The Ridgway ReporterVOL. 2 No.16CODY, WYOMING, CHRISTMAS 1997

THE RIDGWAYREPORTER

VELK CREEK RANCH

P.O. BOX 1476Cody, Wyoming 82414

Is not entered as second classmatter at any post office underthe Act of Congress of March,

1879

HOLIDA Y GREETINGS

AND RANCH NEWS

From Elk Creek Ranch

and the Ridgway Family

Keenan doing the giddy-up thing with Rob.

FROM THE FAMILYBetsy and Cliff are enjoying being grandparents and, in fact, are

starting to make more time in their busy lives to be grandparents(and to sail and to return to Wyoming). Betsy has retired as thefundraiser for the Blue Heron art center, and rumor has it that twopeople were required to replace her! Cliff continues to head up all ofthe flight test engineering at Boeing, but he did escape to Wyomingfor the end of the summer.

During the summer, Tina and Rob and Debbie continue to run theranch. During the winter, Tina teaches Title I "at-risk" children, Robwrites and is "Mr. Mom," Debbie teaches adult art courses, and Paulmanages to climb every mountain in the Northwest in his free time.Keenan and Sean rule the roost in both homes and at the ranch asthey blaze the trail for the fourth generation.

Chip and Francine have moved off the mountainsides of Evergreento the flatlands of Greenwood Village just outside of Denver. Someskeptics have suggested that Chip finally lost the battle, even withthe fireworks and roman candles, with the elk which nightly visitedhis beloved flower gardens. Chip is finishing up his term as presidentof the American Thyroid Association, and Francine continues to runPick on Us as well as managing the two-week move of their

Sean sneaks in a little snooze.

Eli & Emily vs. Aly in cousin war-fare.

household. Eli is finishing up his final year at Dartmouth (and findstime to play in a band), Emily is in her second year of medical schoolat Columbia (and finds time to run marathons), and Abby is startingher freshman year in high school in Jackson (and found time lastyear to dance in the "Nutcracker}."

Susan and Hap remain at Berwick Academy in southern Maine.The Academy is in a building mode, and Hap has helped completea new athletic center only to start planning a new science andmathematics center. Susan contin ues to take care of ranch businessthroug h the wi nter. Her new ventu re this year has been to vol unteerin a therapeutic riding program for physically challenged childrenand adults. Kyle is becoming quite the athlete; she played last yearon a soccer team which tied for the New England Class D prepschool championship and on an undefeated (one tie) lacrosse team.Melissa is having a great final year, as a student and soccer/lacrosseplayer, in Berwick's Middle School and cannot waitto go "on the hill"with the ranchers next summer. Alyson, otherthan being green withenvy that the "hill" is still a year or two away for her, is becomingQuite the student. While Alyson wants to grow up Quickly, Grant isenjoying his fourth child status driving his sisters slightly nuts andnot taking anything else too seriously. Perhaps we should all takea lesson from him.

___ napping seems to be a priority for Abby, too!

Day 11: LOAD: Beth. We change drainages. First Elk camp tosecond Elk camp. Packs are full again. Snow starts in the evening.Day 13: SOLOS. Alone for 22 hours. We return to Jordan singing the"Star Spangled Banner." Happy Fourth of July.Day 14: LOAD: Karsten. Trout Peak to Damnation Basin. Everyone,including Durango, makes it to the top of Trout Peak. Photo ops andnotes in the film cannister. Golf-ball size hail on the descent.Day 15: LOAD: Maria. Day hike in Damnation. Kyles favoritemeadow. Glissading and two-hour biscuit making. Jordan and Louhave an intense game of backgammon. "Geese" talk after dinner.Day 16: LOAD: Nell. Damnation Basin to Shangri-La. Rivercrossingsand kicking steps in snow.Day 17: Lou, Beth and Durango make their exit. Jon and theTrekkers prepare for the two day walk out. Shangri-La to DeadIndian Meadows; Dead Indian to the Ranch.Day 19: Pizza and Scream at Lous.Day 20: Yellowstone tour en route to the climbers ranch and GrandTetons.Day 24: We are the largest Exum group to climb the guides wall.Day 25: Homeward bound. Black bear with two cubs greets us in thepark.

Absoraka Trek 1997: Total Vertical feet = 49,460 feet.

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Ghandi

Jon Arst, Jordan Luskin, Nell Pirsig, Karsten Murray, Kyle Ridgway,Beth Wight, Maria Badaracco, Eliza Kuntz & Carley Cassibry

ABSORAKA TREK 1997''The Good Life"

Day 1: LOAD (leader of another day): Lou. A great first day. Tinasends uf off with encouraging words. Hiking through remainders ofthe 1988 Yellowstone fires.Day 2: LOAD: Kyle. A long day of hiking, but no creek crossings.Papoose trail to Fire Cache. Bagels for lunch, pizza fordinner. "See,I can cook."Day 4: LOAD: Nell. Up at 5:30. No sense of time anymore. Snow-cones followed by our ascent of Hoodoo Peak. Fantastic views ofYellowstone. Glissading on the way down.Day 5: LOAD: Jordan. A bit of a sleep-in. Hiking starts as a bush-whack. Jon and Jordan triangulate our position. An exciting rivercrossing; Durango is saved by Lou and Beth.Day 6: LOAD: Carley. Lay-over day. A hearty breakfast of scrambledand real pancakes. Personal hygiene and sun-bathing. Lou teachesus Phase 10. Highs and lows after dinner.Day 9: LOAD: Elk and deer are spotted. We were lost but now we'refound ... right back at Crandall Creek?!? Swimming is a highlight.Tomorrow is re-supply and we all anticipate goodies from home andthe ranch.

Lou in her element.

Getting air in the Beartooths.

THE SUMMERAbby D. saying "Hello" to the policeman in Yellowstone ...Kyle Foley, the spy queen ... Quincy a' la Kate Moss at thedance ... Andrew doing the truffle-shuffle ... Elizabeth talkingin her sleep. There are no horses in the tent ... First andsecond session records for numbers of consecutive wiki-upsby Cristian and Chad ... Sophie vs. the antiquated Elk Creekplumbing ... Josh, the wise-cracker, naming all the fenceposts ... Zoe and Laura, the resident cheerleaders ... Julian,the handy man ... Sarah Wiggers salon ... Cristian tappingtil the cows come home ... Matt J. staying at work crew a littletoo long Ben, what's that taped to your bed? ... Colby -cheese Jordan, our resident gear-head. Did you reallywant to take a cat on the Trek? ... Beecher and the MemphisBelles ... Molly, the news queen. It must run in your family ... EliC. facing (?) off with the canyon ... Henri-Lee pairing withPerrin. Did you know the Canadian Air Force rents planesfrom the United States? .. Jeff, the boy scout and fire builderextraordinaire ... Whispering to Hawkeye. .. the perils ofPerrin ... Neil and Ginger ... Arnaud a.k.a. "Chaps" andwearing them to the Cody parade ... Mike bringing his pillowon the overnight back-pack ... Kent, watch out for that tree

Cherry and Roper. If you blink you'll miss them.

OF 1997 WAS ...· .. Shelbys dream and her Dave Matthews obsession ... Kinda-sorta ... Amanda: "I'm not feeling like a walk right now, thank-you."· .. Jon A. giving tree identification lessons ... Adri and Annabelleand the cat-fight ... Sarah Lawrence, the dancing queen ... TheCherry bomb Amelias nightly facials ... Jojis work on interna-tional diplomacy Billie lip-synching to Madonna and her last nightfare well. .. Maggie being brave (or maybe foolish) enough to smellJasons armpits and living to tell the tale ... Laura S. "Amy want rain-bow drink." Heather getting dragged by Ginger ... Kung-Fu women· .. Jens dual citizenship. . . Nell losing group gear ... Nell losingpersonal gear ... Marias creative treatment for a nose bleed ... SaraRichter, the water fight queen ... Abby R's vise grip ... Meaghanlooking for the perfect tree ... Big house berets. .. Wild and freelike the mustangs ... Eddie saddling up Brandy Wine for thegymkhana. Couldn't you have given him more direction, Becca? ...Clements non-stop enthusiasm ... Lou's pizza delivery service.We're only two and a half hours away Clint getting googly-eyed· .. George, the "Wild-Thing," Burnette Trying to stay warm onthe pack-trip ... Matt P. in awe of Judd the mountain man ... Carley,the queen of gullible questions. .. Kyle R a natural at soap operasand singing the Doublemint jingle.

1997 recruits for the Charles Atlas school of body-building. Clint being nurse-maid to our orphaned colt.

Abby Delaney

Winchester, Massachusetts 01890

Mike Gilligan

Siorrs, Connecticut 10520

Arnaud Dellyes

rue des UrsalinesSt. Germain En Laye 78100 France

Molly Graham

Washington, D.C. 20008

Edouard DeSchepper

75001 Paris France

Jessica Graziano

Boston, Massachusetts 02108

Kyle Foley

Milton, Massachusetts 02186

Meaghan Halliday

Norfolk, Massachusetts 02056

Cristian Gazmuri

Needham, Massachusetts 02192

Zoe Hallowell6Concord, New Hampshire 03301

SUNLIGHTERS DIRECTORY

Clement Aubry

54120 Baccarat, France

George Burnette

Tampa, Florida 33609

Maria Badaracco

Brookline, Massachusetts 02146

Carley Cassibry

Memphis, Tennessee 38111

Elizabeth Baribeau

North Haven, Maine 04853

Eli Chess

Mamaroneck, New York 10543

Annabelle Berizzi

Waccabuc, New York 10597

Amanda Davis

Weston, Massachusetts 02193

Andrew Bugni

Salt Lake City, Utah 84105

Quincy Davisson

North Haven, Maine 04853

Katharine Harrison

Weston, Massachusetts 02193

Sarah Lawrence

Dujue Chao Yang DistrictBeijing 100022 ChinaAdrianna Holden

Mercer Island, Washington 98040 Shelby Long

Guilford, Connecticut 06437Matt Jessel

Scarsdale, New York 10583 Jordan Luskin

Baltimore, Maryland 21208Josh Kelberman

Framingham, Massachusetts 01701

FOR 1997

Colby Moore

Dedham, Massachusetts 02026

Jennifer O-Brien

Houston, Texas 77005

Chad Mountain

Greenwich, Connecticut 06831

Heather Olney

Rochester, New Hampshire 03867

Julian Murray

1212 Grand-Lancy, Switzerland

Amelia Osborne

Greenwich, Connecticut 06831

Karsten Murray

1212 Grand-Lancy, Switzerland

Billie Parish

Park City, Utah 84060

Joji Stalk

Toronto, Ontario M4W2P1 Canada

Beecher Tuttle

Middlebury, Connecticut 06762

Laura Stanley

Memphis, Tennessee 38111

Sophie West

Alexandria, Virginia 22301

Neil Stegman

Salisbury, Maryland 21801

Perrin White

Greenwich, Connecticut 06831

Ben Travis

Lincoln, Massachusetts 01773

Sarah Wiggers

Washington, D.C. 20008

Matt Pelers

Weston, Massachusetts 02193

Kent Sands

Weston, Massachusetts 02193

Nell Pirsig

Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03802

Maggie Shnayerson

New York. New York 10024

Cherry Rhea

Corvallis, Montana 59828

Jeff Spiewak

Framingham, Massachusetts 01701

Sara Richter

Lee's Summit, Missouri 64081

Henri-Lee Stalk

Toronto, Ontario M4W2P1 Canada

Tina & Keenan Moore andRob Plakke

Corvallis, Montana 59828Sarah Parry

Hamilton, Montana 59840Chip, Francine, Emily, Eliand Abby Ridgway

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80121Hap, Susan, Kyle, Melissa, Alysonand Grant Ridgway

tSo. Berwick, Maine 03908Pat Rhu

Tucson, Arizona 85717

Clint Rieff

Cody, Wyoming 82414Jon Rioux

West Kennebunk, Maine 04094Laura Ruedig

Concord, New Hampshire 03301Marjo Werler

Terrebonne, Oregon 97760Rebecca Whidden

New York, New York 10128Beth Wight

Bothell, Washington 98011

"It's simple: If I never try anything, I never learn anything. If I nevertake a risk, I stay where I am. If I go ahead and do it, that affects howmuch I continue wanting to do it. When I hold myself back, I tradeappearances for the opportunity to find out what I am like."

- A.J. Stanley

THE REST OF USJon Arst

Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945Tony Ballek

Corvallis, Montana 59828Katharine Carnes

Darien, Connecticut 06820Alicia Davis

Weston, Massacl1usetts 02193Seth Fetters

Newton, Massachusetts 02168David Gibbs

Kamas, Utah 84036

Emma Hallowell

Concord, New Hampshire 03301Eliza Kuntz

Red Lodge, Montana 59068Jason Leavell

Corvallis, Montana 59828Betsy and Cliff Moore

.Vashon, Washington 98070Debbie Moore and Sean& Paul Watson

Duvall, Washington 98019

God bless thy yearThy coming in,Thy going out,Thy rest, thy traveli ng about.The rough, the smooth,The bright, and dread.God bless thy year!