Yellowstone or Bust! Day 12

Wednesday, July 3, 2013. After a quick stop at Albertson’s Grocery for a few supplies, we were once again on the road and headed south along the Hoback River. It wasn’t long before the landscape changed and we were seeing rolling hills covered with sagebrush once again. It amazes me that anything can live in this arid desolation. Route 191 south takes you between two ranges of mountains: the Wyoming Range to the west and the Wind River Range to the east. By the time we got to Pinedale, we were ready to get out of the van for awhile. There is a very nice visitor center in Pinedale, and by lucky coincidence a fabric store next door.

Soon after getting back on the road, we spot what appears to be a gravestone by the side of the road. It turns out it is not a gravestone, but a marker commemorating the Sublette cutoff of the Oregon Trail. After 1843 this was the preferred trail to California. This route shaved about 85 miles and 7 days off the main route, but the decision to cross nearly 45 waterless miles before reaching the Green River was not one to be taken lightly. I simply cannot imagine what those pioneers thought when crossing this area. How difficult was it for them to trust that a better place lay past this wasteland? How hard were the lives of the women, trying to get meals together and manage the children while traveling long hours every day under the hot sun? This tiny marker brought so many images and thoughts to my mind. We spent quite a few miles discussing it among ourselves as we traveled in the air-conditioned comfort of the van.

There wasn’t much to see before we reached our KOA in Rock Springs, and not much to see there either. We got an upgrade to a larger cabin with a kitchenette so are all staying together for a change. We are in Rock Springs due to some previous plans to meet with Tim’s brother for fishing; those plans fell through so we are going to try to amuse ourselves. We are not far from Flaming Gorge, so after lunch we set off on the loop tour.









Flaming Gorge lies in both Wyoming and Utah. Right at the state line, someone noticed what looked like a small cemetery at the top of a hill. Always interested in old graveyards, I climbed over a barbed wire fence and scaled the hill, and sure enough it was indeed a cemetery! Not an old one, though. There were only 4 stones, dating from 1978 to 1996. It was an interesting stop, nonetheless. Note to self: don't go exploring in flip-flops here. There are cactus among those sagebrush!


In the core of the Uinta Range, the gorge is one of the most spectacular chasms in America. The Green River has exposed a billion years of nature’s work, visible in the many different colored layers of rock. Unfortunately, it was cloudy so the brilliant colors were not as vivid as we would have liked. It was still quite impressive, though, and we stopped as soon as we saw the Flaming Gorge Reservoir to go for a quick swim. It was quick because the wind had whipped up and it was a little chilly! The visitor’s center at the dam was open, so we got our passports stamped and watched a storm roll in over the mountains. Some of us were having a hard time staying awake on the drive back. I think our vacation is catching up with us!

Back at the KOA, it was Rueben Sandwiches for dinner. Our entertainment for the evening turned out to be
in the cabins at the end of the row. Two families (Green and Blue vs. Red and Orange) were having some sort of a domestic dispute. The sheriff arrived, but it got more exciting after he left. Dane sidled over to a

Sweetwater County Sheriff at KOA

nearby cabin to sit on the porch swing and spy. He deduced that Blue was the grandmother, taking care of Red’s child. Red wanted the child, but Blue wouldn’t give it up due to Red’s incompetence as a parent. There was a physical fight and some screaming involved, and it entertained us for quite awhile. After the fireworks were over (not the real kind – those were supposed to be visible over the top of the range behind us but we never saw any), it was time to shower and wind down. Tomorrow we head east, and will celebrate the 4th of July in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Night!