Wyoming and the Wind River

Spent the last two days traveling Southeast through the barren Wind River area of Central and Southern Wyoming. It is called "Wind River" for a reason, strong winds all the time and from every direction. Very desolate part of the country that was used by early settlers migrating from the East via the Oregon Trail. In some places you can still see the ruts of the wagons. As you can tell from the pictures, not much other than sagebrush, pronghorn antelope and roads. Split Rock (pictured above) was one of the few highlights of yesterday. It was a landmark along the trail for Native Americans, Mountain Men, and other settlers.

Currently in Saratoga Wyoming, gateway to the Snowy and Sierra Madre mountains and the Rocky Mountains 0f Colorado. 2652 miles into the trip. Saratoga is a mecca for hiking, fly fishing on the North Platte River and wintertime sports.

Had dinner at the historic Wolf Hotel, one of the best known restaurants in Wyoming, built in 1893. It sure beat Fig Newtons in the tent last night and the microwave pizza I had in a little gas station up the road from my camp site (in the yard of the former owner of the gas station).

Just went to the Saratoga municipal hot springs, a natural 115-117 hot spring. Now I know how a lobster must feel when it is first immersed in hot water! Meet several other cross country bicycle riders setting around the spring and compared notes. One rider was someone I had run into in Yellowstone a week ago last Thursday. Continue to see other riders everyday.

Line of the day--"This ain't Burger King, you can't have it your way. It's my way or you don't get a dam thing." Sign on the wall at Grandma's Cafe in Lamont Wyoming. A true cowboy place, complete with a John Wayne Western movie at 7:30 am being watched by Grandpa and Grandma when she wasn't cooking.

On my way to Colorado tomorrow.