So, here is our LOCAL moose…she is awesome!  But, as a LOCAL…you do NOT cause a “moose jam” to take a picture.  This picture was taken from my LOCAL driveway!  See the theme here…I’m so damn clever!  🙂

There are tons of perks to being a LOCAL…discounts at shops, restaurants (some, not all), and the general swagger of a LOCAL.  See, We are now LOCALS…Yes…yes we are.  I have the dirty car loaded with ski gear at any time.  I have hauled kids…ok, so they were 20 somethings.. in the back of my car with their snowboards, backcountry packs and our skis  to the Ranch Lot…the RANCH LOT!!  A LOCAL fav…3 or more in your car and its free parking!!  Which is FANTASTIC!!!  Especially since parking in the “village lot” is $30 on the weekends and $20 M-F….INSANE…if you’re a LOCAL!

Another fun thing about being a local is knowing the “in” phrases…for example….Apres Vous lift (see picture)…

Yup..that’s me taking a pic from the lift…

This lift is not “Apres Vous”…it is “AV”….for example…”Dude, I’m heading to AV and cutting over to Teton to hit the Crag”….And, it is not the Gondola…it’s “the Gondi”…but, there are 2 “Gondi’s” now…so it could be “Dude, I’m hitting the bridge Gondi” or “Dude, I’m hittin the Sweet Gondi to Casper”…I believe the majority of long time Locals (which I am not)…only refer to the Bridger as “Gondi”…but, stay tuned…I will have a LOCAL follow up lesson!

So…let’s talk about what is NOT LOCAL…this…a VERY Southern Bulldog tolerating -19 degree weather..

Yes, those are booties AND a coat….well, you walk outside on ICE and SNOW in -19 and see how YOU like it!  That being said…Maggie is a total LOCAL…she LOVES the snow and cold…not freeze your face off cold..but, cold!

So, another thing that isn’t LOCAL??  Running your car into a snow bank…and NO!!!  I did not take pictures…so…here’s the story…and I will defend myself by saying that I am a damn good snow and ice driver…unless I am looking for the perfect sunrise color….Just sayin..

So, I take Chris to the airport on a BEAUTIFUL bluebird Sunday morning…the colors are insanely beautiful…INSANE!!  Like Pixar created them….so, I drop him at the airport at about 7:15….and my plan is to make 8am mass and head back to hit the mountain for some skiing…well…it’s a good thing I’m flexible!!!!!

So I head down Gros Venture road…for us southerners…we tend to say “gross venture”…but, us LOCALS say “Gra…Vant”….that is a drug out “a”…”Graaaaa Vant”..so, please, no “gross venture”…otherwise…it may get ugly!!  :-0

So…on to my “non local adventure!!”…I’m driving….there are a couple of cars stopped taking pictures of a heard of Elk.  I go around…giggling to myself…no “Elk Jams” either people!!  Man…karma is a bitch sometimes!  Let me also tell you this road is plowed, but, still icy.  The snow banks on either side of the road are at least 4 feet tall.  I’m driving down and realize the colors are being blocked by one of the Buttes…so…I CAREFULLY do a perfect 3 point turn to head back the other way to get the picture.  And, I am silently congratulating myself for really working my 4WD…I can drive in anything now!!

Ok..I’m driving along, pretty slowly…and I look in my side view mirror to check the colors…and BAM!!!  All of the sudden there is snow all over my windshield….what the hell just happened??  Well…I ran directly into the snow bank…BAM…SNOW…Well, crap.  no biggie…I have 4WD…so, I put my baby in 4L…put her in reverse and…….NOTHING!!!  No movement but spinning tires…well crap.  Ok..no big deal….I have AAA!  PERFECT!  NOT!!!!!  I call the 1-800 number and get the rudest person I have ever had….I’m telling her what happened…I tell her where I am…she’s arguing with me because she says she can’t send anyone out of the roads aren’t plowed…honey..I have told you 5 times the roads are plowed…but, still have some ice…”well, if it’s ice and not plowed I can’t send a truck”…that was just the beginning…..then, I have to provide a cross street….this crazy woman has clearly NEVER been to Wyoming….WOMAN…there is no cross street for FIVE FREAKING MILES!!!!!  At this point, I’m about to get out and dig myself out….BUT….just as I am about to lose my temper…..a big white Dodge Ram 2500 pulls up beside me!!  “Miss, looks like you got yourself into a little bind”….I immediately hang up on AAA…thank goodness before I could say some things that I would have to spend an hour in the confessional….

So, 2 of the kindest Wyoming Wilderness Men…that is what I have named them…as…they were full on Wyoming Wilderness Men (WWM)…they back up, hook up my car and BAM!  I’m pulled out in about 30 seconds….albeit, I believe the driver was having a ton of fun sliding all around….I think I actually heard him laughing as he pulled me out…(I would prefer to think he was having fun and not laughing AT me!!)…so, I’m all pulled out of the snow bank…the WWM wouldn’t take anything for their troubles…They said they had pulled 4 people out that week…so, I gave them huge hugs, got in my car and headed home….I had missed 8am mass…no biggie!  The beauty of being catholic…theres always another mass!! (I made the 10)

To top it all off….I NEVER GOT THE DAMN PICTURE!!!!  And, I sure as hell didn’t take any pictures of my car in the snow bank as I didn’t want Chris to have a minor heart attack!

There ya have it….we are LOCALS…(almost) since we are still learning the ways of the Wild West.  Stay tuned for more adventures…just hopefully, not any involving snow banks and stuck cars!!

Enjoy the picture below…and STAY WILD!!