Laramie Lap Round II... an epic ride in February

[Number Two]

Well, after 3 days of 40 degree temps, I was getting the itch to get out again.  Lucky for me, Crazy Uncle Larry had scheduled a visit to my neck of the woods.

So we were on..



You eagle eyes will certainly spot our new High-zoot aqualine-IMS-Ascerbis-Clarke extended range safari tanks on the back.

[Number Two]

Here's the proposed route that I got shut out of a few weeks ago.  At 111 miles, I didn't think the TT600 gas hog could make it on one tank.

[Number Two]

[This is Crazy Uncle Larry; silly computer logged me in as Number Two!]Hey, hey, hey!!! Let's not forget the high-speed, low-drag Wally orld safety vests, the Camelback backpacks, and those stylish Ace Hardware custom-gray knee pads!!! Oh yeah...there's the gold satin scarf to ward off the frostbite of the chilly 7000+ feet Wyoming air!!!

[Number Two]

Well, February is not normally great riding weather here in southeast wyoming.  Did I tell my pops that it would be sunny and warm with blue skys and clear roads??? You bet.  Did he believe me?  Not for a minute, but he did trailer the old iron out to Laramie, and we've started attempt number 2 at the Lap.

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

I do have to admit thinking for a moment...if the old XT won't start, maybe I can get out of this "epic" trip. GUESS WHAT?! The doggone thing started on the third kick this morning!!![Way to go babyeeeeeeeeeeee!] So, trip is on!

[Number Two]

One of the things I love about motorcycling...



Everythings going according to plan until the road turns to this:



We cruise on...

[Number Two]

Along the way we pass the Hutton Refuge



Road continuing to get more and more...? Awesome?!  At the worst, It seemed that about 2 inches of snow had fallen over night.

[Number Two]

More road

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

Nice road, right!!!  Remember those high-speed, low-drag safari tanks we were sporting? A few miles down that snowy road, I wasn't sporting mine any longer. I was riding along and noticed a truck coming up behind me so I pulled over to let him pass since I was "Tail End Charlie". Up pulls one of Albany County Sheriff's Deputies. He says "Howdy" and we chit chat. Then he asks, "Did you boys happen to lose a red gas can and an orange tie-down strap? Sure enough my safari tank was gone from the back of my bike. OOps! Forgot to mention, I also lost my heirloom rug which had been folded up on the rack under the gas. But right here we come to a dilema. Do you think Albany Sheriff's Deputy, one of Laramie's finest bothered to pick the items up and drop them off to me roadside? No way...he left them right where they landed about 1 1/2 miles back up the road! Nothing to do but thank him and turn around and go secure the tank. Got more practice riding those snow-covered Wyoming roads. Finally reached the tank, rug and strap. Got everything extra-double secured and headed off once more on the "Epic Ride".

[Number Two]

New packing job.  This time, it holds for the rest of the trip.



Just after our first intersection with sand lake road, and sportsman lake road, we get to this sign again.

[Crazy Uncle Larry]  "Hold on a minute! Did I hear the words Yahoos and Beverly Hill Billys in the same sentence?  Cut us some slack in the peanut gallery.  We got some great looks on our way out of town."



The road is still good, and there's a bit less traffic now, but what lies ahead is a little more interesting; the kind of interesting that prevented me from keeping my camera handy.  Let's just say I let the XT go first, and it was worth the show.

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

You know you might be off the beaten path when the tracks dwindle down to only two!!! What you can't see here is what happen after this last photo. Number Two being the gregarious host that he was, let me take the lead knowing full well that a series of deep mudholes awaited us down the road!!! I came up on the first one and was sucked into it with no place to go but forward, ever forward!!! The only good thing...it was all frozen and no one else was around watching us. I rose to the occasion and cleared them all but the ole XT was doing the hula-dance all the way!!! It was so bad that is the reason why there are no photos...something about needing two hands on the handlebars!!!

[Number Two]

My attorney can assure you all that nothing of the sort occured.  The sailing was smooth, we were camping hapily. etc.   

See?  Everythings great.



We finally emerge onto US287 for a few hundred yards of blacktop before we get to Tie Siding.  Tie Siding used to actually be a tie manufacturing and storage facility for the railroad, and at one point had something like 500,000 railroad ties stockpiled.  Now, there's a fireworks stand, gas, and some antiques.



Right across the highway lies Hermosa Road, wich will take us up to 8200 feet to Veaduwoo.

It's still getting cloudy-ish.



Going up.



..and up.



...and up.

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

Nothing like a little ride off the beaten path. Are we in Colorado, yet?!

[Number Two]

Just before we head under I-80, we hit the ames monument.  Ames monument is a secret government facility used to communicate with extraterrestrials.... I mean... it's a memorial for the two brothers that were most responsible for constructing the first trans-continental railroad.  This was the highest point of the original rail line.  The first coast-to-coast highway, the Lincoln Highway also passes through this area. 





Just under the I-80 bridges lies the sherman granite of Vedauwoo.

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

Hey! Did I hear someone snicker about the mention of a "secret government test facility"?!!!! You just never do know what you may come across out here in America's great outback! But seriously, a shout out to the boys of "Union Pacific" for the work they accomplished laying rail down across our country. Vedauwoo or simply the "WOO" as it is known to the initiated is one heack of a place to go rock climbing!!! One more confession...right about here I was thinking, "What if I take a left turn and head on back to Laramie. I bet I can be at the bottom of the hill before he notices!" Okay, okay...it was just a thought, one that would come back to haunt me as we traveled down the Vedauwoo road.