Through Wyoming, Sept. 2 to 12

We entered Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park from the Montana border on Route 89. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, September 2-4, we stayed in Canyon Village (in clean 1970s economy motel rooms that they call “Pioneer Cabins” for some silly reason) and saw the Park. On Friday we rode out of the Park on US route 14/16/20, crossed the Abrasoka Mountains, and continued down the Shoshone River Canyon to a Forest Service campground called Wapiti. On Day 26 we continued just 30 miles to Cody.

On Day 27 we continued on 14/16/20 to Greybull and then on route 14 to Shell, at the base of the Bighorn Mountains. On Day 28 (Monday) we climbed and descended the Bighorns, which might have been the most beautiful and challenging day of the trip. The top of the Bighorns, Granite Pass, is slightly over 9,000 feet, for a vertical gain and loss of almost 5,000 feet that day. We stayed at the Connor Battlefield park and campsite int he town of Ranchester. On Day 29 we met the governor while he was leading a conservation field trip outside of Ranchester. Then we continued through Sheridan, where we did some household chores, replaced the rear wheel of my bike, and interviewed people from the local land trust. We continued 27 more miles on U.S. 14 to Ucross. On day 30 we rode 80 miles on US 14 to Gilette. On day 31 we contiued east on 14 to Moorcroft and then north on State Routes 10 and 24 to Devil’s Tower. On Day 32 we continued on routes 24, 111, and a frontage road near I-90 until we crossed the (unmarked) South Dakota state line. We ended that day in Spearfish.