Buffalo Bill's Blog

I was privileged last week to spend a weekend in Yellowstone National Park at the Old Faithful Inn.  What an amazing, historic place – the architecture alone is impressive, and then when you put it with the setting, oh my! 

A little history lesson, first – the Old Faithful Inn (along with the dining room and kitchen wing) was originally built in 1903; an east wing was added in 1914, and 13 years later the west wing was constructed.  The Inn was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. I was SO excited, I got to stay in the east wing, and my room looked directly out to the geyser!  I just sat in my room, with its fancy Keurig coffee maker and historic atmosphere, and watched Old Faithful go off.  

I was also fortunate that I got one of the rooms that actually had its own bathroom… in the original building, folks who stay in those rooms (which are rustic and beautiful) have to share a hallway bathroom!

There are a couple of neat things that I liked about the Old Faithful Inn’s common area – number one, the HUGE fireplace and wrought iron clock in the middle of the lobby!  Number two – the different balcony levels.  I loved climbing the (slightly tilted) stairs to the second level, where there’s a coffee bar in one corner and a liquor bar in the other, and look down from a comfy chair to the lobby below.  I really wanted to climb the stairs to the “Crow’s Nest”, but it was closed – due to the Hebgen Lake earthquake on August 17, 1959, there was pretty significant structural damage to the Old Faithful Inn.  The quake collapsed the dining room fireplace chimney, damaged the huge lobby fireplace, partially shook the Inn loose from its foundations, and made the upper levels of the Inn unsafe.  Bummer.

The historic dining room was great – a menu with fantastic choices (at surprisingly reasonable prices!), atmosphere, character, and above all, service!  My order was taken quickly and pleasantly, the food came right on time, and the dessert was to die for…  but they had great healthy choices, too, like mashed cauliflower in place of high-carb mashed potatoes.  I was impressed!

Being an early riser, I was privy to a rare sight – hardly ANYONE was out watching the geyser eruption at sunrise the next day.  There were a few hardy souls braving the frost-covered boardwalks, and together we witnessed the beauty and wonder of the Old Faithful geyser, lit by the rising sun.  The lobby at that time of day is peaceful, as well, and I could really appreciate the lighting and the atmosphere!

If you’ve got kids, or are a science buff, you’ll LOVE the new Old Faithful Visitor Center!  While it’s full of interactive displays explaining geysers and their effects on the ecosystem, colorful microbes in mineral pools, and all sorts of other really interesting things, the Visitor Center also boasts an awesome view of the geyser!

Living near Yellowstone, sometimes we locals take for granted the history and educational opportunities that we have right next door… so I was glad that I spent some significant time at one of Yellowstone National Park’s true treasures – the Old Faithful Inn!  Don’t miss it next time you’re in the area!

Until next time, I’ll be lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country,

Corrie N. Cody

The community of Cody has always had a symbiotic relationship with Yellowstone National Park.  Folks coming from the eastern part of the country have to pass through Cody on the way to the country’s first National Park, so it’s a natural place to stop, get gas, spend the night, regroup and get ready for adventure.

The appreciation that this town has for the National Park system has been expressed for years – in part through a tradition that was started about 60 years ago by the Coe family, a prominent eastern family who had fallen in love with the Yellowstone region and made Cody their second home.  Their social relationship with the management of Yellowstone Park soon expanded to involve Cody’s business community, and soon “National Parks Day” became an annual event in Cody.  Usually held in mid- to late May, it offered both the staffers at Yellowstone, as well as the locals who have an interest in the Park, an opportunity to exchange information and get acquainted.  These days “Parks Day” incorporates an evening reception, business meeting and community lunch.  And it’s not just Yellowstone National Park that is recognized anymore – we also invite the Superintendent from Grand Teton National Park, the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the Shoshone National Forest to participate in the event.

While the majority of those who live in this region are grateful for the close proximity of the natural wonder of Yellowstone, much of this “symbiotic” relationship with the Park involves contentious issues that can create tension between the National Park Service and the locals.  Case in point – the headlines in the local papers right now are all about the number of snowmobiles allowed in the park during the winter.  The National Park Service wants to reduce the number allowed per day so as not to stress out the animals in the Park.  The locals want to increase the number allowed to boost the winter economy.  The locals, as well as others who have enjoyed winter in Yellowstone in the past, are frustrated because the Park Service won’t allow snowmobile trips into the Park without a guide, but those licensed guides are few and far between and can be expensive.  The Park Service is concerned about the safety of snowmobile travelers through the East Entrance because of the number of avalanches that occur at Sylvan Pass – as a result, the pass closes unexpectedly when there is avalanche danger.  That also impacts snowmobile travel through the East Entrance, because a scheduled ride into the Park could be cancelled at the last minute.

But the benefits of being neighbors with the Park Service far outweighs the issues – we locals can drive an hour down the road and be in one of the most geographically amazing locations on the planet!  The wildlife and scenery that we experience on the way are an added bonus.  Plus, we get the benefit of meeting so many of the folks that stop over here on their way to Yellowstone – so much of our enjoyment of the tourist season comes from the delight that our visitors feel just being here.  The joy just spreads!

So this May 23^rd, we’ll be meeting with the caretakers of our public lands during “Parks Day”.  Because of our National Parks, we are privileged to host visitors from all over the world – we hope to see YOU soon!

Lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country,

Corrie N. Cody

I love to highlight local folks who make such a contribution to Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who has made more of a mark than Bob Richard.  Bob is a third generation Cody-ite, which is really saying something!  His grandfather was one of the first to be licensed to give guided tours in Yellowstone National Park – that was way back in 1906!  He and his brother-in-law formed the “Frost and Richard” partnership, and were granted their license by the soldiers who at that time ran Yellowstone Park.

Bob himself has very strong ties to Yellowstone.  When he was but a young lad, he was a mounted ranger in the Park, so his knowledge of the best places to experience Yellowstone is vast.  He has spent the last 30 years as a licensed tour guide for this region, and has hundreds of fabulous stories to tell!

I got a chance to chat with Bob just the other day about springtime in the Yellowstone region.  He had some really great advice for anyone who wanted to get the most out of the great outdoors in the coming months.

CC:         So, Bob, you’ve seen decades of tourist seasons come and go.  Based on your experiences, what can we expect this year?

BR:         You know, the numbers really vary with the economy.  Other factors that influence the numbers of visitors include the amount of advertising done by the Park County Travel Council and the Cody Chamber of Commerce.  Something that has helped the last couple of years is that the highway improvements are complete between Cody and Yellowstone – that really slowed things down while that was going on.

CC:         What will we begin to see when it comes to wildlife between Cody and the Park in the next couple of months?

BR:         Well, right around now, the elk, moose and deer will begin shedding their antlers.

CC:         That means that there will be quite a few horn hunters, huh?  Hope they know to be careful when venturing out to pick up the shed antlers – the critters are weak from a hungry winter, and if they get spooked by humans venturing into their habitat, the added stress can cause them real problems, even killing them!

BR:         The neat thing is, the new sets of antlers will begin growing right away for those animals.

CC:         What about the babies?  I just love those fuzzy little baby bears and deer!

 BR:        In mid-May, we’ll start seeing what the old timers called the “red dogs” – those are the little orange baby bison.  Then around the end of May we’ll start seeing the baby elk, but we won’t see many of them until the first of June.  We’ll also start getting glimpses of baby deer, and bighorn sheep.

CC:         There are always so many bighorn sheep on the North Fork highway between Cody and Yellowstone!

BR:         Yep, and many of those babies will be born right there on the North Fork.

CC:         Wolves are such a big deal right now to so many people, and more and more people are coming to the Yellowstone region just to see the wolves.  When will we start seeing the wolf pups?

BR:         The wolf babies are born early, but they stay in the den with the rest of the pack until it gets warmer.  We’ll start seeing the pups move around in early June.  Bears, though, will come out with their mothers in April.  They’ve been born while their mothers were still hibernating.  By the time we see them, they’ll be three or four pounds.

 CC:        Bob, what about some of the animals around here that aren’t necessarily “wild” animals, but characterize this part of the country as well?

BR:         I have to say, one of my favorite things to see come spring are the baby calves in the domestic cattle herds.  I just love seeing those little black spots in the pasture!  And don’t forget about the baby horses.  And in this case, we’re not just talking about the domestic horses – the wild horses are being born around the same time.

CC:         So, we’ve covered the four-legged critters – what about the winged animals that frequent this area?

BR:         The birds are already starting to return – we’ll start seeing bald eagles on the river here soon.  The pelicans will actually arrive on the Buffalo Bill Reservoir just west of Cody until the ice melts off of Yellowstone Lake – that won’t happen until around the first of June or so.

CC:         Bob, after all these years guiding folks in and out of the Park, what is one of the things you look forward to every spring?

BR:         One of the biggest highlights for me is going into the Park in May and seeing the depth of snow that’s accumulated over the winter.  The Park is about 8,000 feet higher than it we are down here in Cody, so the season is several weeks behind up there.  

CC:         That’s got to make a difference when folks call you to book tours, right?

BR:         That’s right!  What we’ve learned to do is to tailor tours to the customer’s wishes.  They tell us what they want to see when they’re out here, and we custom-build their tour for them.  If they come in August and want to see wildflowers in the meadows, we can take them just north of us to the Beartooth Mountains, where there are still summer flowers in bloom at that time.

CC:         So let’s put a plug in here for your business – Grub Steak Expeditions, right?

BR:         Yup – they can go to a couple of websites to get more information or to book tours – I’d suggest going to www.grubsteaktours.com, or they can go to the website for the book that I’ve written that details points of interest between Cody and the East Entrance to the park.  That website is www.codytoyellowstone.com.

CC:         Bob, thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us!

BR:         You’re very welcome.  Anytime.

Well, until next time, I’ll be looking to see who I can round up to give us more expert advice on what to do and see here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody / Yellowstone Country!

Corrie N. Cody

As 2010 comes to a close, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on what this year has brought to us here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country.

We celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the Shoshone Dam, now called the Buffalo Bill Dam – that structure completely changed the economy of Powell and Cody and the geography of the North Fork highway!  

We had some top-name entertainers come to Cody this year for the Cody Wild West Shows – Billy Dean, the Kentucky Headhunters, Bryan White, The Bellamy Brothers, Suzy Bogguss, Asleep At The Wheel and Riders In The Sky wowed local audiences throughout the year.

Sleeping Giant Ski Area was featured on National Geographic Channel’s “The World’s Toughest Fixes” – ever seen a ski lift being built?  Watch that episode!

We learned to be careful around wildlife – several grizzlies went haywire this summer…

Our local air service board negotiated a great deal with United Airlines AND we have a new terminal at Yellowstone Regional Airport – so flying to Cody is easier and more economical than ever (hint, hint)…

The 4^th of July Stampede Celebration once again brought thousands out to celebrate the western way of life – and it was televised, too! ESPN broadcast the Cody/Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls in July.

The National Park Service unveiled its new Yellowstone National Park visitor’s center at Old Faithful – beautiful! 

Yellowstone National Park set attendance records AGAIN this year – over 4.5 million people had visited the park as of the end of November.  Amazing! 

For the first time, the Capitol Christmas Tree came from a forest in Wyoming – and the tree’s stop here in Cody was cause for celebration on a cold November day!

And 2010 brought me, Corrie N. Cody, an opportunity to express my enthusiasm for this amazing place!  I love to be able to blog about all there is to do and see here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country.

So, until 2011, I’ll be…

Lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country!

Corrie N. Cody

Believe it or not, fires in Yellowstone National Park are considered a vital part of the park’s ecosystem. While living its life typecast as earth’s ultimate natural enemy, fires ironically do help in developing the park’s flora and sustaining a healthy habitat environment. How is this fact and not fiction? Here are some of Yellowstone Fire Facts:

• By removing some of the forest surplus, room becomes available for other plant-life.
• Minerals that are otherwise trapped in wood are released in the soil during a fire.
• Fires are rarely suppressed, since doing so diminishes plant diversity and minerals remain locked up or released more slowly.
• Various plants in Yellowstone, such as lodgepole pine and aspen are adapted to fire.
• Burned pine bark provides nutritious food for elk

Most of all fires, 80% to be exact, are naturally started. Since many of them are started by the natural cause of lightning, we suggest not testing the “lighting never strikes the same place twice” theory. The dry seasons also affect considerably the amount of fires spread throughout the park. The summer of 1988, labelled the Summer of Fire was the park’s driest season ever recorded. It also brought the largest fire-fighting effort in the United States at the time:

• The first fire, Storm Creek Fire, began June 14 1988
• Over 793,000 acres of the park were affected by fire.
• 9 fires were caused by humans, 42 fires were caused by lightning.
• 250,000 people participated in the fire-fighting effort
• 300 large mammals perished during the fires

As mentioned, fires are rarely suppressed in order to maintain a balance in structure and composition. Extinguishing fires are called for when becoming a threat to the park’s structures and communities. After mid-July, an order was issued to ensure that all natural fires be suppressed. In a twist of events, the 1988 fires brought new opportunities to research the fires’ significant impact on the park’s natural environment. With the changing of the weather and the increase in lightning strikes, there will always be a job for Smokey the Bear at Yellowstone National Park.

Visit the Yellowstone Center for Resources for Mary Anne Franke’s Yellowstone in the Afterglow: Lessons from the Fires