After dinner you can join other guests in rustic lodge building for a board game (by woodstove) or simply read a book from shelf. There's a pay phone at lodge, but don't expect phones, TVs, or internet connections in cabins.

The 14 large and small cabins have kitchens, comfortable beds, and electricity, and eight of them (the "modern cabins") have hot water and bathrooms. For guests in six "rustic cabins" and lodge's dorm accommodations there's a communal bathroom with showers, and outhouse-style restrooms are also close by, although they are closed in winter.

Winter 2003-2004 rates are as follows: $95 per person, per night for rustic cabins, $120 for modern cabins. Note that winter prices include your delicious dinner (including beer and wine), breakfast, trail passes, taxes, and your all-important snowmobile ride from lower canyon up unplowed road to lodge and back. That's right - place becomes inaccessible to cars in winter. Talk about splendid isolation!

For adventurous, Lodge even rents a backcountry hut way up at Mosquito Flat. Go to www.rockcreeklodge for more information and current rates. Then pack your bags, get kids and/or dog into car (pets are allowed for a small extra fee) and get moving.

By way, bring a flashlight, 'cause it gets dark under pines. After all that wine and dessert, take your partner for a romantic stroll along road or across meadow and look up; stars look stunning from this elevation. You can also keep warm in genuine Finnish sauna – a luxurious treat on a winter's evening. Then make your way back to cabin, stoke up fire in stove, and burrow under blankets for a well-earned night's sleep. Ahhh . . !

Rock Creek Lodge is open year around. You will need all that firewood during rugged Sierra winter.

You did earn your night's sleep, didn't you?

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Rob LaGrone, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

Hickok had a couple of habits that served him well in rowdy bars of West. He'd pour his drinks with his left hand, letting his best gun hand at ready. When gambling, Hickok wanted to sit with his back to a wall, eliminating possibility that an enemy could simply walk up to his back and blow his head off.

Ironically, that's exactly what happened on August 2, 1876, during a card game in No. 10 Saloon. Hickok walked in and noticed a poker game was in progress, but only empty seat at table faced away from saloon's doorway. Hickok failed to persuade others at table to trade seats with him, and then decided to take open seat.

It proved to be a fatal mistake.

Focused on a game in which he'd already lost several hands, Hickok never saw a loafer named Jack McCall walk up within three feet, pull a .45 out of his coat and pull trigger. The bullet blew through Hickok's head and out his cheek, lodging in wrist of a gambler on other side of table.

Hickok spilled his hand — pairs of black aces and eights — known forevermore as "Deadman's Hand."

Quickly apprehended, McCall said he'd killed Hickok because "Wild Bill" had killed his brother. A miners' court figured that was an acceptable defense and let him go. The drunken McCall just couldn't keep his mouth shut about killing. He bragged one too many times that he'd killed Hickok and was arrested, tried in Yankton, South Dakota and hung on March 1, 1877.

Calamity Jane was born

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Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com