The Great Prairie Safari -- Day Three

3 May 2013; Another Super 8 --

This day found the Wandering Grumpy and his faithful followers climbing up out of the Great Salt Lake basin to an elevation of over 6,000 feet and into the State of Wyoming. On the way out of the State of Utah, however, there were still sights to see. The first of these was the "Devil's Slide"; of course we had to stop and take a photo or two.

Wyoming may have the highest average elevation of any State in the Union; it boasts several peaks of over 13,000 feet (Medicine Bow peak in the Snowy Range of Southeast WY, Gannett peak in the Wind River range in the Northwest-Central part) and its lowest spot is at its border with either SD (Beaver Creek) or NE (North Platte River) at about 3600 feet. We entered Wyoming at about 6500 feet, climbed to over 7000 feet several times (crossing the Continental Divide four [yes, I said 4!] times) before finally gradually descending down to the Sweetwater River to the "Independence Rock Historic Sight". 

Here was where a group of Oregon Trail pioneers stopped on 4 July 1859 and inscribed their initials in the southern face of this monstrous granite intrusion. This is one of several I took of those inscriptions that were most easily discerned after almost 150 years of weathering from sun, snow and rain. Thankfully, these are at about the greatest distance from where anyone can park their car; it is at least a half-mile hike from there.

Grumpy took this photo (on left) of what he believes are remnants of the original wagon tracks left by this and subsequent pioneers as the passed thrpugh the relatively narrow gap between the south face of Independence Rock and the bank of the Sweetwater River that they followed for its supply of fresh water.

Awhile later, we arrived in the North Platte River valley at Casper WY where we spent what was to be our last night of hot-shower and soft-bed luxury.

The accompanying Swede brought out yet another sign alluding to the superiority of Woman; the one this evening was posted over her bed, announcing that here was "Buckingham Palace". [How many more of these masculine-degrading signs did this girl prepare and bring along on this trip? Oh well, when you have nothing to do but sit around the house all day (with its automatic dishwasher and clothes washer) while your husband is working hard to provide for his family, the idle mind can conceive much mischief.]

Tomorrow we will find our camp on the prairie and go to sleep listening to the chorus of Coyotes! How exciting. [Oh yes, and with the Beggar's Lice threatening our health and safety!]