It's day 436...it's also July 15 2020...and we are in Fontenelle Wyoming

It's day 436...it's also July 15 2020...and we are in Fontenelle Wyoming

We spent three days atop that bluff on Wild Horse Loop....soaking in the view. The Green River....and the communities that surround it.....both Rock Springs and Green River. Some really cool stuff.....

And....no surprise.....we didn’t make it far..... out of Green River before another spot caught our eye.... A quick right off of the highway and we wound our way down into a campground on the the banks of Fontenelle Reservoir....and another interesting story.....this one about a project that began as a water reclamation...and irrigation project....that would initially stall out....when it was discovered that an irrigation project in the fossil rich highlands of this part of Wyoming....could potentially do harm to the environment. And the project would shift gears....moving forward as a reclamation project only....ensuring that no harm....only benefit...come to this unique landscape in Wyoming.

The campground is called Fontenelle Creek Campgrounds.... and it appeared near abandoned....which I think....is why we pulled in...... Built in the 70’s by Army Corps of Engineers, with touch ups here and there more recently, and there were just three of us here…leaving the other 40 or so sites vacant. The grounds were over grown with weeds and the camp host site was vacant…only a payment drop box appeared somewhat maintained…kindly asking us to deposit $17.50 for our stay. Electricity was available…so a peaceful spot with a decent view to hang out for the night. I drifted off to sleep wondering if this tattered and lonely feeling campground...in it's current state was the result of Covid 19….or something more? Budget cuts perhaps....the lack of attention and upkeep certainly felt older than Covid 19....maybe it was a little of both....Also...a little curiosity around exactly where we were.....phone couldn't really decide between Fontenelle....and Kemmerer Wyoming. Easy to understand it's confusion....internet tells me that there is indeed a "place" called Fontenelle in Wyoming....but with a population of 5.....I'm guessing we're seeing what there is to see of it.....

Our night here on the shores of Fontenell....was also another example of an area we had already passed thru once. On our initial journey from Washington State....through Oregon...Idaho....and further east.....we had actually passed thru Kemmerer Wyoming. The other side of it I guess. When we had stopped for a burger....and some gas at a truck stop....and then spent the night on that Muddy Creek Switchback road......we had no idea that just a few miles away.....we'd be sitting here...enjoying the lake....and learning more about this place called Kemmerer...Wyoming...

A quiet little community of some 2500.....born in 1897....as the country was experiencing significant industrial expansion. Here in Kemmerer....named for on the original financial backers.....it would be the discovery of coal that would put this piece of Wyoming on the map. In later years....oil...and natural gas would join the list of economic drivers in the town.

The discovery of rich fossil beds in the region would also come to ad to its appeal. The establishment of the Fossil Butte National Monument in 1972.... Over 8000 acres in a region...that some 50 million years ago....was home to a massive lake. The lakes calm, oxygen-poor bottm helped to preserve countless specimens. But unlike the Dinosaur National Monument we had just spent so much time in...and around....over here.....it's not about the Dinosaurs.....it's about the incredible samplings of the fish...the insects....the reptiles and the birds that lived in the region....explaining why the area continues to draw scientists....paleontologists.....and even just curious sorts...like us...from around the world. It's another one of those places.....like so many we've experienced along our journey....that I look across and try to imagine a time....when the area was so much different than it is today....a time when a sub tropical climate...and landscape played host to crocodiles....turtles....countless fish and birds....that would all become part of the fossil beds we're lookin at today in these high desert mountains.

And then....one more click.....and another "who Knew" discovery. It was right here in Kemmerer...in April of 1902 .....a guy that had worked for successful mercantile supply stores from Missouri...to Colorado and Wyoming.....would pick Kemmerer as the site for a store of his very own. He named the store "The Golden Rule"....he knew that if he understood his customers needs.....and treated them as he would want to be treated himself....the Kemmerer community....and it's success in the coal mining industry....would be the perfect place for his very own store.

That guys name....was James Cash Penney....and he was right. The mining community in Kemmerer did indeed appreciate his honest approach... courtesy...and fair prices.

So much so....that early success in Kemmerer would enable James to begin opening more stores in the region. He honed that keen awareness to his customers needs......and committment to quality products.....and success....just kept coming for James.

His Golden rule philosophy had led to the establishment of 34 stores across the western United States by 1913. That same year....James would rebrand the chain....and began calling it JC Penney. The company continued to expand rapidly.... Under the leadership of James.....the company would continue the focus on quality...and customer satisfaction....while modernizing the stores....expanding product lines. And At its height in the late 20th century, J.C. Penney operated over 2,000 stores nationwide and was considered one of the largest and most successful department store chains in the Country.

It was sorta...I dunno.....ironic? maybe even weird to read....or be reminded of all this success.....when I had just learned of the companies bankruptcy earlier this year. I also think the story of JC Penney....is a perfect example of what happens when a company shifts it's focus from quality....and customer satisfaction....to profit....and board member greed. But at the same time....it made me glad....that James isn't around to see what happened to his dream. The internet tells me that James never really did retire...he pulled away from the operations a bit in the 1940's....but remained active on the company's board until his passing in 1971....while the company was still growing. I thought.....at least James passed away while his dream was still alive and well.....long before it fell victim to complacency....and let a new retail world pass it by. And there are corners of the internet that speak of the company refocusing on some of those core beliefs....the ones James believed in....and working to find a new way forward. I personally hope....that somewhere in that 600 store chain of today....there's a belief in James original vision....and maybe a rebirth....of an American success story....

A lot of history in this little town of Kemmerer. Looks like a place working hard to hold onto that history.....remain focused on being the energy provider it is.....and holding onto it's place by investing in renewable energy sources like wind....and solar. Recent projects in both these industries continue to point Kemmerer in the direction of the future.

Another random piece of info.....Night electrofishing....a term I'd never heard before......a video online caught my attentions as the folks from Wyomings Fish and Wildlife department launched their boat into the reservior in the dark of night...... and I'd learn that night electrofishing is a technique used by researchers and fisheries managers to collect data on fish populations. This method involves using an electric field to temporarily stun fish, making them easier to capture, examine, and then release back into the water.....I wondered....was that like a tazer...for fish? The electric field is generated using specialized equipment, and the technique is often performed at night because many fish species are more active and easier to locate during this time. This method is non-lethal and allows for the study of various fish species without causing significant harm.

We awoke alongside the reservoir to a 47 degree morning and the day would just barely top out at 80 degrees. It was clear we were the beneficiaries of the shift in Elevation in the area.....sitting at around 7000 feet in the air... ... The mountains soften up a bit loosing the jagged peaks we saw around Rock Springs and Green River. The morning breezes swoosh in off those mountains, across the lake and into camp making for pretty awesome start to the day. And staring out at the open land around us…and the vehicles passing by on the highway in the distance…as the sun cast the familiar rainbow of color onto the morning. The lakes calm mirror surface reflecting it’s light…the same way it had the reflection of the moon the night before. As if the universe was simply waiting.....waiting for that morning sun to begin penetrating the air....and the lake....with it's warmth.....

As we packed up and rolled out for another day....back out onto the highway and further into this northwest corner of the Equality State....no idea how far we'd get before our next address....

But I wonder we'll learn there