Day: August 27, 2024

Back in May 2023, I moseyed on over to the *80 Days* region, operated by Camila Runo and Jocelyn (ZamiTio), which at the time was presenting an opportunity to visit a small corner of America’s Old West in the form of Wind River, a small frontier settlement from (most likely, given some of the visual cues), the mid-1880s (see: 80 Days in the Old West in Second Life).

Located on a sky platform, the precise location of the setting wasn’t given at that time, although Wild River appeared to be far enough from any railhead to warrant stockades for cattle, either as a staging point or starting point from seasonal cattle drives to the nears railroad junction for shipping off to either coast.

To be honest, and reasons being what they were, May 2023 was the time of my last visit to *80 Days*, so I have no idea what happened between times and whether or not Wind River survived throughout the intervening period – my apologies to Camila and ZamiTio for my lack of visits – however, it is now part of an expanded setting within *80 Days*, entitled Copper Canyon and Wind River, of which the  About Land description states:

Copper Canyon is a barren frontier area in the Old West. Under the burning sun lies an arid landscape of red rocks, forming the canyon after which the area was named. Wind River, in contrast, is a busy Wild West town amid high green hills.

– Copper Canyon and Wind River About Land description

As Copper Creek is at the ground level and the newer of the two locations, I’ll start there, and just as the description suggests, this is a desert location, suggestive of either the New Mexico Territory or Arizona Territory, but the exactly decade is unlear. The landing point sits on the north side of the region, tucked within a barn just within the boundaries of Copperburg, a windswept at dusty place in which Yul Brinner and his crew of unlikely heroes might well recognise as much as “Big John” Cannon.

Given the setting is intended for role-play, there are some rules to follow, (posted on the wall of the barn), and visitors are asked to consider changing into the period costumes offered via two packing cases. The female costumes fit a variety of bodies, and so should work in most cases – although I was a little disappointed to see they didn’t include the option for use to inhabit a more gun-savvy look in the manner of a Martha Jane Canary or a Myra “Belle” Starr or a Pearl Hart (to name but third women of the period adept with handguns and / or rifles, even if none of these particular individuals as far west as Arizona or New Mexico!).

The town has all the expected amenities – town hall, saloon, bank, sheriff’s office, and a well-stock general store – but it is perhaps a little past its prime; the wind and dust have weathered shingles and hoardings, a couple of business appear to be no longer in operation and the local shoe shop is doing its business no favours, given its shoddy state. Dominating the main (as in only) street is a gallows, suggesting that violence and frontier justice tend to go hand-in-hand here.

At the southern end of the town sits a pleasant little adobe-style home, where both chickens and bees are being reared to provide fresh eggs, poultry and honey. It offers a comparatively pleasant oasis of live and home tucked out of the reach of the wind, being largely sheltered from the latter as it sits in the lee of the slope rising up to the local church and neighbouring graveyard – a literal boot hill, if you will.

The church overlooks one end of the canyon from with the setting likely takes its name, one side of which is home to Pueblo-style structures sitting up on rocky shelves and reached by a steep slope. As with the little casa with its honey bees and chickens, these stacked “apartments” seem to exude more welcome and homeliness than the nearby town.

The canyon runs east and then north from the mouth facing the church, the red sandstone of its vertical, narrow walls doubtless giving it its name. It’s not hard to picture a posse blazing down the gorge, the should of gunshots echoing loudly as they give chase to bank robbers or other miscreants of a violent nature (or maybe just because they didn’t particularly like them!).

At its far end, relative to the church, the canyon opens out onto flatlands, the trail sweeping past the Wells Fargo station and back up into Copperburg.

Wind River is reached directly from the landing point for Copper Canyon; just click the large sign inside the barn to be transported upwards via the local experience (which you should accept if you’ve not previously done so).  When I first arrived – again, within the town’s barn – I mistakenly thought this was more-or-less the same setting as I’d visited back in May 2023; but while there are a lot of commonalities, so to are there subtle differences, enough to make a renewed exploration worthwhile, even if you’ve been to Wind River in is past iteration.

The town itself remains much the same, although static NPCs have been added. The main street carries familiar clues as to the likely period; Grover Cleveland’s portrait remains pride-of-place in the town hall, suggesting he’s the sitting President, and the Sheriff’s office bears a Wanted poster for Dave Allen “Mysterious Dave” Mather (although this appears to have been joined by one for Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith II I don’t recalled seeing from my previous visit, but I could be mistaken). However, things have also changed within the town; the combines roles of MD, dentist and vet once held by A.J. Simmons are now under the purview of one Sam Vimes M.D.

Further out of town to the west can still be found the Native American encampment which forms an informal museum on Native American life – one of the teepees contains hanging dreamcatchers with portraits of Native Americans. When touched, these will provide a notecard providing brief notes on the People and their history (and please note, this setting is not intended to be historically accurate in overall style, containing as it does artifacts from different tribes, its function is as a generic setting representing in general terms (and as a museum) of Native American life, rather than being the focus on a specific tribe or group.

It is off to the north where there are perhaps more obvious changes to the setting – horseshoe ranch appears slightly different in layout to my pictures from May 2023, while some of the buildings around the cattle pens on the north side of town appear to have been shuffled around – which gives the feeling that as with real life, nothing is ever static, building can be knocked down and replaced – or extended, at least, which could be the case with the ranch house.

As with Copper Canyon, Wind River has a Wells Fargo station a short distance from town. Also offering a small general store, the station offers a map of the Territories and their surround from 1867, and if you sit in the stagecoach waiting outside, you’ll be teleported to Lost Mesa within the Western Territories role-play estate (and the stage coach there will return you to Wind River). similarly, sitting in the wagon just across the trail from the Wells Fargo office (and conveniently placed next to a road sign pointing to its destination) will carry you to Blind Horse Creek, another Western RP region.

Photogenic and rounded-out by a very nicely-done sound scape, containing some nicely subtle historical touches and with opportunities for horse riding (or wear your own!) the combined *80 days* Old West settings make for an engaging visit.

SLurl Details

Infinite Spirit is a Full region rated Moderate

• Copper Canyon
• Wind River