Bighorn Mountains

After our first week in Gillette, it was time to explore them thar' Bighorn mountains to the west. Covered in year-round snow, the summit of Cloud Peak towers above the lodgepole pine forests.

Running from Buffalo to Ten Sleep, route 16 is the southern scenic byway through the mountains and on to Yellowstone. Several locals recommended Crazy Woman Canyon, a narrow and dramatic gorge with a single-lane dirt road. It was slow going, but well worth the detour.

The snow is not as visible from the valley to the west of the range, but the dramatic rock formations add plenty of color.
We took a 5 mile hike along the aptly named muddy creek on our way home, and bought a Forest Service map to plan other hikes over the next month. More to come . . .

South Dakota: Badlands and Black Hills

We had 3 days to travel the 800 miles between Minneapolis and Gillette before starting our new assignments, so we decided to spend our first night in a cabin (got the last one!) in Badlands National Park.

The next morning, we got up early to climb up onto the plateau to watch the sun rise (and moon set).
Then we drove to the nearby Black Mountains to back-country camp in the Black Elk Wilderness area . . .
. . . so that we could get a head start on the 10 mile loop hike-- and see Mt. Rushmore our way (admittedly not the easy way).

Snowy Range Road

40 miles West of Laramie, WY (click on photo to enlarge). Still tons of snowpack up here, worrisome for those living along the North Platte. In Saratoga, the river was already well over its banks and had shut down the "Hobo Hot Springs."

Video Hike: Medicine Bow

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Curt Gowdy State Park

Another great state park, just outside of Cheyenne. Altitude 7000 feet. Click photos to enlarge.

Arthur's Rock

Many of the best natural areas we have discovered are state parks, known largely to locals only and thus less crowded. Lory State Park, just north of Fort Collins, Colorado, is a prime example.

Arthur's Rock is a relatively short but steep climb up to 7000 feet, a small price to pay for such a spectacular view. Click on either of the panoramas to enlarge.
We have only one week left in Cheyenne, but are avid to get in a couple more hikes before we head up to Gillette for the rest of the summer.

Vedauwoo, Turtle Rock(y) & Bullwinkle

Well, we've been in Cheyenne a few days and have acclimatized to the altitude. The people here are very friendly and the work is interesting--plus, it's good to "back in the saddle" after 5 weeks off.

We had a short day at work, so were able to sneak out to Medicine Bow National Forest just outside of Laramie. We hiked around Vedauwoo (pronounced "VEE-duh-voo"), an area renowned for its beautiful granite formations.

Principal among these is Turtle Rock, which attracts free-climbers and bouldering enthusiasts.
Although we've certainly seen our fair share of moose in MN, we've never had a male let us get so close for so long as this young bloke we saw munching grass along one of the back roads of Medicine Bow.