photo courtesy of cityprofile.com
Dave Walsh 25 Jan ’16
It’s not just about “choppin’ wood”, there’s a whole lot more, when this Wonder takes place. It’s a late-June summertime Wonder, and has been since 1961. It’s a competitive gathering of woodchoppers and cowboys in Encampment, Wyoming. It’s the largest loggers show in the state, and pays tribute to the loggers and tie hacks who worked this area for decades.
There’s a two-day rodeo, displaying top stock and professional cowboys, that completes the competitive part of this Wonder. The parade, barbeque, a casino night, and even a melodrama that features “dancing girls”, makes it an all-round festival of fun, at the Woodchoppers Jamboree.
And it is the woodchopping events, the chopping competition itself, that makes this a unique Wonder. There’s axe throwing, tree felling, pole throwing, log bucking, axe chopping, team and two-man cross-cutting, and numerous chainsaw events.
It’s one of the more popular regional events in Wyoming, by its very definition, a large festive gathering at the Woodchoppers Jamboree, a Wonder of Wyoming.