Winter Driving Riverton to Shoshoni? (Gillette, Lander: home, high school, college)

[Froggie Legs]

Is this a fairly open route in the winter barring extreme weather situations? I'm asking as there is a teaching job in Shoshoni, but we would want to live in a larger town where my husband would have more business opportunity. Just wondering if I should apply and consider commuting. I honestly can't remember what the road between Riverton and Shoshoni is like.

[Brian_M]

It's not usually bad (20 miles), but when it is bad, you don't want to be driving... just like all the rest of the roads in the state. It's generally better than the Lander-Riverton section.

[GEORGIAINMT]

Originally Posted by Froggie Legs

Is this a fairly open route in the winter barring extreme weather situations? I'm asking as there is a teaching job in Shoshoni, but we would want to live in a larger town where my husband would have more business opportunity. Just wondering if I should apply and consider commuting. I honestly can't remember what the road between Riverton and Shoshoni is like.

I commuted every weekday for college from Thermop to Riverton and never had any problems between Shoshoni & Riverton. The canyon between Thermop & Shoshoni was the bad part! True, there were some days when it was icy and the wind can really blow out there, but you just have to drive slowly and be careful. 20 miles isn't that far. As a teacher, you may have more trouble in the mornings when the roads are bad being you'll probably have to leave home before it's very light outside, but at least you can make it home before dark. If the roads get so bad that you shouldn't be on them they are generally closed. Also, small town schools like Shoshoni have a lot of rural kids, so if weather is that bad, then they either cancel school for the day or send everyone home early, etc. I would definitely rather live in Riverton than Shoshoni for your family's sake. Shoshoni is a nice little town, but there's not much there. Have you considered teaching anywhere else? We still have quite a few openings here in Gillette and are getting a nice pay raise for next year. Pay isn't everything, but it sure is nice making the most you can when you consider how hard you work & the # of hours you put into your job! Best wishes to you!
Georgia

[Froggie Legs]

Originally Posted by GEORGIAINMT

I commuted every weekday for college from Thermop to Riverton and never had any problems between Shoshoni & Riverton. The canyon between Thermop & Shoshoni was the bad part! True, there were some days when it was icy and the wind can really blow out there, but you just have to drive slowly and be careful. 20 miles isn't that far. As a teacher, you may have more trouble in the mornings when the roads are bad being you'll probably have to leave home before it's very light outside, but at least you can make it home before dark. If the roads get so bad that you shouldn't be on them they are generally closed. Also, small town schools like Shoshoni have a lot of rural kids, so if weather is that bad, then they either cancel school for the day or send everyone home early, etc. I would definitely rather live in Riverton than Shoshoni for your family's sake. Shoshoni is a nice little town, but there's not much there.

I've been driving 20+ miles all winter to my student teaching job on Minne-snow-tah roads so it probably wouldn't be much different, but I wanted to make certain. Thanks for the info

Originally Posted by GEORGIAINMT

Have you considered teaching anywhere else? We still have quite a few openings here in Gillette and are getting a nice pay raise for next year. Pay isn't everything, but it sure is nice making the most you can when you consider how hard you work & the # of hours you put into your job! Best wishes to you!
Georgia

I'm really just looking in Fremont county as I have family there, and know the area (somewhat) and I miss the mountains, red-rock canyons, and sagebrush deserts! Gillette sounds more like a North Dakota town... not mountainous??...but I'll keep it in mind. Especially since there has only been two job listings for English teachers here within 100 miles of my home, and the prospects are looking bleak due to all of the recent lay offs and budget cuts statewide. Lots of teachers and few jobs! I will let my friends who are graduating at the same time know that there are possibles. Is it all grades and disciplines that are hiring? Do you have a link?

Though the job in Shoshoni is for 8th grade, and I'm hoping to teach high school, I'm thinking experience in whatever grade might be a good thing.

Plus Shoshoni has a great place for milk shakes, from what I remember

[GEORGIAINMT]

The openings available in our district seem to change on a weekly basis. One week there are a lot of elem. jobs, the next a few high school positions, the next lots of SPED, etc. You just have to watch the website. It is:
ccsd.k12.wy.us. I remember you saying you have family in Fremont Co. so it does make sense that you focus there. My brother lived in Riverton for many, many years and loved it there. He only moved because of his job.