Part 18: Granby, CO and Cody, WY

20080903-07

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The Trip

The objective was to leave our campsite near Granby and head north to Cody, WY to visit Bob and Sandy Newsome. The photos below are what we saw.

In the morning light, some expensive homes could be seen from our campsite.

The reservoir near where we camped was pretty small and had minimal brush around it. To the north were higher peaks that were above timberline.

On the path north to Cody, we passed vast areas that were severely damaged by the bark beetles. The gray trees above are dead due to beetle damage.

Near the highway was this nice dike with a window.

The ranges to our west had many peaks that were above timberline.

North of Rock Springs, we passed this range that shows exposed bedding due to faulting and uplifting.

The so-called "split rock" area to the west of the highway.

Our first view of the Grand Tetons to the west of the highway.

Thunderstorms were brewing to the north and later slowed our progress with substantial rain.

Once the weather cleared, it provided a great rainbow.

The canyon caused by the Big Horn River is used by both railroads and vehicle traffic.

The rich red colors of the Chugwater formation are the signal that the Big Horn canyon is over.

Further north, we came into Cody, WY. Bob Newsome was nice enough to allow us to stay at his guesthouse for several days. Above is the view from his ranch in the late afternoon light.

Bob still has his 416 DOKA camper, but it is for sale.

In the morning light, the golden grass is a great contrast to the distant mountains.

The wisp of clouds gave little hint of the previous day's rain.

Another view from the ranch.

To the north of Bob's ranch is this cool volcanic plug.

We tried to go out 'wheeling, but were too lazy so we just sat around instead. The next day, we headed north to an area called Sunlight Basin. This is a view from Dead Indian Pass.

From Dead Indian Pass, the snow-covered peaks to the south were clearly visible.

Note the mesa in the photo above.

As we headed deeper into Sunlight Basin, the details of the mountains became clearer.

The clear area in the photo above is an avalanche run.

We came upon this creek that crossed our trail. Due to time, we elected to turn around.

At the end of the trail we encountered this "colorful" fellow with the .44 magnum pistol. Bob Newsome is on the right. Bob noted that "Jed" was missing just a few cartridges from his belt. So, there it is - a few cartridges short of a full cylinder.

I had to cross the creek to be able to turn around.

Why Jed was carrying the .44 magnum. This is from a bear and indicates that you must stay alert as they are in the area.

A parting shot of the Sunlight basin. After we got back to Bob's place in Cody, we decided to repair a small leak on my turbocharger oil supply line. The repair action went south, requiring another repair. On the second repair, the new hose that was installed burst spraying hot, nasty oil all over the block. We finally got it the 3rd time when we installed a more robust hose. The bad news was that it required 2 days in total, but the good news was that Bob's shop was fully equipped and the accommodations at his ranch were comfortable. Once we got a solid fix in place, we headed west toward Yellowstone National Park for a quick drive-by.

Coming into Yellowstone from the east entrance, we could see extensive bark beetle damage on the trees. The gray trees in the photo above are dead due to beetle damage.

Into the park, beetle damage turned into fire damage. These trees were killed during the last big fire in the park back in the 1990s.

The road passed by Steamboat Springs where there was geothermal activity right next to the lake. The lake is visible in the top of the photo (with the glare).

To the south, the peaks still had plenty of snow.

The lodge on the lake near Fishing Bridge had a great view and great food. They were fully booked, but by some stroke of luck, we were able to get a table due to a cancellation. I had lamb, Kathleen had trout and it was great!

The evening sunlight provided dramatic colors on the mountains to the east of Yellowstone Lake.

I could have done without having to address the turbocharger oil line multiple times, but that is the way it goes. In the end, we got the problem fixed. And, if the previous service life is any indication of future performance, it should stay fixed for another 10 years (that is how long the first hose lasted). But, I now carry extra hose and clamps with me "just in case". The food at the lodge was excellent and the prices were more than reasonable given the location. It got quite cold and the following morning everything was covered with frost making footing tenuous. In fact, I fell down the stairs due to the ice, but no damage was done. The next day, we headed north out of Yellowstone park toward Glacier National Park.


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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2008, all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.