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During the spring of 2001, Tim Fagan, the South Cody Game Warden, told me he wanted to put up a flagpole at the Thorofare Patrol Cabin in the Teton Wilderness and asked for my help. I immediately agreed, and we began the planning and gathering of materials necessary to complete the task. Rather than simply taking a commercially purchased pole to the cabin, we both agreed that it needed to fit with the backcountry wilderness experience or setting. We decided to make the pole out of one of the trees burned by the 1988 fire. I gathered the hardware we needed including a pulley, rope, and top cap for the pole. Tim wanted to make it as rustic as possible and suggested some type of handmade cleat to hold the rope in place. I had Bruce Olson, a Park County Deputy Sheriff and part-time blacksmith from Powell, forge the cleat from a horseshoe.

With the plan and materials in place, Tim and I set out on horseback for the Thorofare. On July 11, 2001, we departed from the Nine Mile Trailhead in Yellowstone National Park , traveling along the east shore of Yellowstone Lake and up the Yellowstone River . We arrived at the Thorofare Patrol Cabin two days later, having spent the first night at the Cabin Creek patrol cabin. Additionally this backcountry patrol trip included checking fishermen, packing grain, and repairing the cabin.

The first few days were spent at the cabin locating, cutting, treating, and replacing the rotted bottom logs on the west side of the cabin. During the repairs, we were constantly discussing and deciding on the best location for the flagpole. With the repair completed to the cabin exterior, we began implementing the plan of the flagpole raising. First we located and cut a dead tree that was at least 30 feet long and had a top diameter to fit the aluminum cast top cap. That day we were able to finish peeling the dead bark, fit the top cap, treat the bottom four feet, and dig the hole. We also cut, peeled, and treated two posts to be used for side braces. The following day the rest of the hardware was attached to the pole, and the pole and braces were set in the ground.

Once the flagpole was in place, it was time to hoist our nation's flag. That moment had a special meaning for both of us. As a veteran and lifelong law enforcement officer, it made me proud to raise the American flag at our wilderness outpost. It gave me a feeling of comfort and pride just as I was comforted seeing the Stars and Stripes flying as I set foot on a firebase in the jungles of Vietnam some 30 years before.

To see the flag flying over the Thorofare patrol cabin with the massive Trident in the background is a reminder to all backcountry visitors of the freedoms we share in this country. It tells these visitors that someone is patrolling the backcountry, available in a time of need, and protecting the resources for future generations to enjoy.

During this trip we had the privilege to meet and visit with Tom and Meridith Brokaw as well as other guests with Yellowstone National Park ranger John Lounsbury. All who saw the colors raised at the Thorofare patrol cabin were inspired by the presence of the American flag flying in that remote setting.

The Stars and Stripes have flown over the cabin since 2001 whenever anyone is patrolling the area. It has flown proudly and also sadly at half-mast, in times such as on “9/11.” My hope is that it will always be raised with pride and dignity.

On the very next trip to the Thorofare cabin, Tim reported that the recently constructed flagpole had received the mark of approval from a visiting grizzly bear. Additionally, numerous claw and teeth marks from inquisitive grizzly bears are now evident on the pole. The flag of the great state of Wyoming has also been added under the American flag, and the local bull bison that frequent the cabin meadow have nodded their approval.

Lin Bashford is a wildlife investigator with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department who has served the State of Wyoming for 30 years. He is a U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam and has been a Boy Scout leader for several years while in the Gillette community. He has been assigned to the Cody Region since 1996.