Ten Sleeps to Gillette WY

Throw another load of washing on while we are starting our day, ie buying more kindle books in the Michael Scott's series, researching what we will do when we get back to Houston, catching up on last minute emails etc. and getting ready to mosy on.  We are away by 11 am and pretty much straight away we are into awesome scenery.

Between Ten Sleeps and Buffalo we climb the Big Horn Mountains, driving through the Powder River Pass, elevation 9,666 feet - our ears popped four times!  Even saw a flock of sheep near the summit. It was very pretty!

We are high up on the Big Horn Mountain Range

Zigzagging our way down again was probably the steepest road we have been on, most at 8% decline and we were in a very low gear.  We saw an interesting safety option on these steep grades for runaway trucks, apart from the numerous compulsory pull over and check your brake areas - it was a CatchNet Cable System which was exactly that, cables to slow you down if your brakes fail. - like on an aircraft carrier.

8% Decline getting back down again!

Catch Net Cable System for catching runaway trucks! Brilliant!

Once down the mountainside the scenery morphs into semi flat arid country.

Buffalo City didn’t hold much appeal but Kim needs sustenance so we locate a Maccas right next to a truck stop so parking is a doddle.  After lunch he feels like a new man and we are back on the road.

Our first overnight option to check out is right in Gillette, free camping on a lakeside but it is pretty residential so we decide to check out plan B instead.  Less than 20 miles further we come to the Keyhole State Park which is on a reservoir and has seven campgrounds at this end of the lake.  It was very, very windy driving from Buffalo, a nasty side wind which  pushed us around quite a bit.  So we were happy to call it a day and found a nice site in the Tutanka CG overlooking the reservoir.  We have a powered site but can only use it for one night, but unless the wind dies down we won’t stay around here another night.  It’s not nearly as bad as it was on the I 90 but still not that pleasant outside, even at 28C.

Here we are just on the western edge of the famed Black Hills (famous for the 1874 gold rush and also a renowned motorcycle ride) and within sight of Devils Tower so will go that way tomorrow and hope to get you a good photo!