Writer

Amber Steinmetz

Latest from Amber Steinmetz

Jordan Thorn reached Katahdin, the end of the Appalachian Trail, on Oct. 6. Located in Main it was the end of the five-month journey that began in Georgia.

Georgia To Maine In 5 Months: Gillette Man Hikes 2,198-Mile Appalachian Trail

About 3,000 people attempt the entire distance of the 2,198-mile Appalachian Trail every year. Only 1 in 4 make it. It took Gillette native Jordan Thorn five months to complete it, hitting the end of the trail on October 6 -- but was nearly derailed by illness 100 miles from the end.

Amber SteinmetzNovember 09, 2024

Cathy Blanchard, left, and Deb White of Cody, Wyoming, hold the Wyoming flag at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa on Oct. 16, 2024.

Cody Women Make It To The Top Of 19,341-Foot Mount Kilimanjaro

Cathy Blanchard and Deb White of Cody, Wyoming, have returned from a successful a nine-day trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. “You learn a lot about yourself,” Blanchard said about making it to the 19,341-foot peak of Africa’s tallest mountain.

Amber SteinmetzNovember 03, 2024

Casey Rislov of Casper (left) and Ron Hayes of Douglas hold copies of their book "Let Me Tell You About My Mom."

Douglas Photographer, Casper Author Create Wildlife Book For Kids

A lifelong passion for the Cowboy State and its wildlife has prompted a Douglas photographer and a Casper children's author to create a wildlife book for kids. It features animal moms and their young to inspire a curiosity about the wild side of Wyoming.

Amber SteinmetzOctober 26, 2024

Emily and Colin Betzler and their children, from left, Pax, Storie and Hudson during a monthslong trip to see many of Bought Beautifully's partners around the world.

Sheridan Couple Creates Jobs, Hope For People In The World’s Poorest Countries

Emily and Colin Betzler run the Bought Beautifully boutique in Sheridan, Wyoming. They also are creating jobs and giving hope to people in some of the poorest countries on the planets by building a global pipeline to sell what they make.

Amber SteinmetzOctober 19, 2024

Susan Frost is a retired NASA research scientist who took up beekeeping for a hobby and later created her own business Queens of Goodness. The Lander resident is pictured with informational posters she made for National Honey Bee Day.

NASA Scientist-Turned-Beekeeper Turns Wyoming Hobby Into “Honey With Benefits”

Susan Frost of Lander, Wyoming, was a NASA researcher for 14 years. Now she’s a beekeeper, turning a retirement hobby into a business creating what she calls “honey with benefits.”

Amber SteinmetzOctober 05, 2024

Shannon Mayes of Lovell, left, stands next to her "Halloween Wars" Delectable Demons teammates Eric Jones and Briea Nathan. Nathan is a previous champion on the show and Jones was a runner-up.

Scary-Good Wyoming Cake Decorator Is On Food Network’s “Halloween Wars”

Lovell cake designer Shannon Mayes is appearing on the Food Network's “Halloween Wars,” which premieres at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Superstar chef Guy Fieri was so impressed by a cake she made during a filming of “Guy’s All-American Road Trip,” she was invited to participate.

Amber SteinmetzSeptember 22, 2024

Declan Jacobson, 12, of Sheridan is the creator of Double Edge Golf, a golfware line that combines his love for the sport, the outdoors, and his friends and family.

Sheridan 12-Year-Old Launches Line Of Wyoming-Branded Golf Wear

Declan Jacobson, a Sheridan, Wyoming, 12-year-old, has launched his own line of golf wear. It’s uniquely branded for Wyoming and promotes the “awesomeness” of the sport and state.

Amber SteinmetzSeptember 16, 2024

Brian Beauvais uses Thomas Jaggar's original photograph to find the right angle to reshoot the Hoodoos.

Park County Archivist Recreates Photos Of Wyoming 125 Years Later

Park County archivist Brian Beauvais has been rephotographing images originally shot by geologist Thomas Jaggar in the late 1800s. Some spots require more than a day hike to get there.

Amber SteinmetzSeptember 02, 2024

Family of Cheyenne Boy Who Saved Sister From Attacking Dog Writes Book For Kids

Bridger Walker was hailed as a hero when he saved his little sister Brielle from an attacking dog in 2020. Now he and Brielle are characters in their family’s new children’s book, “You Can Be a Hero.”

Amber SteinmetzAugust 24, 2024

Left: Silvio Pedri of Rock Springs was captured during World War II and spent more than five months as a prisoner of war. Right: Mark Pedri and Carrie McCarthy hold two of the three Emmys Burning Torch Productions won in July at the Heartland Emmys for Dear Sirs.

Documentary About Wyoming World War II POW Wins Three Emmys

“Dear Sirs,” a documentary about Silvio Pedri, a Wyoming man who was a prisoner of war in Germany during World War II, won three Emmy Awards last month. The film was produced by Silvio's grandson Mark of Rock Springs.

Amber SteinmetzAugust 17, 2024

Randall and Shondah Otwells' cattle get a drink from a stock tack that's equipped with a Water Rippler. The circulation helps keep the water cooler in the summer months.

Forget Stock Tank Heaters, Wyoming Ranchers Invent Device Works Year-Round

A Wyoming ranch family knew there was a better way to keep their livestock water tanks from freezing over. Five years later, the Water Rippler is about to hit the market. It keeps water from freezing in winter and cuts down on bugs and algae in summer.

Amber SteinmetzAugust 11, 2024

Eastern Wyoming College’s Ryder Tillard of Douglas competes in Fortnite during the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports Summer Series. Tillard recently earned the ‘Unreal” ranking in the game, which is held by 0.007% of the 500 million players worldwide.

Wyoming Teen Ranked Among The Best Fortnite Players On The Planet

Ryder Tillard of Douglas recently achieved the highest rank in the online video game Fortnite. That puts the 19-year-old among the top 0.2% of the more than 3.8 million ranked players worldwide.

Amber SteinmetzAugust 11, 2024

Other Authors

John Prentice, a Union soldier in the Civil War from 1861-1865, kept a diary of his experience, which was recently discovered by his great-grandson, Doyl Fritz of Sheridan, Wyoming.

Sheridan Man’s Family Civil War Diaries Is A Glimpse Into America’s Deadliest Conflict

Doyl Fritz of Sheridan, Wyoming, spent a year transcribing the diaries of his great-grandfather John Prentice, who fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. The lessons gleaned from the account of America’s deadliest conflict are priceless, he says.

Amber SteinmetzJuly 28, 2024

Pardner Colin Christensen, center, heads back to the kitchen after serving food recently at the Pardners Cafe in Cody. The cafe provides vocational training and experience for adults with developmental disabilities.

Eating Wyoming: Experience Great Food And An Even Greater Cause At Cody’s Pardners Cafe

Tucked in a corner of the Park County Library is Pardners Cafe. A volunteer-run enterprise, Pardners Cafe provides vocational training and experience for adults with developmental disabilities.

Amber SteinmetzJuly 28, 2024

The Draper Natural History Museum wants to hear from people who have seen pinyon jays in their yards at bird baths or feeders.

Wyoming Works To Save Rapidly Vanishing Pinyon Jay That’s Down 80%

The pinyon jay has seen its population crater by 80% over the last 50 years across the American West, including Wyoming. Now the Cowboy State is in the middle of efforts to save the species.

Amber SteinmetzJuly 21, 2024

Cody’s First Church Was Built With Money Won In High-Stakes Poker Game

The “Poker Church,” as it’s affectionately known, was the first church built in Cody. It was partially built with winnings from a lively poker game in 1900 that included Buffalo Bill Cody.

Amber SteinmetzJuly 13, 2024

A small colony of Townsend's big-eared bats, one of the 18 species found in Wyoming.

Wyoming’s Mysterious High Country Bats Focus Of 3-Year Census

A three-year bat census is in the homestretch to study Wyoming’s high country flying mammals. Bats are important to Wyoming -- just one brown bat can eat 1,200 insects in an hour. They also pollinate more than 300 species of fruit and even more flowers.

Amber SteinmetzJuly 07, 2024

St. Alban's Chapel in the scenic Snowy Range Mountains in southern Wyoming is a favorite spot for spring and early summer weddings.

Tiny St. Alban’s Chapel In The Middle Of Nowhere A Favorite Wyoming Wedding Spot

Nestled in the Snowy Range Mountains sits a quiet mountain chapel. With stunning views of the Centennial Valley , St. Alban’s Chapel near Little Brooklyn Lake draws outdoor enthusiasts, engaged couples and parishioners of St. Matthew’s Cathedral to the site year after year.

Amber SteinmetzJuly 06, 2024

The two-story outhouse at the Grand Encampment Museum may seem odd, but actually makes sense. The second story isn't for volume use, its to use when the snow's so deep the bottom level is blocked. Also, the holes have luxurious beaver pelt covers.

Believe It Or Not, Rural Wyoming 2-Story Outhouse Makes Sense

One of the more bizarre and interesting attractions at the Grand Encampment Museum in southern Wyoming is a historic 2-story outhouse, and believe it or not, it actually makes sense.

Amber SteinmetzJune 30, 2024

Colin Hemens, from left, Hannah Darrin, Lisa McCauley, Lindsay Guerin and Linda Williamson helped start Meadowlark Market and Kitchen in Lander.

Eating Wyoming: Meadowlark Market Boosts Sales For Small Food Producers

Meadowlark Market and Kitchen in Lander offers locally grown produce and goods year-round. It's only been open a few months, but is already boosting sales for small food producers up to four times.

Amber SteinmetzJune 23, 2024

Jonny Kulow, left, and Adam Chaney of the United States react after a swim-off during the Men's 50-meter freestyle semifinal on Day Six of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 20, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lander Swimmer Jonny Kulow Part Of Rare Double Swim-Off At Olympic Trials

Jonny Kulow was one of the most decorated athletes in Wyoming prep swimming history in Lander. On Thursday, the five-time Pac-12 Conference champion was part of a rare double swim-off at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.

Amber SteinmetzJune 23, 2024