traders and trappers who made their living in our Green River Valley in the early 1800s. Rendezvous is like a 4-day party in Pinedale, with many activities and events taking place along the mountain man theme. Highlights include a parade on Saturday, Trader's Row, Craft Fair and Art Show, and the elaborate Rendezvous Pageant on Sunday. Pictured here, Plains Indian historian Michael 'Bad Hand' Terry, gives a living-history presentation at the Museum of the Mountain Man showing a typical war club used by Plains Indians during the 1800s. More
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Oil & Gas boom
The Socioeconomic Analyst Advisory Committee was formed as a result of the County Commissioners, Towns, the State and many local individuals who recognized the need for hiring a specialist to collect and analyze data about the impacts of the gas-field development on our local communities. The Committee hired analyst Jeffrey Jacquet to compile and analyze information, which they make available to the public on their website, www.sublette-se.org. The data and statistics relate to the impacts of the boom on the county and includes reports, charts, graphs, in-depth analyses, historical documents and more, which are extremely valuable to planners and decision makers. In August, they added historical documents online that analyze previous energy-related boomtown environments and attempts by various Wyoming towns to mitigate them. Read how Rock Springs, Gillette, Evanston, Wheatland and Jeffrey City coped with their booms. This "Average Rigs Working per Month' chart is just one of the many charts from the socioeconomic website. More
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Little Buckaroo Rodeo
The Little Buckaroo Rodeo is a part of the annual Sublette County Fair, held in early August at the fairgrounds north of Marbleton/Big Piney. Children ages 4 to 12 years old competed in bareback riding, calf roping, calf riding, sheep riding, stick horse barrels and goat tail tying. Here, Kyle Choate competes in the Age 10-12 Calf Riding event. This calf jumped airborne with all four feet way off the ground. More
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Sailing Regatta on Fremont Lake
In August, the Pinedale Boat Club hosted their annual, two-day Sailing Regatta on Fremont Lake. Twenty-two boats and catamarans entered in the races, with sailors bringing boats from as far away as Utah. The event was based out of Lakeside Lodge, the only commercial resort and marina on the 11-mile long lake. For more than 30 years, the event has been called the Little America’s Cup Sailing Regatta, named for Holding's Little America in Wyoming, an original sponsor for the event. In September, an attorney for the Little America’s Cup race in Florida wrote the club and asked them to stop using Little America’s Cup in their name, saying it infringed on the trademark of the larger event. Despite feeling they were entitled to use the name, the club ultimately agreed. More
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Smoke descends on Pinedale
In mid-August, Pinedale and all of the Upper Green River Valley experienced a severe smoke event late one evening. Within minutes, the air went from clear and beautiful to dense, choking smoke, sending some people to the clinics with breathing difficulties. Even though several wildfires were burning in the area, officials disagreed as to which fire the smoke was coming from. Satellite photographs later revealed the smoke was not from Sublette County fires at all, but rather from smoke from large fires burning in northeast Nevada and southeast Idaho, carried high aloft, which was sent crashing to the ground by downdraft winds from a large thunderstorm over Togwotee Pass north of the county. A night-time cold air inversion kept the smoke trapped in the valley until winds cleared it out the next day. The fire was a classic example of how one smoke incident from wildfires can quickly degrade the air quality in the valley, and just as quickly it can clear with wind and rain. More
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3-D Archery Shoot
The Wind River Archers held a 3-D Fun Shoot at the Half Moon Lake Resort archery course in mid-August. This was a fun family event with full-size, life-like animal targets on an outdoor course in a realistic forest setting. There were 20 different targets, with shooting positions carefully staked out for men, women and youth archers. Life-like targets included elk, deer, pronghorn, black bear, turkey, badger, boar, mountain lion, an alligator and even dinosaurs for the kids. The fun shoot included raffles, prizes, trophies and medals for best shooting. Pictured here, 17-year old Jeremy Brown from Boulder said he has enjoyed archery since he was 5 or 6 years old. Due to the sale of Half Moon Lake Resort, the fate of the outdoor archery course for use by the Club is now unknown. More
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Pinedale Blues Festival
The annual, two-day Pinedale Blues Festival was held in mid-August at the Pinedale Rendezvous Grounds. Performers on Saturday were Blues Traveler, Jimmy Thackery & Reba Russell, Blinddog Smokin’, Jimbo Mathus, Pinkie & the Snakeshakers, Miss Blues with Aynsley Lister band and Phil Brown. Sunday’s performers will be Delbert McClinton, Koko Taylor, Kenny Neal & Billy Branch, Mike Hurwitz. Here, the guitarist for Blind Dog Smokin' (left) plays with Oli Brown from England. The Blues Festival was sponsored by Bottoms Up Brewery, EnCana USA and Questar. More
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New Marbleton Town Hall
Marbleton’s new Town Hall opened in September. After operating for years out of a tiny modular building, the expansive new building will give the town government more offices, two meeting rooms and much-needed storage space. Marbleton has an estimated population of 750 residents, and is located only a mile away from its sister town, Big Piney. Tax revenue from the oil and gas boom has enriched the coffers of all the municipalities in the county. More
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Ken Koski missing in the Wind River Mountains
In September, Wyoming Public Defender Ken Koski went missing in the Pyramid Lake – Big Sandy area of the southern Wind River Mountains. Search efforts went on for five days trying to locate the missing hiker, with teams searching on foot, horseback, with K-9 search dogs and by helicopter. On the 5th day, a high angle team led by Todd Skinner, found Mr. Koski’s body on the rugged slopes of Mount Bonneville. He apparently fell approximately 400 to 500 feet from the summit, landing in a crevice on the side of the mountain. It is speculated he was blown off the top of the mountain by the high winds, perhaps while leaning over taking photographs. Many volunteers helped with the search. The family was deeply grateful for the efforts of the searchers, and said Ken loved Mount Bonneville. They quoted from a journal entry that he wrote: "There is no place that I would rather be than right here, right now, unless it was with my family." More
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Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal
In early October, the Museum of the Mountain Man put out a “Call for Papers” for its new academic peer-reviewed publication, "The Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal", which will be an annual publication for the Museum. The Journal will serve as an avenue for researchers to showcase new ideas and topics related to this important era in American history. Up to ten authors will be selected for inclusion in the first issue, each to receive a $1,000 cash award. Winning authors will be invited to present their research in a special forum at the Museum to be held during the publication’s debut at the 2007 Green River Rendezvous Days in Pinedale July 12-15. The Museum of the Mountain Man opened its doors in Pinedale in 1990. It focuses on the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade and mountain man history, Plains Indian culture, western history, natural history and the arts. More
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Accident on the Green River Bridge
In October, an accident between a cement truck and belly dump semi-truck on the Green River bridge closed US Highway 351 east of Big Piney for several hours. Highway 351 is a major access road to and from the Jonah Field and Pinedale Anticline natural gas drilling fields and receives heavy truck traffic. Another accident just days later, occurred on the bridge on Boulder Creek on Highway 191. Fortunately, in both cases, there were no fatalities. The accidents brought more attention to safety concerns from the increased heavy truck traffic related to the booming oil and gas fields in Sublette County. More
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Punchers State 3A Champs
The Big Piney Punchers defeated Tongue River 21-18 to earn the State 3A Football Championship in Dayton, Wyoming, in October. The Big Piney Punchers had their fans on the edge of their seats for another close football game. They never trailed, but each time they scored, the Eagles would come right back with a score of their own. The game came down to the last seconds. This was the Puncher's 5th state championship in the past 9 years, and the 2nd in the past 3 years. The victorious Big Piney Punchers returned to Big Piney around 2AM Sunday morning, with sheriff, fire trucks and enthusiastic fans escorting them back into town with a full flashing light and siren parade to the high school. More
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Sand Draw Rescue Center
In mid-December, dignitaries from throughout Sublette County government and operators in the natural gas industry attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sand Draw Rescue Center. The center will host a full ambulance crew 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, giving quicker response to emergencies in the nearby booming Jonah and Pinedale Anticline natural gas fields. Industry operators kicked in $900,000 for the new $1.4 million building. Sublette County contributed another $500,000. The county health care district will fully staff the facility which will be completed in early April, 2007. Governor Dave Freudenthal was scheduled to attend the groundbreaking ceremony, but cancelled at the last minute due to a severe winter snow storm which struck Cheyenne and northern Colorado. More
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Gayle McMurry Kinnison passed away
On December 17th, Gayle McMurry Kinnison died unexpectedly due to a heart attack while in California. She was part of the McMurry family, which discovered and opened the door to the huge Jonah natural gas field south of Pinedale. She owned several businesses in Pinedale and Jackson, including Bottoms Up Brewery, an award-winning microbrewery. Gayle was a strong supporter of local arts, cultural programs and the local museums. Through generous contributions to the Wyoming Community Foundation, and her Gayle McMurry Kinnison Donor Advised Endowment Fund, she donated to organizations across Wyoming. More
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