W is for Wonderful, and Wyoming!

We left earlier than usual this morning. We’re not very good at leaving early; cleaning up ourselves and the Gumby van always seems to take longer than we expect, and many of the other campers in the campground are gone by the time we’re ready to go. We are getting more efficient, though, and today we were all ready to go at 9:30! We’re aiming for 9 this coming morning… Molly is helping by sitting on top of one or both of us around sunrise, staring fixedly down at us like a little vulture, and growling a small growl (“get UP!”).

It was fun to wake up and see the remarkable Devil’s Tower through our van window. We have wonderful views from our little home, and the best thing is that they change every day!

We also had fun counting antelope during our drive. The valley around Devil’s Tower has many fenced fields containing grazing cattle, and we saw antelope in nearly every one, sometimes grazing next to the cows and sometimes bounding around or sitting in the tall grass. I wonder if it makes the cattle sad to see the antelope going in and out through the fence that keeps the cattle in. We saw a grand total of 480 antelope today! Isn’t that amazing?

We drove across the eastern half of Wyoming today, following Route 90 to Sheridan, and then taking smaller routes to Cody, where we are camped (KAMPED! again!) for the night. We took Route 14A through Bighorn National Forest. My scenic drives book said “the A is for Adventure!” and yes, it was. The road climbed to 9300 feet, with sharp turns and steep grades and dizzying drop-offs just outside the passenger window - eek. I sat in my seat taking quick glances out the window and clutching Molly with the irrational fear that she would suddenly topple out. Then, what goes up must come down… The road (and the van!) zoomed steeply down, with stern signs warning us about steep grades and low gears and failing brakes and sharp turns – and then, the mysterious “road damage ahead!” So, you come whizzing down the road, trying not to brake too much and listening to the engine whine about being in too low a gear and worrying about flying off a cliff, and then you have to wonder if a big chunk of the road will be missing up ahead or what else “road damage” could mean. All was well, though, and we made it into the valley safely. Sandeep let the van coast along gently for awhile, out of gratitude.

Between the up and the down, we stopped in some lovely spots. The North Tongue River is a beautiful little shallow stream, and Molly waded in it happily. We also stopped at the 9300 feet mark, where a worn track led to the top of a hill. We walked up the hill, and took in the spectacular view, the cool wind (the temperature was 85 in the valley and 60 at the highest point), and the silence.

Have I mentioned how beautiful Wyoming is?

Yellowstone tomorrow!