Denver CO to Greybull WY.

This was actually a two day journey, overnighting half way in Casper WY, but I will cover it in a single blog as there were quite a lot of boring stretches in there !! Wyoming is a big state with wide open plains and cattle, but fortunately there are always surprises to keep you interested along the way.

Leaving Denver I took the freeway I 25 north to Fort Collins,  and then headed towards Laramie and Medecine Bow on smaller state highway 287. There was a small canyon intially, but then for a while there were some pretty long boring stretches with a few mesas and uplifts along the way initially to break the monotony.
I was very disappointed in Laramie and Medicine Bow - Names which conjure up images of the Lone Ranger and Tonto heading out across the plains.  But both of them are very run down and untidy - especially Medicine Bow which I thought was very sad and neglected.
Across the Shirley Basin, wth the elevation consistently up around 6000 feet, it was bitterly cold, and with strong winds all the way.  The wind is apparently a regular feature of this part of the country, and this is reflected by the extensive wind farms  across the Basin.
An interesting drop into Casper, in the middle of Cowboy Country, where I spent the night in a motel. A good Mexican meal completed the day and helped to warm me up.  The campsites in this part of Wyoming are not open yet due to them normally having snow at this time of year.

Next morning got up fairly early and after breakfast in the motel, dressed warmly against the strong and biting winds, and set off east towards Shoshoni.  Open, undulating plains - and then suddenly, abut 46 miles out of Casper, a sign off to the left saying "Hell's Half Acre".  I had shot past before my mind registered interest, but then did a U turn and went back to see what on earth this could be.  And there was an enormous eroded hole in the ground filled with sharp and complex formations - Right in the middle of an otherwise flat plain. 

The sign said that the Indians used to drive heards of buffalo into the hole where they were either impaled on the rocks, or the indians could easily kill them off.  Buffalo bones apparently litter the area. After that it was back to driving across the flat plains again.
Re-fueled in Shoshoni, where I not only had cowboy horses watching me, but also heard an Australian voice asking "Whats with the Australia stickers on your car, then ?"  Was a young guy Brendon with his family who now lives in Denver, but used to play Aussie Rules for the Dockers in Fremantle !  Small world. 
Almost as soon as I left Shoshoni I entered the stunning Wind River Canyon, which was a majestic cutting through the valley towards Thermopolis where there are Hot Springs,and the area is regarded as the Gateway to Yellowstone NP.

After this it was back to the rolling plains of Wyoming, but always there were the snow covered Big Horn mountains of over 10,000 feet over to the right in the distance.
Then I arrived in Greybull which I know quite well from several past visits as this is the major high quality bentonite mining area in the world, and my old company has a major mill facility here with their mine. 

So I drove out to the mill where I was to meet Jeremy, a good friend of mine stll working for the company, with whom I was to spend a day or two. I also met a couple of other people I knew from the company who were there on business, so it was good to catch up with them.
Once Jeremy had finished work, we set off across the plains to his home in Powell, some 45 miles from Greybull. There I met his wife Jilaena, and twin daughters Charlie and Emily, who at two years old keep their parents fully occupied !!
That night I joined them for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday in Greybull, and afterwards at the local pub where we stayed until quite late until it was time to return home to let the babysitter go. The next day I decided to spend one more day with them and enjoy their company and the lovely environment around their home.  In the evening some of their neighbours came over and we had a barbecue where I was able to try some elk that Jeremy had hunted (delicious), and then we lit a fire and had a lovely evening sitting, chatting, and toasting marshmallows and eating 'Smores" (Toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate on crackers !). A wonderful day.

Tomorrow am off to the N entrance of Yellowstone which is the only gate offically open at this time of year.  All the other entances and good mountain roads in the area are still closed by snow. I want to try and get into the park and see if I can spend  day in there walking and exploring before heading west towards Portland where it seems to be raining non-stop at the moment !

More photos here :- https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/DenverCOToGreybullWY?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHultmdqe2_4wE#