Despite this, the start to our vacation was not without problems. We hit heavy rain in Kansas City that lasted nearly all the way to Lincoln. We went through a nasty thunderstorm as we clipped Iowa on I-29. We made a stop for fuel on the Iowa/Nebraska state line. The parking lot of the gas station was covered with trash cans blown over from the high winds. The lights were flickering, but the pumps were on. I attempted to fill the truck, but the pump would not work, nor would it let me cancel the purchase. I was worried about it saving my credit card information and then working for the next guy that pulled up to the pump. Shannon went inside and the clerk reset the machine. He said they had lost power during the storm and now only Premium gas would pump so he lowered the price to that of Regular so we could fill up. Again, the pump would not cooperate. He cleared the purchase and we headed on down the road, finally getting gas in Lincoln.
That incident was out of our mind by the time the sun started to rise over central Nebraska. Then we got a text from Chase asking us to confirm a large gas purchase in Iowa. My fears seemed to be coming true. Shannon called Chase and they confirmed a $150 gas purchase at that Iowa station, followed by a second $150 purchase in Nevada. We thought it was likely just a glitch in the gas pump, but Chase took no chances and deactivated our cards in every state other than those we would be passing through over the next few days. They also mailed us new cards to Gma's house in Utah so we could get them when we arrived.
Chase took care of the fraudulent transactions and we did not have to pay anything. But things were not that easy. Our card then did not work at our next stop and we had to spend another 30 minutes on the phone with them to actually get the right states activated. This time they got it right and we were able to buy what we needed until we got to Utah and got the new cards. I had cash and a debit card on me as well, so we were prepared for something like this, but I wanted to use the Chase card as much as possible. I was impressed by how quickly and smoothly they handled this. Other than the brief confusion over which states we were traveling through, it was a seamless transition after a big problem.
We made it to our first stop of the trip before lunch time. Like last year, we started with a few nights of camping at Curt Gowdy State Park just west of Cheyenne, WY. We did not reserve a campsite this year, figuring there would not be much of a crowd during the week. That allowed us to explore all the available sites and find a better one than the open campsite we ended up having last year. It didn't take us long to find a nice spot on the edge of the reservoir in the middle of a group of trees. The trees offered us protection from the strong winds and shade during the day. The trail was only about 30 feet from our tent and somebody even left a bundle of firewood in the site next to us.
View from the tent
Our tortilla chips were about to explode after the elevation changes during the drive
After a quick set-up and some lunch, we were on our bikes and on the trails. It was a beautiful first day, unlike last year's freeze that lasted most of our trip. We had four awesome days of clear, blue skies, warm days and comfortable nights, little wind by Wyoming standards and clear nights where we could see an amazing amount of stars. I had no idea just how many stars there really are in the sky. Some parts of the sky were so full of small stars that it looked like dust in the sky. I could have stared at the sky all night.
Our first day of riding was on our favorite trails from last year. We hit the fun Stone Temple Circuit, stopping to play on the rock sections and in each of the four Skills Areas that are located along the loop. Each skills area offers something different, from wooden freeride obstacles to rock drops and narrow rides along ledges. Everywhere you look is an awesome view. We took our time this day, snapping pictures, filming and just plain enjoying what the park has to offer. It just felt good to be back here.
Shannon climbing on Stone Temple
Saw a lot of cacti here. I laid my bike down on one and filled my grip with needles, which then turned into a glove full of needles.
Granite Reservoir from the ridge
Still shot from the GoPro during some film time
Found a small cave by one of the skills areas
Plenty of rocks in the skills areas
Shannon scoping out a spot for filming
Worked on this line for a long time. It had a tricky run-in and was very narrow with a 20-foot drop if I ran off to the right on either side of that tree
Focusing before a rock berm
Shannon on Stone Temple
Rock wall ride with a pack full of filming accessories
"The Chameleon" rock formation from Albert's Alley trail
Riding next to Crow Creek
After our ride, we packed up dinner and started hiking up Granite Ridge to eat on top of the ridge at the Slabz overlook. We got to the top of the steep hike as the sun started to set. We had great views of the entire park. You can see all the way to Cheyenne if you look east. I wanted to retry my favorite picture from last year's trip, which was a shot of a scraggly tree at the crest of the ridge. This time I got to take the picture at sunset with a way better camera. We enjoyed watching the colors change across the sky as we ate dinner on the rock, then started to hike down as it got dark, getting back to the tent just as it became hard to see in the dim light.
Coming up to my tree. All that's missing is a big turkey vulture sitting on the limb.
Shannon cresting the ridge
The shot I was looking for this year
New camera also has a panoramic setting. Nice view of the entire Granite Reservoir from the overlook.
My second-favorite shot from last year. Tried this one again this year too. Red rocks overlooking the bend in Crow Creek
Wind turbines way off in Cheyenne
Our view for dinner
Many colors in the western sky
One thing we learned as we were leaving last year, after three days of not showering, was that there are showers in the visitor's center. We used them every day this year. They are coin-operated and give you three minutes of questionable-temperatured water for 50 cents. Better have your things laid out and ready to go if are are covered in dirt and really need to scrub down.
Day two was the kind of day I had dreamed about for this trip. I just wanted to ride until I could not ride any more. Every day. I had to hold back so much over the past two months with the knee injury and I had a lot of pent-up riding energy that needed to come out.
I started my day with a road ride just after breakfast, heading first to Cheyenne. I hit two good climbs on my way over to the wind turbines we had seen the night before from the overlook. Don't ask me why I was so fascinated by the turbines, but I have been wanting to ride from the park to them since last year.
View from the top of the first climb
Pronghorn
The road I just descended
Getting close to the wind turbines on the edge of Cheyenne
On the way back, I took the dirt road that comes to the back entrance of the park. It was much rougher than I anticipated. Most of the road was washboard. it rattled my teeth out and sent my bottles flying a few times. The park entrance could not come fast enough. But just before the entrance, the road smoothed out and it started to climb. The climb continued beyond the park entrance and my curiosity got the best of me. I continued the climb well past the park. The climb just went on forever. I would see a peak, but then when I got to it there was another one in the distance. Before I knew it, I was eight miles past the park and still going. I finally reached the summit as the landscape changed to forest with rock formations around every turn.
Wyoming dirt and gravel
Going up
Still going up
Passed the tiny town of Pine Grove...still climbing
Scenery change
Dirt road hairpin on a climb
Made it to Buford and I-80
Heading back to Curt Gowdy
Crystal Lake Reservoir
After a lunch on the edge of the lake of barbecue from a local joint back home, Shannon and I hopped on our mountain bikes for another afternoon of trail blazing. We rode the eastern side of the park this time, which has some tougher climbing sections. I hit up another skills area for some bigger jumps.
My view for lunch. Tennessee lunch on a Wyoming lake.
Sitting on the shore right behind our campsite
Starting the mountain bike ride on the Shoreline trail around the Granite Reservoir
Shannon negotiating a tough descent
Surveying the Middle Kingdom Skills Area
Walking down to scope out a good line for a rock wall ride
Snapped this one a tad early
We also checked out the Granite Dam along the way, and returned back to camp for another colorful sunset before a campfire and more star gazing. We used pine cones as a fire starter. After seeing how easily they ignite, I understand how a forest fire can become an inferno so quickly. Some of them burned so quick that it looked as if they had gasoline inside.
The Granite Dam
These stairs didn't look so big on the way down. Leg burn!
They had one pipe open on the dam
Looking down on the Crystal Lake Reservoir
Loved this view of Shannon climbing up Granite Ridge
Granite Ridge overlook above Crow Creek
Another awesome sunset
Saw this bright cloud while walking the paved trail at the visitor's center at dusk
Campfire
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