User:Stevesammons/Sandbox

The Clarks Fork River Valley Ranch, near Cody, Wyoming, is a pioneer river ranch complex of 170 acres located 28 miles north of Cody, Wyoming, sprawled along the shore of the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River and surround by BLM (Bureau of Land Management) property and the renowned Two Dot Ranch. The mountains to the west are part of the Shoshone National Forest home of Yellowstone National Park. The Clarks Fork Yellowstone River is known for some of the best trout fishing in America and boasts of some of the the most diverse and exciting wildlife in the world. Common visitors to the ranch are white tail deer, antelope, rabbit, fox, beaver, pelican, and an occasional black bear. On the bluffs that look over the ranch are dozens of original Native American tipi rings that are still visible today. The Clark's Fork River is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Direction to the Ranch
The journey to the ranch takes you through the storied vastness that defines Wyoming. Whether you are from the area or arrive by plane at Cody Airport the drive begins with 25 miles north on Highway 212. Soon, on the right, a small green sign points to Route 7RP. This friendly indicator marks your quiet turn on BLM property that protects the privacy and beauty of the Clarks Fork River Valley Ranch. As you travel across the wide open terrain, the majestic Bald Ridge Mountains rise in the distance. The sage brush peppers the land and the road winds gently for miles, until suddenly the valley sprawls below and the road begins to descend into the badger hole; the winding road that leads to the river. This is how the ranch earns it's name and where you'll discover the heart of the Clarks Fork River Valley Ranch.

Major Airports
102 Miles - Billings Logan International Airport BIL in Billings, Montana 27 Miles - Yellowstone Regional Airport COD in Cody, Wyoming

Fishing
Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone is the arterial nucleus of one of the West's most remote and scenic getaways. Flyfishers who cast over its crystalline water reap a sense of solitude…Their quarry is three species of wild trout…native Yellowstone cutthroat, brown trout, and rainbow trout. 

Ski Reorts
Red Lodge Mountain Resort -- is the closest ski resort to the Ranch and just an hour northwest away, and offers many big-resort amenities, in a laid-back atmosphere.

Sleeping Giant Ski Area -- is just an hour and half southwest away from the Ranch, and it is right next door to Yellowstone National Park.

Tourist Attractions
24 Miles - Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede Rodeo 163 Miles - Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park

History
The land was purchased by Joseph Felix Hoff in 1935 from SOMEBODY and they have maintained the property as a recreational property ever since.

Two Dot Ranch
Nancy Heyl Ruskowsky just recently published a book about the Two Dot Ranch which provides a wonderful history of the Two Dot. The book documents that at one time the Two Dot was considered the largest ranch in the world. It is a story of a unique part of the vast landscape of the state of north western Wyoming. The Two Dot is a privately held piece of paradise that has changed hands and purpose over the years through the efforts of the settlers, homesteaders, managers, employees, and owners who have called it home since the last quarter of the nineteenth century. There is no doubt that the Two Dot has also left its mark on those whose contact has been brief from John Colter after he and Corps of Discovery (also known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition) had succeeded in reaching the shores of the Pacific, to Chief Joseph, whose attempt to lead his people to safety in Canada took him through what would become Two Dot lands, and to the many cooks, cowboys, hunters, travelers and guests who have experienced Two Dot's grandure. While some moved on, others remained in the area and their stories and memories and those of their families are recorded here, along with more than 100 historic photos, all helping us to understand the breadth and depth of the soul of one of the most remarkable places on earth.

Felix Hoff
In 19XX history about Felix.

Ranch operations
Could be interesting to add something about the Ranch operations.

Description
The ranch is functionally divided into three sections.

Notable Historic Figures
Lewis and Clark Expedition

John Colter

Chief Joseph

Jeremiah Johnson also knows as Liver-Eating Johnson

General Oliver O. Howard

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody

Notable Landmarks
Heart Mountain (Wyoming)

Big Horn Basin

Colter's Hell

In Film & Television

 * 1) Jeremiah Johnson 1972 movie staring Robert Redford as Jeremiah Johnson []
 * 2) Chief Joseph in a 1975 TV movie I Will Fight No More Forever staring Ned Romero as Chief Joseph, Sam Elliott as Captain Wood, James Whitmore as General Oliver O. Howard
 * 3) William "Buffalo Bill" Cody []