Sep 9: Craig, CO to Cheyenne, WY

I depart Craig, heading north to Baggs, CO. I’ve considered my options to head further north, maybe to Yellowstone National Park and some of the Badlands territory of historical fame, but this will take time and I’m thinking that a ‘holiday’; several days lollygagging around in a decent hostelry of note in Chicago might be nice. I’ve a lot yet to see in that Toddlin’ Town…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URw5NoqTs7o
...and I think that camping there for a while might be enjoyable.

I’ve not gotten to everything; I have not inspected the Moffat Railroad Museum in Granby (more a display of images and paraphernalia than his ancestry, I expect), the Georgetown Loop Railroad, the Cripple Creek Railroad, the Pueblo Railroad Museum, or the Royal Gorge (the scene of a bitter war between the D&RGW and the ATSF). But there’s always another time, and I reckon I’ll be back. One thing I’m going to enjoy will be the lower altitude. Apart from all the high-altitude passes I’ve traversed (and it’s not over yet!), I’ve been in Grand Junction at 4,583 ft, Durango at 6,512 ft, Chama, NM, at 7,825 ft, Denver at 5,280 ft, Craig at 6,198 ft, and I’ll be in Cheyenne at 6,086 ft. Colorado is an ’up there’ state (how many people are aware that the Continental Divide—the Rocky Mountain range—comes southeast from Canada and runs through Colorado and other states that are in the middle of the continent and not away over near California?). So, Chicago, at around 600 ft asl is going to be comfortable, to say the least.

I head out of Craig into that wild scenic expanse of vastness that so characterises this land. I love a good road-trip, and this energises me (although I can’t escape the niggling feeling that it’s somewhat wasted if you can’t share it with a companion… heigh-ho). At least, I’m in good company with KRAI & 55 Country – Steamboat Radio.

The 40-odd miles along Route 13 to Baggs is through undulating open-range ranching country, sometimes with the highway fenced, but always superbly paved. I cross the state line into Wyoming and descend into Baggs, lying in the verdant Little Snake River valley – quite a contrast to the taupe/olive drab of the rangelands. I see shops in town that cater to fly fishers, and irrigated fields along the valley floor. A haven for sportsmen and adventurers interested in hunting, fishing, and camping, this valley is described as a unique landscape situated between the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Wyoming Basin, and known for its natural beauty and ancient volcanic mountains. I’ve seen it described as one of Wyoming's best-kept secrets, which suggests it's not a widely recognised destination. There’s rich human history around here, from early American Indian settlements to the lives of mountain men like Jim Baker. The Little Snake River Museum in Savery is apparently highly regarded by visitors as an exceptional museum with fascinating artifacts. It’s yet another museum that I regretfully bypass.

Here, I turn onto Route 70, the 57-mile Battle Pass Scenic Byway, an underappreciated (I think, having listened to others) part of Wyoming, that turns out to display breathtaking views and great scenic beauty. This highway (pun intended) crosses the Sierra Madre Range—the Continental Divide—at Battle Pass, 9,955 ft and was named for a battle fought in 1841 between fur trappers and Native Americans. I stop for a stretch at the Thomas A. Edison Marker (“Camped near this spot in 1878, while on a fishing trip. It was here that his attention was directed to the fiber from his bamboo fishing pole which he tested as a suitable filament for his incandescent electric lamp. Born February 11, 1847 -- Died October 18, 1931. Age 84”).

I arrive at the little wild west mining (at one time) village of Ecampment. This was once served by the Saratoga & Encampment Valley Railroad, which operated as a narrow-gauge line during the early 1900s, connecting the copper mining town to the Union Pacific line at Walcott. I wish I could stop; there’s a lot of history here. I’m on Route 230 for 11 miles until I turn onto R-130 for the climb into the Snowy Range, and my next high-altitude traverse, Snowy Range Pass at 10,847 ft, from which a roadside sign warns truckers of a 7% grade down off the mountain. I stop at Libby Flat, an elevated viewing area from where the 360-deg vista extends for miles, and eat 'brunch'... a turkey, cheese, avocado, and and egg salad purchased when I gassed-up leaving Craig. There's a cool breeze.

The steep descent brings me into the ski village of Centennial, pop 270. This was also once a railroad town. There was a line, built by the Laramie, Hahn's Peak & Pacific Railway Company, which reached the town in 1907, that supported the local lumber and ranching industries, and connected with the Union Pacific. Its abandoned roadbed is now the Medicine Bow Rail Trail.

We’re now down off the mountains (but still at 8,000 ft!) and the highway heads east across undulating high-plains country and into Laramie (7,200 ft). My broad and elevated view of the ‘plains’ ahead brings home, in stark reality, the massive challenge the Union Pacific Railroad had in building across this immense swath of the United States to complete its Transcontinental Route, and the daily challenge of running around 50 trains per day across it. I know I’m on today’s home stretch now, as my destination, Cheyenne, WY, is just 50 miles away, across the Laramie Mountains and Cheyenne Tablelands.

The Union Pacific RR uses a route called The Gangplank to get between Laramie and Cheyenne. This is ramp-like path over the Laramie Range that follows the general route of Interstate 80. This geological feature was discovered by Union Pacific's chief engineer, Grenville M. Dodge, in 1965 and allowed for a less complex engineering solution for the transcontinental railroad. Recognising that the westward climb through the Laramie Range would require a railroad logistical base, Dodge established the railroad terminal at his campsite on the plains just east of The Gangplank, and this settlement grew into the city of Cheyenne.

The highest point on the railroad between Laramie and Cheyenne is Sherman Hill (8,247 ft), known for its significant grades and challenging terrain, which posed early engineering hurdles for the railroad. The Laramie Range would eventually require the Union Pacific RR to operate some of the largest steam locomotives and later, the largest and most powerful ‘non-steam’ locomotives (first, gas turbine and later, diesel-electric types) over this section. This blog will get to that.

Assuming I was smarter than my friendly GPS lady, I headed out of Laramie on the wrong highway, US-287, when I should have been on I-80. To hasten transit over the Laramie Range, UP has built a second route that cuts out some of the grade between the two cities. I realised something was wrong when the railroad on my right—the new route—suddenly dived beneath and was on my left. Hmmmm… out with the map (should have done that earlier). My mistake was apparent, and I decided I needed to go overland to my north to connect with I-80. Imagine my surprise, when I looked to my left and saw a slow-moving freight train literally on the horizon. I got onto a dirt track, Hermosa Rd, that lead towards this train and soon arrived at a level crossing with lights flashing. Little did I know that I was just around the curve from the famous Hermosa Tunnel. I waited while the slow-moving behemoth—all of 2½ miles long (and with a DP unit pushing under remote control on the rear) passed. Long story short, I followed this rough track for miles until it became Old US-30, running right alongside I-80, and then I followed this until it crossed I-80 and became US-210, Happy Jack Rd. This lead me, via a wonderful scenic drive, down into Cheyenne. One thing I saw, as I approached Cheyenne, was a business called On The Ball Aussies, who specialise in breeding quality Toy, Mini, and Standard Australian Shepherd puppies.

Anyway, this day’s fascinating road-trip was over. I decided to eschew the flash hotels and headed instead for the old Plains Hotel, located in the historical downtown area and directly across from the UP passenger station and museum.Okumaya devam et