A Sojourn South

Like many during Thanksgiving, I packed a bag, loaded Sam (my dog) into my truck and set off on a road trip to visit family. For me, an 8 hour drive through southern Montana, northern Wyoming, central Wyoming, and southern Wyoming, separated me from my family. But, it was a drive that I had done many times before, and I was rather excited to do it again.

Just after 11:30 on Wednesday, the 21st, I crested a hill to the southeast of Red Lodge. It was later in the day than I would have liked, but I only have myself to blame. the roads were clear and, I set myself a goal of making it to Thermopolis before I stopped for lunch. To help myself stay alert during, the long miles at the steering wheel, I started The Emerald Mile. I really do like audio books for this reason.

Sam 

And so, I pushed forward. The miles passed, as the history of the Grand Canyon unfolded to my ears. As planed, I stopped in Thermopolis. I let Sam out of the truck for  a quick stretch behind a gas station. He is one of the best co-drivers I could have asked for, very little complaining. After I pick up a quick lunch, we pushed on through one of my favorite places in Wyoming, The Windriver Canyon. On this trip,  I ended up  behind a semi. I didn't mind being stuck in slow moving traffic, it meant that I had more time to look around.

Th Windriver Canyon

As we reached the southern end of The Windriver Canyon, the clouds settled down to the ground. This caused the world to turn black and white. This was an awe inspiring moment. Even more so when I decided to stop after the town of Shoshoni, at the Boysen Reservoir. The world had sprouted small, white crystals across the ground. And, the reservoir itself rested bellow a near untouched cover of ice and snow. I was not foolish enough to test my luck by disturbing the reservoir's sparkling blanket.

After the Canyon

The Boysen Reservoir 

After a quick stop, passed the town of Riverton, lay the longest (and remotest) part of my trip. Around 120ish miles of sagebrush, rock formations, not much else. I don't know what always draws me out there, but every year without fail I drive this stretch of Wyoming. I've turned this long stretch into three parts. Riverton to Sweetwater Station, Sweetwater Station to Muddy Gap, And Muddy Gap to Rawlings. When I say that there is not much in the way of people on this stretch, I mean it. Besides the rest stops, and the rather oddly placed town of Jeffery City there is nothing. I think that the lack of people is what brings me out there.

After completing just over half of the mileage, a quick stop at the Split Rock Rest Area was a welcome present. I Sam out for a few moments as the twilight hours set in. There was snow, but not as much as at the Boysen Reservoir.  From the sticker collection on the trash can, others found is rest stop enjoyable as well.

Split Rock Trash Can

The Area Round Split Rock

After a quick audio swap, learn how the Sierra Club prevented further damns on the Colorado River is Cool, but I needed something to keep the blood pumping.  I made my way in to Rawlings with rock music accompanying the dark. In Rawlings I filled up on gas, paying close to $3 per gallon. Than, the last 96 miles of interstate traffic to Laramie.

I arrived at my parents house in time to sit down for dinner, fallowed by some catching-up conversations, and finally bed.

The morning of Thanksgiving day saw me at a rather poor substitute for a ski waxing table. In truth, it was a folding table with a couple of clamps clamped to it, and one of my skis clamped in the clamps. The more frustrating part, was that my skis were too wide for the clamps. So, I had to come up with a few creative ways of clamping on to the ski's bindings. Part way through scraping the first layer of wax, my dad walking in and gave me a few pointers. Scrap in the direction of the glide, Long pulls/pushes with the scrapper, and shinny looks good. I did my best, and decided to put two coats of wax on each ski. After that, I started working on the skins, but put it up just after my older sister and her husband arrived.

Ski Waxing is Messy

Thanksgiving meal was standard with turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegies, sparkling ciders (adult and kid), cranberries, rolls, and plenty of stories. Pie fallowed. And, after a few more hours my older  sister and her husband returned to Colorado. Sam was rather disappointed. He, my sister's dog, and my mom's dog were having the best afternoon any dog could wish for. Play time, pets, and dropped food.

Sam Begging for Food

Dinner

After my sister left, my little sister, my mom, and I headed to a movie theater to watch the new Robin Hood. It was good. But sorry, no spoilers.

Friday, the 23rd, dad took Sam and I up to the local ski area. The same one that I learned to alpine ski at. Sam had a snow day, and me legs did their best to remember how to ski. (There will be another post covering this. I'll put a link in when I post it.)

The Lodge at Snowy Range

Saturday was a layover day. A storm blew in, bringing howling winds, cold temperatures, and snow that felt like sand paper when it hit your face. The day passed slow as I mostly sat around trying to put thoughts to paper. And, sat through a Amazon Prime showing of The Tuskegee Airmen with my dad. Heck of a good movie. Later, the whole family, minus the dogs, headed back to the movie theater to watch The Crimes of Grindelwald. Good movie, but again no spoilers.

While with my family, I've seen the inside of a movie theater more times in just a few days, than on my own back north.

The Road Home:

I left Laramie around 11:30am. For some odd reason 11:30am is just my traveling hour. None the less, this northern road trip was far from the awe inspiring southern trip. The trip north would push my mental stamina, and take several hours longer than going south. Sam, understandably, was not happy to be back in the truck.

Wyoming Landscape

About halfway between Laramie and Rawlings, I ended up in double lane, slow moving bumper to bumper traffic. Semi trucks slow crept along I-80. Smaller vehicles , such as mine, filled gapes between the trucks. For nearly an hour, I played leapfrog with a section of semis. This went on to the point where I read the same advertisements countless times.

"To Make Money Like a Boss, Talk to the Boss up Front" And such.

The traffic jam was caused by a semi truck, and trailer, which had either been overturned by the wind or slide on the icy roads. Either way, I spent most of my time with my foot dancing off and on the break peddle. Most of the time, I simply let the engine push my truck along unaided. Moving at maybe 3-5mph for a few seconds than having to stop again. Fun times.

Traffic Jam

I finally arrived at Rawlings around 2pm. Filled up the gas tank, let Sam out, and did my best to make it to Riverton before I lost the light. I Nearly made it. A few miles south, I drove into a heavy fog. The kind of fog that is as cold as it is think. My defrosters worked overtime for miles. Into Riverton, and beyond. The road between Riverton and Shoshoni became increasingly hard to see. The Boysen Reservoir was near invisible within the world of white. It felt like I had wound up in a Steven King novel. Luckily, the only monsters were in my head.

Riverton

Just as I left Shoshoni, around 5:30pm, I joined a convoy of other wherry travelers. This took a lot of stress off me, as I concentrated on the break lights of the car in front of me. They gazed through the fog like the eyes of so evil creature. With the other cars in the convoy, around 4 that I could see, the road around the Boysen Reservoir went passed without incident. The only way that I could tell when we entered the Windriver Canyon, was the cliff wall next to the road. Everything else passed by without a single land mark to tell of it's presents.

Convoy Through the Canyon

The fog lifted just before the canyon ended. And with a mental sigh of relief, I pulled the truck into Thermopolis's McDonalds. It was around 7pm by this point, and both Sam and I where in need of food. However, I had only pack Sam enough food for the stay in Laramie. He had eaten the last scoop that morning. I looked at the options. Then decided that I didn't care, and Sam dinned on chicken tender with a few fries added on.

Thermopolis

Sleepy Sam

After dinner, I decided that I did not care what time I made it home, as long as I made it home. So, the next hours where slow and snowy. My speedometer's needle beardly passed 55mph. Cody was a quick and final fuel stop, before the last push. I pulled in to my drive at 9:30pm, 10 hours after I left Laramie. By far my longest dive from Laramie to Red Lodge.

I grabbed my things from my tuck, let Sam stretch for a few moments, than we both went to bed. I had to be up before the sun on Monday. It was one of the nights I didn't like my job, although I still managed to wake up when my alarm sounded.

Back to Work

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving,
Yeti