Jun 30, 2014

We headed out in the cool of the morning and did some back tracking off the Oregon Trail so we could see some other sights we had planned to and we will share them with you over the next few days. Sorry to say I have yet to figure out how to crop pixs on the Galaxy so some shots wont be as good as they could be.

 

The first is a view across the high plains dessert to the mountains we rode through most of yesterday afternoon and again this morning. It was relatively undulating here but had previously been full of craggy peaks and canyons but there was only an emergency lane to stop in and speed limit 121 kmh so thought best not to.

 

Just a few hundred metres before our fuel and lunch stop Norm spied this and went back to take a few pics. It had a sign on the back which said "Caution vehicle travels at 5mph over bridges".It was 65m long and Norm cocouldn't f find anyone to ask about it.

 

 

After miles and hours of prairie land with undulating land and grass we all of a sudden came across bigger hills and ponderosa pines. Didn't realise we had been missing trees so much but the reality is that we have been without a tree other than cottonwood and willow trees along river / creek beds since we left Chicago so over 3,000 kms ago.

 

A model of a mammoth at the front of the great Mammoth site at Hot Springs where in 1974 they discovered the remains of a great sink hole where to date they have found the remains of 47 mammoths. The model out the front looked more impresive than the skeletons in the museum.

 

This is just after our entry to the Wind Cave State Park. There are impressive caves underground and impressive animals on top of the ground and remember these are all in the wild, not a zoo or enclosure.  Awesome! 

 

Deer.

 

Bison which have ben reestablished after they were decimated by early settlers. Awesome to see.

 

Prarie dog. Look like meerkats. Don't know if they are the same or not. 

 

Mountain sheep.

Last night's Accommodation: 

Hilton Garden Inn, Casper,

A very comfortable spot to drop. Spacious room, lovely comfortable bed and restaurant on site so no need to head out again to get a meal. Included wifi, parking and tea coffee and cold drinks in foyer. Breakfast not included but reasonable cost and good meal. Good value.