Day 76 - Wednesday, August 11

I begin with yesterday’s departure from Colo State Veterinary Hospital when a tech came out with Lucky in a cone of shame towards the RV to hand off so we could leave. He couldn’t recognize me, he couldn’t get up the steps of the RV from all the sedation over 2 days, he lost hair and had diarrhea matted on his hind quarters. The tech told us to keep the cone of shame on for 2-3 days so he couldn’t lick the IV areas. The doc told us no way he runs for few days after all the work and therapy. He tried to drink water but couldn’t so I took the cone off. He went to lick and I told him to leave it and he did. When we arrived at the RV site, even at the late hour, I bathed him and we fed him 1/2 a bowl of chef Chris chicken breast, rice and sweet potatoes. I usually get to bed around 7pm and wake up 2’ish. Last night was 9:30pm and then at midnight Lucky nudged me to let me know he needed to go out. From there sleep eluded me as I wondered what would happen in a few hours when I would leave him for the first time.

When 4am rolled around I put on my hydration vest and then the hat and Lucky responded by stretching and barking that he is ready to go! So like we have done every morning we hit the road together and everything was normal, just like that.

We begin the most challenging part of this trip over the next few weeks. We will be getting across remote, mountainous areas with big heat and no cell signal. Everything we have done to this point was the dress rehearsal and now it’s for real. Today went perfectly. We went from Lingle to Hartville WY along Route 26 and then onto 270 where I climbed into the mountains to find the little mining town of Hartville. We stopped there with no signal and drove back to town to an RV Park. Tomorrow we go back and I will take a 21 mile trail through a pass and on a ridge until it meets up with Route 319 - a road, where Chris will meet me and then finish the final miles on road into Glendo WY. Chris also found someone in Lingle to look at our generator which was faltering. Problem solved by a nice guy who knew machines and tuned it to altitude while tightening a few things and we are good to go.

Most perfectly today was Lucky’s energy - he is back to his old self…mooching food - which he had stopped, drinking gallons of water and having fun. Fingers crossed this is sign we can try another protocol of chemo next Monday.

All for today as we rest up for the battle tomorrow -

Thank you for your support.

Cheers,

David.

On our way home from Fort Collins Lucky

Lucky on the move in Lingle. Usually behind me, I gave him the “free” command and he took point position

Crisp 50 degree morning entering Lingle

Interesting bar on Main Street

When we rolled in last night the town center was packed to listen to a band

Fort Laramie has a storied history but today it is a dead tourist town

To all pioneers that passed this way to win and hold the west…

For Sale on Main Street

Also for Sale

Outside of the town, the historic remains of the Fort is a better place to imagine the epic story of America's western expansion as it played out on a grand scale at Fort Laramie, where the North Platte and Laramie Rivers meet.

Fort Laramie was first established in 1834 as a private fur trading post. By the 1840's, it served as an important way station for thousands of emigrants traveling the Oregon, California and Mormon Pioneer trails. After purchase by the government in 1849, it rapidly became the primary military post on the Northern Plains. Stage lines, the Pony Express, and the telegraph all passed through the post. Fort Laramie hosted several treaty negotiations with Northern Plains tribes, including the still controversial and contested Treaty of 1868. From the fort, the U.S. military launched major campaigns against the tribes, who fiercely defended their homeland. As the Indian Wars came to a close, Fort Laramie's importance diminished. The post was abandoned and sold at public auction in 1890.
The State of Wyoming purchased the property in 1937 and preservation of the site was secured in 1938 when the State donated Fort Laramie to the National Park Service. Fort Laramie National Historic Site is located 3 miles southwest of the town of Fort Laramie on State Highway 160.

Railroad that went on for miles on hold

The Platte River carved this channel. It has two forks, both originate in the high Colorado Rockies. This is the north fork of the Platte. The north fork and south fork join in western Nebraska and eventually flow into the Missouri River. As human populations have grown throughout the world, so has their need for water. Platte River water irrigates croplands in Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska—part of our nation’s breadbasket. It provides drinking water for over four million people and as many domestic animals. Competition for this water is fierce. Fish and wildlife also rely on this water to survive. Upstream and downstream wildlife use the water from the river for drinking and as a home. It is particularly important as a resting place for millions of ducks and geese as well as the nation’s largest single gathering of sandhill cranes. Vegetation growing along the river’s banks is lush because of the deep soils and available water. This vegetation, when protected and conserved, grows deep roots which hold river bank soils together, keeps the river from eroding the banks and filters soil out of the water before entering the river. River bank vegetation helps keep the river water clean for humans, fish, and wildlife.

All humans along the Platte are responsible for the river’s water. We control the destiny of humans and wildlife on the Platte. Part of our responsibility to Wyoming’s resources is its wild places and wild things."

The road up to Hartville WY located at the top of a mountain at 4,600’

The Town of Hartville was named for Col. Verling Hart stationed at old Ft. Laramie in the late 1870's when Wyoming was still a territory. The town site of 200 acres was purchased from the Federal Government for $250.00. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the deed in 1907. Hartville was incorporated in 1911. The town originally located in Laramie County became part of Platte County in 1911. Hartville has the distinction of being the "oldest small town" still inhabited in Wyoming.
Copper ore was discovered in the area in the late 1800s: soon after a large deposit of hematite iron ore was found and the company town of Sunrise was born one mile from Hartville. The mine produced iron ore until the 1980's when the mining operation ceased and the company town of Sunrise closed although much of the iron body remains today. Currently high grade limestone is quarried in the area which is used in processing sugar beets and to reduce emissions from coal fired power plants.
Hartville was a true old west town sporting thirteen saloons/gambling halls, numerous bordellos, two newspapers (The Hartville Uplift and the Iron Gazette), an opera house which held live vaudeville productions, numerous mercantile businesses, Handwritten record of the Hartville Council proceedings show issuance of liquor licenses costing as much a $1000.00 per quarter/year.
During Prohibition the saloons became "Coffee Houses" and later Ice Cream Parlors.

Hartville had a very diversified ethnic population; many Italians, Greek, Lebanese, Irish, Mexican, Spanish immigrants came to work in the iron ore mine at Sunrise and limestone quarries.

And dinner tonight…orzo with jack cheese and fresh scallions accompanied by fresh shrimp sautéed with garlic, scallions, olive oil, butter, salt and pepper - simple and simply delicious. Oh forgot he also put some love into it he tells me!