ONE LAST LITTLE ADVENTURE -- IN THE MUD!

Several of us wound up going into Casper at the same time last week, and rather than just take the regular drive on the highway, we all decided it would be fun to go along the actual trail past Prospect Hill, over to Avenue of Rocks, and come out by Bessemer Bend. 

We started out just fine and were able to follow the trail and see the historic markers along the way.  It had been dry and windy for the past few days, and we were surprised to see snow along the trail.

When we came to Willow Springs we couldn't resist taking a picture of this old, old tree that was probably living when the pioneers came through.

And then the real fun began . . .

Because of the overnight snow, the dirt road (which had appeared completely driveable when we started out) suddenly became one giant mud pie. 

How I wish I could have taken a little video clip of everyone slipping and sliding 
-- first sideways one direction and then sideways the other direction -- 
as we all tried to get up just the smallest inclines along the way.  
Anyone watching us would have thought we were all drunk drivers!  

 I tried to take a picture of the 6" of mud hanging down off our side mirror, but it fell off just before I clicked the camera.
 

There were times when we thought we were going to have to call back to the Homestead for help.  Each vehicle came dangerously close to sliding off the road and into the ditches on either side.  No one even had a tow rope!  

Eventually we all made it through the soupy mud, although we did have to leave behind one of the trucks that was pulling a trailer.  It was safely pulled over along the side of the road, but it will have to be a drier day when they come back for it.

We decided to celebrate surviving the muds of Wyoming by going to Qdoba for lunch, and you should have seen the muddy footprints we tracked into that restaurant after our adventure
in the MUD!