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Published: July 31st 2013
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another state got added today, WY
LA is empty. Been there many times, just never with an RV Travels with Snowbirds Tuesday July 30, 2013 Park City UT to Deer Run RV Park Saratoga WY
I know, I know, I never wrote the Arches Blog. I have some amazing pictures from that day. I will get to it, as I will get to the wedding and some pictures, just not today. The wedding was a wonderful event that started on Thursday and ended on Monday. I was too tired to leave on Monday, so I cleaned Moya, did wash, grocery shopped, and took off early Tuesday morning. Welcome Karen & Darryl. Hope you enjoy the blog.
I spent the last few days in the RV in Lou and Kristine’s driveway, just because there were so many people at the house, it was easier for me to give up my cushy King sized bed and sleep in the RV. All I had to do was unplug this morning and back out. On the road by 7. It took me a few hours to get my RV legs back on, I did 3 stops in the first hour; things were not secured down, windows were either open that should have been closed, or closed that
should have been open, etc., etc., etc. I saw many cows. Sometimes the terrain reminded me of what I remember from the movie, “Brokeback Mountain.” Remember when they were up in the hills in the summer with the herd, and they had a tiny cabin? I saw similar cabins today. The landscape in UT continued with the red buttes and lots of trees headed East on I80, which really is North for the remainder of UT (about 75 miles) before I entered Wyoming. Another state for the map. Note to self, the Rest Areas in WY are first rate, and all have an RV holding tank dump!! I stopped at the first one I saw and picked up a WY map and reconfirmed the route I had already selected on Google maps. It was at that point that I realized I was on another famous ‘road’, The Oregon Trail, only heading east instead of west. I80 is also US 30, the Lincoln Highway, in some spots, and is equally as famous as Route 66. It’s the same kind of deal, I80 business makes a loop into the town then back to the interstate, and is called The Lincoln Highway. First
stop of the day was Fort Bridger. For 10 years this was a very important part of the fortifications of The Oregon Trail…..until the railroad took hold. Then it was purchased by the Mormons as a rest area, trading post, small guard house/prison. Many of the buildings were dismantled and the building materials used in other local houses, some houses were just moved, 1 remained on site. It was a beautifully manicured area, bravo to the WY State Park system for this little gem. Next to the Fort were restored 1930s vacation cabins, they seemed empty, but I saw a sign on one that said, ‘enter here for rental info’.
I think I crossed the continental divide 3 times today. The continental divide is the ‘hydrological’ divide of watersheds. To the west, drainage goes to the Pacific Ocean. To the east, the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. I crossed it about 6700 feet of relatively flat high desert. The land switched from green grass and trees in the valleys to brown sagebrush at altitude. Windmill farms, everywhere. In addition to the barbed wire (I saw a dead cow tangled in one) snow fences were everywhere. Interesting structures,
about 12 feet long 6 feet high structures of wood slats on an angled frame. There were numerous turnouts to ‘chain up’ and I saw something I have never seen before……barricade gates with signs that would flash at most of the exits to warn drivers to get off the road and turn around and go back to the last town as I80 was closed due to weather conditions. No dead animals, not too many exploded tires, lots of dirt. As I entered the center of lower WY I saw what I am assuming are natural gas ‘wells’ and coal mines, and chemical plants. Chemical Manufacturing Plants? Yes. From my previous trip to WY several years ago, I learned that 80% of Wyoming is sitting on coal which is only 60 feet down. All that has to be done is scrape off that 60 feet of dirt, make a hill out of it, then basically strip mine the coal out and push the dirt back in when you have met the level the gov’t says you can mine to. Trains, everywhere. Very long trains, I am guestimating I saw one about 4 miles long, all coal cars. I passed some type
of refinery, see PICTURE, no idea what that was, but very out of place. There was updating work being done on the tracks that I imagine might be part of the old Union Pacific Railroad. I also saw a pipeline being laid. I love being high off the ground.
Moya is driving wonderfully. I still have my hole in the windshield, I should have been a little more diligent about getting it fixed while in Park City. The inside is clean, the outside is covered with red mud.
I ended my day 300+ miles from Park City, just west of Laramie WY in a small town, Saratoga. I researched this campground on the North Platte River and had to see this river. Remember the James Michener book, ‘Centennial’? All about the Platte River and the towns growing up on its banks. I got to the campground and ancient Janet told me I would have no problem crossing the mountains nearby, but that’s tomorrow’s story, isn’t it. She used her walker to get to her golf cart, then she led me to my site. I backed in with NO PROBLEM! I am woman, hear me
ROAR. Despite the 2 macho asshole men standing watching, nodding their heads, AND, they never offered to help, JERKS! I pulled in like a pro and set up camp in 15 minutes. My next door neighbors invited me over for happy hour! Tom and Deb now live in OR, two houses, one in the center of the state, one on the southern shore. BUT, they are both from Long Island. They are in a very small trailer called a Cassita, and are on a 19 day trip just seeing if they like camping enough to get something bigger. They invited me to go with them to check out the Saratoga Hot Springs, but I am too engaged in writing tonight’s blog and I declined. I will visit it tomorrow morning on my way out of town. Happy hour was fun, a lot of laughs about our travels; the brought OR smoked salmon that was to die for! I made a pig out of myself. Deer Run RV Park has about 30 sites, pretty much equal parts transients like me, permanent structures, and more permanently mounted trailers. The river is 10 feet off the back of Moya, and it seems like
a new berm has been added to the bank. I noticed sand bags on some of the permanent structures – guess I am in the flood zone.
I am getting anxious to get home. I will wake up when I do tomorrow, drive across the Snowy Range Pass, one of the US’s Scenic Byways, another unexpected pleasure.
The Snowy Range Road, Hwy 130 from Laramie to the Upper Platte River Valley, was designated the Second National Forest Scenic Byway in the United States. Begun in 1920, it took 6 years to complete and was called the "Great Skyroad". This route is a popular recreation attraction with many picnic, camping, observation and interpretive facilities. The mountain ranges of Colorado can be seen from the Libby Flats Observation Point. The Krummholz vegetation associated with the alpine zone is located in this area, and a beautiful array of wildflowers can be seen from early June through July. A self-guided tour is available at the Ryan Park Campground which was the site of a WWII Prisoner of War camp. Medicine Bow Peak, at 12, 013 feet, the highest point on the Medicine Bow Forest, is immediately
adjacent to the Byway. There are several hiking trails accessible from the Byway, including a trail up to Medicine Bow Peak. A trip along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway is a must when you visit southeastern Wyoming!
Kat Out
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joe walker
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Welcome to WY
You drove right through my home town, Evanston, WY. Southern Wyoming isn't much to look at, but it gets you to where you are going. If you drive through Missouri this weekend, give a wave as I will be there. If you like Mark Twain, stop in Hannibal, MO.