LA GRANGE – This weekend, Bear Mountain Junction hosted a special event where the new owner invited the community to place their livestock brand on the wall. Darla Hays recently purchased the store located along US Highway 85, near the La Grange turn-off in August.

Patrons of the local store and bar gathered together on Saturday afternoon for food, laughs and the chance to add a piece of their lives to the “Bear”. Hays explained she had gotten the idea through her previous adventures. 

“When I was driving for Enterprise and we’d stop to eat, it seemed to draw my attention to all the brands in the different places,” Hays explained. “We had a branding pot outside to heat the irons and we had 22 boards branded so there were probably 30 people there (Saturday).” 

In July, longtime previous owners David and Judy Schierling announced the “Bear Mountain Stage Stop” would be changing ownership.

“David and Judy intend to take a break and wade in different waters. The lady trainer is now in charge, and we invite you to meet and get acquainted with Darla Hays,” their social media account read. “Darla has been a great help to us at the Bear over a number of years and will be working to make any stop you make at the Bear Mountain Stage Stop site a special treat.”

“I worked for the previous owners, part-time, since 2016 and saw the possibility of expanding the business with adding fishing bait and different types of groceries,” Hays explained.

Hays plans to make some changes to the stop. 

“[Our] future plans are exploring different avenues,” Hays explained. “[We] plan on exploring the bar and offering more variety of products. Currently, I am making sandwiches to order with four different meats, cheeses and condiments. We also offer breakfast sandwiches with sausage patties original and spicy,” Hays said. “We also have a spicy pineapple ham breakfast sandwich and breakfast burritos.”

As the business continues to settle, it also continues to grow. 

“We will have a spicy green chili, a red chili and we will be offering different soups in the winter,” Hays said. “The chili will be year-round. Once I add the commercial kitchen, I will be adding some more menu items.”

The small store carries an assortment of snacks, candies, cookies and chips as well as a multitude of drinks, including package beer, wine and liquor. They also carry malts, sandwiches, ice and tobacco products.

“I also am getting lined up to carry some milk and dairy products,” Hays explained. “We hope to have some soon.”

Wyoming souvenirs can also be purchased at the store as well as handmade items.

“We have lip balm, scented homemade soap by Zambeezi, right here in La Grange,” Hays said. 

Hays mentioned, as far as the branding boards are concerned, she plans on putting a clear polyurethane on them to hang in the store/restaurant and bar.

“We have extra boards if anyone wants to pick one up and brand it,” Hays concluded.