Weather, Wildfires, and Wyoming's Late Summer Charm

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Good morning and welcome to let's Talk Wyoming.
I'm Mark Hamilton, your host,and today we'll be taking a look
at weather.
We'll have some fire updates,we'll have a little bit of this
and a little bit of that andthen we'll have a last minute
section on summer travel here inthe state of Wyoming, if you're
looking for that late August,early September travel, which is
always great here in Wyoming.

(00:44):
Thanks for joining us today andwe hope you enjoy the pod
Taking a look at Wyoming weatherhere on the 27th day of August.
Yes, we have just a few daysleft in the official summer

(01:09):
months until we get off intoSeptember here in Wyoming Today
it's in the 60s, got someraindrops coming down.
Yes, we do have raindrops.
This week we've had a cool down, to say we've been in the 80s
and you can sure tell thedifference from the weather.
We've had a cool down to saywe've been in the 80s and it's
you can sure tell the differencefrom the weather we've had
before.

(01:29):
We've had some storms forecastand right now it's drops are
coming down.
It's been cold and gray andwinds blowing, and across the
state there's other areas I cansee some pretty good storms, but
it seems like we're missing alot of them here in Hot Springs
County, but we'll take any typeof relief we can get.

(01:52):
You know, the days are gettinga little bit shorter and taking
the dogs for their walks in themorning about 6 o'clock it's
still dark out in the morningand so the days are definitely
getting shorter and fall isright around the corner.
On our fire news, we talkedabout fires last week and our

(02:14):
big fire here around theThermopolis area to the east
that encompassed Hot Springs,washkey and Fremont County,
walsh Key in Fremont County.
It has pretty well been moppedup and not a big threat at this
point, especially with thiscooler weather coming in.

(02:36):
That's going to be a plus.
They talked about they had upto 400 firefighters there
working on these fires and theygot the fire over into some
short grass country and had someluck with some fire lines and
just hats off to all thosefirefighters.
Now, of course, the localranching community's got some

(02:56):
issues with maybe some wintergrazing, but the governor, as I
said last week, was here inThermopolis and they're going to
get some aid.
They'll get federal aid andthey'll be taken care of.
You don't have to worry aboutthat.
They'll be able to get some hayand feed for their animals for
the winter coming up.

(03:18):
Also, I did see the one postfrom a local person showing
their property where the nofence out there.
The fences were gone.
A lot of those fences in theseareas don't have a lot of steel
posts and they're wood posts andthey're just standing up and
they got pretty well decimated.

(03:39):
So they're going to be doing alot of fencing in the area.
So time Also I'm sure they canget some assistance on that Time
to put up some new fences inthe area.
So glad that that is behind usright now.
Knock on wood.
Now it can warm back up.
Now our falls the proverbialIndian summers where we get the

(04:01):
warmer weather, are alwaysenjoyable.
Here.
We get warm in the afternoonsand you know it cools down
really good overnight and earlymorning it's cool, and then
about lunchtime and on for aboutfive hours you have some pretty
warm temperatures that feelreally good, knowing those are
the last warm temperaturesyou're going to have for quite

(04:22):
some time.
So our fires are definitely outof here now.
It isn't like the state ofWyoming is just suddenly out of
the fray.
Over in the Pinedale, over inthat western part of the state
of Wyoming.
They have a fire going there.

(04:43):
Now that's getting into timbercountry.
Out here, outside ofThermopolis was just grass type
fires and there it's reallygetting bad.
They're getting into a lot ofthese woods everywhere.
I talked about being up atdifferent areas and I know the
last time I was up in theBighorns I was just amazed at

(05:03):
the amount of different areas.
And I know the last time I wasup in the bighorns I was just
amazed at the amount of pinebeetle kill up there.
A lot of trees are in bad shapeand that area is just ripe for
a heck of a fire through there,and that's why these forests are
just a lot of undergrowth andjust a disaster waiting to
happen.
What's happening?
Right, we're getting the gistof that from the smoke out here,

(05:27):
but so these firefighters hatsoff to them.
They don't get a lot of daysoff and they work some pretty
long hours in some pretty toughenvironment, and so we'll keep
an eye on our fires going intoLabor Day weekend.
Hopefully we can start taking aturn and get that out of our

(05:50):
system.
Hopefully we can get some earlysnows, especially in the
mountains in some of these areas.
It's always never an issuearound here.
We always take moisture.
I was in a meeting last nightand we were planning an event up
at Tensleep Country, up atCircle J Camp.

(06:10):
Up there they have their AppleFest every year at the end of
September.
This year it will be on the27th.
I had mentioned on the callabout we're like a bunch of
farmers, we want rain but wedon't want it to rain on the
27th.
That's kind of what we'refacing.

(06:32):
I think we'll take rain nomatter when it comes and be
happy to have it, especiallygoing into the fall.
It's always important to getthat subsoil moisture in the
fall.
Late fall, get that moistureinto the ground before that
first frost comes sure makes adifference on the growth going

(06:54):
into next year.
So another thing that's bigaround the area school has
started.
They have got the kids back inschool.
Everywhere in the state hasbeen in session since at least
last monday and so everybody'skind of getting back into the
swing of things and seeing howstuff is going and those kids

(07:19):
are getting back at it and such.
But weather-wise that's what wehave Cool weather.
Hopefully for Labor Day We'llhave some nice weather.
Some people can get out thatlast weekend to get out and
start doing stuff.
So state of Wyoming we havefires in one area we're behind
us here in Hot Springs County,again knocking on wood, but

(07:42):
other parts of the state andthrough the West I saw Montana,
colorado's have issues and it isjust a never ending occurrence
anymore.
So kind of that time of yearwe're getting into that last
opportunities to get out andenjoy some stuff.
I had talked about a couple oftrips that we made a couple

(08:04):
weeks ago and I think it's thatone nice weekend.
You know, I really do like thefall as a time to travel just a
little bit cooler and and getsome of the tourists out of here
.
Nothing against the tourists,but most of them are back and
back in their home country,their home and not so many

(08:28):
people on the road and thislittle easier travel.
So trying to plan maybe acouple little jaunts.
This weekend got my wife'sbirthday coming up and on friday
so we'll have to make sure thatwe celebrate her birthday.
I can't tell anybody how oldshe is, but we want to wish her

(08:51):
happy birthday.
Going into Labor Day weekend.
Take a look at Wyoming sports.
You know we all love our sportshere, wyoming sports.
You know we all love our sportshere.
The Wyoming Cowboys start their2025 season in Akron, ohio,

(09:13):
tomorrow night and unfortunatelyI see that that's going to be
on ESPN+, so I won't be able totake that in.
I have never bothered to domuch.
I tried to get ESPN plus butit's a total.
You've got to go to a differentplatform and it just isn't good
.
So cowboys are in action.
Just wait to see how they comeout this year.

(09:35):
I I just hope for better things.
They had such a disastrousseason last year.
They started out that veryfirst night playing in Tempe
when they took on Arizona Stateand boy, arizona State took them
to the proverbial woodshed andboy, it went downhill from there
.
So they've got the samequarterback, caden Anderson's,

(09:57):
back at quarterback.
They also have, I think,probably their best receiving
quarter they've had, and ourquarterback that we had last
year.
He's moved to tight end.
So we'll see how thattransition works for that young
man.
Hopefully the defense will be alittle bit better.
So we always have high hopesfor our Cowboys here in the

(10:21):
state of Wyoming.
So we'll see how that game goeswith Akron Probably just going
to have to see some reports onit and hopefully find some
highlights from somewhere.
I noticed that I got YouTube TVand they're talking about the
Fox channels are in negotiationand they might not be on the

(10:43):
YouTube channels, which is goingto affect a lot of sports this
weekend, especially with theopening weekend of major college
football starting up.
The one that most people arekind of interested in if you're
a real football junkie will bethe Texas-Ohio State game, and
that's on Fox on Saturday.
Be the Texas-Ohio State gameand that's on Fox on Saturday.

(11:06):
And also I like the collegiatevolleyball and they always have
a nice menu of volleyball games.
So we'll see what happens.
It's just getting ridiculousand we're trying to find what
platform.
You't watch anything on Netflix.
The only channel I do have isAmazon, so I watch whatever is

(11:31):
on there and on YouTube TV.
I watch a lot of stuff onYouTube, so that's where I get a
lot of my highlights forfootball.
So college football your team'sprobably playing this weekend.
So good luck to everybody andwe'll have a report on that.
Also.
University of Wyoming thevolleyball team is getting
started.
Hopefully they'll have a betteryear.

(11:52):
This year Got some new athletesin.
Also, as I mentioned last week,high schools are starting up
here in Wyoming.
They'll have some zero-weekgames, for some of the schools
will be playing and scrimmagesacross the state.
Volleyball the girls volleyballis going to start with their

(12:15):
early season action Nowvolleyball they play so many
tournaments early and so theycan get in a lot of games on
these weekends until they getinto any type of conference play
.
So everybody is in action.
We'll see how the volleyballteams are doing and of course I
want to forget golf and crosscountry and everything else all

(12:36):
these kids that are gettinginvolved.
So high school sports are inaction along with Wyoming
Cowboys.
We'll get a report next timewe're on.
I want to talk about what'shappening across the country.
Have you guys noticed aboutsome of the pricing?
I have been looking for a newerused vehicle and I just cannot

(12:58):
believe the prices of stuff.
It's just amazing.
These auto prices have juststayed inflated.
I keep thinking they're goingto come down and be more
realistic, but I don't know howpeople are affording them.
If you're having to financethese.
I've seen anywhere from eightand a half to 14% financing on
these vehicles.
And the car dealers.
I hate to say it for anybodythat's in the car business, but

(13:21):
these car dealers can be alittle bit tough to deal with
with some of the gimmicks thatthey have and some of the
add-ons.
They just beat you to death.
Their biggest interest istrying to worry what you want
for a payment and you're justreally wanting to get a vehicle
at the best price.
So interest rates, and then itjust doesn't work out very well.

(13:45):
My oldest daughter is going toget a Tesla.
She's getting a Model Y andit's a used one, but it's a 22.
But the issue is, it's amazing,these electric cars are
suddenly too.
But the issue is, it's amazing,these electric cars have
suddenly.
The talk was well, they'regoing to end, the tax rebate is

(14:06):
going to end at the end ofSeptember, but they were down
and they've just shot back up.
I don't know what's drivingthese markets, but even the
electric cars have come up.
So I would love to have electric.
I've said that before.
Of course, you live in Wyoming.
We're a long ways betweencurrent bushes, but most of us

(14:27):
here would end up with having tocharge from your garage and you
want a long range If you'regoing to drive anywhere with
that electric vehicle.
There's not many places to stopalong the way to get fueled up.
Get charged up.
I should say so, but just thesimplicity of them.

(14:47):
I do like that option, but thenif you have a problem you end
up hauling them a long ways toget them worked on and that
could be pretty costly anddifficult for a lot of people to
do.
But she lives in a major areawhere there's plenty of chargers

(15:09):
and Tesla dealer and everythingelse and we did take a test
drive in one of them and I waskind of amazed at them, because
you drive them, they always say,like a golf cart, but you
really don't use the brake.
I guess that brake's there, Iguess in an emergency type
situation, but when you let yourfoot off the accelerator that

(15:29):
thing comes, it just slows downand just comes to a stop and I
think they've got some goodfeatures in them.
I started looking at all thedifferent brands of electric
cars.
Everybody came out with anelectric car Everyone, of course
, through the governmentmandates and I saw the one

(15:49):
commentary on the electricvehicles and they made the
comment if you can try to leaseone, because in two years most
everything's going to beobsolete and it'd be really
surprised how many of thesemanufacturers, how many of these
companies, will keep up theirelectric division where they
were more or less following thegovernment lead and and this

(16:11):
push to get away fromgas-powered vehicles, everything
I'm seeing now people aretalking about more of a push
into the hybrids and the onlything about the hybrids that I
saw you've got more or lesselectric and a gas, so you've
actually had more things to takecare of.
That could go wrong.
So I don't know the answer.

(16:31):
I'm still a gas guy right now.
But if I could, I would get anelectric vehicle for a runaround
car Put some miles on to getfrom here to there.
I think it'd be kind of funhaving one.
But right now prices are prettyhigh.
I don't think they're comingdown.
I don't think anything's comingdown.
You know, you go to the grocerystore and prices are still high

(16:54):
and I just don't know how theyoung people are doing it now.
I was talking to my wife lastnight.
When we first got married backin the early 80s, our first
house was at $55,000.
$55,000.

(17:20):
And we did have a car paymentand I had a company truck and we
were scraping by every period.
It was not like we put a lot ofmoney away, of course interest
rates at the time we bought thathouse we got lucky because it
was 18% and we got some Montanaboard house money at 10 percent,
thinking we were living in tallcotton.
But even at 10 percent, even a$55,000 house is a lot of money

(17:42):
for a young couple.
So it's just the way life is.
But it's expensive out there.
You go to the grocery store, nocare what you're getting.
You're going to end up withspending 50 to 100 bucks, not
even working very hard.
So vehicles right now, lookingat what to do there.
Luckily I'm in a little bettershape.

(18:03):
I don't have to financeanything, but I still going to
find a good deal, and I catch alot of grief from my family
about driving these vehicles.
Most of my vehicles have a lotof miles on them, but they still
get up and down the road andthey're dependable, and so I'm
really not that type of personthat's really worried about

(18:26):
driving the newest model andsuch.
I guess that's just the way Iwas raised and vehicles really
aren't that important.
The biggest thing is to get youfrom here to there, which most
of them do, and if you have to,you put a little money into them
and keep those mechanics andother people employed along the
way, so costs are pretty high.

(18:47):
Electric car I'm waiting to findout how my daughter likes her.
Tesla.
We talked before.
There was always this big issueabout Teslas with Elon Musk,
but most of that is all passedaway.
That was just all stage type ofstuff Theatrics, if you ask me
and they're moving on to otherthings that have issues on

(19:09):
across our country.
So we'll see how the electriccar goes and we'll figure out
what in the heck should we getas we continue on our travel
segment.
Here in the state of Wyoming,we're going to talk about Dubois
, wyoming.
Dubois is on the highwaybetween Riverton area and

(19:30):
Jackson and at Dubois, besidesthe gorgeous view up there,
there is the National Museum ofMilitary Vehicles, and this is a
world-class military historymuseum which opens southeast of
Du Bois, wyoming, in August of2020.
Inside the 140,000 square footmuseum, visitors will find
nearly 500 fully restoredmilitary vehicles, artillery

(19:53):
pieces, naval vessels andaircraft dating back from 1897
to the present, with a currentemphasis on the American
experience from World War II,the Korean War and the Vietnam
War.
The focus of the museum is totell the stories of how these
vehicles were used and toremember the valor of service
members who fought and sometimesdied in them.

(20:14):
The museum also houses a largehistorical, significant firearm
collection.
The privately funded museum wasfounded by Dan and Cynthia
Starks.
Dan Starks is a former attorneyand former CEO of St Jude
Medical.
The Historical Museum ofMilitary Vehicles was recognized
as one of the 10 best newattractions in the US for 2020

(20:36):
in a national competitionconducted by USA Today.
The museum is open daily from10 am to 5 pm in the summer,
with the exception of the 4th ofJuly, when the museum
participates in the town's 4thof July parade with several
tanks and military vehiclesdriven in the parade.
I hope if you get up to Duboisthis summer, you'll get a chance

(20:57):
to stop by and take in theNational Museum of Military
Vehicles, also on our list ofplaces to visit this summer.
Getting back to the BighornBasin area always a good idea to
take the trip up to theMedicine Lodge State
Archaeological Site.
It is located approximately sixmiles northeast of Hyattville,
wyoming.
From Worland you want to takeUS Highway 1620 north to State

(21:21):
Route 31 at Manderson and headeast towards Hyattville, turn
onto the Cold Springs Road andfollow the signs to Medicine
Lodge State Archaeological Site.
Most site grounds are open 24hours a day, year-round, weather
permitting.
The Visitor Center is open May1st through September 29th.
Additional facilities includecamping and picnic area, corrals

(21:43):
, playgrounds, restrooms,telephone trails, fishing pier
and viewing areas.
Drinking water is available.
Restrooms and drinkingfountains are closed during the
winter months.
For information on camping feesand guided bus tours, contact
the Medicine Lodge office at307-469-2234.

(22:03):
Thanks for joining us today andwe hope you enjoy our podcast.
As per the Code of the West, weride for the brand and we ride
for Wyoming.
We'll be right back.

(23:10):
Go, go go.
Thank you.