Bighorns again

Highway 16, the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway, crosses the Bighorns further south than 14 and is a popular route to Cody and Yellowstone. The temperature at Powder River Pass at 9,666 feet sure beats the 96 degrees in Buffalo, Wyoming (which feels like 84 at home). We drift with the weather usually but have bought tickets for the rodeo in Sheridan so this seemed like a great stop for an afternoon nap.



This is where I would hope to see Bighorn sheep if there were any in this area.


At one overlook we had a fine view of several eleven and twelve thousand foot mountains. If only the camera could capture the beauty I saw and the mosaics created by the different areas of trees below.



At one point I stopped in the road to catch a better glimpse of these antelope. Leon is really learning to ignore the scenery and look in the rear view mirror when I am driving. I appreciate his warnings of approaching cars.



I wondered what this little structure that looks like an old double car garage built out of stones in the side of the mountain was. I may never know but i envision a Basque sheep herder living here while he tends his flock.



This van also breaks for wildflowers. The forest was thick with blooming blue lupins and I enjoyed them to the fullest.



When we arrived back in Buffalo the thermometer had gone in the wrong direction but it didn't feel all that hot to me; I had a town to explore.

Bighorn National forest

The Bighorns seemed a logical location to escape the rising temperatures in Sheridan for a couple of days. After lunch and a great visit with Barbara and Ron we retuned to the bank to get Leon's ATM card from the card eating machine we visited on Sunday and headed west. The temperatures dropped as we ascended into the forest.

Located in north-central Wyoming just an hour from Sheridan,  the region has a diverse landscape including lush grasslands, alpine meadows, crystal-clear lakes, glacially-carved valleys, rolling hills, sheer mountain walls and many creeks and streams. We settled into a spot at Prune Creek where Leon soon spotted his first moose and ventured out to get a closer look. Back and forth the two cows and their calves went through the creek and into the meadow and the next thing I knew they were wandering through the campground. Most of the other campers slept through it all.

The Medicine Wheel is a sacred site to the Indians and we were required to walk the final 1 1/2 miles to visit the site, but it was worth it. The scenery along the way was gorgeous and obviously all the snow had not melted.

The circular arrangement of stones is over 700 years old and 80 feet wide. It has 28 spokes that extend from the central hub with six smaller rock cairns arranged around the rim. Experts disagree on its traditional purpose. Offerings adorn the pole fence that encircles the wheel. 

The wildflowers blooming on the sides of the road are magnificent and are all shades of blues, pinks, yellow, lavender and white. The blue lupins are in full bloom everywhere it seems.

The roads fork near Burgess Junction, which is really just a wide spot in the road where there is a lodge and gas station. Four wheelers were everywhere as there must be ample trails in the forest to ride. At times I wished for my quad and my fly rod. The streams are full of trout while the forests are full of deer, elk, and moose. Shell Falls and Shell Canyon are on 14, the Bighorn Scenic Byway, so we made a trip down to this lovely area. These didn't compare to the falls in Yellowstone but they were nice in their own right. Shell Creek cuts a deep gorge though the towering cliffs of granite and limestone all viewed from lookouts above. 

The land in the forest is parceled and fenced and leased to ranchers to run sheep and cattle. This is the first week that cattle can be brought into the forest for grazing so we met our fair share of cattle trucks. The open range made the going in the right lane slow as they don't know the rules of the road yet,  but we like it that way and we sure don't object to people having fun on quads. 

I wondered what life must be like being a sheep herder when we passed this guy. I think I would get very bored.

I can sure see why my friends have spent so much time in the Bighorns fishing along Prune Creek and enjoying chilly nights and warm sunny days. I wish they could have joined us.