First White Layer

Wowza. Two point two inches of rain in the past day and a half! We’re not very used to that much rain at once. This has definitely been a great year for moisture and it has changed the look of the country with green grass *still* at the base of the dry tops.

That moisture was snow on top of the mountains and they closed the highway due to winter conditions for hours. People and vehicles were starting to pile up in Ten Sleep. They could wait for an unknown opening time of the road or travel north to Billings or south towards Casper to continue their travels. Tourists seem surprised at the “you can’t get there from here” status. One even asked if they could make it to Kaycee. NOPE. DEFINITELY DO NOT TRY THAT. IT’S A GRAVEL/DIRT ROAD AND YOU WON’T MAKE IT. Do GPSs not tell you the road surface or do people just not pay attention?

On our way up the mountain this weekend, hauling five horses and five people, we were passed by a California car. They were zipping along on the gravel road and we instantly labeled them as tourists. We decided they must be going to Devil’s Tower… the standard joke because GPSs have sent people that way before. Half a mile later, the California car was pulled over to the side and we stopped. “ I think we are lost” he says in a German accent. “Devil’s Tower? It is not this way, is it?” “No.” We shook our heads. “You must turn around.” At least they had the sense of being wrong and questioning the machine.

People. Now is not the time of year to try silly things like gravel roads over mountains. It’s muddy. It’s snowy. It’s cold. The one English girl had laughed when the gas station worker asked if she had a blanket in her car… Girly, you’d be thrilled to have one if you were stuck up there!

The mountains have their first white layer.

Find me here!

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