RUN WITH THE HORSES WY STATE #49

THE MONEY SHOT- A WILD HORSE UP CLOSE ON THE RACE ROUTE.

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE-WYOMING STATE NUMBER 49.

I PICKED THIS RACE FOR WYOMING AS IT SOUNDED REMOTE, CHALLENGING AND BEAUTIFUL. PUT A CHECK IN ALL BOXES.

I HAD ALWAYS SAID I DID NOT WANT TO FINISH ALONE ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN IN WYOMING. THANKS TO THE FOLKS WHO CONTINUED TO SAY THROUGHOUT MY 50 STATE JOURNEY…..WHEN YOU FINISH I WANT TO BE THERE. WELL YOU WILL BE THERE IN JUST A FEW WEEKS. SEE YOU GANG IN DES MOINES IN OCTOBER. THANKS FOR COMING ALONG ON THE 50 STATE JOURNEY EITHER BY TEXT OR BY BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

ENROUTE FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO GREEN RIVER WY DEB AND I MADE A STOP IN EVANSTON WY. AFTER GROWING UP IN EVANSTON IL I HAD LIFELONG CURIOSITY ABOUT THE OTHER EVANSTON. IT IS AN OLD RAILROAD TOWN AND SIGNIFICANT EXIT ON ROUTE 80. THERE IS EVEN A WALMART, SOME FAST FOOD AND A COWBOY/FARM/STORE WITH 3 HUGE AISLES OF JUST COWBOY BOOTS IN ANY SIZE, COLOR OR STYLE. THERE WERE ALSO LOTS OF VERY COOL COWBOY HATS. SINCE WE WERE FROZEN SOLID WITH THE FRIGID 75′ TEMPS, NATURALLY WE SHOPPED FOR WINTER ATTIRE.

WE GOT SOME VERY LONG LOOKS WITH OUR CADDY SHACK NEON FLORIDA OUTFITS, AND LAYERED WITH VERY ATTRACTIVE COMPRESSION SOX. AFTER 10 MINUTES OF LISTENING TO US GO CRAZY OVER ALL THE COOL COWBOY BOOTS, THE SALES LADY CAME OVER AND LAUGHED “YOU GIRLS AREN’T FROM AROUND HERE ARE YOU ?” NO WE CAME ALL THE WAY FROM FLORIDA TO LOOK AT THESE COWBOY BOOTS AND RUN WITH THE HORSEYS.

THE RACE WAS IN GREEN RIVER. HERE IS THE RIVER AND RACE START.

WE DID A BIG 4 HOUR DRIVE AROUND THE FLAMING GORGE WITH A SIDE TRIP ON THE GEOLOGIC LOOP ROAD. IT WAS FASCINATING AND BARELY A SOUL AROUND. DID YOU KNOW THAT WYOMING IS THE ONLY STATE WITH ONLY 1 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ? 2 SENATORS AND 1 CONGRESSMAN. THIS IS THE PLACE FOR LOTS OF PERSONAL SPACE.

FLAME THROWER ON REVOLVING BIN =ROASTED CHILES

THE VIEWS WERE STUNNING AND WE GOT EXTRA TIME TO LOOK AT IT ALL WHILE DRIVING IN OUR 2 CYLINDER RENTAL CAR. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU BLIND BID FOR. LET THE RECORD REFLECT SEVERAL NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES INVOLVING DOWN HILL TRUCKS AND LOTS OF LEISURELY UP HILLS. ADDITIONALLY THANK YOU SUPREME COURT -THIS WAS OUR FIRST TRIP TO BOTH DRIVE FOR FREE AS A COUPLE. EQUALITY ROCKS THE RENTAL CAR WORLD.

LOVE THE SKY

THE GEOLOGY WAS INCREDIBLE. THERE WERE REDS, WHITES, BROWNS WITH EVERY TEXTURE, WIND AND WATER SCULPTURE IMAGINABLE. THE DIFFERENT TYPES WOULD BE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. WE HEARD THERE ARE DINOSAUR BONES TOO.

THIS IS THE GREEN RIVER DAMMED UP AT FLAMING GORGE.

AFTER DRIVING A BIG LOOP AROUND THE GORGE AND ENJOYING ALL THE GEOLOGY WE BOTH FELT THAT THIS AREA IS DESERVING OF NATIONAL PARK STATUS. ENROUTE TO ROCK SPRINGS A PAIR OF ANTELOPE DARTED IN FRONT OF THE CAR AND THERE WERE 2 WILD HORSES JUST OFF THE ROAD AND ONE WAS KICKING UP IT’S BACK LEGS TO SHOW OFF FOR THE TWO NEON GIRLS FROM FLA.

THE NEXT DAY WE PREVIEWED THE ROUTE, SAW WILD HORSES AND BOUGHT SUNSCREEN BECAUSE THERE THE ALTITUDE WAS 3 INCHES FROM THE SUN.

ROUTE PREVIEW.

TOP OF THE ROUTE LOOKING DOWN.

HOPEFULLY NOT A RUNNER FROM LAST YEAR

THE VERY FRIENDLY RD AND CREW CHOWING DOWN AFTER SETTING THE MILE MARKERS.

THE PRE RACE DINNER WAS PART OF THE ANNUAL TOWN FESTIVAL. THERE WERE TWO CHOICES A MOUNTAIN OF PASTA OR A MOUNTAIN OF JUMBO SHRIMP. THEY WERE BOTH DELISH. WE ATE WITH KIP E FROM TAMPA AND TWO RETIRED MINERS. THE AREA HAS THE LARGEST DEPOSIT OF TRONA ON THE WORLD. WE KNOW IT AS SODA ASH AND IT IS IN EVERYTHING MANUFACTURED. YOUR BAKING SODA COMES FROM GREEN RIVER WY.

THE OTHER RESOURCE IS NATURAL GAS, THE NATION’S LARGEST DEPOSIT.

OUR HOTEL WAS ON THE ROUTE AND WAS FABULOUS (HAMPTON INN-LOVE IT) AND SERVED GREAT FOOD ETC TO MINERS THAT LIVED THERE ALL WEEK.

HERE IS THE PRE RACE 50 STATE/MANIAC PHOTO. THE RACE ONLY HAD A TOTAL OF 52 PARTICIPANTS. WE KNEW MOST OF THE FOLKS BY THE END OF THE DAY. WE GOT A STERN WARNING BEFORE STARTING TO STAY ON THE ROAD AND USE THE PORTALETS DUE TO RATTLE SNAKES IN THE BRUSH.

DENIS MC C FROM ST LOUIS DOING HIS THIRD ROUND OF STATES

DAN R FROM CHICAGO HAULING UP THE HILL. I MADE A MISTAKE TO GO ON AHEAD AT MILE 12 AND HAD 14 LONG SOLO MILES. THE ROUTE GAINED ABOUT 1500 FEET ALTITUDE IN A FEW MILES AND THEN THERE WAS LONG ROLLING HILLS WITH VIEWS THAT WENT FOR MILES. THE AID STOPS EVERY FEW MILES HAD PRINGLES WHICH TASTED SO GOOD THAT DAY.

RICK TUTU W FROM TULSA. THAT TINY DOT IS A RUNNER A MILE AWAY

DENIS WITH HORSES IN THE BACKGROUND

THIS WAS THE VIEW WITH ABOUT 5 MILES LEFT TO HEAD DOWN

A FEW CARS KICKED UP DUST ON THE WAY DOWN SO IT WAS SO EXCITING TO USE MY WILD HORSE BANDANNA LIKE A COWGIRL OVER THE MOUTH.

AROUND THIS POINT WITH A FEW MILES LEFT I REALIZED THE 50 STATE JOURNEY IS ALMOST COMPLETE. SNIFF SNIFF. ONCE BACK IN TOWN PINK RIBBONS TIED TO TREES AND SIGNS MADE FROM CARDBOARD BOXES GUIDED US BACK TO THE FINISH LINE, DEBBIE HAD DONE A FABULOUS 13 MILES AND WAS SO THRILLED WITH HER PERFORMANCE AT ALTITUDE.