By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff reporter
As January nears its close and February prepares to breathe its icy frost across Wyoming roads, drivers should take time to update their vehicle survival kits and check their planning methods.
With plenty of cars and trucks sliding off the roads, Wyoming Department of Transportation officials say their employees have seen it all.
“We’ll get truckers coming through from warmer climates like California,” WyDOT representative Ross Doman said. “They’ll slide off the road, and you wouldn’t believe it. They’ll get out of their cabs in the blowing snow in shorts, T-shirts and sandals.”
Though they are more accustomed to handling adverse conditions, even the best Wyoming drivers should be prepared.
WyDOT provides a running list of items to be considered in the event of getting caught in less-than-ideal conditions.
Dave Kingham, in the public affairs office of WyDOT, said having a cell phone and a charger are of utmost importance. It gives the driver the opportunity to notify either highway patrol or the county sheriff of their condition and to get help as quickly as possible.
If caught in one of the many areas of Wyoming outside of cellular reception, Doman and Kingham both recommend staying with the car.
“How would you know where cell reception is?” Doman asked. “You really shouldn’t move. A plow driver should come along before too long, or the road will reopen and traffic will pick up again. It’s very rare that a road is closed longer than three days.” Kingham said closures average six to eight hours.
“Even if you think you’re relatively close to a town or a house, don’t try to walk to it,” Kingham said. “Bad visibility makes it very easy to get disoriented. In your car you’re protected. You’re also a bigger target for someone to find.” He said WyDOT plow drivers and troopers sweep the highway immediately after road closures to find stray vehicles.
A year ago, a West Coast family took a wrong turn in Oregon and was stranded in the snow for more than a week. The driver eventually left the vehicle to find help, but died en route. The rest of the family was found two days later by a helicopter. They had survived on bottled water, baby food and jelly. The event spurred WyDOT officials and others to talk more in depth about survival and rescue methods.
Neither representative had a specific answer for how long a person can live in a stranded vehicle. Doman considered it a medical issue.
“What we’re talking about is how long a person can survive without food and water, in the cold. It really isn’t something that has a set number,” Doman said. He listed aspects to consider, including one’s age, health, general fitness and how much fuel the car has.
Having a full tank enables the victim to turn the heater on for 10 to 15 minutes every hour to stay warm, he said. Just be sure to clear the area by the tailpipe to avoid carbon monoxide accumulation.
In addition to following preparation guidelines, Kingham recommended communicating with people in your destination. Always let someone know the intended route and the estimated time of arrival, he said. “That way, if you don’t get there, someone can have a good idea of where to look,” he said.
“What it comes down to is if you bring (your survival) items, clearly you’re preparing for the worst case scenario. You go off the road, maybe you flip your vehicle, you’re injured and you could be there a while. The more you listen to those suggestions the better off you’re going to be,” Doman said. “You never know, you might end up spending the night in your car.”
Official name common problem areas
Wyoming Department of Transportation public affairs representative Dave Kingham and spokesman Ross Doman outlined three of the most common reasons drivers encounter problems on Wyoming roads.
Often, drivers make ill-informed decisions. WyDOT recommends dialing 511 or using its Web site to get up to date and detailed information on road conditions.
Cruise control reduces the driver’s feel for the road, so the person is unable to detect slippage on black ice or other dangerous situations. It is often set in ideal conditions, but those conditions can change quickly, Kingham said. Paired with an automatic transmission, the car will downshift to maintain speed on hills. The added power will cause the wheels to slip and the driver to lose control, the pair said.
Most drivers attempt to drive faster than conditions permit. Interstate 80 closures between Rawlins and Cheyenne would often be unnecessary if drivers paid attention to the conditions and drove appropriately, Doman said.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Tully tallies 27 in Outlaw win
By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff reporter
Shoot ’em up was the game plan of the Outlaws in their home duel against Douglas on Saturday as they ended the night with a 75-69 victory.
With a large student crowd and a parent fan pocket, as well as a smattering of Douglas supporters, the gym’s energy throbbed as Rawlins went nearly point for point against its opponent.
The team’s initial aggressiveness gave them a solid lead by the end of the third quarter. The Outlaws snared the Bearcats with a 13-point margin. The cheerleaders had the crowd on its feet. Every play was received with a gasp, a cheer, a groan or a taunt at the referee.
It was a story of being at the right place at the right time for much of the game. Aaron Willcox stepped in to have more than one successful attempt at swatting baskets away from Douglas. He also slid in to make crucial steals.
“Aaron is athletic, so he’s quicker than most,” head coach Linzie Green said. “He tends to get out of position, but he finds a way to get back in. And when he’s hitting his shots he’s virtually unstoppable.”
Willcox finished the night with 20 points, nailing several 3-pointers.
Casey Tully came off the bench after a prolonged academic absence to score 27 points for the team. Saturday marked the first game the team was at its full capacity of 19 players, bringing four back into play. It paid off when Tully and Trey Jebens each earned their fifth personal foul in the fourth quarter. Having a deeper bench allowed Green to substitute players who helped push toward the win.
The Bearcats brought it, but “it” was not enough to put them above the Outlaws. Their team leader, Shane Richedndifer, was a solid contender for Rawlins, but the Outlaws’ height proved to be a wall against his efforts.
With a Bearcat timeout with 44 seconds left in the fourth, all Rawlins had to do was hold them off. A missed two-point effort from Douglas got pulled down by Rawlins. They tried to force the ball to the other end with poor placement, providing some last-minute excitement. Regaining possession, the Outlaws drew a foul to put Kody Mann on the line to shoot points 74 and 75.
Rawlins successfully rebounded from their 87-70 loss on Friday to Wheatland. Proud of Saturday’s victory, Green remained true to his job and found things to work on in preparation for games against Wyoming Indian and Newcastle this weekend.
“We need to work on defense,” he said. “I also need to get them to tell me when they’re tired. I don’t know why they’re tired because we do a ton of conditioning. But if they tell me, we have a full bench now so I can take them out.”
Green intends to prepare his team for the weekend games by taking note of what their opponents will bring to the table. They should work various drills, but the coach hopes the team also prepares mentally for the tactics they expect to face.
Times staff reporter
Shoot ’em up was the game plan of the Outlaws in their home duel against Douglas on Saturday as they ended the night with a 75-69 victory.
With a large student crowd and a parent fan pocket, as well as a smattering of Douglas supporters, the gym’s energy throbbed as Rawlins went nearly point for point against its opponent.
The team’s initial aggressiveness gave them a solid lead by the end of the third quarter. The Outlaws snared the Bearcats with a 13-point margin. The cheerleaders had the crowd on its feet. Every play was received with a gasp, a cheer, a groan or a taunt at the referee.
It was a story of being at the right place at the right time for much of the game. Aaron Willcox stepped in to have more than one successful attempt at swatting baskets away from Douglas. He also slid in to make crucial steals.
“Aaron is athletic, so he’s quicker than most,” head coach Linzie Green said. “He tends to get out of position, but he finds a way to get back in. And when he’s hitting his shots he’s virtually unstoppable.”
Willcox finished the night with 20 points, nailing several 3-pointers.
Casey Tully came off the bench after a prolonged academic absence to score 27 points for the team. Saturday marked the first game the team was at its full capacity of 19 players, bringing four back into play. It paid off when Tully and Trey Jebens each earned their fifth personal foul in the fourth quarter. Having a deeper bench allowed Green to substitute players who helped push toward the win.
The Bearcats brought it, but “it” was not enough to put them above the Outlaws. Their team leader, Shane Richedndifer, was a solid contender for Rawlins, but the Outlaws’ height proved to be a wall against his efforts.
With a Bearcat timeout with 44 seconds left in the fourth, all Rawlins had to do was hold them off. A missed two-point effort from Douglas got pulled down by Rawlins. They tried to force the ball to the other end with poor placement, providing some last-minute excitement. Regaining possession, the Outlaws drew a foul to put Kody Mann on the line to shoot points 74 and 75.
Rawlins successfully rebounded from their 87-70 loss on Friday to Wheatland. Proud of Saturday’s victory, Green remained true to his job and found things to work on in preparation for games against Wyoming Indian and Newcastle this weekend.
“We need to work on defense,” he said. “I also need to get them to tell me when they’re tired. I don’t know why they’re tired because we do a ton of conditioning. But if they tell me, we have a full bench now so I can take them out.”
Green intends to prepare his team for the weekend games by taking note of what their opponents will bring to the table. They should work various drills, but the coach hopes the team also prepares mentally for the tactics they expect to face.
Ice fishing: All about chilling
My first front pager (with a photo)!
• For many anglers, competition takes a back seat to having a good time.
By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff reporter
It was a blustery Saturday morning as anglers took their posts for the 25th year of ice fishing on Saratoga Lake.
The grind of ice augers occasionally pierced through decibels of wind gushing across the open landscape. Elk Mountain was hardly visible in the low-lying clouds. It was hard to know if the snow slapping against faces came from the sky or was swept from the ground by the wind.
Even Ryan Hildreth, the winner of the 24th annual Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby from Berthoud, Colo., was motionless. Polar bearing, as it is called. Laying on the ice with nothing but a foam pad as insulation, he peered down into the lake. A tarp covered his head to enable better viewing of the water beneath. When a fish came into view, he would do his best to lure it to the bait, snap upward to snag the catch and reel it in.
Despite around 500 contestants on the ice that day, the scene seemed entirely too still.
That is, until tent flaps unzipped or doors opened, revealing individuals, couples and families huddled around ice holes and fishing lines, hiding from winds blowing in excess of 30 mph. Propane and wood stoves gave extra warmth, as did the well-known “liquid warmth,” a smattering of liquors and beer, which eased Wyoming’s frosty bite.
After spending time with these tent inhabitants, one is inclined to make nominations for awards other than “biggest fish.”
Chance and Kurt Esquibel led with the best party. From their tent, they called out, “Hey, come in here! We’ve got a heater and food. Oh, and grab a beer.”
The two brothers were just out for a good time with their family. Chance hailed from Cheyenne and Kurt was from Denver. They came with their father, Daniel, and their other brother Chad. Their uncle, Fred Garcia, and cousin, Isaac Garcia, were also in tow.
“It’s about a great steak dinner, the hot springs... we just like (the derby),” Chance Esquibel said. They freeze the fish they catch for a family fish fry in the summer.
To add to their day’s excitement, Isaac Garcia’s jacket caught on fire. He was standing too close to the heater, Kurt Esquibel said. “Next thing we knew, the little guy was darting across the ice like a little ball of fire.”
The men talked of the wind, a common theme of the day. “Sometimes you see guys who are setting up going sailing across the ice when there’s a lot of wind and it’s just the ice,” Chance Esquibel said. The amount of snow providing traction on the ice this year was unusual, but welcome.
John Bruce, his wife Ann and dog Budd, from Green River, took the prize for most interesting bait of the day — marshmallows. They enjoyed a bit of community on their corner of the ice as anglers intermingled between huts. Bruce was visited by Jim Shirey, also from Green River, and Mike Sims, an energy worker from Alabama.
Nearby, Mark Aragon stood outside his wooden shack, built with two-by-fours and mahogany plywood, “for the smell,” he said. For 10 years, he has hauled his hut onto the Saratoga ice to participate in the derby. The wood stove inside burns so warm he leaves the door and window open when he spends the night on the ice.
One of the most diehard anglers, Rock Springs resident Danny Ellifritz sat in the middle of the lake with his back against the wind. Not too far away were his sons, Luke and Cage. All three braved the weather with nothing but insulated underwear, heavy clothes and Arctic parkas, saying all they had to do to keep warm was retain warmth and ward off the wind.
It was their first time at the Saratoga derby. Luke may have been the most technologically advanced, catching the most fish out of the folks interviewed — seven by 2 p.m. He used a fishfinder to replace the polar bearing technique, moving his bait to lure whatever fish appeared on screen.
His demonstration won him a catch and revealed the success rate of fishing with the device. Removing the hook, he held up his catch for a photo before dropping it back into the water. “Not big enough,” he said.
The attendance at the derby was a bit smaller than last year, Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stacy Crimmins said.
“Even though Saturday weather was not very cooperative, everybody had a good time. We had smaller fish than usual, but it was a good derby overall,” she said.
• For many anglers, competition takes a back seat to having a good time.
By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff reporter
It was a blustery Saturday morning as anglers took their posts for the 25th year of ice fishing on Saratoga Lake.
The grind of ice augers occasionally pierced through decibels of wind gushing across the open landscape. Elk Mountain was hardly visible in the low-lying clouds. It was hard to know if the snow slapping against faces came from the sky or was swept from the ground by the wind.
Even Ryan Hildreth, the winner of the 24th annual Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby from Berthoud, Colo., was motionless. Polar bearing, as it is called. Laying on the ice with nothing but a foam pad as insulation, he peered down into the lake. A tarp covered his head to enable better viewing of the water beneath. When a fish came into view, he would do his best to lure it to the bait, snap upward to snag the catch and reel it in.
Despite around 500 contestants on the ice that day, the scene seemed entirely too still.
That is, until tent flaps unzipped or doors opened, revealing individuals, couples and families huddled around ice holes and fishing lines, hiding from winds blowing in excess of 30 mph. Propane and wood stoves gave extra warmth, as did the well-known “liquid warmth,” a smattering of liquors and beer, which eased Wyoming’s frosty bite.
After spending time with these tent inhabitants, one is inclined to make nominations for awards other than “biggest fish.”
Chance and Kurt Esquibel led with the best party. From their tent, they called out, “Hey, come in here! We’ve got a heater and food. Oh, and grab a beer.”
The two brothers were just out for a good time with their family. Chance hailed from Cheyenne and Kurt was from Denver. They came with their father, Daniel, and their other brother Chad. Their uncle, Fred Garcia, and cousin, Isaac Garcia, were also in tow.
“It’s about a great steak dinner, the hot springs... we just like (the derby),” Chance Esquibel said. They freeze the fish they catch for a family fish fry in the summer.
To add to their day’s excitement, Isaac Garcia’s jacket caught on fire. He was standing too close to the heater, Kurt Esquibel said. “Next thing we knew, the little guy was darting across the ice like a little ball of fire.”
The men talked of the wind, a common theme of the day. “Sometimes you see guys who are setting up going sailing across the ice when there’s a lot of wind and it’s just the ice,” Chance Esquibel said. The amount of snow providing traction on the ice this year was unusual, but welcome.
John Bruce, his wife Ann and dog Budd, from Green River, took the prize for most interesting bait of the day — marshmallows. They enjoyed a bit of community on their corner of the ice as anglers intermingled between huts. Bruce was visited by Jim Shirey, also from Green River, and Mike Sims, an energy worker from Alabama.
Nearby, Mark Aragon stood outside his wooden shack, built with two-by-fours and mahogany plywood, “for the smell,” he said. For 10 years, he has hauled his hut onto the Saratoga ice to participate in the derby. The wood stove inside burns so warm he leaves the door and window open when he spends the night on the ice.
One of the most diehard anglers, Rock Springs resident Danny Ellifritz sat in the middle of the lake with his back against the wind. Not too far away were his sons, Luke and Cage. All three braved the weather with nothing but insulated underwear, heavy clothes and Arctic parkas, saying all they had to do to keep warm was retain warmth and ward off the wind.
It was their first time at the Saratoga derby. Luke may have been the most technologically advanced, catching the most fish out of the folks interviewed — seven by 2 p.m. He used a fishfinder to replace the polar bearing technique, moving his bait to lure whatever fish appeared on screen.
His demonstration won him a catch and revealed the success rate of fishing with the device. Removing the hook, he held up his catch for a photo before dropping it back into the water. “Not big enough,” he said.
The attendance at the derby was a bit smaller than last year, Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stacy Crimmins said.
“Even though Saturday weather was not very cooperative, everybody had a good time. We had smaller fish than usual, but it was a good derby overall,” she said.
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