Autumn in Wyoming

Sykes Ridge Road (that wild and rough road from an earlier post) is on the left side of that large orange tree, it looks like a pointy ridge. That road...if you can call it a road, followed that ridge and then plunged down on this side.

If you click on the image you can get a good look at the ridge.

I have a ton of pictures to post from this summer if I can find the time to get them out of my camera. Hopefully soon!

Wyoming Longhorn Cattle

I get a kick out of these critters....photographed on the eastern side of the Big Horn Mountains near Story, Wyoming

Is it an albino moose?

We came across two moose while in the Big Horn Mountains. I wonder if this dirty white moose is an albino moose? I've never seen one before, not the best photos but I was still learning how to use my spiffy new camera at the time and I had to move quickly as these guys were not standing still!

Short trip up into the Pryor Mountains

We took what we thought would be a short few hour trip into the Pryor Mountains. We went up by way of Cottonwood Creek Road which is a trail interesting enough on it's own and we have been on several times. This is a one lane dirt road going through scrub cedar at first and eventually into pine forests.

As you get higher it becomes straight up on the left side and straight down a very steep side on the right. Once we got up into the mountains we came across these little guys. Their mama's were up the hill on our left, the young ones stopped long enough for us to get a few pictures.

We wanted to go back a different way and this was a road we had never been on so why not! The sign says "Recommended" 4 wheel drive road. This is Sykes Ridge Road...can't be too bad if it follows a ridge and we should have fantastic views!

This was the first rough part. The photos in no way can show how steep it is but it was very steep and rocky. I took very few photos as I was using the movie camera to get most of the trip. As we went downhill we said we aren't going back up that road! Hope there isn't anything any worse...can't be! Well...we were in for a big surprise! This is most of what the road did, up and down extremely steep hills with literally hairpin turns.

There is NO WAY anyone could do this in a 2 wheel drive and if you didn't have high clearance...forget it! Full size long box pick up with 4 wheel drive....no way! One of those 4X4's with the lift kit and the monster wheels would be more like it!

On one hairpin curve the right rear wheel stayed on solid rock while my husband steered the truck around the curve. We just pivioted around. There was no way a long box would have made that turn. Thank goodness we have a trusty 1989 Chevy 4 wheel Blazer or we would have been spending the night there. Thanks Diane for selling us your truck!!!

This short little trip was only 12 miles long from our place and back...It took us 6 hours!! And we never stopped for very long anywhere especially as we could tell we would be lucky to get back before dark. We did but just barely.

Yup...that's the truck parked on a flat spot...not many of those on this road. This would have been the best ad for Chevy Blazers back when they were made for this. I love that truck!!!

This is one view overlooking Devils Canyon. About the only way to view it unless you are in an airplane. The Big Horn Mountains are across the way.

This was the most fun I have had in ages! I want to go back but my husband says only if we take the ATV's and go up this time and only as far as where the truck was parked....bring a tent and camp for a day or two. The views are to die for and not a soul around.

Do not attempt this road without the proper vehicle in good working order, tools, food and water!!!

The only damage was we blew one shock (correction...there were 2) we didn't know that until we got home.

Be sure to click on the photos, at least the 2 scenery ones. You'll get a much better feel for what it looked like.

Well Water...at last

I know, it doesn't look like much, but after several years of hauling water from the neighbors...which we really appreciated, it's soooooo nice to have our own water. My husband finally put a pump in the well last summer (2009) and hooked up the electricity so we have running water! It may have to come out of a garden hose for now but I'm so happy to have water!

So that means now I can do laundry the way I like to do laundry! I still prefer the old Maytag wringer washer. My husband spotted the double laundry tubs with the lid at an antique store in Missouri for cheap! We grabbed it without hesitating. It's a prefect set up! As long as I don't drop the wet laundry on the dirt floor!

The tub lid is leaning against an old mangle...the old electric things that pressed clothing. My mom had one when I was a little kid and I've never seen one since until in Byron, Wyoming at a sale a couple of years ago. The woman was so happy someone was interested in it that she insisted I take it for free! I think it will make a great plant stand on the porch of our house that is not built yet! My husband was not happy about this but he loaded it up in the truck anyway! I think it's so cool!

There is a second washer in the background. For all of these years I have saved both my Grandma's and my moms washer. I grew up using my moms and they still do the best job over any automatic and talk about "going green"...this is way more green than any modern machine, to me anyway.

Old Corrals

I just love the old gates and corrals that came with the place. I know this gate was posted earlier but I just never get tired of them. I like how they used old horse shoes for latches and post holders.

I like that door handle on the old barn too. Someone did all of this many years ago.

Moon over the Mountain

A couple of shots of the full moon, one rising over the mountain.

Big Horn Canyon

Our place is south of the entrance to the Big Horn Canyon. We took a day trip as far as we could go. I thought I'd add a few photos. This would be where the Big Horn River enters the Big Horn Canyon which then runs into the Yellowstone River in Montana.

Horseshoe Bend is the first stop, a place to launch your boat to do a little fishing up the canyon.

A shot of the Big Horn Canyon

We came across a couple of Big Horn Sheep along the roadside.

A floating outhouse on the river. Check it out!...no guard rails, one slip and you are in some pretty deep water! (Yes, there is a holding tank)

Wild Horses

It's about time I got back to this blog. I'll be adding a batch of photos from August 2009 during the next few days. We're about ready to run out again to move a pile of logs from two old cabins given to us by our good friend Joan. I'll write more about that after we get back and I have photos ready to post.

This is from the same time we were up in the Pryor Mountains as the previous Wild Mustang shots. This is a view looking at Wyoming, pretty close to the Montana/Wyoming border.