Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Dave Miller
Date: 1987
We bunked three nights at the Bill Cody Dude Ranch ran by Buffalo Bill Cody’s grandson Bill. The ranch was built in 1925. Bill Cody managed the ranch from 1971 until 1996. He looks exactly like his famous grandfather (Photo#1 on right). Our first ride was a three hour trek through the canyons and low country. That evening we enjoyed steaks at the ranch and drove 20 miles back into the town of Cody as we had tickets to my first live rodeo, the Cody Night Rodeo. There is no place better as Cody is the Rodeo Capital of the World. A purchased my first flannel cowboy shirt to wear to the rodeo. The next day we participated in a six hour horseback ride up to the mountain top in the Shoshone National Forest. The trail was very narrow. If the horse mis-stepped we could fall 30 to 90 feet. We began at the ranch in t-shirts and by the time we reached the summit, we had our jackets on and it began snow. The views were spectacular with 360 degree vistas (Photo#2). We rested and had a warm lunch cooked on an open fire. Upon returning to the ranch and a delicious home cooked meal, Cody’s neighbor, a former Bullwhip World Champion, stopped by and put on an exhibition. I was part of several tricks (Photo#6) holding a newspaper as he split the paper with his bullwhip. We made friends with Scruffy & Jake, the friendly ranch dogs.
