The Hole In The Wall!!

My Daddy and I have wanted to go to this place for a long time and it was everything we ever thought it would be and more!! Let me give you a little background info on just what exactly the Hole In The Wall is...
In Southwest Johnson County, WY and extending into Natrona County, WY is an escarpment of red sandstone known as the "Red Wall." In fifty miles, it is broken only by one deep vee-shaped canyon which at the far end narrows into a funnel shape and provides the only access from the east to an amazing fertile valley. Both the valley, lying between the Red Wall and the Big Horn Mountains to the west, and the canyon are called the "Hole in the Wall." The area was (and still is) isolated. It's not literally a hole in a wall...the hole refers to the valley, kind of like Jackson Hole, there is no hole in Jackson...the hole means valley!

Anywho! In this area in the 1880's and the 1890's, rustlers would graze stolen cattle and would provide refuge to outlaws. Thus, inhabitants of the six cabins that stood in the valley were known as the "Hole in the Wall Gang." Members of the gang included Bob Smith, Al Smith, Bob Taylor, George Currie, Tom O'Day, and the Roberts Brothers. Others who stayed at the Hole in the Wall, included Robert Leroy Parker (Butch Cassidy), Harry Longbaugh (the Sundance Kid - my personal fave), and Harvey Alexander Logan (Kid Curry). Jesse James is also reported to have visited the Hole in the Wall. It was soo hard to find the one and only entrance to this valley, that lawmen could never catch the outlaws..much less dared riding into a death trap! There is a TON of history there and we all now how much I love history :)


We rode with the ranch owner and our personal tour guide out 12 miles on old dirt ranch roads to get to the Camp! This area was actually home to Butch and Sundance's cabin, but the cabin has since been moved to Cody, WY on display for all to see! The Buffalo Creek flows where all those trees are.


The Red Wall behind us...

The Camp behind us....

All saddled up ready to go!! We rode 6 hours...for somebody who doesn't ride on a regular basis, that is ALOT!!! I am still a little sore..hehe!

This is the only passable trail to get to the Hole in the Wall ...there have been landslides since Butch and Sundance's day, so you can no longer (unless you are insane) ride a horse up it! However you can walk up it, if you choose! Of course Daddy was the first to hop off his mount and hike up....do I even have to tell you that I stayed behind?!?! to take pics of course!! haha!!

Seriously it was SOOO high up...almost straight up!! I would have died from exhaustion or clumsiness!

He made it all the way to the top and waved back at me!! He looked like a little ant!

Soo cool!!! Daddy on Red Man and me on Reno at the Hole In The Wall!

This was right after we had a picnic lunch on the Buffalo Creek under some cottonwood trees! What could be better??

Red Man LOVED to have a drink every time we crossed water! We were riding in mountains so I guess he needed it!

This is one of the old cabins...Alexander Ghent lived here, he raised Thoroughbreds for the outlaws. There was a natural spring just beyond this cabin that he got all his water from. It turned out to have arsenic in it which poisoned him over time...he ended up selling his place and moving to Arkansas for the hot springs!

Ghent's old barn...amazing how much is actually left standing!

Me and Daddy cheesin!! We had such a good time!!! We even got to ride the old Stage Coach/ Sioux Indian trail....we saw buffalo jumps, tepee rings, and the old stage coach bridge that is now at the bottom of a gorge!! crazy!!

Next up the cookout and entertainment!! :)