“Kicking the bucket” is an old, old term for when you die. We all grew up hearing it.
But I don’t remember hearing the phrase “bucket list” until the 2007 movie “The Bucket List” starring, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It was a huge hit. I loved the movie. I loved the concept even more.
The following spring, I wrote my first annual column called “My Wyoming Bucket List.” Each year since then, I’ve dreamed up places in the Cowboy State I wanted to visit and invited readers to send in their ideas, too.
Back in 2008, my list included Cheyenne Frontier Days, Curt Gowdy State Park, Fossil Butte, the Killpecker Sand Dunes in the Red Desert, Vore Buffalo Jump, Keyhole Reservoir, Bighorn Canyon, Crazy Woman Canyon, and the Arapaho Ranch west of Thermopolis.
And yes, over the years, we have visited every single one.
We had great guides along the way: Dave Peck, Jim Hicks, Pat White, Vince Tomassi, Jimmy Orr, Pat Schmidt and others who were generous with their time and their knowledge. In Wyoming, you never really travel alone. Somebody always knows somebody who knows the place better than you do.
More Places To See
When we moved here 56 years ago, we made a silent vow: We were going to see it all.
Since then, we’ve logged thousands of miles wandering this state, up, down, across, diagonally and sometimes in circles. We’ve seen a lot. But not nearly all of it.
The late Bill Crump and Jimmy Smail were dear friends who opened my eyes to the vastness of the Red Desert. Both were experts on the Wind River Mountains, but they loved the desert just as much. They converted me into a desert rat. I’ve never quite recovered.
John Vase, Kurt Hensley, and Paul Ng of Rock Springs helped deepen my appreciation of the southern Red Desert. And if all goes well, this summer we’ll get out again with legendary desert authority John Mionczynski. When you travel with experts like that, you don’t just see the land, you understand it.
Wyoming Is Not Empty, It’s Full
A few years ago, I wrote a column with that headline.
Out here, folks like to call Wyoming the “Big Empty.” It’s a playful takeoff on New Orleans being the “Big Easy.” It also pokes fun at our old slogan, “Big Wyoming.”
But after 56 years of crisscrossing this state, I’ve reached a firm conclusion: Wyoming isn’t empty. It’s full.
Full of history.
Full of characters.
Full of stories.
Full of places you’ve driven past 20 times and never stopped to see.
I’ve tried to see it all. But there are still holes in my list and that’s a good thing. It gives me a reason to keep going.
And that is why every year I put together my “Wyoming Bucket List.” These are places I want to visit before I finally do kick that other bucket. Most are not the headline attractions. They’re just places that interest me.
This Year’s List
Last year was great. But this year (if I’m lucky) will be even better.
Ayers Natural Bridge near Glenrock is long overdue.
I’d love to tour one of the underground trona mines west of Green River.
The vast Red Canyon system in Flaming Gorge deserves another look.
Between Jeffrey City and Muddy Gap sits an odd rock formation I’ve always called “Stonehenge.” Supposedly it bears names carved long ago, including John Sublette. This is the year I will finally stop and check it out plus I would like re-visit Green Mountain nearby.
We lived 22 years on Squaw Creek outside Lander, staring straight at Red Butte. Seems about time I climb the thing, with an ATV.
We’re overdue for another swing through Star Valley. Maybe Dan Dockstader can show us what we’ve been missing.
My family has floated the Snake in Jackson Hole, but I have not. It’s time.
I’d enjoy spending time with Chuck Brown as he shows off Wheatland and the surrounding country.
And, of course, I plan to make my 56th annual trek to Yellowstone National Park. At this point, if I skip a year, Old Faithful might send out a search party.
Jack Nicholson’s character in The Bucket List said, “We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round.”
That’s true enough.
But here in Wyoming, those wheels don’t just go round and round.
They go down two-tracks. They go across cattle guards. They rattle over washboard roads. And if you’re lucky, they take you someplace you’ve never been before, even after 56 years.
So, what’s on your Wyoming Bucket List?
Send me your hidden gems, your forgotten corners, your favorite spots that most folks drive right past.
Because as long as we’re still rolling, we might as well keep exploring.
And I’m not ready to kick that bucket just yet.
Bill Sniffin can be reached at bill@cowboystatedaily.com.
