A reporter's wild goose chase ends

One of the Tribune's longest-suffering and most inconsequential investigations has come to an appropriately frivolous end.

One of these things is not like the others.

Ever since we ran a photo of the County Road and Bridge Department performing some Bitter Creek culvert repair on Lane 7 last month, I've been trying to learn what a plastic goose was doing at the scene.

On the north side of the road, a faceless goose decoy had been strategically placed alongside the roadside cones warning oncoming travelers of the narrowed roadway.

I'd originally hypothesized the fake gander was some inventive technique to, say, keep road-undermining varmints away from the construction site. But Road and Bridge brass quickly kiboshed my bird-brained notion that it was there per department policy.

"We don't stockpile geese cones," said an amused County Project Manager Mike Collier a couple weeks back. Collier helpfully added that the set of national engineering standards used by the county "doesn't say anything about reflective geese."

The decoy stoically supervised the arrival of soil to the project.

Tonight, however, Powell Road and Bridge employee Clarence Anderson confirmed the goose was placed on the road not for any practical reason, but as a practical joke. The decoy was apparently found bobbing in Bitter Creek and the crew working on the road and culvert placed it alongside the cones for a laugh.

The goose has since taken up residence at the pond outside the Powell Road and Bridge Shop on Lane 9 West.

"I think it's still floating out there," Anderson said. "I think."

Free watercraft safety inspections Saturday

If you’d rather be safe than sorry this boating season, take advantage of the free watercraft safety inspection being offered on Saturday June 18. The free inspection is scheduled to take place between 7 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Cody Wal-Mart parking lot.

The purpose of the inspection is to ensure that boats are properly registered and equipped with safety and operational equipment. Each inspection takes approximately 15 minutes, depending upon the condition and number of watercraft present. Watercraft — which includes boats, jets skis and wave runners — that are in compliance and pass the safety inspection will receive two 2011, “Safe Boat” inspection stickers, indicating they are properly equipped with safety equipment.

“A dry-land safety inspection is a preventative measure; it could save lives,” said Cody game warden Craig Sax, who will conduct and coordinate the inspection. According to Sax, one benefit of having a game warden inspect your boat on dry land is that no citations will be issued.

“Certainly it is better to discover that something like a life jacket or fire extinguisher needs to be replaced before getting on the water,” said Sax. “You never know when an accident might occur or when you might find yourself in an emergency situation.”

The department uses a very detailed checklist while conducting the inspections and makes note of equipment for the boat owner that should be replaced or repaired.

Sax also encourages boaters to do a little home study and take the free “Boating Basics” course offered by the department.

“The boating basics course is a good way to increase your general watercraft knowledge and safety and may qualify for reduced insurance rates with some carriers,” added Sax.

For more information on the boating basics course or free watercraft inspections, call the Cody region office at 1-800-654-1178.

Beartooth Highway opens for season

After two weeks of delays caused by heavy, late spring snow conditions, U.S. Highway 212, known as the Beartooth Highway, opened to vehicle traffic at 9 a.m. today (Friday).

Friday's opening was just in time for the highway's 75th anniversary celebration, which takes place this weekend in Red Lodge, Mont.

Through a joint effort conducted each spring, snow plowing crews from both Yellowstone National Park and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) cleared the famous 67-mile passage that links the park’s Northeast Entrance with the community of Red Lodge.

The Beartooth Highway is maintained as a seasonal road that opens around Memorial Day weekend and closes by mid-October, depending on snow conditions.

This year a majority of the road spent well past its traditional opening date buried under more than 25 feet of snow and ice. In advance of the scheduled May 30 opening, MDT had cleared a section from Red Lodge to Vista Point, though the road was opened and closed several times over the next few weeks due to adverse weather and snow conditions. At the same time Yellowstone crews were forced to pull resources from the Beartooth to focus on road clearing efforts over Dunraven Pass to increase visitor access that was being affected by other weather-related delays within the park.

Each year the National Park Service clears the road from the park’s Northeast Entrance at Milepost 0.0 through Wyoming to the Montana state line at Milepost 43.1., meeting up with MDT crews that have plowed the road from Red Lodge.

Cutting through the Absoroka-Bearthtooth Wilderness, the Beartooth Highway is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies, passing through one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching more than 12,000 feet in elevation. Because of the road’s altitude, extreme weather conditions including snow, ice, rain and high winds can force road closures at a moment’s notice. In 2008 the road was closed for nearly the entire season when a rock slide caused by heavy rains buried the road.

Because of rapidly-changing conditions, motorists are encouraged to check the status of the road in advance by contacting the proper state transportation departments.

Travelers in Wyoming may dial 511; those outside of Wyoming may call 888-996-7623, or visit the Wyoming Department of Transportation website at http://www.wyoroad.info.

Travelers in Montana may dial 511; those outside Montana may call 800-226-7623, or visit the Montana Department of Transportation website at http://mdt511.com/.

For road conditions inside Yellowstone National Park, visitors can call the parks’ 24-hour road hotline at 307-344-2117 or visit http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit.

Yellowstone plans vehicle checkpoints this weekend

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) — Rangers in Yellowstone National Park will be conducting vehicle safety checkpoints this weekend (June 3-4).

The checkpoints will allow rangers to look for traffic and safety violations and watch for impaired drivers. Rangers will also hand out information on safe driving tips, seatbelt use and DUI awareness.

Yellowstone has more than 300 miles of paved roads. Park officials say driving conditions can be challenging because of heavy traffic, rapidly changing weather and visitors and wildlife on roadways.

For current road conditions in the park, call 307- 244-2117.