Calling 911 to report the train fire in the Wind River Canyon on May 16 was the most excitement Mark Potter had since leaving the big city more than a year ago.
These days, you are more apt to see Potter mowing the field that passes as his lawn or working as a handyman in Thermopolis than navigating rush hour traffic in Denver.
And Potter likes it that way.
“Coming from Denver and the chaos down there to Thermopolis was a unique experience,” Potter told Cowboy State Daily. “Not having people around was just such a strange feeling of isolation.”
Potter had been living in Thermopolis for only six months when the opportunity to remodel a cabin in the Wind River Canyon was presented to him. He took up the challenge and met obstacles he wasn’t expecting, such as trying to get building materials to renovate to his rural home.
“You just can't run down to The Home Depot, and so you've got to repurpose things when they break,” Potter said. “I’ve learned to fix things that I might have otherwise just gone down and bought new.”
As Potter adjusted to the slower pace and isolation of living in the canyon with just his dogs as companions — a pair of Chihuahuas — he said he discovered a beauty and quiet he didn’t even realize he was missing.
“It just really makes you focus on God's creativity and his handiwork,” Potter said. “We all go through trials in life but instead of focusing on my problems, by taking care of this property, I discovered that even just mowing the grass can be fun.”
Potter said that everyone back in Denver was in a rush to get somewhere, including himself, but in the remote canyon he now calls home, he has learned to relax.
“There's a connection here that I never felt in Denver,” Potter said. “If you see somebody you know in town and you start talking to them, you better have 10 minutes because they're going to talk, whereas in Colorado, nobody has time for you, nobody talks to you.”
Surviving Life’s Adventure
Potter served in the military in his youth.
He drove for the United Nations in Korea and described windsurfing with an M16 on his back in Grenada. Although he didn’t see any combat himself and had a golden tour, when Potter returned home, he discovered that many of his friends were not so lucky.
“I have a lot of friends who saw a lot of combat in Vietnam and Afghanistan and came home damaged,” Potter said. “I was blessed enough not to ever have to do that so I wanted to give back.”
In Denver, Potter served as chaplain and then service officer for American Legion Post 22. He said that during that time, he was able to hand out more than $250,000 and help veterans get medical treatment, housing, clothing and food.
“That was probably the one of the one of the happiest times of my life helping people,” Potter said.
However, it also was a time of social drinking, which is another aspect of Denver life Potter does not miss.
“I was just really busy, busy in Denver as a volunteer, but stepping away from that helped me,” Potter said. “My life has just really slowed down to where I can appreciate everything that that's being offered to me.”
Canyon Dweller
Potter calls the Wind River Canyon his little piece of paradise and is grateful for the time that he can call it home — except when the wind blows.
Potter admits that he is not a big fan of the strong gusts of winds that can race down the canyon, but other than that, it is one of the most beautiful places he has ever lived.
“I struggle with controlling my life and my destination, just like every person does,” Potter said. “I thought I had a plan, but instead I’m here in this place and I love it.
“It just really gives me a feeling of being independent and detached from all the rush in Denver.”
The only time Potter had visited the area before moving to Thermopolis was in 1997 when his family had arrived on vacation.
He remembers sleeping outside in a tent and waking up to see the sun hitting the canyon walls.
“I just kept that vision in my head,” Potter said. “I never had been back since then and it looked just like I remember.”
His mom also loved the Wind River Canyon and would often tell him they should sell her house in Denver and move to Thermopolis. She didn’t want to leave her grandchildren and dismissed the dream.
After she died, it was her two beloved 15-year-old chihuahuas that have moved to Hot Springs County with Potter. He also has a 14-year-old mutt he had adopted that is thriving.
“All the dogs are living their best lives right now,” Potter said. “They bark at the trains and chase ducks.”
Potter said he also is living a great life in the country, although he has had to change the way he lives since resources are so limited.
He cannot rely on the fast food he used to live on and has rediscovered the joys of cooking.
He is also more prepared for emergencies than he had to be living in the city. Potter admits it was a bit nerve-wracking at first realizing he only had himself to depend on if something went wrong.
“One time my electricity and internet went down and I did not have any access by phone, which was such a different situation than anything I had experienced before,” Potter said. “Since then, I got a generator and am really enjoying this feeling of living away from society.”
As Potter continues to adjust to canyon life, he said that although he misses his family and friends, he has his dogs and is looking forward to seeing the plan God has for him in this remote region.
“I'm feeling connected to the earth and the people out here are just so welcoming and friendly,” Potter said. “That just wasn't the way it was back in the big city.”
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
