The Wind River Indian Reservation is one of the most wealthy reservations in the US because of the rich natural resources that lie beneath its surface. The reservation was originally for the Shashonee tribe led by Chief Washakie. During the late 1800's (he lived to be over 100 years old) he realized that his people must assimilate and accept the ways of the whites to survive. He was rewarded by being given the ability to choose the land his people were to keep- the land that is now Wind River. I passed by the site of one of Washakie's famous victories. He avoided a war between his and another tribe by challenging the Chief of the enemy to a one-on-one fight on the top of what is now Cowheart Butte (pictured) to save the lives of their youth. The rumor is that Chief Washakie ate the heat of his enemy to absorb his courage, and the enemy tribe left.
The landscape has changed dramatically again. The cycle of glaciers that have covered this area of the country have created glacial moraine, ridges of gravel and rock that were pushed up and left as rolling hills in the shadow of the Wind River Mountains.
The wind of Wyoming is destructive to ones determination. Today was 45 degrees and sunny with winds at 10 to 30 mph as a head and cross-head. As I climbed from just below 6,000 feet to just below 7,000 feet the wind became stronger and colder. This combined with snow to make for another superb day. I looked at my map and saw the mountains below Dubois marked as "Windy Ridge." I really was hoping the people who named it were merely being facetious rather than descriptive.
Tonight Dubois will be setting a record low for this time of the year. Tomorrow morning I am hoping the Togwotee Pass will be open so I can get to the Tetons!
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