copper mountain is closed for the season, and i'm back in minneapolis for a minute, after a rocky roadtrip from colorado.  we pulled into laramie, wyoming just as they were closing all roads out of laramie for dangerous winter weather.  and so it was that we spent a day in a pool hall in wyoming, and in a geology museum and then a bowling alley, and then took tequila shots and played baseball trivia at an applebees, and overstayed our welcome in the hotel pool.  we drove another whole day in unpleasant winter storms and only made it to des moines, where we ate chinese takeout in a motel 6.  finally back in minnesota, i say to you: stay the hell outta wyoming.

these photos are from the street in Cody, from the last time i was stranded in wyoming.

today is a lesson in rolling with the punches.

my road trip ended two hours outside of yellowstone, where my car died on the highway.
the AAA rep asked me for landmarks to determine my location, and i told him "mountain," "fence," "grass"...
he was calling from new jersey and has apparently never been to Wyoming.
the tow truck found me just fine though, and now i'm waiting around in cody, fingers crossed for an easy fix.

the beartooth highway on film
july 2012

we just got "home" after a day of girlie fun in jackson and teton village.  i got my very first massage today.  i got oiled up by a strange russian man in a darkish room, with easy listening jazz on the stereo, and i didn't feel too weird about it at all.  and then there was coffee and sushi and carmel apples.  it's looking a little bit like fall here, but i'm getting excited for autumn in the midwest.  i'm headed to southern illinois and minneapolis and wisconsin in just 22 days!  

on top of Huckleberry Mountain in the Bridger-Teton Wilderness.    

on a clearer day we would have seen the tetons, but it was still magical.  we slept in an old fire lookout, abandoned by the Forest Service since 1957 and since stocked with sleeping bags and lanterns and assorted treasures left by fellow hikers.  another life dream realized :)  

last weekend in jackson hole:

we went swimming in the tetons, ran into toby keith at the million dollar cowboy bar, ate corn dogs and watched pig wrestling at the teton county fair, saw "moonrise kingdom" and felt warm fuzzies all over.

during the week, however:

roosevelt is too damn hot, and it's turning people crazy.  we are overworked in the restaurant, and i have developed a nasty allergic reaction to my company-issued bolo tie.  i grow weary of rambunctious coworkers partying outside my cabin window.  can't wait for mumsey and pops to visit in 9 days!  

bike the tetons!