Wyoming

Wide open spaces and friendly people; perhaps the wind and freezing winters build character. I'm enjoying Wyoming so far. I spent a couple of days in Laramie, wandering the historic district and meeting some locals. The Elks Lodge provided company, a great shepherd's pie dinner, and private parking behind the historic building for a wind break. 

University of Wyoming at Laramie

Native wildflowers on campus

As I headed north, the clouds darkened and the van got a nice rain wash. 

Roadside monuments and historical markers highlight the Oregon and Mormon Pioneer trails that came through this area including one site devoted to the "Mormon Handcart Tragedy of 1856." (I won't turn this into a history lesson but the stories are dramatic.) I tried to imagine what it must have been like to spend weeks crossing these vast spaces in a wooden wagon or pulling a cart on foot through the scrub brush, looking for wagon wheel ruts, fearing Indians, and dropping your worldly goods along the way to lighten the load. The National Park Service estimates an average of 10-15 deaths per mile! The rocks below were used for navigation and pointed travelers directly to South Pass, more than 75 miles away. 

"Our camp was near what is called the Split in the Rock,
a remarkable let in the top of the mountain
which can be seen at a great distance in either direction."  
Wm Carter, 1857

After the rain and pondering the past, I'm grateful to be traveling through this beautiful area in a comfortable self-contained vehicle. I had a delicious trout dinner at the Cowboy Cafe, visited with a friendly family from San Diego and am about to settle under a warm down comforter with Hannah snoring by my side.