October 31, 2024 - Happy Halloween.

 October 30, 2024 - A walk by the red corrals.

October 29, 2024 - Prairie Rattlesnake in the yellow, smoke-filtered light last month.

 

October 28, 2024 - Lazy summer afternoon. 

 

October 27, 2024 - Fire in the sky.

October 26, 2024 - Whitetails in the brush patch at sunrise.

 

October 25, 2024 - Fall colors above the front gate.

 

October 24, 2024 - Migrating Sandhill Cranes circling in the autumn sky above Wolf Creek.

 

October 23, 2024 - October 19th was a brilliantly clear day.  The skies which had been filled with smoke for 23 days were bright blue.  By October 19th the Elk Fire had burned over 96,000 acres; but this day it was nearly defeated without loss of life and only minimal structural losses thanks to the prolonged and dedicated efforts of over 950 firefighters plus volunteers, and the gift of moisture from the sky.

 

October 22, 2024 -  We had just a sliver of sunlight at dawn on October 17th as the fire burned on a Soldier Creek ridge.  It began to rain an hour later and after lunch the rain turned to snow.  It rained and snowed into the late afternoon.  The next morning we got our first look at a very welcome snowfall, and the effects of the Elk Fire.

 

 

October 21, 2024 - On October 16th a mild, but rare southwest wind carried smoke back north along the face of the mountain and our way from the top of the mountain.  But, thanks to the efforts of the 900+ firefighters, we had escaped the Elk Fire unscathed and were still standing.  The weather report on the 16th called for cool weather possibly bringing moisture the next day.

 

October 20, 2024 - On October 13th, 14th, and 15th the front line of the fire continued to move south; although some flare-ups continued to burn in the canyons near us, most notably Soldier Creek.

  

October 19, 2024 - On October 11th and 12th the Elk Fire continued to burn near Wolf Canyon and in  Big Goose Canyon.  Smoke filled the air.  The amount of  resources devoted to the fire was truly impressive.  Antelope above Big Goose Valley.

October 18, 2024 - In the afternoon of October 9th we rode with our neighbor up to the tree line on the ranch as spot fires continued to burn along the face of the mountain.  In the early hours of October 10th I watched a fire flare up on the south slope in Wolf Canyon.  The Elk Fire continued to move and burn south beyond Big Goose Canyon.

October 17, 2024 - On October 8th and 9th the fire burned on the north side of Big Goose Canyon.  Fire fighting personnel monitored the fire and containment efforts from PK Lane as smoke filled Big Goose Valley.

 

 October 16, 2024 - The Elk Fire burning along the east slope of the Bighorn Mountains on October 7th.