July 7, 2012

July 7, 2012

From Rawlins, WY we drove 45 minutes north till we met the Sweetwater River. We followed it upstream just as the Oregon pioneers would have done 150 years ago; except they walked. The route is desolate, nothing, not even a tree for hundreds of miles. We stopped at several of the wayside exhibits along the way. Most were landmarks in the distance that pioneers would look for to confirm they were on the right path. No GPS or Rest Stops with games in those days. A most enjoyable stop had to be Ice Slough. This was a marshy area where pioneers could dig down two feet and hope to find ice. That must have been a real treat for weary travelers.

Since we are not going to Oregon (at least not this year), we soon leave the trail and turn north. Our route drops down a steep escarpment into the Wind River valley. We follow it for an hour. The Wind River suddenly flows through a narrow steep canyon in the mountains ahead. The road cut is on the east bank while a rail line follows the west. Wind river Canyon is a geologic and historical oddity. How did a small river carve a narrow chasm across a mountain? The difficulty traveling this narrow canyon caused early pioneers to not recognize that the river entering and exiting the canyon were one in the same. Instead of correcting the name problem, a sign “Wedding of the Waters” was erected at canyon end. Here the river’s name officially changes from Wind River to Big Horn River.

Our next stop is the town of Thermopolis. I am a dinosaur fan so we have to stop at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. This small museum is well done and chronicles the evolution of life on earth. The museum has several specimens that were locally found including Supersaurus, the largest dinosaur ever discovered. Aimee stayed in the car reading, but I think she would have liked Bambisaurus, one of the smallest of dinosaurs.

Afterwards we explored the namesake hot springs of Thermopolis. From the very urban Hot Springs State Park bubbles up the world’s largest mineral hot spring. It is interesting to see the huge terrace pools built by the dissolved minerals. Today most of the flow has been siphoned off to supply three swimming pools. We pass on them; I am not sure a hot dip is what I want on a sweaty day.