The Cabin

      We've all had that one special place in life: the one where, no matter what, you will be happy and healthy and one will leave feeling better than they came. The one place that connects us to our loves in life, whether friends, family, a stress reliever, the outdoors, or a mixture of them all. That place for our family is The Cabin. Grandpa’s parents built The Cabin in the Wind River mountain range in 1958. It’s stood there proud and strong through yards of snow, through -50° blizzards with 70 mph winds, a tornado, and over 50 years of aging. It’s been through four generations, and every single member of our family holds a special place in their heart for it.

   To quote J.R.R. Tolkien from The Hobbit in his account of The Last Homely House, “His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and

thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.” This is true for The Cabin, too. Everyone can do as much, or as little, as they want, and it suits everyone’s loves perfectly. Nestled snugly in some trees

near a meadow with a little babbling brook and spectacular views

on all fronts, it can suit everyone’s passions in life, whether it be hunting, or fishing, or rock climbing, or hiking, or relaxing, or reading, or a “pleasant mixture of them all.”

    Here are some of our favorite places around cabin grounds: first, the rock pile. Down a little road and into the meadow next to Temple Creek, there is about 50 boulders of all shapes and sizes, ideal for eager rock-climbers, those wanting to hang out and talk in the cool breeze of the mountain air, or to come down at night, watch a spectacular Wyoming sunset, and stargaze under trillions of stars. That experience, I can tell you, really is eye-opening. Wow. Far away from any civilization, with zero light pollution to speak of, it is incredible the sheer magnitude of stars and galaxies to be seen, and it really puts things into perspective, and shows us Heavenly Father’s great creation. 

         Next, the creek. Back behind the cabin, say, 75ish feet away, lies the South Temple Creek. It’s our source of water and a fun pastime to while away the hours back at the creek. We don't have a water containment unit or anything up there, so our only water supply comes from a pump from the creek. And from the age of about two days, every child from our family has enjoyed going back and throwing rocks or pinecones or whatever in there. It’s some kind of weird initiation process we have in place.  

      We have a hammock on one side of the cabin which is the best thing ever. It is perfect for napping, reading, or frolicking. Let me tell you, there ain't too many things better than lying in the hammock in the shade of pine trees with the cool August afternoon breeze and the smell of pine and all things fresh, surrounded by critters and the sound of the creek babbling away in the background. 

      We all go to our special places in life, the ones that bring us happiness and healthiness no matter what. Ours is The Cabin. It lets us explore the things we love: the outdoors, family, friendship, and love for each other. I’m so glad for Heavenly Father’s great creation known as the Wyoming outdoors and for the great opportunity to experience His work: The Cabin.

-The Ranger