Sinks Canyon State Park

Last couple of days has been frustrating - our wireless hotspot (Verizon), the AT&T hotspot (our cell phone Internet connections), and the free WiFi here at the campground has been very slow, spotty, if at all. Grrr.  So, we stay up late and find that we can have connectivity after 9pm, after the sun is set, and night has begun.  Weird, but it is what it is.  And it has not helped that a huge Class A motorhome  was parked right beside us and we think was blocking the signal for us.  Mr. Big Boy left this morning and guess what?  I am on and running fine!

We traveled back into Lander today to visit Sinks Canyon State Park, hike a little, see nature.  The Sinks Canyon is named because of the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie (po -po - shoe) river that rushes down from the Wind River Mountains, through the canyon.  Popo Agie is a Crow Indian word meaning "gurgling water".  Boy, accurate description! Halfway down the river abruptly turns into a large limestone cavern, disappearing, the water going underground for 1/4 mile where it resurfaces at an area called "The Rise".  Then the Popo Agie continues on its course flowing down the rest of the canyon and beyond.

The Sinks Cavern

Popo Agie River roaring down into the cavern

Closeup of the cavern - the water drops down under ground

The Rise where the river comes back above ground 

At end of Rise - Popo Agie begins to tumble down the canyon again

Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout - not stocked, arrived naturally

Very impressive to see.  We could walk right to the cavern area and see the water just rushing to it, and then gone, going underground.  Poof.  Dye tests prove that the same water flowing into the cavern is the same coming out, only about 2 hours later! Geologists speculate that the water travels in and out of fissures in the rocks below, and, they know that more water flows out at The Rise than goes into the cavern.

And we climb, and climb, and climb

We drove through up the canyon after visiting the Sinks and Rise of the river to the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie where there are seven waterfalls.  We became too exhausted to make it to the end to seen the falls but did see enough of the lower rapids to know it must be spectacular.  The heat of the day, afterward we found out that this hike was rated moderate to strenuous.  Dah, no wonder we got tired. The hike was 1 1/2 miles almost straight up, climbing over 750 feet, keeping the Popo Agie on our left as we climbed and climbed!  Our elevation by the time we turned around was 5850.  I kept looking up for big horn sheep, or moose, or deer - did not see any.  And I had the sensation that if I looked hard enough, I would find the Von Trapp family (Julie Andrews' movie - Sound of Music) come strolling over the peak.

Stunning walk with River beside us

Last, we drove from the trail head up into the Wind River Mountains, about 8 miles of switchbacks up the mountain to a primitive camping area with a 'words cannot describe' beautiful lake.  Lots of people there, they are roughing it, camping without electricity, water, sewer hookup!  But, oh - to wake up and see that scenery in the morning, and to sit by the lake.  Wow.

Zoom to middle of pic - see the cattle drive?

The Hills are alive with the sound of music!!

So beautiful!!

Cooper's Hawk looking for his dinner

Last, we drovein to a primitive camping area with a 'words cannot describe' beautiful lake.  Lots of people there, they are roughing it!  And a gorgeous lake right at their steps.  Stunning scenery.  On the way up I looked across the canyon to where we were hiking before and saw a cattle drive going on - must be taking the cows to the higher pastures for the summer.  Wonderful day outside!  The wildflowers, the birds chirping, the sound of the water rushing over the boulders, the wind through the canyon, the smell of junipers/sage/wild roses, just a stunning day. This is the first hike where our timing to see wild flowers was spot on.

Sacajawea, Chief Washakie's Graves and Wyoming Pioneer Museum of Lander

We have been watching a couple of mule deer meander around the field beside us and also come into the campground.  Talk about big ears!  No moose, yet. Grace and Buddy are having a great time watching the deer.

Hello, big boy

We went in search of 2 graves:  Sacajawea and Chief Washakie.  Sacajawea was the Shoshoni woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark and the expedition of 1804-1806, finding a route to the Pacific Ocean.  And Chief Washakie, also Shoshoni, was known as the friend of the white man, never engaging in warfare with the whites.  Both graves are located on the Wind River Indian Reservation, but trying to find these 2 proved a bit of driving around.  Sacajawea's grave, as well as her two sons, Baptiste (born during the time she was with Lewis and Clark) and Bazil, an adopted son, was located appropriately in Sacajawea Cemetery.  I like the custom of the Native Indians - bury the dead, honor them with a marker, then let it go back to nature.  No mowing of grass, no nothing.

Notice narrow path to walk through

Jean Babtiste, Sacajawea, Bazil's graves - all are buried here

Great sculpture

I was in awe of the natural setting - so many wildflowers.  Some grave sites were very ornately decorated in Native American symbols and colors.  After reviewing her grave and the two sons, we drove to Washakie Cemetery where Chief Washakie is buried.  Again, very humbling, very reverent to see this.

Chief Washakie's grave

Drove back into Lander (the Wind River Indian Reservation) is 15 miles west of Lander at the base of the Wind River Mountain Range - the reservation is the 7th largest in size of the country.  Have to say that of many reservations we have been on, Wind River seems to be more affluent.  Many farms, big spreads of land.  Did not witness the poverty that I have seen in some other places.

Photo of Chief Washakie

Visited the Wyoming Pioneer Museum of Lander.  What a charming, informative place.  And it was free!  Many buildings on display - you could go inside and see how/what the function was of that building such as Livery, mercantile, blacksmith, pioneer home, log cabins, church, one room school house.  All buildings except one were original.  Cute thing - local kids were at the museum - there is a  week long program (summer camp) where the kids learn pioneer living.  They are dressed in period costumes, we saw them just as they had finished making butter and were coming out of the mercantile building.  How adorable.

In the blacksmith shop

Original cabin from the 1800's 

Display, after display, after display!

Kids is period dress - summer camp learning pioneer stuff

Weather here has been hot - and flood warnings are in place.  The snow is melting fast off the mountains and many rivers and streams are over their banks.  They said that May set the record for the most rainfall every.  But we are seeing beautiful green pastures, fields, the mountains are still snow covered.  Just a beautiful area.

Moved North to Lander, Wyoming

Had heavy rain Monday night and the waves of storms came in and out until 4am.  Didn't sleep very good, the thunder was pretty loud.  Regardless, we were up and on the road by 9am which is becoming our typical move time.

The roads we took were beautiful, no pot holes (Cleveland needs to figure that out - the winters in Wyoming are brutal, so why are the roads so smooth?)  For the first 40 miles we were on Interstate 80 eastbound and then before Green River we started up state roads.  Wide, wide, open spaces.  No trees, the ground is rolling hills covered in sage brush.  Green from all the rains in the past month.

We were also following the main emigrant trails (Oregon, California, and Mormon plus the Pony Express) so every once in a awhile you saw the markers declaring you were on the route.  We passed a small town called Farson and started our gradual incline up.  We needed to get to the southern end of the Wind River range of the Rocky Mountains to cross over and then start up the eastern slope of the same range.  Passed over the "Southern Pass" which is the route Jim Bridger, Mountain Man, discovered in the early 1800's to cut off going through the mountain ranges.  As it was, that is still a steep pass.  Lots of markers and sites to see that we passed, will come back another day and take our time to read the exhibits and visit a couple of towns that sprung up along the pass. Then crossed over the Continental Divide.  Will be doing this a number of times this summer.

Didn't feel like we crossed the divide, but we did

One bazaar thing - the warning signs along Route 28 were something we had never seen before.  BIG signs, first about cattle and that they were slow moving traffic; next was about the sage grouse (prairie hen) crossing the road; then came the warning about antelope and that they cross the road at 55 miles an hour; then back to cattle on the road and they are SLOW.  Thankfully we did not see any cattle or pronghorn antelope on the road, just grazing way out.  As for grouse - nada, zip.

I can understand the slow

Did not see these guys

Wow - can you imagine if you hit one of these? 

We are located 6 miles just south of Lander, will be visiting lots of sights here and also drive up to Riverton (about 20 miles north of here) to see what there is to see.  May not be able to do much with the blog right now - have trouble with being in a valley and mountains all around us - very weak signal. Frustrating.  Took all day to figure out how to get on the Internet, tried this, tried that.

Beautiful scenery

As I look out the window of the RV I can see the snow covered tops of the Wind River Range.  Very pretty.  And grazing in the field which slopes up towards the mountains, mule deer, antelope, and we thought a moose but not sure.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

John Wesley Powell rode the Green River (Seedskadee) from the present day's town of Green River all the way down to the Colorado and through the Grand Canyon back in 1869.  But I wonder what the river looked like back then?  Today, you have to negotiate a couple of dams so traveling the length is impossible without taking your boat or kayak out of the water, moving it to the other side of the dams and continuing on.

Stunning scenery - Uinta Mountains
(Only east - west mountains in US)

Peek-a-boo!  I see you snow-capped mountain! 

First glimpse of Flaming Gorge

We traveled a scenic byway from the town of Mountain View, skirting along the Uinta Mountains, and stopped at BurntFork's historical marker where the first Rocky Mountain Fur trappers gathered in June/July 1825 to exchange information, resupply their provisions, swap tales, and provide camaraderie to those in attendance.  I was happy to see this area, having read about it in the history books.  And what a beautiful place they chose!  Stunning.

Onward towards Flaming Gorge and come around a bend and bam - right in front of us.  Another stunning, beautiful scene.  Lots of history in this part of southwest Wyoming. Powell remarked back in 1869 that the walls were flaming in color as he rode through on his expedition.  Stopped at the Buckboard Marina that was very active with boaters putting in their boats and taking them out.  Saw RVs camped on the side of the Gorge with their boats floating at the edge.  People swimming, lots of wildlife.  Water was crystal clear.

Osprey nesting

Notice mountains in background?

Lovely setting to camp

Continued on our way into the town of Green River and found the actual launch area Powell started from.  The park where the information plaques are is very informative.

The park commemorating Powell's expedition

Notice boat running over rapids?

Green River a tidge flooded

Have really enjoyed our week's visit here but tomorrow we move on to Lander, Wyoming.  Not our original next destination which was Casper - could not find a place to stay, all campgrounds are booked due to a rodeo that started today.  Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains here we come!

Fossil Butte National Monument

We were this close, why not go?  Located just west of Kemmerer, original home JCPenney, we drove from Seedskadee NWR to Fossil Butte NM.  Had no idea what this monument was about, or why.  The location of where the fossils have been found is the largest discovery of fossils in the world.

Placards on railing tells what was going on when
(billions of years ago)

Not replicas, these are real fossils from 52 million years ago

Maybe some of the old folk in Florida will be dug up millions
of years from now?

The Butte where the digs are going on

Three great lakes existed in this area of Wyoming, none left today, but the fossils left behind are the world's most perfectly preserved remains of ancient plant and animal life.  The fossils have a striking detail - entire skeletons, teeth, scales, and skin are found in these fossils. Dating back 52 millions ago scientists can reconstruct earth's history.  If you are into paleontology, science, archeology, this is a place you should visit.  On-going digs being conducted.

Once underwater - now just grasslands

As you enter the visitor center, a display is set up on the railing of the walkway showing when the earth was formed, the date (billions of years to millions to current) life or something happened such as the formation of the continents to creation of mountain ranges to dinosaurs to animals and birds to human.  It also depicted what is known as to extinction periods in the cycle of the earth's history.  Very well done.  Inside the center is display after display of actual fossils found.  Pretty cool.