The flags in front of most of the offices we passed today were at half mast. I questioned Enid as to why, and she reminded me that it was September 11, so this is the 11th anniversary of 911.
Travelling through the Bighorn Mountains
We drove across Powder Pass in the Bighorn Mountains. At 9,666 feet it is almost a mile higher than Buffalo, Wyoming where we started, so it was a steep climb and you could tell on the Tahoe. Pulling the trailer up the hills made it work. It was a nice day to drive as it was a bit cooler than it has been for the last few days.
We were delayed twice by construction, and having to wait for pilot cars. The first time , on the east side of the pass, there didn’t seem to be much work taking place. However at the second, across the mountain range, they had the road ripped up, and wetted down. The Tahoe and trailer got very muddy, so when we stopped for gas in Worland I asked where we could find a carwash. We spent about fifteen minutes washing the vehicles. Unfortunately I got a big spot of grease on the back of my shirt from the hose.
Once across the mountains the topography changed to be a very dry desert. Around a few of the towns they were irrigating and growing crops of grain and sugarbeets. Outside of this irrigation it was very brown. It is also quite flat, just gently rolling hills until you get to Cody, Wyoming.
Breccia cliffs along the Shoshone River
At Cody you reach the edge of the mountains. Buffalo Bill played a large part in the formation of the town. There is a large museum there about him, but we didn’t stop as it was still a good two hours drive to our campsite. As you leave the town you pass the Buffalo Bill Dam on the Shoshone River which forms a large lake. Past the end of the lake you travel through the canyon of the Shoshone River, a very beautiful drive into the east entrance to the park. The highway again climbs as you reach the park entrance until you reach Sylvan Pass at 8350 feet. Then the road drops down to the elevation of Yellowstone Lake at about 7700 feet. The forest along this highway is largely burned from the 1988 fire. You drive through burned out areas for many miles.
We reached our campsite at Grant Village about 4 pm, set up our trailer and then went to the visitor center to get some information. It is supposed to be cool tonight, probably dropping to -5 C. That is a big change from the last few days when it has been around 33 C during the day, and last night was 10 C.