Windy day on the road

We traveled less today but it seemed like more. Starting in Cheyenne, we went west on I-80 then north on US Rt 287 to State Routes 30, 28, 89. This took us across southwest Wyoming and into Utah. The Wind River Range was visible much of the morning. Then we wend down the shore of Bear Lake and up over Logan Pass and through Logan Canyon to Logan, Utah.

I will never complain about the wind at the Aerie again. Today we traveled in gale force winds almost the entire day. Even when I should have been coasting down hills having 5 and 6% grades, the wind held me back forcing me to use the accelerator just to maintain my speed. When we stopped for fuel, the clerk at the store said the forecast was for 50 mph winds. We ran into gusts much higher than that passing through some of the gaps in the mountains. In one stretch, the wind, blowing into our face as we drove at 70-75 mph, separated the molding off the windshield's upper edge and nearly sucked the rubber off the groove on the driver's side of the roof. I managed to re-insert the roof strip, but the windshield molding was long gone when I noticed it was missing. (A strip of duct tape replaced the top molding on the windshield.)

Shortly after we turned on to US 287, we spotted our first of many, many pronghorn antelope. And then we spotted a Bald Eagle. During the day we saw several Magpies, Western Meadowlarks, numerous hawks and vultures including a Black Vulture. Common Egrets and California Gulls were spotted near the Sweetwater River.

Parts of our trip in Wyoming were through open range. We had done that once before back in 1976--at night--in the rain and fog north of Cody, Wyoming. Today's trip was a piece of cake in comparison. Despite the wind, the light of midday is much, much better conditions in which to travel. We managed to avoid one antelope and a White-faced Hereford calf that was trying to catch up to its mother who was already on the other side of the road.

On Route 28, virtually in the middle of nowhere, miles from the last intersection and from the next one, we came upon a sign saying we could expect road work for the next 11 miles. And then there was a stop light. In the middle of nowhere. We stopped and waited. And waited some more until, ten minutes after we stopped, a pilot vehicle showed up with a dozen other vehicles behind it. The pilot vehicle pulled over and allowed all the others to pass. It then turned around in front of me and led me through the one lane construction zone...all 11 miles of it. Not terribly unusual, of course, but it just seemed a bit surreal.

Tomorrow, we'll be going over the mountains from Logan to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.