For countless individuals, the memorable visuals of 2024 are of Wyoming residents campaigning, voting, and infusing new imagination into the electoral process. However, the past year included far more than a significant election, as WyoFile documented every aspect. This encompasses Wyoming’s endlessly captivating wildlife, the self-driven initiatives of resilient inhabitants, along with instances of grief and transition. Presented here, loosely categorized by subject, are our finest images from 2024.
Smoke from the Pack Trail Fire envelops the low-lying recesses of the Leidy Highlands along the eastern side of Jackson Hole in October 2024. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile)
The previous year will eternally be associated with the scent of smoke and the anxiety of losing to wildfires.
The Elk Fire, ignited by lightning, rages in Big Goose Canyon close to Sheridan on October 10, 2024. (Daniel Kenah/WyoFile)Preschooler Madilyn Liechty proudly displays her hands to teacher Dolores Synegard during an art activity at the Evanston Child Development Center on January 25, 2023. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile)
Journalist Katie Klingsporn chronicled the journey of Wyoming’s students, spanning from preschool through high school graduation, along with the experiences in between.
Students at Riverton High School are permitted to check their smartphones during the lunch period, as these two do in December 2024. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile) “`html Graduate Daylene Robertson adjusts her toddler son’s cap during the graduation ceremony at Arapaho Charter High School, May 18, 2024. (Kyle Duba/WyoFile)
Living in the Equality State frequently means coexisting with various animals, both wild and domestic.
Luna, born the smallest of triplets, is not nursed by her mother. Consequently, the owners of Doyle Family Farm in Riverton have been bottle feeding her. They choose to name only the bottle-fed animals. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile)Nathaiya Robinson, 8 years old, from Casper, proudly displays her catch during the free fishing event on June 1, 2024, at Yesness Park in Casper. (Dustin Bleizeffer/WyoFile)
Caitlin Tan’s 3-week-old cremello foal, who remains unnamed, successfully crossed a diversion ditch for the first occasion on the afternoon of June 17. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile)
Kids from Green River decided to name their newly adopted horse Rocco even before he was loaded into the family’s trailer at the BLM wild…
“`horse and donkey placement close to Rock Springs. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)
Approximately 300 elk are seen grazing on private property in the Iron Mountain region in February 2024. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile)Jack Malmberg operates a two-horse team for a haying task near Lander. At 84, Malmberg harvests hundreds of tons of hay each year utilizing Belgian horses. (Nate Shoutis)A tribute wreath for Grizzly 399 displayed in the Jackson Town Square on October 23, 2024. (Angus M. Thuermer, Jr./WyoFile)
Creatures even influenced the legislative process.
A failed proposal from Sen. Eric Barlow’s (R-Gillette) is caught on the antlers of a yak skull on the Senate floor. (Maggie Mullen/WyoFile)
Legislators faced extensive hours and charged moments amid the session.
Sen. Larry Hicks, on the right, discusses with Senate President Ogden Driskill, in the center, in February at the Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne. (Ashton J. Hacke/WyoFile)
Innovation and teamwork also played a role in the proceedings.
On the final day of the Wyoming Legislature’s 2024 budget session, Sen. Affie Ellis (R-Cheyenne) presents a quilt she created to celebrate the 67th Legislature’s upper chamber. Each star design symbolizes one of the 31 members of the Wyoming Senate. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile)
The political activities did not solely unfold in Cheyenne.
Gabe Saint, leader of Turning Point USA’s University of Wyoming segment, converses with Gov. Mark Gordon on Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Laramie. (Ashton J. Hacke/WyoFile)
In an election year, fervent political expressions were prominent statewide.
With the Grand Teton rising behind her, Margie Aeckerle stands by the road hoping to catch a sight of former President Donald Trump during his fundraising appearance in Jackson Hole. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)On Election Day 2024, a woman bends over her ballot at the Bob Carey Memorial Fieldhouse, a voting location in Lander. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile) On Halloween, voters congregate to submit their early ballots in Jackson. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)
Once the votes were tallied, WyoFile was present to record the triumphs and defeats experienced by candidates.
Ivan Posey embraces a supporter on Nov. 5, 2024, after discovering his victory in the House District 33 contest. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile)
Incumbent Rep. Clark Stith and partner Lisa Ryberg assess unsatisfactory primary outcomes at the Sweetwater County Courthouse on Aug. 20, 2024. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)
The demise of cherished community figures served as a poignant reminder that certain aspects outweigh politics.
A tribute for Bobby Maher is displayed at the entrance of Casper’s Eastridge Mall, the site where he was tragically stabbed on April 7, 2024. (Joshua Wolfson/WyoFile)Grieving individuals pause on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, before a memorial honoring three members of the University of Wyoming swim and diving team whose lives were lost just days earlier in a car accident. (Ashton J. Hacke/WyoFile)A procession honoring Sgt. Nevada Krinkee moves along Main Street in Sheridan on Friday, March 1. (Daniel Kenah/WyoFile)
The year was marked by dedication, sports achievements, and exploration.
Grace Thigpen, 16, gets ready to take aim with assistance from guide Mike Ellenwood on Oct. 11, 2024, during the Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt. After several hours of tracking, Thigpen secured her first antelope. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile)
Bicyclists relish the vehicle-free timeframe on the route connecting the West Yellowstone and Mammoth entrances in Yellowstone National Park on Sunday, April 14, 2024. (Angus M. Thuermer, Jr./WyoFile)
Joe Stone shuts a gate at Johnny Behind the Rocks, a BLM trail region located south of Lander, in August 2024. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile)
University of Wyoming ROTC cadets dash toward the Colorado-Wyoming border to transfer the Border War football game ball to Colorado State University cadets who will carry it to Fort Collins on Nov. 14, 2024. (Tennessee Watson/WyoFile)
Moreover, when the roadway became challenging, as occurred when Highway 22 failed on Teton Pass, WyoFile reported on that as well.
Journalists, photographers, and officials receive an update at the Highway 22 detour location on Teton Pass. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)
Wishing for your journey through 2025 to be effortless and filled with amazement.
A microburst produces rain and a rainbow in southern Wyoming. (Madelyn Beck/WyoFile)Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS glides through the sky above the Bighorn Mountains. (Daniel Kenah/WyoFile)
Correction: This article has been revised to clarify how the quilt was crafted. —Ed