I’m a maniacal calendar-keeper, and when I combine my obligations with my to-do lists – all noted in a
shorthand of acronyms and emoticons– the month-view looks like a color-coded mess. Not only do I
note the event itself, but I also add before-the-event reminders. A week before a dentist appointment,
for example, there will multiple days of all-caps reminders to FLOSS! It’s my mother’s fault. A prolific
letter-writer and calendar-keeper herself, Mom taught me that white space is a sign of weakness.
Mom’s a bit of a nut.
Still, those skills have come in handy countless times, and my format allows me to quickly view my
schedule. As I was reviewing the next three months, I was reminded of some exciting times ahead.
There’s an entry on Aug 15 that reads: Cuz Bob Cutt-Slam, and every day of the week leading up to that
entry there’s this note: DF Gear Up CB Cutt-Slam. Any guesses? In Corrie-speak, that means “don’t
forget to check your gear so you’re ready to join Cousin Bob for a day of cutthroat trout fishing in Cody
Yellowstone Country as he goes after his Wyoming Game and Fish Cutt-Slam certificate.”
Corrie and her cousin will be fishing for Yellowstone Cutthroat.
Cousin Bob is an enthusiastic angler whose yearly goal is to catch all four subspecies of cutthroat trout
that can be found in Wyoming: Yellowstone Cutthroat, Snake River Cutthroat, Bonneville Cutthroat and
Colorado River Cutthroat. I’m going to spend a day with Bob fishing for Yellowstone Cutthroat that can
be found within the headwaters of the Missouri River Drainage, including rivers in Yellowstone National
Park, the Buffalo Bill Reservoir and Shoshone River watershed. We haven’t settled on a spot yet, and I’ll
probably check in with some of my pals at the local outfitters to get the inside scoop. Bob will spend
much of the fall roaming other Wyoming regions to catch the other subspecies, but he always begins
with Yellowstone cutthroat so we can have a cousin’s day out.
On August 11, there’s an entry that reads: “Go see Amelia’s house.” Known as the “Annual Kirwin Tour”
to the rest of the world, this Meeteetse Museums-sponsored annual event is a guided tour of Kirwin
Ghost Town, a remote abandoned mining town in the Absaroka Mountains. The town includes ruins of
shops, cabins, offices and machinery. A short hike from town is the foundation of what was going to be
Amelia Earhart’s summer home. Construction of the house ended in 1937 when the aviatrix disappeared
over the Pacific Ocean. The tour always leaves me a little pensive as I am reminded of what was, what is
and what could have been. I make it a point to never miss it.
The annual Kirwin Ghost Town tour includes an up-close look at ruins of old mines and other buildings.
One entry for Sept. 2 reads, simply, “Listen.” On this day last year I heard the first elk bugle of the new
rutting season. Every year around this time, I drive to an elk-rich area in or around the park, find a quiet
spot and just listen. My mindful waiting is almost always rewarded with the jolting, shrill bugle of a male
in rut. Impossible to mimic with the human voice, the bugle of the elk is wild, ancient and in some ways
comforting. It is an unofficial reminder to the page on my calendar from summer to fall. And it’s my
official reminder to myself that no matter how crazy my schedule, there’s always time to stop and to
listen.
The annual Kirwin Ghost Town tour includes an up-close look at ruins of old mines and other buildings.
Until next time, I’m marking my time here in Cody Yellowstone Country.
The post Coming soon: Cutt-Slam, Amelia and a Robust Horn Section appeared first on Cody/Yellowstone Country.