The Gift of Water Fades Away….
Leaving Thermopolis and heading south on Hwy 20 to Shoshoni, the landscape changes dramatically within 5 miles south of town. Remember that the river is flowing north and we are heading south, so we have been gradually climbing up the valley. In an instant the valley narrows dramatically as we enter the Wind River Canyon, the route the river cuts through the Owl Creek Mountains. For about 10 miles the road, the river, and the railroad are all that can fit into the bottom of the canyon. You’ll note that as we enter the canyon the river changes name. North of the canyon the river is called the Big Horn River, in the canyon and farther south the river is called the Wind River. The picture on the left is at the entrance to the canyon from the Thermopolis side, the one on the right is at the south entrance of the canyon. The name “Wind River” is aptly bestowed upon the waterway as not only is it cold but the wind is howling through the canyon. I generously unexpectedly leave my cap as tribute to the winds. If you’re ever in the area and find a khaki baseball cap in the bottom of the canyon, mail it to me…
Yes, those are two tunnels in the picture above, large enough that a semi and I passed each other in the second tunnel! After exiting the second tunnel the land opens up again into the arid Big Horn Basin seen in previous days.
The river is blocked by a dam just south of the last tunnel and the huge Boysen Resevoir stores the water which gives life to the land at the foothills of the Wind River Range. South of the resevoir the thin green line is the river as it winds across the basin.
The road now heads southwest towards the base of the majestic Wind River Mountains. The Wind River Range stretches more than 100 miles southeast from Yellowstone National Park with more than 40 peaks reaching more than 13,000 feet to the sky.
After turning south east on Highway 26 we come to Riverton. the largest town in central Wyoming with over 11,000 people and the commercial center for the area. The highway was under construction all the way through town so I didn’t get to wander and explore, will have to save that for a future trip! However, there was an unexpected treat just south of town. You know how birds are fascinated by shiny objects and are easily distracted by a spark of light in the corner of their eye? I’m kind of like that when it comes to Indian casinos! As the highway rises south of Riverton the Wind River Casino glimmers on the horizon so of course I had to stop! 45 minutes later I left with $40 more dollars than I had before and happily resumed my trek south… 🙂
A short while later the town of Lander appears, nestled close below the Wind River Mountains. A brief tour of town shows a tidy little place, with a small downtown area full of historical buildings still in use.
After leaving Lander I have to take advantage of being in the area to take a short detour to the South Pass, just southwest of Lander. The storied Oregon and Mormon Trails crossed Wyoming, following first the North Platte River and then the Sweetwater River to a point south of Lander where the various trails came together for the arduous climb across the Rockies at South Pass Being the history buff that I am, I couldn’t be this close and not check it out. This picture looks up at the pass (the low point in the middle) from a couple of miles below. It doesn’t look like much, but remember that the soaring 13,000 feet plus peaks of the Wind River Range are just out of the picture to the north and to the south the mountains are lower (around 8,000-9,ooo feet) but more importantly there is virtually no water, so this “dip” was the crucial crossing point for many of those heading west in the 1800’s. It is bit humbling to contemplate the strength of those pioneers who walked their wagons for days up elevations where today my Ford E-450 labors to climb…
After returning towards Lander, I turn east on Hwy 287 and head towards Rawlins. This is truly the forgotten land, high plain desert with virtually no flowing water to be seen, endless landscapes of dirt, gravel, sagebrush and sparse grass. On maps you will see a large area (roughly 100 miles by 50 miles) that is empty and simply labeled “The Great Divide Basin”. The land has so little change in elevation that the Continental Divide actually splits and encircles this space, meaning that the little moisture that falls here as rain or snow is absorbed by the ground or sits on flat spots and evaporates rather than flowing to either the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans, leaving soil that is incredibly inhospitable to vegetation. While not entirely flat, there are immense stretches that seem so; ringed by mountains of bare stone rising in the distance. This photo was taken about 10 miles north of Rawlins, looking back to the northwest.
Another indication at how treacherous this land is can be seen at every major highway intersection between Thermopolis and Rawlins. There are large signs decorated with blinking lights in place to warn motorists that the road ahead is closed and they need to turn back to the nearest civilization. This is because the weather conditions can be so extreme in the winter that the roads close, including the interstate across southern Wyoming due to blowing snow and the resulting lack of visibility. While the quantity of snow may not be great, the never-ending wind blows it into huge drifts that close the highways, including the interstate. Ignoring these warnings can result in dire consequences…
Now it’s time to reward ourselves for having survived this section of the trip. Who doesn’t like a good tractor pull? Details in Chapter 3!
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