X-Country Skiing in the Big Horns

Last weekend Bruce and I and several of our friends from Cody (Val and Lee Haines, Kathy and Howard Thompson, and Wendy Schneider) drove two hours east to The Passage Resort just south of Burgess Junction in the Big Horn National Forest. As you can tell from the pictures, the weather was gorgeous all weekend (high 50s). We hadn't realized that the resort was a veritable magnet for snowmobilers--there were hundreds of machines zipping all around the lodge. I've never been a fan of snowmobiles (noisy and invasive), but everyone we met was very friendly and chatty. We took to the snow (some of us not as smoothly as others) for several hours Saturday morning after water aerobics in the indoor pool led by Val and a huge buffet breakfast. I and two others turned back when the going got too hilly...I hadn't been on a pair of cross-country skis in 20 years and felt that sticking to the flats was much safer for life and limb (I could also get out of the way of snowmobiles more quickly should one come too close, which fortunately didn't happen). After naps and reading, we all gathered again on one of the decks in the sun for drinks and snacks. At 4:45p we headed down the mountain to Shell (about 30 miles) for dinner at the Trapper Creek Lodge. Terrific setting and meal. Bruce was designated driver so limited his alcoholic intake to one small glass of Coppola Claret. When we arrived back at the resort we played some board games...with much hilarity and more wine, finally calling it quits at 10:30p we were all so tired. Sunday morning we had to check out by 10a. On our way back through Shell we stopped at Dirty Annie's Restaurant for another huge breakfast--yummy! We made it back to Cody by 2:30p.