The Ridgway ReporterVOL. 2 CODY, WYOMING, CHRISTMAS 1987 No.6
THE RIDGWAYREPORTER
ELK CREEK RANCHP.O. 1476
Cody, Wyoming 82414
Is not entered as second classmatter at any post office underthe Act of Congress of March.
1879
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
AND RANCH NEWS
From Elk Creek Ranchand the RidgwllY Fllmily
FROM THE FAMILYEveryone descended on the Sunlight this summer, at one
time or another, except for Pat but she has promised a visitin the near future. Betsy again abandoned Cliff, who con-tinued the remodeling of their new home on Vashon Island,to join us in mid-July. (There is no justice in the world, at leastfor Cliff. After working a month on the new house, Cliff ven-tured east to Elk Creek only to be shanghaied into rewiringthe Cook House and the new walk-in cooler.) Betsy arrivedjust in time to save Susan and Hap from committing seppuku;three young girls have taken their toll and rumor has it afourth child is on the way! Whatever happened to Hap'sideas on zero population growth, much less common sense?
Debby returned after her summer sabbatical the previousyear to join Tina in running the horse program. Tina manag-ed not to get dumped by her horse this year and, so, endedthe year in good health for a change. For the first time, Eliand Emily both joined us for the second session of the Ranch.(The second generation continues to infiltrate the ranks ofthe Sunlight Savages!) Emily is becoming quite thehorsewoman and Eli is following those Ridgway males andtheir interest in the work projects, putting in extra time to
STAFF AND FAMILY TAKING OVER RAWHIDE RANCH
FROM THE RANCHThe summer of 1987 was one of Elk Creek's best in a
number of years. The good news started early with fullenrollments in both the Ranch and the Trek Programs; weeven needed to start a waiting list! The children were ter-rific, persevering through the wettest summer in our oranyone else's memory. (Is this the greenhouse effect?) Onegroup was rained out of our first-ever attempt to ascend Mt.Moran; another cut short the traditional July climb up TroutPeak; our August packtrip didn't even try to get to Damna-tion Basin. Still, we managed to share many good trail milesin Absoraka-Beartooth high country and many good hourson the old Elk Creek homestead.
We were visited, in various guises, by our past and it wasa pleasant experience. Jeff Frantz (his father, Bill, was oneof the first Sunlight Savages and he and his mother startedElk Creek's annual pilgrimage to the Tetons for climbing) andJamie McKillen (his father, Jeff, bunked with Hap and Ridgedown at the old sleeping porch for several summers) joined
make sure the new walk-in refrigerator was completed. Chiponly made it up for a few days at the end of the summer.Hap got him underneath some horses pulling shoes and trim-ming feet only to have Chip strain one of those football knees.An early return to Denver and a "bone-doctor" followed.We understand Chip is back on the tennis circuit so at leastno permanent harm was done. (Hap is a bit worried abouthis free labor supply for the end of the summer of 1988!)
The big news of the summer was Hap and Susan's pur-chase of Rawhide or Dead Indian Ranch. Some of you willremember that the Ritterbrown family operated a very suc-cessful family ranch from the 1930's to the 1960's. Paul andAlys shared much of their interest in the natives and in localhistory with our family. Their daughters, Nova and Lynn,taught us many of the trails around Elk Creek and Dead In-dian. In recent years and under different ownership, theranch failed as a children's camp operation. Hap and Susanpurchased it in hopes of saving our end of Sunlight Valleyfrom further development. In the bargain, we acquired somebeautiful old horse pastures and the fishing pools where theRidgway children first dipped their baited hooks.
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us this summer, Jeff on the Absoraka Trek and Jamie at theRanch. Pam Watson Sebastian, another early Savage, drop-ped by the Ranch with her family for part of a day, unfor-tunately finding most of us off on a packtrip. Two pastSavages have become very active in environmentalorganizations in our area. John McGee, that famouswrangler from the mid-sixties, is the head of the Park Coun-ty Resource Council and is mounting an effort to have theCiarksfork River (from Crandall Creek through the canyon)declared a "wild and scenic river." Louisa Wilcox, a ran-cher and wrangler from the late sixties and early seventies,is working for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. The Coali-tion believes that the entire Yellowstone ecosystem, includingseveral national parks and parts of a number of nationalforests, should be managed as a single unit rather than be-ing split up artificially between many different governmentdivisions with their own priorities. Elk Creek certainly wishesJohn and Louisa well, for their causes are ultimately our own.
ABSORAKA TREK
Will Pereira and Tina Moore u leaders, Jenny Hollingsworth, Sam Devore, Sarah Russell, Jeff Frantz, BrettMarden, Carly Ladd, John Simeon, and Josh Levinson.
Grizzly Bear Country! ... Will, fearless leader, sleeps with his ice axe ... John, the "beaker," sprintingup Galena Pass ... Carly leads into Hughes Basin ... Brett's infamous "Three Little Bear" story ...Jeff leads into Silvertip Basin ... Josh dodges snow squalls up Stinkingwater ... Elk bugling on Elk Horn· .. Shangrila and Damnation, and the plane crash ... solos and Secret Santas ... Troutpeak Basin· .. rain and Jenny asks for dinner in bed ... snow and hypothermia ... Will: "We can't get lost comingout of Trout Peak" ... marathon back to the ranch and "Gotta Make Noise, Gotta Sing A Little"· .. deepdish pizza and the rodeo ... Tetons Basic, Intermediate, and a new crop of rock jocks· .. Mt. Moran rained out u Disappointment Peak Back to ECR serenaded by Josh: Beach Party Vietnam.
BEARTOOTH TREK
Alex Dykema -- leader, Chloe Breyer, Goodwin Smith, Mike Stiglitz, Adam Deaton, Charlie Hale, LizRosan, Bonnie Reilly, and Ashley Whittaker
Rendezvous with the Ranger ... Flexums: Let there be Light! Queer Lake to Desolation Lake ...6:30 start up Snowback Mountain ... Fossil Lake swimming Adam's massive "toe cheese" ... BillyLake to Cairn Lake and filet of converse sneaker soup ... First Aid talk ... Liz leads to Shelter Lake· .. Alex performs fishhook extraction, ON HIMSELF! PAIN! ... Resupply at Island and rendezvous withthe ranchers solos at Cloverleaf ... mountain goats and storm at Forsaken Lake ... the cold CastleMountain climb Charlie's Alpine Exotic Escapade ... SNOW ... Island Lake and back to the Ranch.
THE SUMMER OF 1987We love you, Flexums, oh yes we do,We love you, Flexums and we'll be true.(The question is; who wasn't true to whom on the Beartooth Trek?)
Bernie, "The Square Dancing King," and Doc -- the perfect couple?
Adam D. -- the Closet Rapper and the "sweet smell of excess"
Oh, Erica, "the Beautiful"
Ellen, could you please tell us about your toothpaste?
Susan pushing the "Mary button" again and again and again and
In the Beartooths, the mighty Beartooths, the Trekkers sleep tonight.From the morning, the sunny morning, Ashley squeals 'til night.On the lake, the peaceful lake, Alex hooks his thigh.
Emily and Mike S. providing an obstacle on the path to the senior counselors' cabin on thelast night.
Britt's falling bed
Where's Brett?
Ben and Brooks' picket pen excursions
Jason -- Elk Creek Ranch's very own Pele
Tami, the AWESOME screamer
"The hills are alive with the sound of music!"
yuki
"Tim Barber, please take off your hat!"
Mike Lynch -- "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh"
Mary Benjamin's psychic experiences
Cement, cement, and more cement!
Sunami's Blacklist
Matt Bromley's storytelling expertise
Eli's tickling matches with all the girls (and he never won!)
Charlie Hale "turtling"
Jeff Frantz's Koolaid mustache
"Brook has potential!"
Leslye -- "double your pleasure, double your fun"
Dave's pre-bed boogie
Amy Chapman -- "Are the boys' counselors really overrated?"
Jim Elkus, inventor extraordinaire; a shower for short people and a zipper sock
Helene -- watch out for those white T-shirts in the wick-i-up!
Noah and the fish story that REALLYis TRUE!
Guess he's ready for Hap. Elk Creek Prom Royalty?
SUNLIGHT SAVAGESJosh Bernstein
New York, NY 10028
Sumaya Abu-Haidar
Millbrook, NY 12545
Mikel Berrier
Paris 75014 France
Alex Arnold
New York, NY 10021
Rob Barber
Lexington, MA 02173
Ellen Bishop
Meriden, NH 03770
Jason Blair
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Matt Bromley
Montgomery, NY 12549
Tim Barber
Lexington, MA 02173
Tim Barnard
Wenham, MA 01984
Susannah Brown
Nashville, TN 37215
Mary Benjamin
New York, NY 10028
Andrew Butters
New York, NY 10021
Mike Campbell
Washington, D.C. 20015
Topher Carnes
Darien, CT 06820
Helene Castellano
Marnes-Ia-Coquette 92430 France
Amy Chapman
Brookline, MA 02146
Tracy Chidester
Evergreen, CO 80439
Dave Fuger
Grosse Pointe Farms,MI 48236
Brook Coleman
Wayland, MA 01778
Erica Danielson
Spokane, WA 99202Jennifer Glass
Brooklyn, NY 11215Adam Deaton
Hope Guardenier
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
Charlie Haled
Wayland, MA 01778
Leslye Hally
Athens, GA 30606
Loie DeVore
Tucson, AZ 85718
Jim Elkus
Lincoln, MA 01773
Jeff Frantz
Los Gatos, CA 95030Loring Hamlen
Wayland, MA 01778
DIRECTORY FOR 1987Michael Hayes
Nashville, TN 37205
Dave Kelly
Reston, VA 22090
Britt Knowlton
So. Dartmouth, MA 02748
Carly Ladd
Dover, MA 02030
Patricia Lesire
Lyon 69003 france
Josh Levinson
Memphis, TN 38112
Michelle St. James
Lebanon, NH 03766
Dave Schubert
Shaker Heights, OH 44120
Hutch Shaw
Concord, MA 01742
John Simeon
So. Norwalk, CT 06854
Bernie Smith
Darien, CT 06820
Tami Sokol
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Marci Levitan
Wayland, MA 01778
Mike Lynch
Sharon, CT 06069
Brett Marden
New Boston, NH 03070
Jamie McKilienil
Bricksville, OH 44141
Ben Mclane
Concord, MA 01742
Mike O'Brien
Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Mike Stiglitz
Short Hills, NJ 07078
Tove Torgerson
Weston, MA 02193
Jon Weiss
Oakland, NJ 07436
Steve West
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Ashley Whittaker
Colorado Springs, CO 80908
Caroline Woodard
Dedham, MA 02026
Ed Polishuk
Reston, VA 22090
Bonnie Reilly
Rutland, VT 05701
Emily Ridgway
Evergreen, CO 80439
Eli Ridgway
Evergreen, CO 80439
Noah Robertson
So. Hamilton, MA 01982
Liz Rosan
Brooklyn, NY 11215
THE REST OF US
Steve Brotend
Cody, WY 82414
Cliff, Betsy, Debby & Tina Moore
Vashon, WA 98070
Chloe Breyer
Cambridge, MA 02138
Will Pereira
Libertytown, MD 21762
Chip, Lisa, Emily, Eli, & AbbyRidgway
Evergreen, CO 80439
Hap, Susan, Kyle, Melissa & AlysonRidgway
Meriden, NH 03770
Pat Ridgway
Tucson, AZ 85704
Matt Brown
Watertown, MA 02172
Sue Crimmins
Ormond Beach, FL32074
Sam DeVore
Tucson, AZ 85718
Alex Dykema
Cambridge, MA 02138
Chay Donnellyt
Medfield, MA 02052
Sarah Russell
Lincoln, MA 01773
Goodwin Smith
Charleston, SC 29401
Phoebe Welch
Greenwich, CT 06831
Marie Godfrey
Co-Roscommon, Ireland
Jennie Hollingsworth
Concord, MA 01742
Ted Ladd
Dover, MA 02030
Lizo Williamson
Warren, ME 04864
Annie Woodard
Andover, NH 03216
"THE RAIN STAYED ON AND THE CORRAL WATER OVERFLOWED"
God bless thy yearThy coming in,Thy going out,Thy rest, thy traveling about.The rough, the smooth,The bright, and dread.God bless thy year!
"GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY" - FIRST PACKTRIP