Cody to Buffalo

Sounds like Buffalo Bill ought to be in there somewhere, doesn't it? Buffalo Bill looms larger than life (literally) in Cody and the surrounding area, with extensive museums and displays. We found ourselves more inclined to hit the road and make some progress towards the Black Hills, which is our next destination.

We chose the safer, easier southern route from Cody to Buffalo, avoiding Highway 14A, which we had been warned is too steep and winding for RVs. So we headed out of Cody on Hwy 16/20 towards Greybull. Google Maps measured the trip at 182 miles and about 3 hrs. and 18 mins. We always add some to the time estimate because we generally travel a bit slower, stop every hour to stretch, and stop for lunch--plus we stop at overlooks and points of interest (no sense rushing through life). So the trip today took about 5 hrs. and 40 mins.

We stopped in Ten Sleep to eat lunch and walk around the town. It was named because it was ten days' travel (ten sleeps) from Fort Laramie and/or some other major points (depending on whose account you credit). The drive from Ten Sleep to Buffalo is known as the Cloud Peak Skyway. It starts by climbing through Ten Sleep Canyon, with switchbacks and spectacular views. The route ascends to the 9,666' Powder River Pass before descending to Buffalo.

The scenery is spectacular, and the steep mountain switchbacks made me very glad to have a great transmission and engine, as we used our manual shift feature to do most of the braking for us. On the way up we twice got behind a very old, slow moving truck, belching black smoke, and hauling an RV. The truck looked like a large hijacked white panel truck, with neon hippie signs and writing on one side.

While I was driving, Ken saw a dead elk by the road, evidently the victim of a hit and run driver. We didn't see much other wildlife, except for lots of birds and grasshoppers. One highlight of the drive was Meadowlark Lake, created by a CCC dam, a blue gem nestled among the green of the trees.

Our destination today was Twin Creeks Campground in Buffalo, WY. It's a serviceable place to spend the night. Again we didn't have to unhitch, which makes the next morning's move easier. Not much else memorable about the place. It's located in a kind of rural/commercial district between two freeways.

After dinner we played Rummikub again. Yesterday Ken won two of our three rounds; today we reversed that.