Wyoming Road Trip Day 2 (Travel)

Trip Date:  March 20 2017

I'm lumping all of the pictures from the road trip to Grand Teton National Park on day 2 into this post.  Day 1 travel was rushed and I didn't have a chance to take any pictures. 

A state with such interesting geologic features also has a plethora of natural resources.  The primary industry in the state seemed to be oil and gas based on the number utility trucks on the roads.  Signs of industrial operations were everywhere along the roads.  In addition to fossil fuels fossil fuels I probably shouldn't be too surprised that Wyoming would also have more exotic materials such as Uranium.  

I was originally planning on driving straight to Grand Teton National Park but I couldn't resist the stopping at all the interesting spots along the side of the road.  "Split Rock" was the first of these stops.  

Split Rock

From Split Rock you could just barely see the peaks of the Wind River Range peaking over the hills. I've been fawning over photos of the spectacular Wind River peaks for months now.  

My initial plan had been to do a winter backpacking loop in the Winds, but the mountains were so remote that none of the roads leading to them were plowed in the winter.  I had settled on Grand Tetons National Park as a substitute since I knew the roads would be much better maintained.  Still, my routes out and back were based on the proximity to the Winds and quality of the view I would have.  

The views improved greatly once I reached the Beaver Rim turnout.  

The view from Beaver Rim

One of the biggest surprises throughout the trip was how much I enjoyed Wyoming's desert scenery before actually reaching the mountains.  

View of the Wind River Range from Fort Washakie.

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Crowheart Butte