By Lynn Pribus
Bill Choate, 67, started on the road in 1962. "I was in 48 states and 5 provinces," he recalls of his days leased to International Transport.
Now retired in Gillette, Wyo., Bill and Carole, his wife of 48 years (who rode with him for five years) are still on the road in the summer, but at a much slower speed. Bill, you see, is wagon master for Spiritriders, a wagon train company based in Casper, Wyo. He oversees the harnessing of the teams each morning including his own pair named Queen and Belle. Bill also gets all the wagons moving and sets the pace, frequently stopping the teams for a rest on long upgrades. And that's just for starters.
"The wagon master's role is a big one," says Mikel Carmon, owner of Spritiriders. "Folks look to him for expertise, an ability to get us there, fix things, teach people, know the trail, and 'get it done' when challenges arise."
Bill's love of wagons dates way back. "I was about 10 when my granddad moved to a new farm and I rode with him on a wagon about 25 miles," he says. "It always stuck in my mind as 'what a way to travel.'"
"When you're in a truck," Bill says, "there's always an urgency to reach the destination just like the Army. Hurry up and wait."
The wagon train, on the other hand, travels 12-15 miles a day across the high lonesome of Wyoming. "You don't miss nothing," he says, "because you're moving at a slower pace."
Bill is also a peerless storyteller. Whether on the wagon seat or sitting by the campfire at Hole-in-the-Wall, he's dedicated to keeping the past alive with tales of Butch Cassidy and Sundance and other regional history.
Bill and Carole have three children. Ronda, the eldest, also lives in Gillette and is a teamster on the wagon train. Recently Bill spent ten weeks building Ronda a wagon he dubbed the "Bessie G" after his grandmother. "I was going to do two more, but I got slowed down."
What slowed him was a heart attack and bypass surgery. Now he rehabs diligently three days a week and plans to be on the wagon trail again next summer.
"Bill is a tough old bird," Carole remarks fondly. She says his good attitude carried him a long way and the doctors are happy with his steady progress.
The trail is the place to see what people are made of," concludes Mikel of Spiritriders. "Bill's forgotten more than most folks ever know. His support along with his entire family has been the secret of the success of my business. I respect Bill Choate."
