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    Ten Sleep or Bust

    I forgot to mention in my last post about having my first Buc-ee’s experience. Despite popular belief, it is possible to walk into a Buc-ee’s, go straight to the restroom, and then walk straight out the door. There was way too much for me to take in; I could have wasted an hour in there I’m sure. We gassed up at pump number 246. It’s hard to believe how big this place is. Maddie was a little freaked out by the Buc-ee’s mascot. He was giving hugs in the middle of the store.

    We planned for our first stop to be Ten Sleep Canyon, Wyoming. I think it showed it to be a 28-hour drive from Powdersville. With gas and restroom stops, we rolled into the canyon last night after around 36 hours on the road. The picture above is of our camping spot. I wish I could put the sound of the river and a 360-degree view in for you guys.

    We were hoping the dispersed camping would be mostly unpopulated, but we were surprised to find dozens and dozens of cars, trucks, campers, and Sprinter vans lining the old gravel/dirt road and the pull offs. We finally found a spot and crawled in the back for some much needed rest.

    I was welcomed by a huge groundhog when I crawled out of the Jeep this morning. The light rain didn’t seem to bother him. With the low light and my phone on full zoom, the picture quality isn’t great, but here’s a shot of the welcome team.

    I know a few of you nerd out on numbers, so this next section is for those of you who asked about gas mileage and prices. We averaged 17.1 MPG and our average price per gallon was $3.34. Both of these were far more favorable than I thought they were going to be. I think we will see lower MPG and much higher prices for the next several weeks. We will be driving up and down mountains for most of our travels, and I’m hearing of $4+ gas prices.

    With rain and zero internet to check the weather forecast, we may head toward town this morning. Our plan was to climb in an area called Leigh Creek (I think). The Dolomite limestone is only slightly overhanging here, so I’m not sure there is much climbing to be had in this weather. Places like the Red River Gorge in Kentucky or the Obed River Gorge in Tennessee can support climbing during driving rains with their wildly overhanging walls.

    Proverbs 18:10 The Name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to It and are safe.

    I’m so thankful for our safe trip so far. Other than a few near misses on the interstates, things have gone well. Please hear me, no matter how sweet it is, this safety is only temporal. I am much more thankful for the eternal safety that the Lord God provides through His Son Jesus.

    Because He Calls, Old Climbing Dad

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