Val Geissler

Val Geissler
born Sept. 19, 1939

Though Val Geissler is highly sought as a Western entertainer for his guitar playing, singing and cowboy poetry, he doesn't consider himself the focus of his performances.

"I just happen to be the person on the stage. The real stars of the show are the people in the audience," said Geissler, who makes a point to turn spectators into performers while entertaining at dude ranches, conferences and other events.

Geissler uses costumes and props to help him portray wild characters, donning an old hat or a wooly robe to draw audiences into a richly detailed world of song and verse.

"I grew up dreaming of being a cowboy, and that's all I ever really wanted to be," he said.

But he doesn't just portray a cowboy. Geissler has lived the cowboy life, training horses, riding in rodeos, running ranches and leading backcountry trips.

Born in San Francisco, Geissler studied ranch management and animal husbandry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and first came to Cody about 25 years ago to perform at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. He liked the area so much, he moved here.

"I think this is the greatest outdoor backwoods wilderness portion there is in the continental U.S.," he said.

"I love the mountains. I love being in there," said Geissler, who works leading crews to control invasive weeds and also guides pack trips for private clients.

Geissler said he prefers the low-tech approach in the woods, eschewing many of the gimmicks and gadgets that some guides and many campers like.

"I'm still a rope, leather and wood type of a guy," he said.

"I'm an old fart, and I'm antiquated. Some people go into the backwoods and they want satellite phones and all that stuff. If you go with me and you die out there, you die out there. And if I die out there, I couldn't die at a better place," he said.

If he had a chance to go back and do things over, Geissler said he would still pursue a life in the rodeo, despite the serious injuries he sustained in the sport.

"If I had a choice, I would try to go and be a world champion saddle bronc rider," he said.

"I wouldn't trade a lifetime of sitting in the stands watching rodeos for one time climbing down over one of those rascals, nodding at the gate and waiting for it to open," he said.

Geissler said he understands why many in Cody want to see the town continue to grow, but cautions against runaway development.

"Contrary to popular opinion, we have too much emphasis on economic development. What you're doing is taking Cody away from being the kind of old Wild West, Buffalo Bill Cody, cow-town atmosphere that it used to have," he said.

His advice to those looking to make a living here is simple: do what you love.

"Don't chase the dollar. If you take care of whatever it is you do, if you take care of business, the money will take care of itself. When you start chasing the dollar, you'll make a lot of mistakes," he said.