Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Wonderful Wyoming

The Grand Teton Range

I have spent many years ridiculing the barren desolation of southern Wyoming, but now I feel I must publicly admit the error of my ways.


The Wind River Range
(Picture taken by yours truly)
Make no mistake: the stretch of southern Wyoming along I-80 is pure desolation. But as Wyoming folks are fond of saying, they're glad it's so ugly down there because it keeps outsiders from discovering the awesome grandeur of the state up here.
One of the things that makes Wyoming so great is that it is so sparsely populated: ranked 9th in size but 50th in population. You can go for miles and miles and not see any people or dwellings.
Ten Sleep Canyon
(30 miles east of Worland)

Last weekend, we drove back from Utah over Teton pass and then down along the Wind River Range, through the Wind River Canyon to Worland. Though I'll always be partial to Mt. Sneffels and the Colorado Rockies, they've got nothing on the Wyoming Tetons when it comes to sheer majestic power. In fact, between the Tetons, Yellowstone, the Wind Rivers, and the Big Horns, Wyoming holds some of the most beautiful terrain not just in the USA, but in the world.

Worland itself, while a great small town, is not particularly scenic. However, there are two gorgeous canyons less than half an hour away; the Big Horn mountains are only forty minutes away; the Wind Rivers and Yellowstone are only two hours away; and the Tetons are only four hours away. In other words, a spectacular array of wilderness beckons within a short drive, and there's hardly anyone else you have to share it with.

The Wind River Canyon

(30 miles south of Worland)

So Wyoming, I apologize. You're more beautiful than I ever imagined. I hope to make it up to you by exploring and relishing your wilderness for many years to come!

And to any friends or family who may be reading this, you will always be welcome to come visit us and explore our new beautiful state.

(But shhhhh . . . don't tell anyone else about it!)

The Wind River Range (again)

3 comments:

Tankfos said...

I won't believe until I see it. Which will be in a few weeks.

Danalin said...

I have snowboarded down the Grand Teton mountain range. I sat down at the top to attach myself to my board and took my sweet time getting up because it was SO beautiful! I sat down quite a few times that day (yes, sat...I didn't fall. Not every time anyway :) ). My aunt and her family live in the shadows of the Tetons in Victor, Idaho. I love that area! I say we all meet in Yellowstone for a family reunion one of these years.
You do, indeed, live in a gorgeous state, Mark! We plan to visit one day; hopefully sooner than later. I'll post a blog soon to entice everyone to our neck of the woods...hopefully you guys will be attracted enough to pull your little family away from your beautiful state. Thanks for the gorgeous pictures!

Dad said...

Marcus,
You are getting very good at putting pictures on your blog. You have to show me how to do that. What a gorgeous area you showed. I noticed you haven't shown the area before you get to the beautiful areas. For the 10% of Wyoming that is beautiful, I agree with your accessement. For the other 90% it is basically a moonscape.

One of my counslors just had a reunion with his family at Jackson Hole and they said it was terrific.
I think Danalin might be onto something here as far as meeting in Wyoming. We ought to get a discount since you are a citizen of that state!!

You and your family are lucky for sure, but I will still take Colorado overall.

Dad