Wyoming Trails in 1995.
Thursday, July 6- flew to Denver Co and drove to Laramie Wyoming about 145
miles
Friday, July 7
After a free pancake breakfast provided by a civic group in
preparation for the rodeo we drove the Snowy Range Highway through Centennial
and Saratoga to Encampment. The 81 mile Snowy Range Highway is a scenic highway
(up about 9000 feet-still 6 foot of snow at top and the lakes were still loaded
with ice. Great views -spectacular. Encampment has a great museum. One of the
interesting displays was a double decker outhouse. The upper story was used in
winter when the snow got too deep. We also drove to Saratoga where I purchased a
leather cowboy hat.
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Snowy Range
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Lakes were just melting
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Lakes up on Snowy Range
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Road up to Centennial on Snowy Range
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Snowy Range
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Snowy Range
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Centennial
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Snowy Range
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Snowy Range
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Snowy Range
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Encampment Museum
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Wagon at Encampment Museum
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Its a double decker outhouse at Encampment
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Fire Tower at Encampment Museum
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Snowy Range
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After Encampment drove to Rock Springs, Wy-167 miles from
Encampment.-Overnight.
Saturday, July 8
Rock Springs to Pinedale, Wy -100 miles. Pinedale is the
home of the Mountain Man Museum and also holds the Green River
Rendezvous-re-enactment of the fur trade between the mountain men and the
Indians.
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Story of the Lander cutoff on the Oregon Trail
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Wagon ruts are still visible
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Wagon ruts are still visible
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Great pageant. We had a ball here, especially at the museum and the campfire
sing-along at night. The whole event was really fun.
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Beginning of the Pinedale Parade
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Pinedale Parade
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Pinedale Parade
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Pinedale Parade
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Pinedale Parade - Campfire on wheels
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Pinedale Parade - Shriners in cars are a big hit
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Pinedale Parade - Float
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Pinedale Parade - Mountain Man
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Saloon - Thinking Service on Tap
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Teepee's at the Pageant - Snow Capped Peaks in Rear
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant begins
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant - Peace Pipe Ceremony
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant - its the chief
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant - Arrival of the Missionaries
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant - Services for the Indians
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant - The traing begins
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant - hooch is plentiful
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant
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Pinedale Rendevouz Pageant - Grand Finale
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Overnight in Pinedale.
Sunday, July 9, Pinedale to Jackson Hole-80 miles
After a Prairie Mass out on the prairie
on the site where the Green River Rendezvous was held in the first half of the
1800's.we drove to Jackson.
We went to the National Wildlife Art Museum.-Really nice art.
For dinner we had signed up for a chuck wagon dinner and western show at a
local ranch-the meal was average but the entertainment was really good. It was
worth it.
Monday, July 10, Jackson to Old Faithful-Yellowstone NP-80 miles
After breakfast we toured the Tetons by car-went to the visitors center,
drove up Signal Peak and drove to Jenny Lake. The Tetons are spectacular but we
didn’t have much time as we were due into Old Faithful at 4:00 PM
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Tetons
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Tetons
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Jenny Lake in the Tetons
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Our room at Old Faithful Inn was on the second floor and looked right at the
geyser.
Tuesday, July 11 thru Wednesday July 12.
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday touring the park and trying to see it all. The
Jim Norris geyser Basin was awesome, so was Mammoth Hot Springs. We didn’t get
to spend much time at West Thumb geyser basin because we got caught in a
thunderstorm. The Yellowstone Falls area was spectacular. Artists point-View was
unbelievable. Tower Falls were also great.
Two and a half days is not enough to see this park. It is absolutely mind
boggling.
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Old Faithful Inn
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Old Faithful Interior
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Yellowstone Lake with the Absoroka Range in the background
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The wilder side of life in Yellowstone
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Same wildlife
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Old Faithful blowing the top
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After the show at Old Faithful
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Geiser waiting for its cycle
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Geyser
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Geyser
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Geyser
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Stream side geyser
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Old Faithful Inn
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Geyser
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Geyser
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Old Faithful being faithful
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Old Faithful
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Rock Formation Somewhere in the United States
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Geyser
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Morning Glory Pool
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Morning Glory Pool
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Hot Spring next to the river
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Geyser
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What sometimes happens to a buffalo when it wanders into a hot pool in the winter
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Waterfall in Yellowstone but not the big one
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The Chutes in Yellowstone
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Gallatin Falls
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Norris Basin
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Norris Basin
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Mammoth Hot Springs Area
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Mammoth Hot Springs Area
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Mammoth Hot Springs Area
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Mammoth Hot Springs Area
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Mammoth Hot Springs Area
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Yellowstone Falls
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Yellowstone Falls
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Mammoth Hot Springs Area
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Road to Mammoth Hot Springs
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Madison Falls
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Yellowstone Gorge
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Yellowstone Gorge
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Tower Falls
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Tower Falls
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Tower Falls
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Tower Falls
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Thursday, July 13- Yellowstone NP to Sheridan Wy. About 200 miles
Left Yellowstone at around noon-it was tough to tear away from. Drove thru
Cody Wyoming, through the Shell Canyon Scenic Highway to Sheridan. The Bighorn
Mountains are spectacular and appeared deserted.
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Along the road between Yellowstone and Cody
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Along the road between Yellowstone and Cody
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Along the road between Yellowstone and Cody
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Along the road between Yellowstone and Cody
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Along the road between Yellowstone and Cody
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Along the road between Yellowstone and Cody
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Shell Falls
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Shell Falls
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Shell Falls
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Shell Canyon
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Shell Canyon
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Shell Canyon
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Shell Canyon
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Shell Canyon
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Friday, July 14-Sheridan
Friday-AM-Sheridan Rodeo Parade-preceded by bed races down the street-The
parade is a must see if in town on that day-we planned it that way. The Seventh
Cavalry Drum and bugle corps does a pub-crawl after the parade which is a must
see. The whole corps marches down the street single file and then they march
into a watering hole. While inside they play about three pieces-the noise in
there is deafening. After the three pieces and probably three beers, all of a
sudden a flag comes thru the front door-points up the street and the whole
process is repeated.
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Bed races in Sheridan
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Bed Races in Sheridan - I believe these crashed
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You Betcha - Rodeo Up
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The Kalif Band - the batton is a sword
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Sheridan Rodeo Parade
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Sheridan Rodeo Parade
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Sheridan Rodeo Parade
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Sheridan Rodeo Parade
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7th Cavalry Drum and Bugle marching in the Parade
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7th Cavalry Drum and Bugle marching in the Parade
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7th Cavalry Drum and Bugle marching out of one of a few pubs
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7th Cavalry Drum and Bugle marching out of one of a few pubs
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Porch of the Sheridan Inn - once owned by Buffalo Bill
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Art museum at a local ranch full of Charles Russel Art work.. Lunch at the
Bozeman Trail Inn-longest operating bar in Wyoming-I doubt that it shut down in
the prohibition.
Saturday, July, 15-Sheridan to Little Bighorn National Battlefield-80 miles
This was my birthday and it was a spectacular gift to be able to go to the
battlefield and see it all. This is a really interesting place. I felt I was in
church.
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Little Big Horn
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Little Big Horn - Where Custer Fell
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Little Big Horn - Where Reno and Benteen Crossed the River
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Little Big Horn -
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Little Big Horn - The reader in action
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Little Big Horn - Another marker - not a grave
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National Cemetery at Little Big Horn
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Saturday, July 15- Custer Battlefield to Cody Wyoming-220 miles
We drove from Little Big Horn over the Bighorn Mountains over the Medicine
Wheel Pass. This was spectacular again as it is a scenic highway.. It was along
drive but we needed to see the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody which we didn’t have
time to see on our first trip thru Cody.
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Medicine Wheel Pass
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Looking back up to Medicine Wheel Pass
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View from Pass
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View from Pass
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View along the road
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Sunday, July 16-Cody Wyoming-Buffalo Bill Museum
We spent all day at the museum- we went in at 9:00 am and came out at 5:00
pm. Interesting place.
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Buffalo Bill Monument at Museum
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Cody museum area
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Which way did they go
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Cody Museum grounds
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Buffalo Exhibit in museum was awesome
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Mom petting the buffalo - it didn't move
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Me petting the moose - it didn't move either
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Cody Museum exhibit
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Monday, July 17-Cody Wyoming to Gillette, Wy-250 miles
We drove through Meeteetse, Wyoming through Ten Sleeps Canyon(another
designated scenic highway over the Bighorn Mountains.) The Powder River pass is
at 9200 feet.
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Hells Half Acre outside of Metetsee
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Hells Half Acre
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Ten Sleep Canyon
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Ten Sleep Canyon
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Powder River Pass
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Trail up to summit of pass
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View from fire tower at top of pass
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View from fire tower at top of pass
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The reader at the pass
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At Buffalo we went to visit Fort Phil Kearny and the scene of the Fetterman
Massacre.
We then drove to Gillette to spend the night.
Tuesday, July 18-Gillette, Wyoming to Custer, South Dakota.
In the morning we visited the Devils Tower National Monument-spectacular.
Great walk around the base-I didn’t want to climb it. If you saw Close
Encounters of the Third Kind you know what it looks like. In the afternoon we
drove in to Custer, South Dakota.
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Along the road
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The rise and fall of Tubb City
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Devils Tower
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Devils Tower
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Devils Tower
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Tuesday Night we drove over to Mt. Rushmore National Monument for dinner and
the evening program-impressive.
Wednesday,July 19-Custer. SD
Went to see the Crazy Horse Statue-being carved out of a whole mountain.
Toured Custer State Park-big bison herd. Drove to Deadwood in the afternoon to
the casinos and also over to Lead to see the gold mine-open pit in the middle of
the road.
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Needles Highway in Custer State Park
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Needles Highway in Custer State Park
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They actually get a bus through that rock.
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Deadwood
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Deadwood
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Model of Crazy Horse Statue
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Craxy Horse taking shape on mountain
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Craxy Horse monument
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Crazy Horse Monument
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Thursday, July 20,Custer, SD-
Toured Mt. Rushmore in the daytime,
shopping in Keystone, SD. Lunch at a small local bar. They were unloading a
trailer truck of Budwiser and when I mentioned that it was a lot of beer he said
that was only one half of the amount they would sell when the Harley Davidson
rally would be in Sturgis in about two weeks. Wood carvers museum in Custer was
dissapointing.
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Mt. Rushmore
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Mt. Rushmore
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Mt. Rushmore from the side
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Friday, July, 21, Custer SD to Ft. Collins,Co.-315 miles.
Stopped at Fort Laramie and Cheyenne-both interesting.
Cheyenne is the place mom decided we needed to go shopping for items to bring
back to her co-workers at Voorhees. Took a while to find a proper candy shop. Overnight with a
friend in Ft. Collins. John Kisiday.
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Ft. Laramie
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Ft. Laramie
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Saturday July 22, Fort Collins to Denver to New Jersey.
I miscalculated the flight time and we arrived at the Alamo car check in at
around 10:45.
I thought the flight was at 11:52 but checking the tickets it was at 11:25.
There was an absolute crush of people at the Alamo check in and we bulled our
way on to the bus at11:00 AM. We arrived at the terminal at around 11:15. We
checked our baggage at the curb and entered the terminal at around 11:20.
Luckily our gate was in the first wing of the airport and got to the gate very
quickly. We even got seat assignments at this time together and as we walked
into the plane they shut the door of the plane behind us. Talk about stretching
a vacation.
The aftermath of returning home.
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