Take Me To The Rodeo. No, Really. Take Me To The Rodeo


Ten Sleep, WY
Today was the second full day of our adventure, and we sure made a day of it.  The weather has improved in Ten Sleep, so that meant we were able to get in some climbing.  We woke up early and got right to it.  It was nice to beat the crowds and take our time.  Brian is in his own little heaven, I am sure.  I, too, am enjoying the unique climbing.  I have sore fingers, but no broken bones, Dad! 
 Some of our roadside friends -the first “wildlife” we saw
After spending the morning and part of the afternoon trying to make sense of the crazy guidebook and running up a couple of routes, we headed to town.  Ten Sleep, population 304, is quite the happening place this time of year.  What, you haven’t heard?  It’s the 64th Annual Ten Sleep Rodeo this weekend.  Ready to take in some of the local culture, we put on our best cowboy faces (sadly, I forgot my cowboy hat) and headed into town.  We began with a stop at Dirty Sally’s, the local ice cream and souvenir shop.  We also stopped there yesterday, but I was extremely ill – a combination of too much heat, exhaustion, blood loss from mosquito attacks, and a lack of Starbucks – and I didn’t get to enjoy a tasty treat.  Today, I did, and I was happy to see that town was much more lively than the day before. 

After having our fill of ice cream, we headed to the rodeo grounds and found a seat in the grand stands.  We watched barrel racing, bull riding, bareback riding, and other exciting rodeo events.  Brian really stood out in the crowd – he was the only man without jeans, a cowboy hat, and some kind of big belt buckle.  I blended in better, but was sure missing my cowboy hat.  It was a scorcher at the rodeo.  I was sure to send a message to my brother regarding the rodeo – that was right up his alley.  He, of course, inquired about the cowgirls.  I think I might lose my brother to Wyoming.  I should have lied.

As the rodeo was coming to a close for the day, we got a really big treat in the form of the wild horse racing.  Contestants, teams of three, had to saddle the horse, ride it to the flag line, and return the saddle to the starting point.  Brian put his new iPhone to good use, and he caught the action on film.  We’ll try to share that with ya’ll soon.
After dinner at the Ten Sleep Saloon, which featured perhaps the most hilarious welcome sign I’ve ever seen, (“Cowboys, be sure to kick the s**t off your boots before you come in”), we took the scenic drive back to camp, started a fire, read and relaxed (no pesky mosquitoes tonight), and called it a night.

Tomorrow, we plan to wrap up our Wyoming climbing experience.  I anticipate more great fun for Brian.  I have rafting and a hotel stay on the brain right now – hot shower, comfy bed, and climate controlled room, but I will be sure to enjoy the scenery and the climbing.

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