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*Editor’s Note: This is the final story in a series about the LaVA project in the Medicine Bow National Forest* Matt Schweich, Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVA) Implementation Coordinator for the United States Forest Service (USFS), invited the public to follow him on a field trip September 25 to monitor the status of fire mitigation areas adjacent to Joe’s Park in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Employees of the USFS and other entities met at the USFS District Office in Saratoga at 10 a.m. bef...
This week, the final series of a story on fire mitigation runs and I hope you have read them. If not, take the time to go back to the last three issues and read them. I learned so much, and thought it was important to pass on to our readers in the Saratoga Sun. I got to know people I haven’t met before and watch them as they talk about doing jobs they love. It is not easy being in a public job where you are criticized no matter what you do. The amount of work, planning and executing a plan to t...
It proved to be a difficult home match for the Encampment Tigers as they hosted the No. 1 ranked Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) Lady Rattlers on October 4. The scores of 13-25, 17-25 and 14-25 showed how much stronger the Lady Rattlers were going against Encampment. Across all three matches, LSRV seemed to dance across the floor in their defense and the Tigers just couldn’t seem to catch a break. According to Janice Peterson, Lady Tigers Head Coach, the Rattlers know their weak points. LSRV t...
*Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of stories about the Sierra Madre Fire Mitigation meeting held September 9.* Chris Otto, Fire Management Specialist with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), was at the Sierra Madre Fire Mitigation meeting on September 9 to explain the BLM’s role in fire mitigation. Otto explained there is not a lot of timber relative to the United States Forest Service (USFS) lands on BLM land, but they have had two commercial timber sales in the Encampment Riv...
The Encampment Lady Tigers are getting closer to their goal - make it to state volleyball. The team played three rivals on the road last week and proved they fight for the wins. Their only loss was to the Cokeville Panthers, a strong southeast conference opponent. Friday night, the Tigers fell to the Panthers 23-25, 15-25, 18-25. Despite the loss, Savannah Fagan had 12 digs and Kyenna Jackson scored with 50 percent of her kills. “We played Cokeville tough the first set although our hitting wasn'...
This year’s Platte Valley Hay Bale contest is being dubbed the Fab Fifteen by the Platte Valley Arts Council board. “I am very excited to see so many newcomers join in this friendly competition,” said Mary Martin, the Chairperson of Platte Valley Hale Bale contest. In its eighth year, the competition exploded to 14 entries, many of them signing up just a few days ahead of the deadline. It is the most entries to date, Martin said. Martin is on the board of the Platte Valley Arts Council (PVAC...
When Bergen Love shot his first sage grouse, he was whooping and hollering. He was that excited. Bergen is 10 years old and this year was the first year he could hunt birds. Friday night he was hoping to get another sage grouse. His grandfather, Wildon Ward, was 10 years old when he hunted his first sage grouse and Ward is thrilled to pass on the family tradition. Bergen seems to have inherited his grandfather’s love for all things outdoors, as he is climbing over tree roots and running a...
*Editor’s Note: This is the second story in a series about fire mitigation in the Sierra Madre Mountains.* Since 2018, the United States Forest Service (USFS) has been working on the Medicine Bow Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVA), which includes most of the Snowy Range and the Sierra Madre Range. The effort is to mitigate fires burning at a high heat intensity when and if a forest fire begins in the Medicine Bow National Forest (MBNF). This is a formidable task, since LaVA includes v...
After six months of planning, the Sewer Lagoon Project - Phase 2 for the town of Encampment is getting closer to a design. Jon Nelson, with North Fork Engineering, proposed a design review workshop for the Phase - 2 project to the Encampment Town Council September 12, as the deadline to submit the design to the Department of Environmental Quality is November 22 The town council voted to hold an hour-and-one-half hour workshop on Oct. 10 at 5:30 p.m. The design, while it has taken time, is right...
It was a cold and blustery day when the 41 students from Encampment’s kindergarten through third grade got off the bus at Lewis Lake in the Snowy Range. Rayna Greenwood, the third-grade teacher, had all the students gather at a picnic table to be divided into groups. The goal for September 18 included doing environmental artwork inspired by Andy Goldsworthy, a scavenger hunt and the study of rocks and minerals, led by Justin Stern, the education coordinator and resource specialist with the S... Full story
The Saratoga Lady Panthers (1-2) gave the Encampment Lady Tigers (2-1) a run for their money September 17 in the Saratoga gym. The match went to four sets with the Lady Tigers coming out on top with three set wins, but not without a lot of work to get past the Lady Panthers defense. The conference match was the third southwest conference match for both teams and the Tigers walked away with 21-25, 25-22, 20-25 and 20-25 scores. "The girls have grown tremendously already this season. As a...
The Saratoga Lady Panthers came home with three wins from the Thermopolis Invite this past weekend. The Panthers’ only loss was to the 2A Southwest Conference Rocky Mountain Lady Grizzlies. Friday the Panthers played a two-set match against 1A Northwest conference Burlington Lady Huskies and won 25-23, 27-25. The Huskies currently lead their conference 4-0, so this was a huge win for the Lady Panthers. Addie Collins had 22 attempts at kills while Josie Little had 19 attempts. Cassidy Herring h...
The Encampment Lady Tigers traveled to the Thermopolis Invite for a two-day tournament against 1A and 2A teams. They returned with three wins. Friday, the Tigers lost the first match against the 1A Northwest Conference Riverside Lady Rebels, a 1A Northwest Conference team 9-25, 23-25. Later on Friday, the Lady Tigers won against the 2A Southwest Conference Wyoming Indian Lady Chiefs 25-18, 25-10. Saturday, the Lady Tigers won against the Burlington Lady Huskies, a 1A Northwest Conference team....
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of stories of fire mitigation in the Medicine Bow National Forest. More than 30 people attended the Sierra Madre Fire Preparedness meeting September 9 at the Encampment Opera House. Lenny Layman, Carbon County Emergency Management Coordinator, organized the meeting with several county and local entities as a panel to explain their coordination when and if there is a fire. Layman said he decided to organize the panel because residents of Encampment w...
A bus full of 6th and 8th grade students rode to the Snowy Range September 11 for a science class with Encampment K-12 sixth grade teacher Jordan Seitz. “Rain or snow, we go,” Seitz said. Seitz also teaches 6th and 8th grade earth science, but combines classes for different trips and rotates locations through the years. The science field trip was filled with hikes, hugging rocks and learning about eras from the past which shaped the east side of the Snowy Range. The unique classroom allowed stu...
The Encampment Lady Tigers (1-1, 1-1) fell to the Little Snake River Rattlers (2-0) September 10 in Baggs. The first two sets the Lady Tigers closed in on the Lady Rattlers 20-25 and 18-25. The third set was not as close with a 11-25 score. “They got frustrated,” Lady Tigers Head Coach Janice Peterson said. The Lady Rattlers are a good team and know how to expose our weaknesses, Peterson said. “I reminded the girls they need to stay in a good mindset. They have to believe in thems...
The Encampment/Riverside Lions Club arena was filled with tractors from 3350 pounds to 8330 pounds Saturday morning in anticipation of the 2024 Coppers Day Festival. After participants registered, many participants took their tractors onto the main highway for the parade. The crowd was small and one little boy in particular was thrilled to see the parade. Crosby Mundt of Saratoga loves tractors, his mom said. The short parade ended and the organizers, The Chug N Tug Tractor Club, began with the...
The Saratoga Lady Panthers (1-1) had their first match loss of the season against the LIttle Snake River Valley (LSRV) Lady Rattlers (1-0) in Baggs Thursday night. The Lady Rattlers were the runner-up champions in 2023 and have always been a formidable team in the 1A Southwest Conference. The Lady Panthers managed to hold their own during the sets. While the scores didn’t show the heart the Lady Panthers put into the game — with scores of 16-25, 19-25 and 16-25 — it did show their deter...
The Encampment Lady Tigers have a game tonight against the Little Snake River Lady Rattlers in Baggs beginning at 5 pm. On Friday, they are co-hosting the 1A Jamboree Tournament in Encampment. The Lady Tigers play Upton at 11 am, Niobrara County at 3 pm and Southeast at 5 pm all in Court 1. Saturday, the Lady Tigers play Hulett at 10 am, Arvada-Clearmont at noon and Dubois at 2 pm all in Court 1. September 17 at 5 pis a match with valley rival Saratoga at home....
I thought about calling my column “Bad Penny” because I seem to keep returning to my roots in journalism. Good or bad, I am back on the team of the Saratoga Sun, at least for a little while. Eight-and-a-half years ago when I left the Sun, it was on good terms. I just needed a change. I am one of those weird people who does well with math and English. Both subjects I liked in school. I left to work as a comptroller for a dealership in Rawlins. I enjoyed the work, as it was challenging, but I hat...
Encampment Lady Tigers volleyball won their first conference game in the 1A Southwest Conference Friday night at the Encampment K-12 gym. The team beat Fort Washakie Eagles in three sets 25-10, 25-10 and 25-17. Fort Washakie competed in the Northwest division last year with a conference record of 2-8. This year, they were moved into the 1A Southwest division. After finishing with a 1-7 conference record last fall in the 1A Southwest division, the Lady Tigers are returning to the court this year...
“This is the best fishing derby, the best organized, best location and best run,” Frank Gutierrez, of Cheyenne, said. “The food is really good too,” he added. Guiterrez said other fishing derbies don’t have the food trucks like the Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) does. “The people are friendly too,” Gutierrez said. Alvi Cerise is one of those reasons the fishing derby keeps people coming back. He has volunteered at the fishing derby for several years and he makes friends easily. Known as “Sonny” to his friends, he spend... Full story
Jason Decker, of Brighton, Colorado has the perfect description of what it is like to race on skis behind a horse. “It is so fun and so scary at the same time.” The exuberant Decker has been racing in Saratoga for the last five years. “I missed the first year,” he said. He seems to be a fan favorite as he is recognizable with his bright plaid snow-pants and his jovial spirit at the end of each race. Decker is also one to jump in and help get the track ready on race day morning. Decker said he got into the “coolest and dumbest” rodeo sport...
Adrenaline was pulsing through the veins of horses and skiers this weekend as the Saratoga Lions Club hosted the sixth annual Saratoga Skijoring Races at Buck Springs Arena this weekend. Eighty-seven teams were entered into the race for each day. Numbers were down, Richard Raymer, co-founder of the event said, because Montana got snow this year. “A lot of people who have come down from Montana in the past didn’t come because they could actually race in their home state.” The event is the brainchild of Raymer and his friend Will Faust. Both...
The Saratoga Lady Panthers left the regional tournament with a number two seed, but not without a fight against the Cokeville Lady Panthers. The Saratoga Lady Panthers held their own in three sets against the two-time state champions. The second match of the set let the Cokeville Lady Panthers know not to take the Saratoga Lady Panther for granted. "I am really proud of them," Saratoga Volleyball Coach Shayley Love said. "No one in 1A has gotten into the 20s against Cokeville. I think the...