WINTER OF 1931

I was complaining of how many times I’ve plowed snow this winter, and how the snow just won’t let up. The long, frigid winter is now into April.

And then my mind went back to a story Grandma Angell related to me many years ago. Grandma said the year was 1931 and she and Grandpa were living at Staley Springs, on Henry’s Lake. Winter had been a force to reckon with. March 21 had come and gone and still no sign of winter leaving.

The late March day started out like any other day — morning chores always before breakfast and then a hearty meal of bacon, fried potatoes and hotcakes to start the day with a full stomach.

Grandma’s three oldest children attended school two and a half miles away from home. The weather appeared to be clear, so Sunshine and Moonie, the team of horses, were harnessed and hooked up to the sleigh. The sleigh was big enough to accommodate at least 8-10 people and had a homemade burn barrel in between the benches to at least keep your hands warm.The oldest son drove his sister and brother to school. Grandma said she waved goodbye and didn’t give a second thought as to the possibility of a winter storm.

About midday she began to feel uneasy, looked out the window and saw a nasty blizzard blowing across Henry’s Lake and toward their home.

The one-room schoolhouse would be toasty warm with the potbelly stove burning an abundance of lodgepole pine and quaking aspen. Grandma knew the children would be safe as long as they stayed put in the schoolhouse. If they started back, they might not make it through the blizzard.

Grandpa determined he needed to warn the kids at school. He bundled up with layers of wool, newspapers wrapped around his shoes, and then slipped on his overshoes. That particular practice was used to keep your feet warmer. He then slipped on his snowshoes, hugged Grandma and ventured out into the blizzard.

Visibility was almost zero, so he walked alongside a barbed-wire fence, hand over hand on the wire for the two-and-a-half miles until he reached the school safely. He said he didn’t dare let go of the fence for fear the intense blizzard wind would blow him off course and be lost.

The children at the school were instructed to stay at the schoolhouse for the night and not attempt to go home. The schoolmarm and her mother would see to their needs. The horses had shelter in the barn so Grandpa threw them a couple extra flakes of hay.

As soon as he knew everyone and everything was safe, he bundled up again and dared the twoand-a half-mile walk, hand over hand on the barbed-wire fence, until he arrived safely at home to the rest of the family. Grandma told me that while Grandpa was gone, those hours were the longest of her life.

After recounting Grandma’s story, I realized I have never had it so good. When I get cold, sitting on the tractor, I go inside, throw another block of wood on the fire and warm up. I don’t believe I have the constitution of my grandparents yet. I have never been so blessed. It complaining.

Is Time For Me To Stop

~~~Bryce Angell

Bryce Angell - The outdoors has always been a large part of my life. My father was an outfitter and guide for 35 years and I was there to shoe and care for the horses and help him do the cooking. We took many great trips into the Yellowstone area. Even now that I’m older, we still ride into the Tetons, Yellowstone and surrounding areas. My poems are mostly of personal experience. I am now retired and enjoying life to the fullest. I plan to do more riding and writing.

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by RAIZA GIORGI

Creating a place for community and family was as important to Rian Salvatierra and her husband Chris when they were dreaming of opening their own wine bar. Roots Wine Bar opened in September of 2022 and Rian said she was nervous at first because she wasn’t sure about the reception, but the community has welcomed them with open arms.

“Our whole business model is to give back to the community because this is where we want to raise our family, and celebrate our roots in wine and the valley. We have a lot of connections with wineries and winemakers all over the Northwest and we have a connection to each bottle we pour,” she said.

They choose the wine selection primarily through their connections to either the winemaker or landowners and based on who practices a combination of low-intervention winemaking and sustainable or biodynamic vineyards.

“We want a strong sense of place, or terroir. You can taste the wine that has a unique sense of place, and where the winemaker doesn’t intervene on the natural approach,”

Rian said. “There is no one that doesn’t like wine, but if there is, I can find them something they will like.”

She added that they love carrying labels that have interesting and unique stories behind the bottle or brand. “Wine is always a conversation starter and brought me around the world. I have met some of the coolest people I’ve ever met in this industry,” said Rian, who got her education in communication.

Chris Salvatierra is originally from Washington, D.C., and is a certified sommelier. His passion for wine and food led him to Napa Valley, where he met Rian working at a restaurant.

Roots is hosting ‘take over’ events where they invite the winemaker, representative or sommelier to do a special tasting of the wine they represent. They’ve also done pop-up wine and beer dinners, where they pair wines with a five-course meal. The Salvatierras said they are planning a variety of spring and summer events and are launching a wine club called the Roots Cru, as well.

“My husband is going to be leading educational