7 July 2012
Left Rock Springs, Wyoming this morning under somewhat
cloudy skies and headed north towards Thermopolis. Along the way, we traveled
through dry sagebrush rolling country – real cowboy country! Although we have yet to see a cowboy on a
horse. We have seen cows, lots of
horses, some white tailed deer and an antelope just casually strolling along
the highway fence, totally ignoring the cars that were roaring past him.
Several stops along the way on Wyoming State Highway 28 have
signs that discuss the various trails that passed through the area, including
the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail, Emigrant Trail and the Pony Express Trail. We
actually saw some of the Oregon Trail tracks marching across the rolling hills!
I was thinking that the settlers must have been pretty discouraged to see the
miles and miles of dry country in front of them with not a single tree in
sight.
We crossed the Continental Divide at South Pass with an
elevation of 7550 feet. This is the lowest pass between the Central Rockies and
the Southern Rockies and was a popular pass for the western settlers.
As we approached Thermopolis, we passed through the Wind
River Canyon. Ancient rock walls on either side of the canyon climb way up to
the sky. Signs indicate the age of the
rocks we went passed through the canyon.
The oldest exposed rocks are 2.9 billion years old!
We are staying for 2 days in Thermopolis. Plans are to visit the world’s largest
mineral hot springs, a dinosaur museum and to take a few scenic drives.
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| Trail ruts of the Oregon Trail, running alongside Wyoming Highway 28. |
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| South Pass crossing of the Continental Divide. This is where the emigrant trails crossed the Rockies. |
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| One of the beautiful views on Highway 28. |
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| Starting into the Wind River Canyon area. |
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