This fabulous home is situated on 20 acres with grand views of the dramatic Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains. The large great room has a wall of windows that capture and frame these mountain views. Ceilings in the great room are pine tongue and groove and vaulted. A pellet stove adds coziness and warmth. The kitchen is open to the great room with an eating bar that seats four. Off the kitchen is a breakfast nook and laundry room. There are 2 guest bedrooms and guest bathroom. The master bedroom has patio doors looking out into the garden area and Heart Mountain. The shop/garage is the perfect place for hobbies and storage. $219,000 MORE INFORMATION

Horse Lovers Dream – This property has it all for the horse lover. The home features 3120 square feet of living space. The main floor features an open great room. The kitchen has a large eating bar with offer good working space. The breakfast nook has windows on 3 sides offering great views of the Big Horn Mountains. There are 2 bedrooms and 1 bath on the main living level. On the lower level, there is family room with a moss rock gas fireplace, bedroom, office, ¾ bath, and laundry and storage room. Heat is forced air propane with central air conditioning.The roping arena is 18,000 square feet measuring 60 feet by 300 feet. MORE INFORMATION

 Situated on 20 acres, this 2400 square foot home features an open floor plan with 3 bedrooms and 2 ½ baths. The kitchen has good work space and is open to the great room. The great room is spacious with 2 sets of French doors and windows that take in the impressive views. There are ceiling fans in every room with speed controls and dimmers. Ten foot ceilings give a spacious feeling to the home. Heating is forced air with central air conditioning. A wrap around deck offers a place for quiet relaxation while enjoying the magnificent mountain views. The shop is divided into an insulated work shop, storage room and enclosed parking for 2 vehicles. Gentle rolling terrain offers contour and interest to the property. It is a short drive down the road to fishing on the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. Or take the horses and ride forever from the property onto the BLM which connects to the National Forest and the Clarks Fork River. $225,000

23 Acres with Alkali Creek being the north border located between Cody and Powell. Utilities along the road.

$140,000 

If you are looking at land for sale that does not have irrigation or just looking for a home site, you most likely will be drilling a well.  This is done by obtaining a permit from the State Engineer’s office.  The cost is $50 for the application.  When the well is complete and hooked up to a power source, a Completion Statement is filled out and sent into the State Engineer’s office.  They will then adjudicate the water right to that property and assign a number.  A domestic well allows for watering of one acre around the home site. 

For additional information on water rights in the State of Wyoming, contact the State Engineer’s Office, http://seo.state.wy.us/index.aspx

Rocky Mountain goats inhabit the alpine meadows in high elevations in the Rocky Mountains. They are not a true goat, but are close relatives. They are sure footed often seen climbing along sheer mountain cliffs. I saw these grazing on a drive over the Beartooth Mountains yesterday. They are a magnificent sight. This elevation was probably about 10,000 feet.

The Beartooth Mountains were named after this formation. In the middle of the picture, you will see the ‘Bear’s Tooth.

As I drove to lower elevations of about 7,000 to 8,000 feet, I passed one field after another of magnificent splashes of color with the wildflowers in a massive bloom.

Indian Paintbrush, Wyoming’s State Flower

This rock formation on the way to the East Gate is known as the ‘Holy City.” It is called this as it resembles the sillouette of the ancient city of Jerusalem. It was formed millions of years ago by volacanic activity.

Chimney Rock is another unique formation on the road from Cody to Yellowstone.

Elephant Head is another interesting formation on the way Yellowstone

As we drive through the East Gate and up Sylvan Pass, we see evidence of the heavy snow melt as water cascades down the sides of the mountain.

As we drive through an open meadow before Yellowstone Lake, we see a field of beautiful wildflowers.This was an exceptional year for snow in the mountains during late Spring. Thus, the rivers are flowing at maximum. This is the Yellowstone River where we had lunch. You can see the trees in the middle of the river.This was a small island now covered by water.

Mud pots in Yellowstone are present where hot water is limited and hydrogen sulfide gas is present and sulfuric acid is generated. The hydrogen sulfide gas emits an odor smelling like rotten eggs. Our next stop was Artist Point and the Grand Canyon of YellowstoneFlowers on Dunraven Pass

Buffalo in Lamar ValleyAnd we came back home through the Northeast Gate, down off Dead Pass in time to barbeque steaks.

Last fall, I scattered seeds and was pleasantly surprised this spring to see the results.

Yucca is a native plant to this area. Normally, when you look across the prairie, you will notice them only when you are close up. This year they were in full bloom. I only see displays like this about every 3 years, so this was a very special year for the Yucca.

On our trip on Sunday, we saw people skiing, snow boarding and snow mobiling. If you look at the top, you will see 2 skiers ready to launch down the mountain.

Returning home to the base of the Beartooth Mountains in Clark, we came to green prairies and wildflowers blooming.

Soon after driving into the Park, we saw a young grizzly bear near Soda Butte Creek.

We drove a short way into Lamar Valley and turned around. The East Gate was closed due to avalanches. The Sunday afternoon drive was relaxing as we took in the awe inspiring views of the spectacular mountains in our backyard.

The Chief Joseph Highway starts at Wyoming Highway 120 and ends about 46 miles at the Beartooth Highway. From there you travel through the Two Dot Ranch for about 8 miles till you enter the Shoshone National Forest. Mule deer along with other wildlife is abudant. The rock formations and colors are stunning. Each time I reach the top of Dead Indian Pass, my breath is taken away with the beauty of the snow covered peaks with several peaks being over 12,000 feet.

There are many trailheads for hiking and riding off the highway. Sunlight Basin offers another scenic drive to the back country. As we travel along the Clarks Fork River, we look across to the Beartooth Mountains. The Clarks Fork River and Canyon is the division between the Beartooth Mountains(glacier formation) and the Absaroka Mountains(volcanic formation).After we pass through the community of Crandal, I get my first glimpse of Pilot and Index Peaks. This to me is always the crowning jewel of the drive. Today, they were covered deeply in snow, promising the valleys below a good spring run off.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch and returned home after a relaxing drive. I will travel this highway many more times in the coming months as one of my favorite excursions. All of this is just in our backyard living in Northwestern Wyoming.