Ah, springtime in Wyoming; you gotta love it.

         In recent weeks, we have dodged storms in Cheyenne, Laramie and Rawlins and endured them in Lander and Jackson.

One day, you can be wearing shorts and a tee shirt, the next you are bundled up against a harsh wind and heavy wet snow.

         Because Nancy and I are retired, we are fortunate we can leave a day early or stay an extra day, as a way to avoid these spring storms. We did that in both of these trips.

         After playing golf in shorts with my brother Pat in Denver, we blasted north to Cheyenne in spitting snow and managed to get through Laramie, Rawlins and Muddy Gap before getting pounded by heavy snow.  Our last 40 miles from an amazing geologic formation called Beaver Rim to Lander was a bear. 

         Digging out from a foot of snow did not take long in Lander, though; soon the lawns were greening up under that glorious spring sun.

         Then it was time to make a Jackson Hole trip, which is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. The new highway from Dubois to Moran Junction was one of the most expensive in Wyoming’s history and it looks and feels that way, too. Not only is it scenic;  it is also a route that abounds with wildlife including bighorn sheep, moose, elk, deer, antelope and other critters.

         Because of the gloomy forecast, we left a day early and took our time.  I roamed around the various Shoshone Tribal buildings in Fort Washakie checking on images of Chief Washakie, as we have a colorized version of his pre-1900 portrait coming out in our next book. Lots of images of him and all showed him in different colored outfits – no help there.

         In Dubois, had a tasty lunch at the Nostalgia Café and then visited with the folks at the museum along with one of the busiest people in that town, John Angst. John is a transplanted Minnesotan who has adapted well to the Wyoming lifestyle.

         On to Jackson for a couple of nights at Steve Meadows’ remodeled 49er Inn.

         It was off-season, which means one of two things when you go out to eat – either the place is closed or they are offering a two-for-one special!

         It was snowing hard most of the time. The ski areas were closed, as were the Mangy Moose, The Blue Lion and the Brewpub.

         Had a succulent dinner at the Rendezvous Bistro at half price while visiting with a dinner group that included Liz Brimmer and Rob Wallace. Rob had just moved to Jackson.  Also enjoyed long-time friend Nancy Guthrie, a retired district judge.

         While in Jackson, I showed my wife one of the most amazing housing projects in all of Wyoming.   At the base of Snow King Mountain is a huge gaping tunnel opening.  We drove up through it and emerged on to a big ledge with super-expensive condos overlooking the town of Jackson and peering at the Tetons in the distance.  Wow!  Not sure the contractors were happy to see me there but Nancy was sure impressed. 

         This in-between season is a great time to be in Jackson if you can avoid spring blizzards and find places open. It snowed on us for a day and a half but when we left, the sun was out and the Tetons literally sparkled in the morning sunlight as we drove back to Fremont County.

         Despite the bright sun, Jackson, as a community, was gloomy as it was mourning the loss of three local men who had died in the crash of a small airplane. They were employees of a Lander-based solar and wind company called Creative Energies. 

         They were flying with a 70-year old pilot, who owned a ranch back in the mountains. They were working on an elaborate plan to provide the ranch with electricity from renewable sources.

         No one knows what happened but swirling winds probably wreaked havoc as the pilot was trying to take off, one observer said.  What a terrible loss.

         Sometimes I marvel at how different a place like Jackson can be when compared to places like Cheyenne and Laramie. They are all in Wyoming but are over 400 miles apart and certainly seem different, when it comes to overall lifestyle.

         And yet, this time of year both are bedeviled by wet snowstorms, crazy winds and the chance to experience four seasons over just about any four-day period.