When I am not writing or researching for a book, I enjoy playing chess, watching college wrestling, and following the Colorado Rockies baseball team. My partner, Barbara, and I owned two horses up until a couple of years ago. I enjoyed feeding and watering them, and just walking with them in our pasture just to stay acquainted. One of them named Ugly, followed me whenever I was in the pasture, and sniffed my back pocket for treats. They brought back fond memories I have about growing up on the ranch and riding the high lonesome.
There are important stories about Wyoming that have yet to be told in their entirety. We suffer from the nearsightedness of what the screenplay of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” says: “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes Fact, print the legend.” Facts have always interested me more than legends.
“Big Nose George: His Troublesome Trail” is my attempt to sift through the legend of this outlaw and focus on supported facts. It has been difficult, but quite rewarding. I know our theories about these events may evolve over time, but I hope to have provided some fuel to the fire of curiosity.