Wyoming Vacation

 Here is the collection of photos from our vacation to Wyoming. To see a bigger version of any photo, simply click on it.

We left home on July 5th, and drove straight through to Sidney, NE. Then we stayed overnight in a hotel, so that we could strike out  in enough time to find a campsite with plenty of daylight left. We camped at the Rob Roy Campground in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. The next morning, we went exploring, to take in the sights and to find some cleanish water. The campground's running water wasn't working, but we had an ultraviolet water purifier, and means to boil water.

 Here is Andy collecting from a stream. The water was very clear, but a bit tannic.

Meadow Buttercup

 Wherever we found water, we found vibrant wildflowers. Being at higher altitude the whole time, (between 9,000 and 10,000 feet) it seemed that everything was experiencing spring ... in July!

Longleaf Aster

 Evan, ever vigilant for the sight of a trout ...

 Lily did wonderfully on this vacation. Daily brushing kept her coat clean, and she enjoyed the close time with her people, and the new sights, sounds and smells. She was a good early warning system for any camp intruders.

unknown tiny blue flower

 We drove past a meadow, and were able to see mountains that still had snow off in the distance.

Speedwell

 After some exploring and water collecting, it was time for some fishing. There were some rumbles of thunder around us, and I'm guessing a lightning strike started this forest fire across the lake from us.

 Elijah opted for drawing instead of casting.

 Mosquitoes are a part of summer, no matter where you are.

 We suspect that the fire was eventually overcome with rain or firefighters ... probably a combination of both. Sadly, there is plenty of fuel for these fires, and the pine beetle infestation has left lots of dead trees behind.

 Here are some views of our campsite.

 There was plenty of nice firewood around.

 The following days brought more exploring of forest service roads.

 We went up towards a lookout that was above 10,000 feet.

 Next, we headed towards the place, on a different mountain, where Andy spent some time elk hunting this past October.

 After coming down from there, we found some very clear water to collect.

 The next day, we found this boggy area where we could see a few trout that we could chase.

 Elk track? Young moose?

 Not wanting a soaking we puppy, we leashed her to the seat in the jeep. She clearly felt she was missing out.

Then we heard a few rumbles of thunder, and felt a few raindrops. But what drove us to the jeep was the sensation of something more substantial ...

 Hail!

 We moved further down the trail, one of the more challenging ones we encountered.

 On the lower right, you can spot some lingering snow.

 We returned to the boggy pool, but those trout decided they were not for us.

Alpine Mertensia

 We continued up the road, and found some bluebells!

 Finally, a little brookie!

 Coming back down the mountain was an adventure; we were glad we had the jeep! As we navigated the road, we marveled at the notion of the gentleman we had encountered on the other side ... in a minivan!!

 After we came down off the mountain, we stopped in the town of Centennial for some bison burgers. They sure tasted good!

We decided to take Dinwiddie Road back towards our campsite, and were glad we did, as we saw the roaming residents of the plain.

Mule deer

Pronghorn antelope

 It was a good time of evening to see deer moving.

 When we got back to the campsite, there were some fish to clean.

 The next morning, we struck out for a creek that was supposed to have some good trout. While Evan and Andy fished, the rest of us explored, rested, and took in the sights.

Wild Strawberry

Avalanche or snow lily

Anemone

Marsh marigold

 The skies started to 'pucker up' again, and for a while we despaired of being able to cook supper over the fire. In between raindrops we were able to, and the lake and sky had a grand show for us.

Lupines and Showy Goldeneye

By the time our week in the mountains was over, we were bummed to have to go. It was great to get home, but we won't forget our time in the mountains.