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.

:.::~~

1~.~~> ....;_~~~~~::=-!;\:'~•.~ . ..-..,... ..... ,~ .'.:.'~"""'-..l"~1'.

"::~"~~~~~ ..;~. ~A:t~l

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