The News Editorial: A November weekend outdoors

This past weekend, with me taking a four-day weekend, my husband and I and our dogs enjoyed some time outdoors, taking advantage of the actual fall weather we are having in the Big Horn Basin this year.

On Thursday we helped the cross-country teams by paying our entry fees to partake in the Gobble Wobble two-mile walk. My thought was it would be a family outing with both dogs. It was a partial family outing with Alan, myself and Shadow. Roscoe, an alpha male, was not going to play well with others, which became apparent just a few steps away from the truck. So Roscoe got to watch from the truck, Alan got to set off on his own pace and Shadow and I had a goal of not finishing last among the walkers (which we succeeded).

It was a beautiful morning and a lot of runners and walkers enjoyed the morning before partaking of Thanksgiving dinners.

Shadow was a well-behaved companion and enjoyed walking alongside me although once she saw Alan ahead of us and I had to tell her she was stuck with me.

On a sidenote, I forgot to start our ham before we left the house so our Thanksgiving noon dinner turned into a 5:30 dinner.

After a day of rest on Friday we ventured out again on Saturday and went to the Gooseberry Badlands, taking the entire loop. For the majority of the loop we were alone, thus Roscoe got to participate and we discovered he is part mountain goat.

The trail is an easy hike for anyone, including people like me with not-so-good knees.

My hope is while the weather is nice that we can venture out to Castle Gardens near Ten Sleep, some place I have yet to visit since moving here but want to, when snakes are not likely out.

It is amazing the number of places you can visit on a day or half-day journey from Worland with so much public land available for multiple use including recreating.

If you want a nice spot closer to home there is the city pond near the airport and golf course. Alan and I recently took his sister and nephew there and I learned it was also Alan’s first trip there.

They were all impressed. And remarkably the wind was not blowing. (It seems to be blowing any time I go, especially on outdoor day for West Side Elementary in the spring.)

There are nice picnic tables, peaceful landscape, safe dock, and while I have not tried the fishing I have been out there and seen others dropping a line.

According to the Wyoming Game and Fish website the pond is stocked with bluegill and Yellowstone cutthroat.

Also nearby, of course, is the Duck Swamp Interpretive Area just off of West River Road. According to the BLM, this 81-acre oxbow lake and marsh is a cut-off meander of the Big Horn River. Visitors can hike a 1-mile interpretive loop overlooking the wetland.

If you are wondering where to venture and enjoy the weather, stop by our office and pick up one of our tourism guides that highlights some state parks in the area as well as many BLM public areas.