Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND – Something that's been sweeping the state lately is a little Facebook project known as 307 Rocks. Which . . . is something you probably knew, unless if you were living under one of these rocks.

Maybe you have had a certain rock catch your eye because has been brightly painted and left on the doorstep of your favorite store, or in a park somewhere. It might have been a trend you noticed but shrugged off, thinking it as some sort of new, weird Pinterest decoration trend (don't worry, I thought that too at first.)

However, as neat as a decorating trend as that would be, these rocks are more than likely part of a trend that's been taking the state by storm.

307 Rocks is a trend that started in a Facebook group back in 2017. The idea of the group is to bring communities and the state closer together.

Those interested in participating are allowed to find a new rock and paint it, and then are encouraged to leave it at one of the local businesses, or public parks. Others, if having found the rock, they are welcome to either keep the rock, or rehide it at a different business.

Now, when I first saw one of these rocks, it was in late July and I was walking into Maverik when I saw a rock with mountain scenery on it being used as a doorstop. Naturally, I didn't think much of it and had dismissed it as a creative idea to keep the door open. It wasn't until the next day that my mom, who, granted, is a huge rock enthusiast, had pointed it out and disagreed with me over it being a doorstop.

I had been more than confused to know that the rock was part of a Facebook group project, and was fully prepared to fight my mother on the topic until she showed me the information on the back, telling the person who found the rock to take a picture and post it on the Facebook group.

Since then, despite not being too invested in the rock craze, I can't help but get overly excited whenever I find one of them, and am guilty of becoming a little emotionally attached.

According to Amy Handford, who created a group for Worland Rocks last year, Wyoming isn't the only state invested in rock hunting. According to her, there have been plenty of people who will take their rocks with them on their summer travels and leave them in different cities and even states. Rocks have traveled to Washington, Iowa, Montana, Alabama and plenty of other places.

Handford decided to start the Worland Rocks group after a friend of hers, Rhonda Molzahn, had found a rock in Billings and decided to paint it. Handford had seen the 307 Rocks group out of Rock Springs and had been inspired to bring their game to Worland.

"I just felt like that group was really cool, that it was amazing. Finding the rocks really makes peoples day. If someone is having a bad day, then finds a rock, like maybe one with a cancer symbol on it, I really believe it could cheer people up."

The rocks can mostly be found locally along the bike path, or just wherever you may be walking. "They're pretty easy to find," she said.

The process does include a few, otherwise plain simple requirements, according to Handford. The requirements include being extremely careful with where you put them. "You don't want to randomly put them in a lawn where someone could be mowing, it'll damage the mower – and your rock!" The group encourages participants to be courteous to nature and animals where you place your rocks as well, not to place it near any streams or running water, or any holes where small birds or anything else may live.

Other requirements are to write on the back of your rock "Post picture on 307 (Or Worland) Rocks, keep or rehide." Some people have decided to include who painted the rock or the zip code or town the rock is from. Handford and others encourage people to be sure to seal their rocks, so the paint and designs won't be ruined by things like the weather.

People involved in the great rock hunt have all found their own rocks to wash off and paint. Some of the designs shown throughout the group have been original works, works inspired by favorite movies or books, or more commonly, inspirational quotes.

Looking at the groups on Facebook, one of my favorite things I've noticed is that one post will have someone showing off the rock they painted and are about to hide, and the next being a post from a completely different person with a picture of the same rock. Somehow it tends to just blow my mind that something as simple as a rock with a sunset, or a Christmas tree, or even a parody of the "...for dummies" books painted on it can bring a community, or even a state so much closer together.

As someone who considers herself an artist, I was antsy to find time to be able to participate in this whole thing, and was more than excited when I got to write this because now I can take time to paint rocks and not feel guilty because hey, it's for work, right?

But as I was out and about looking for rocks and the past few weeks what I've learned is that you don't go looking for the rocks. They usually pop up when you least expect it. You could be filling your vehicle up with gas and look up and see the sudden face of Shrek the Ogre on a rock staring you down, wondering why you're using premium instead of diesel. That much hasn't happened to me – I don't drive – but I can still imagine it happening.

People of all ages have been participating in this. There's been children – toddlers, maybe 2 or 3 at the most – painting and finding rocks, all the way to the elderlies

So, I embarked on my own rock-ing adventure.

As mentioned before, I had a heck of a time trying to find rocks now that I was looking for them. I think I drove around for about two hours all across town and even then found only three or four.

Hiding the ones I painted proved to be almost as difficult. I, not being very courteous of myself – or the fact that it was the middle of the night when I was hiding them (stealth is key) – made up rules for myself and the friend I was hiding them with. Don't put them too close together; put them in places a lot of people go to, but not too many people. That sort of ridiculous thing. It took longer to hide all the rocks than it did to look for different ones.

I had felt like some sort of Easter Bunny, that is if the Easter Bunny had purple hair and questionable fashion sense. The more I thought about it the more I realized it was like an extended Easter egg hunt, except when you don't find a rock for two weeks because it was in the bathroom nobody goes into, it won't start to smell and it won't make your mom very upset.

Personally, I find the whole thing pretty amazing. Not only is it getting people outside getting some fresh air (something I, myself know nothing about), but it's somehow bringing us closer as a community.

I haven't seen this many people so active since the Pokèmon Go phase of 2016. It's helping people become more familiar with their town and the colorful rocks really brighten the place up. Right?

Well, whatever you think of this phase, I think it's pretty amazing and am not taking it for granite. Did you pick up on all these puns or should I make them boulder? Give me a minute and I'll dig something up. I guess you know I've really hit rock bottom with these puns. Sometimes, when it's a hard rock life, you have to appreciate the stepping stones. That one didn't make sense. I'll stop now.

Cyd Lass

One of the painted rocks, found in front of Big Horn Federal.

Point is, go find some rocks. Take one from the alley or street or your neighbors cliché rock garden. Paint it and get to playing Easter bunny. Be sure to leave no stone unturned during your hunt. (That was the last one, I promise.)