Day 15: It's Way Cooler

 July 10, 2021

Vanlog, boondocking site on the water at Flaming Gorge NRA

Today, I was scheduled to go to Moab to see Arches NP. However, the forecast said 106 degrees in Moab, so instead I drove north to Laramie WY yesterday, and let me tell you--it is way cooler here! I woke up at 54 degrees and didn't need my fan to sleep. The morning temperatures never left the mid-70s and hte hottest it got all day was 83 degrees. Good choice!

Plus, the scenery was exceptional--it was also way cooler than seeing Arches for the the third time in my life and fighting weekend crowds. I started my day with a 3.0-mile loop Turtle Rock trail in the Vedauwoo climbing area of Medicine Bow National Forest, a place which could and maybe should be a national park! In addition to the amazing rock climbing and scrambling opportunities here, the large piles of rounded rock remind me of Joshua Tree NP. The habitat is right here for moose, mountain lions, and bears. I joined up with a pair of 50-something engineering professors from the University of Wyoming and had a pleasant conversation for most of the hike. 

Then I headed west past Laramie to the western portion of the Medicine Bow National Forest and took the Snowy Range Scenic Byway Rt 130 through the park. This afforded excellent views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains. I stopped at the Libby Lake area for some amazing photos with the mountains behind this crystal blue lake.

At Mirror Lake, there were some more amazing views; and I just so happened to stumble upon a pair who had just gotten engaged and who were excited to share the news, so I snapped some photos for them. 

I ended my day by driving west on I-80 and then south on 191 to Flaming Gorge NRA, where I found this amazing boondocking site right on the water down Jug Hollow Road.