Wyoming Man Gets His Wish of Seeing a ‘Wyoming Traffic Jam’ During Mid-Morning Cattle Drive
Here's the thing about Wyoming - the majority of us aren't in a hurry. Sure, when we're running late for work and the driver in front of us is insistent on going ten miles below the speed limit, we get a little testy. But, for the most part, we're content with taking a deep breath, having a sip of coffee, and enjoying the moment.
Such was the case with Peter Steiger. Steiger has lived in Wyoming for some time, and he has learned to appreciate the little things, the slow things, the simple things.
One of those simple things was a cattle drive that took place early last week. And, for Steiger, it was the highlight of his week.
Steiger posted a picture of a cattle drive that had temporarily slowed traffic on Happy Jack Road, near mile marker 13.
"I have been looking forward to this 'Wyoming traffic jam' every year since I first saw it 10 years ago on my way to church out Happy Jack, around the end of January / first of February," Steiger wrote on Facebook. "And yes, as you can see I pulled over to take the picture safely It's not like we were going anywhere for a while anyway..."
While this may have annoyed some people, for Steiger and others, it was simple reminder that Wyoming isn't just for the humans. It's also for the cows.
"Ron and Sylvia Eisele move their herd from one pasture to another about this time every year," Steiger told K2 Radio News. "They passed my house at Range Line around 9:30am and took the south turn on 210 about 10:30am... so that's about 2 miles an hour."
Despite the speed in which the cows were traveling, the 'traffic jam' only last a few minutes.
"We were stopped no more than 5 minutes, and as I mentioned in my post I intentionally left my house early so I could catch up to them and get some closer pictures," Steiger said. "They moved off to the shoulder long enough for cars to get by."
This drive was just one of the many that happens throughout Wyoming each year. For some people, it might be an inconvenience. But for a lot of people, for people like Peter, it's a simple pleasure; one that reminds us to slow down, to enjoy the moment, to find peace in the silence and the stillness.