Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', Keep Those Wheels a'Rollin!

Lander, Wyoming

That's right, we're no longer in Kaycee; rather we're in Lander, Wyoming after completing the Kaycee area last Saturday and relocating on Sunday. Only about a 3 hour drive and we expect to be here several weeks.



Kaycee had lots of adventure during the last few days...

....including a flat tire....and the culprit.....a drill bit....only about 1/2" of it stuck in between some treads, but it was enough to leak. After changing the tire and finishing the day, I experimented with my tire repair kit. I removed the drill bit from the tread; cleared/cleaned the damaged area with the tire awl/probe; and plugged the tire with the plug strips. Easier than I thought, and the plugged tire is back on the ground working without any leakage. Who knew....another skill to add to my resume.






We continued to route into higher elevations which provided us with great vistas...

We saw lots of wildlife while we were there....

a baby antelope trying to stay hidden
along one of our routes

Sage Grouse

We met several of the local ranchers including Troy. The first time we met Troy he was a little upset with us "Florida tourists that were opening gates, tearing up the roads and acting like we could go anywhere we wanted, including private property!" But after we explained who we were and what we were doing, he turned out to be real nice!



We found several abandoned vehicles...

..including this one. No bullet holes; seat springs still inside the frame; engine and transmission still in place!

And the rear differential was about 10' away, complete with wood spoke wheels!






I may have mentioned that Kaycee is a small town with a population of 263. The closest towns of any size were Buffalo (45 miles away) and Casper (75 miles away). So we did have occasion to visit the small general store located in Kaycee. While browsing the shelves on my first visit I realized just how different things are out here.....not everyone keeps their hand lotions on the shelf above the ammunition!






The next to the last weekend we were there we took a short trip over to South Dakota. Along our route we visited Devils Tower..






We stopped in at Crazy Horse to see some of the folks we worked with last year. While I was there one of my co-workers showed me the new informational sign board telling guests about the bus tour. What do you know.....they chose a picture of little ol' me at the base of Crazy Horse Mountain regaling my bus riders with tales about the carving! Check it out next time you're there.



Things were rolling along quite well our last week in Kaycee when all of a sudden, everything came to a stop....and Joan and I were stuck. Not in the mud, but in a washout on one of our routes. I never saw the deep rut in my track. I guess it just kind'a gave way when we drove over it.

My folding shovel came in real handy. And unlike the last time I used it in Canyonlands, I had gloves this time, so no blisters.

No damage to the jeep even though we were only inches off of the sidewall of the track.  About 30 minutes of digging to remove dirt from under both front and rear differentials, axels and the frame. But all's well that ends well, it's just part of the adventure!









Well, that's it for now. Stay Tuned. More to Come!