My first trip to Wyoming

Found these photos in the disaster area known as the computer room the other day, I have apparently forgotten to put them in an album for 2.5 years. AYEEEEEEEE. Anyway thought I'd scan a few of the more scenic ones from my October 2005 trip to Wyoming where I took the scenic Oregon/Mormon/Westward Ho FuddDucker trail leaving the Interstate at Ogallalla (Is that too many L's or not enough?) going up to Scottsbluff then cutting over to WY on county roads ending up North of Cheyenne on I25. Would scan the Scottsbluff picture but it is surrounded by a freaking golf course so not very "Western" looking to my eye.

The first picture is one of the landmarks of those emigrant trails known today as Chimney Rock (its a national park service place) but locals say the Indians there called it something that means deer penis rock. I don't know, I've never seen one.

Then there's jail and courthouse rocks also a landmark but unfortunately they are on private property so this is as close as you get, there's a marker there on the side of this little narrow county road explaining how they rise 400 feet from plains of the North Platte and can be seen for around 30 miles on the trail. I think the guy that owns the property offers wagon rides around them. Hey a farmer has to make a buck with diesel worth the price of gold.
One of my favorite trail landmarks is this little tree on Interstate 80, it is so unique (and was noted in several emigrants diaries on the Overland trail) that there is a pullout or pullin from both sides of the interstate so you can stop, take pictures etc. You can't go to the bathroom though, no facilities, just the tree.

And the first sign that I was in real cowboy country was this one for the Dead Horse Food and Spirits, 24 hr gas and diesel in LaGrange. Next time I'm through there I believe I will pop in for a bit. Maybe they have cool T shirts.

Vacations

When I was in my late twenties and throughout most of my thirties my idea of a vacation was hot sand,turquoise water and tropical drinks. I just knew that Florida was the place of my future. Then the last weekend of 2001 I spent several days in New Mexico. Now I "jones" for the desert from the time I am driving back from it. Of course its not only NM, I love WY too ( and I suspect I'd feel the same way about similar places in AZ, NV etc.). I'd love to move but the thought of moving all the animals, and myself and finding a different job after 20 years is rather daunting. Still the thoughts come, and they linger and peek around the corner all the time. I constantly websurf properties in various places out there, and I'm examining what kind of work might be there, but I'm afraid there would have to be another catalyst right now for me to bug out of my job after 20 years. So I content myself with my malcontent for the moment.

Hunting Antelope

Well with acamera which isn't powered by a nuclear reactor so I have to get pretty close (50-100 feet for decent closeups) which brings to mind for me that hunting antelope in WY with a scoped rifle is really a great sport for a beginner. This photo was taken with a HP digital camera with 5.5 megapixel resolution. The buck just stood and watched me walk slow up to him. I found if I didn't look directly at the antelope I could get a lot of good shots by walking up on them. This is just North of Medicine Bow, the ridge in the background is Como Ridge Oct 2007.

Medicine Bow, WY

Medicine Bow, quaint name for a town of less than 250 situated at 6700 feet altitude on the great Overland trail. Once a cattle and mining boom town situated on the railroad, now classified as a ghost town in many books and internet sites. It has a rich history, and hotel (The Virginian) with real old West "flavor". Hope you aren't that attached to having a telephone, TV or bathroom in your hotel room.

Middle Age Crazy Moment

So last October I get over my insane fear of flying (or at least beat it into temporary submission) and order a ticket to Denver via Frontier. I'm going to fly out, rent a car and then drive up to WY to walk the high desert in search of the elusive white tailed jackrabbit. The car I had reserved of course had flown the coop when I arrived, they offered me a minivan as a free upgrade. Gee, HOW EXCITING since I drive one of those most every weekend to dog events. What else ya got ask I? So for a minimal upgrade charge , I left in a SWEET ride! 2008

V8 Mustang GT convertible. One of the few cars pretty enough to take photos of. This was early Thursday morning and since my friends wouldn't be arriving in WY until Friday afternoon I had some time to kill and money to burn. So......off to the Rocky Mt National Park for me to see some of those real mountains as opposed to the ones called mountains where I live in middle TN. Well heck I'm in a convertible I must drive with the top down right? So of course I did, now it wasn't quite as crazy as it sounds it was in the mid 70s and sunny although I think I did have the heat on too.