Riding Across Wyoming

After yesterday's windy ride we were hoping for the weather to be a bit more cooperative today and we weren't disappointed.  The day started off sunny without a cloud in the sky and the temperature was in the low 70s.  After stopping at Walmart to buy a package of socks for me, we took Wyoming Route 220 west toward Rawlins where we would join I-80 west.

The North Platte River outside of Casper, WY.

More rock formations

The scenery here is incredible.  We are above 6500 feet most of the time and theis area is a semi desert with bare rock formations exposed in cliffs, river banks, road cuts and hills.  The colours are the muted greens of the sagebrush, browns of dead grass and the yellows, gresy and whites of the rocks.  The one colour that does jump out is the reds.  The red rock formations are in sharp contrast to the muted colours that they are surrounded by. 

Vivid reds in the rocks.

When we entered Yellowstone Park Garry's bike blew a fork seal. He has been riding with it but it will have to be fixed. Today as we left Casper he noticed that the 'Check Engine' light was on. It seemed to go on and off but finally stayed on. We stopped and looked at the HOG touring book and found that the nearest dealership to the west was Flaming Gorge H-D in Rock Springs, WY, so we decided to try to make it there for the night.

Shortly after leaving Casper we stopped at Independence Rock which was given that name in 1830 when a wagon train headed west stopped there on July 4th.  It later became a marker for the trip to Oregon.  Parties aimed to make it to Independence Rock by July 4th to make sure they could cross the Rockies before winter descended in October or November.  Often several parties would race to make it to the rock on July 4thThe rock itself is a granite monolith  standing 136 feet above the surrounding terrain.  In the early days settlers often carved their names into the rock and Father DeSmet called it 'The Register of the Desert'. 

Independence Rock 

Conestoga wagon like the settlers on the Oregon Trail used.

A few miles further on we crossed the Continental Divide for the fourth time on the trip.  We were at about 7200 feet and the run into Rawlins we lost only about 400 feet in altitude.  We were passed by a group of about seven Hell's Angels from California.  They were probably heading home judging from their speed.  We were cruising at 65 mph and they blew by us and disappeared into the distance quite quickly.

I love the beauty of this country!

Still.

At Rawlins we searched for a seemingly non-existent Subway shop but it wasn't where the GPS said it should be. We stopped at MacDonald's and without doubt it was one of the worst McD's I have been to.  While the food was standard McD's fare, we had to stand in line for over ten minutes to order and the line never got shorter.  There were only two cashiers and they didn't seem to be pushing it.  In the line we met a couple from Kansas City who had been to the Grand Tetons, ridden the Beartooth Pass, gone to Sturgis for the day, and were heading to Denver before returning home.  They were riding an Ultra Classic like mine and the guy loved it.  I understand completely.  My bike now has more than 44 000 kms on it and it just continues to tick along without any problems (knock on wood!)

I had mentioned my I-80 experiences with trucks from my ride last year to Garry.  It hasn't changed a bit.  Trucks travel in convoys of up to fifteen and often change lanes with minimal warning.  They are often over the centre line before they put on their flashers.  This highway has an incredibly large number of trucks with all the issues that they generate.

It is 112 miles from Rawlins to Rock Springs so as we merged in to the I-80 traffic, I pushed Big Red up to 75 mph, engaged my cruise control and sat there for over an hour.  The only time I took it off was when trucks that I was overtaking abruptly changed lanes forcing me to slow down until they moved into the right lane again.  We stopped 80 miles later (130 km) at a parking area that is used mainly by truckers  The signs say 'No Littering' but there were no garbage cans and the site was disgusting.  As well as paper and plastic litter, there were dozens of water and pop bottles filled with urine strewn about.  In the midst of the sublime beauty of this country it was sad to see this sordid example of how we humans can make a mess out of even the most incredible beauty.

The muted colours of the desert.

More desert beauty.

We rolled into Rock Springs at about 3:50 p.m. to find that the dealership closed at 4:00 p.m.  Garry was able to arrange to have his bike serviced sometime tomorrow afternoon.  The service manager had already booked four appointments for travellers who were having issues with their bikes.  It is quite possible that we will be here tomorrow night depending upon how late Garry's bike is finished or if they have to order parts.  In any case, I plan on riding The Flaming Gorge while Garry is waiting for his bike to be serviced.  The Gorge is supposed to be astounding and the Flaming Gorge Bridge is so beautiful it is often featured as the background in advertisements for motorcycles and cars.

The Assistant Motor Clothing manager at the dealership is a young lady named Janetta.  She was so helpful and competent that Garry and I both thought she was the Service Manager at least.  She was awesome and even recommended the hotel we are staying at.

I find conservative states like Wyoming and Utah really intriguing.  Last night in Casper, I tried to buy a can of beer.  It wasn't possible.  Sometimes I think it is easier to buy guns in these states than it is to buy a beer.  I'm not sure of the minimum age for gun purchases, but I'm willing to bet the price of a case of beer that it is lower than the age required to buy a beer.  Passingly strange, that.

I'm hoping that Garry's bike can be put to rights tomorrow so we can get on the road again.  If it is done on time we could possibly make it to Evanston, WY, or even Salt Lake City.  It doesn't  matter which way you go, everywhere in this country is stunning but it is a desert and I hesitate to think what it would be like in the middle of January.  Every highway has gates that block highways with the warnings that if the lights are flashing drivers should return to the nearest town or city.  At this altitude I suspect that blizzards are deadly if people aren't careful.  Still, in the summer this place is incredible and I am absolutely delighted that I finally get to see it.