The past several weeks have been difficult for both David and me. At the end of May, a few days before the DK200, David’s father passed away. This was not completely unexpected but it was not any less painful. David and I had made a trip to Wyoming back in February of this year to visit with his dad. David had not seen his father in quite some time and was looking forward to spending some time with him. Although the visit was short, David was able to spend some time with his father, helping him with house projects and catching up. This visit would be the last time he would see his dad, and both of us were so grateful that we had the opportunity to make that trip.
We had originally planned on going to Colorado after Kansas. We signed up to volunteer at Ironman Boulder and the Leadville Heavy Half and Marathon, we had planned on high altitude training and enjoying the cooler weather of the mountains. Of course, our plans changed immediately as we needed and wanted to go back to Wyoming.
On our trip to Wyoming we made a stop in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, another gem in the Midwest. The day we arrived, we were able to drive to the top and walk to several view points, with plans to come back the next day to run/hike to the top via the pedestrian path. This was well worth the time and energy, the views were amazing and the rock tunnel was spectacular.
We arrived in Cody and although we had a lot of “business” to take care of we also wanted to enjoy our time here. David spent time going through old photos and reminiscing about his youth. He found many pictures of himself and his brother growing up in Cody (of course they were cowboys)!
We found a great outdoor store, Sunlight Sports, who pointed us in the direction of some great running routes around town and a running group that meets on Thursdays and Sundays. I contacted the group and we met Janie and Corey for an amazing trail run on the Outlaw trail outside of Cody, great views and great company.
We were able to get away for a few days and took a trip to Yellowstone National Park. This is our nations first national park and I can see why. We get a lot of questions about visiting national parks with Mira. Most national parks have a very strict pet policy and Yellowstone is no different. Dogs are usually allowed on paved or dirt roads, in parking lots and campgrounds, but they are not allowed on trails and in the case of Yellowstone the boardwalks. It is for the safety of the animals and the humans as well as the wildlife. Although we would love to have Mira with us during these adventures we fully understand and fully comply. We were very fortunate, during our trip to Yellowstone, the weather was cool enough that we were able to leave Mira in the van while we explored the region. In fact it was so cool, that at one point it hit 33 degrees and started to snow. We have plenty of resources to keep her warm in the van but we don’t have air conditioning so the heat is much more of an issue. So, we were able to enjoy Yellowstone to its fullest, Ole Faithful, geothermal pools, mud pits, and wide open vistas. We spent 3 days and camped 2 nights and still did not see the entirety of the park. It’s a beautiful park that everyone should visit at least once in their life.
Back in Cody, we spent several more days handling the affairs of David’s father’s estate. We were able to meet up with the Running Crew again for a little gathering at Sunlight Sports and a short run in town, that once again had some amazing views. We enjoyed dinner with Brian and Janie, talked about the Buffalo Bill Cody races, their “fall fun run” that they are planning and life. Our new friend Corey, treated us to a world class, behind the scenes tour of the Draper Natural History Museum which is part of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. An amazing museum that has a tremendous amount of history all packed into 1 building.
This was an unplanned trip to Wyoming but we made sure to find time to enjoy our visit and explore the region. This is what living is all about. This is what our journey is all about. We met some more amazing people who will be lifelong friends and who we will hopefully cross paths with again someday. So, fill your life with adventures, not things, have stories to tell not stuff to show.
“The best way to remember someone who’s passed away is to carry on the wishes, aspirations, dreams, and heart consciousness of that person. They live forever in your mind, spirit and inspirational actions when you magnify the power of love and make the world a better place.”-author unknown
Tri, Trail, Tabata and Train 