Thermopolis Wyoming to Medicine Lodge
6/16/2018 -
We were up early and got the coffee going, The Boys (our Malamutes) fed and we then had our breakfast. French Toast and bacon was on the menu. We took our time packing up camp and were on the road at about 0930. Todays drive will only be a bit over 80 miles and we can not check in till noonish, if our reserved site has been occupied.
Heading north out of Thermopolis, one finds a small town named Kirby, Wyoming. Yes, it is small but it is also the home of Wyoming Whiskey. Here one finds their distillery and all other aspects of their business, from the still to bottling, to aging, and a gift shop tasting room. They are open from 1000 - 1800 hrs., and offer tours at the top of the hour.
We were there as they opened and a family from California started the tour and we were able to join in. This tour lasts about 45-50 minutes and is very informative. One learns the history of Wyoming Whisky from it’s inception in 2007 to the present day. It is owned by a well established Wyoming Family, with a ranches in Jackson and Kirby, Wyoming. Yes, we know the family from our time living in Jackson. One interesting fact about Wyoming Whisky is the ingredients used are from Wyoming so they are true to their name. The bottles are from China and their barrels of white oak are from Missouri. A used barrel will cost one a $185.
After the tour one can have two samples from their offerings, I chose their single barrel and a multi cask for my choices. The Single Barrel won and a bottle was procured for our camper stores. Lynn got a t-shirt. Currently Wyoming Whisky can be found in 26 states and their distribution is expanding.
After our visit, we head north to Worland, Wyoming and then further North to Manderson where we make a turn to head further afield. Just before Hyattville, Wyoming we turn north for 5 miles till we arrive at Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site and State Park. After driving many miles past ranches, pasture, dry landscape, we arrived at this little hidden gem of an oasis. We were in a state of WOW!!!
The camp sites are very well maintained grass and the Medicine Lodge Creek flows through the park. Looks good for fishing, and I will have to wet a line. Here we find many nature trails and of course, Petroglyphs. Simply put, this is an amazing destination even if it is out of the way, but oh so well worth the journey.
We pulled in and went straight to our reserved site along the creek. It was blocked off and looked as it was being rehabbed. The park folks had blocked off another site for us and placed a reserved sign. We missed the sign as a passing storm knocked the sign down. Anyway, a fellow camper informed us where we were to be situated. To be quite frank this is a great site, lots of shade still next to a creek. It is strange to park your camper on grass, usually one tries to stay off the grass. We are close to water, outhouse, and there are several nice grass areas for the boys to walk.
We went to the Park office to confirm we were in the correct place, and parked properly. Returning, we set up and explored our campground loop. Lots of friendly campers and the creek we are next to is actually an irrigation ditch which has been engineered for trout habitat. There are little falls that end in pools where the fish can feed. I learned this was a recent project and maybe the fish have yet to discover this location, I am sure they will eventually, as the habitat looks perfect.
We did observe Olive Sided Flycatchers, A Black-headed Gross Beak, Osprey, Night Hawks, Cedar Waxwings, Herons, Rocky Mt Blue Birds, Yellow Warblers some Doves, Robins, Grackles, and I am sure there are more to find.
For dinner I prepared a pot roast in the dutch oven. We got The Boys for a few walkabouts and called it a night. Clouds were rolling in, so the Star Talk will probably not happen, so off to bed.
We are amazed that The Boys sleep till we wake up and I am amazed I sleep 8 hours. At home they are usually up to play in and out a couple times during the night. While camping this sleep pattern for them is welcome.
6/17/2018 -
We are up and at um, getting The Boys Walked and coffee on. Battery was down to 74% and we started the generator to make coffee and charge the battery a bit. Breakfast was biscuits and gravy.
After breakfast we set out to find a nearby Geocache. There is only one in this area and I believe that is due to very limited cell service. The cache was located about 1.5 miles away and for you cacher’s it is Petroglyph Position Locator.
On the way back to the camper we let The Boys romp in the creek as Kenai was rather dusty dirty.
The day thus far is rather overcast and cool at 62F, not a good day for solar battery charging.
After lunch we hooked up The Boys and went for a walk to explore the northern end of the park. We walked through a couple campground loops to look at the various sites. Since the weekend is over the campground is very empty and we are the only campers in our loop.
In the afternoon we stumbled upon the Nature Trail which is well done with 10 stops to point out items of interest. This trail ended at the Sand Stone wall where you can find the petroglyphs. It is estimated these are about 10,000 years old and the creators are really to this day unknown. It is believed they were the ancestors of the Crow or Shoshone and were hunter gathers. There are some old graffiti engravings with names and date in the early 19th century.
It was in 1969 that Dr. George Frison, then Wyoming State Archaeologist, began a series of investigations that involved digging through 26 feet of soil and rocky sediments at the base of the cliff. He discovered 60 cultural levels spanning some 10,000 years of human occupancy. Also found during the dig were fire pits, food storage pits, projectile points and a bone pile. This unique find has enabled archaeologists to study lifestyle changes over time and, in fact, has provided a key to interpreting the archaeology of the entire Big Horn Basin of Northern Wyoming.
The original homesteaders were the Whickwire family, during the time of the Yukon Gold Rush. Whickwire had learned that horses were selling for $600 each in the Yukon so he gathered a herd and headed North to make a fortune. The trail was hard and when he arrived in Dawson he only had one horse and one mule as the trail had taken it’s toll. The area since then has had several owners and was primarily used as winter pasture. Today it is a Wyoming State Park and Archeological Site.
I will say this again, this is a hidden Gem here in Wyoming.
I made steak fajitas for dinner and we had a campfire so Smores were dessert. We got The boys for a couple walks and hit the hay. They seemed pretty tired.
Up and at um, The Boys walked and the coffee is on. Last night we had a pretty good rain. French toast is on the menu this morn as we have bread which needs to be used. We hope to get some sun today to dry out a trail and charge up the batteries via solar.
Todays hike is the Deer Trail. This hike takes up to the top of a hill overlooking the park. There are several interpretive stops along the way with great information about the geology, flora and fauna. Sitka led the way and became excited when he was told he could go swimming after the hike.
Looks like we may get some rain this afternoon so may cook up lunch rather than just a sandwich.
The skies became rather dark and the rain started with a bit of thunder. We got our outside gear put up and covered getting darker and the rain started. This is giving us time to plan tomorrows route and do some reading.
There was a break in the rain so we hooked up The Boys and got a good 1.5 plus miles in. We got back to the camper just as the wind picked up and more rain started to fall. We always have a meal or two that can easily be fixed inside the camper. Tonight will be hamburger vegetable soup with camp bread toast.
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