A very long time ago I made the transition from California to Wyoming in search of construction work. My oldest brother lived in Riverton and told that there was plenty of opportunities for employment. I drove up there with a friend and started on a series of adventures that brought me very close to death several times. Everything took place in about a four month period of time.
When we arrived in Wyoming I found that my brother and his wife had decided that we were not welcome to stay in their home. Fair enough.... He told us to follow him and he would show us where we would be living. OK, at this point in my life I was used to rough living but this was on another level. He took us to a cabin way out in the country that consisted of one room with a propane cooker, not a stove! The toilet and showers were just a short walk away! It had not yet gotten cold but that was coming. I was 20 miles out of town with winter coming. Have you been to beautiful Wyoming in the winter? I grew up in North Dakota and Montana so I had some idea of what was coming!
After a short while my friend hot footed it back to California and took her car with her. I had found work building flood dams way out in the middle of nowhere but now had to find transportation. My other brother Gilbert loaned me a car which was very gracious of him. Thank you sir! It was an old car but it ran. When I think of this car... "hoopdie" comes to mind.
I will save the story of how I was almost executed for being a narcotics officer for another time...oh yes, Wyoming was fun. Also a near catastrophic encounter with a couple of one percenter motorcycle club members. Wyoming is home to a pretty notorious motorcycle club believe it or not. I am not naming names...
I transitioned into a job in Riverton when the dams were completed which was a bit better. It was now cold winter and I was working for a guy building a restaurant in town and had decided that California was a better place after all. One day after work my boss was complaining about how he was in the middle of a divorce and was stuck with car payments on a beautiful yellow Corvette convertible. After a bit, he suggested that I take the said car and go somewhere else. He would give me 24 hours and then report it as stolen...great idea right?
I procured the Corvette and took it back to my cabin which had lost it's charm pretty quickly. I had my black BSA chopper, some books, clothes and a German Shepherd puppy which needed to rapidly fit into the Corvette. I removed the passenger seat and disassembled the motorcycle and stuffed everything in the car and took off for California with the puppy on my lap. After almost wrecking the car twice in the mountains I drove to California in 24 hours. Driving through Nevada I was clocking over 100 mph the whole way. I might be wrong but I don't believe that Nevada had a day time speed limit at that time, some states didn't.
Long story short...the guy didn't give me 24 hours and I was arrested in Vallejo for grand theft auto and it was serious because I had crossed multiple state lines. After hanging out in the Solano county jail for a month or so I was extradited back to Wyoming in the back of the Sheriffs car in handcuffs and chains.
Solano County Jail was not at that time for the faint of heart. People doing long sentences in the most notorious prisons in California would go the county jail when being resentenced or going for an appeal. I am telling you...you had better learn some things very quickly ! County jail was possibly worse than prison?
The Sheriff decided that since had to go pick me up that he would make it a vacation for him and his wife. They were actually pretty kind to me, thank you. No, you don't stay in a hotel overnight when being extradited! A very interesting journey for sure....
My BSA ended up in the trunk of a friends car for several months which is another story. A big thank you to the Coll family, you were great!
When I got back to Wyoming I was locked up in the county jail and awaited trial. That's an experience that impacted me even to this day....yikes!
My brother did help me out by talking to the Sheriff and then the Sheriff found my old boss and the whole story got changed so that I was found not guilty and released. I really had not stolen the car and he sure couldn't claim insurance fraud now could he ?
I spell Sheriff with a capitol letter because the person holding that office has a lot of power and authority and deserve some respect. Most of them are pretty fair because they see a lot.
It was now January or February and the winter had fully set in. The day I was released my brother gave me a dollar, a blanket and a bible and then took me out of town and let me out of his truck. I think he might have bought me breakfast first? Have a nice trip! You know, amazing enough I was completely happy. It was early days yet.
I hitch hiked from Riverton to Vallejo, California in dead winter. Some people were cool and some not so much. Mostly I rode with truckers, a few hippies and some other strange individuals. I walked for miles leaving Salt Lake City, some trucker had let me out at a truck stop and it was dead night and cold. To stay warm I walked until the sun came up and then just sat by the road until my next ride. The sun was up and it was a bit warmer. I got a ride with a guy in a VW bug and he took me as far as Lake Tahoe where a full blown blizzard had blown in. I mean cold and a lot of snow. He parked for the night but it was cold and I got out and walked over to a cafe which was next to the road closure station. I couldn't buy anything but a police officer saw me and bought me some coffee and something to eat. Thank you sir! I had a lot of experiences with law enforcement officers and I found most of them to be fair and would go as far as they could to help you if you gave them some respect and didn't lie to them. Almost everybody lies !
It was the middle of the night and they had were getting ready to close the pass. I was back out on the road trying to get a ride. The picture I show is how I looked so I don't blame folks for not letting me ride with them. Cars would drive by and splash slush on me and it was cold!! I walked over to the police officer that was letting trucks and pickups with four wheel drive get through. I told him, "if you don't get me a ride I'm going to freeze to death." The last pickup truck they were letting through was driven by two drunk cowboys. The officer insisted that they let me in and they did. To be honest, after a few miles they were pretty cool about it. They gave me a pack of smokes and a few dollars and took me as far as Sacramento. Man I'm telling you, sunny California looked good!
My life was a mess and my prospects were slim. But really... a dollar, a blanket and a bible?
