Pronghorns, changing landscapes everywhere you turn, and the beautiful hidden life down the dirt roads
Southern Wyoming
The Story Through Our Travels
*All photos taken by Haddie Hill and Keith Rupe
With love,
Haddie, Keith and Apollo
With the tourism focus primarily on the Tetons and Yellowstone, the eastern and southern portions of WY are often forgotten. The roads are less accessible, ranches are plentiful, and there are way too many cows. There are miles of vast openness with rolling hills making perfect grazing pasture for prong horns (an incredibly rare animal in the USA). I can not describe how crazy it is to drive the expanse of Southern WY. You will climb a hill and suddenly drop into a completely different landscape. Vast hills suddenly drop into red rock canyons and shift into mountain switch backs that wind down steep rugged turain.
People come and go as fast as the landscape changes. WY has a population of around half a million people and is the least populated state in the entire USA (including Alaska). You really felt that as you sat amongst the quietness, watched the stars, and were the only one on the road for quite a few miles.
It seemed like a place people passed through on their way to somewhere else. Which is sad, because it is an incredible places to explore, just sit in, and be a part of. But, you defiantly have to get off the highway. The dirt roads are far superior.
Haddie
Seminoe Damn Adventure
This drive was the epitome of “you can’t see WY from the highway.” This dirt road covered vast stretches of open hills, canyons, mountain switch backs and little towns (that somehow have nowhere to eat.) It really was an incredible adventure!
Keith
Keep driving north from Dugway and you end up on the Seminoe-Alcove Backcountry Byway, a 70 mile scenic dirt road through middle of nowhere Wyoming. Fun drive, pretty views, and a lot of horned critters that like to test your awareness.
We stayed at Dugway, a BLM campground on North Platt River known for its world class fly fishing. I (Haddie) of course had to bust out my waders and rod and give it a go. I caught a couple small brown trout along our stretch of river, but some good size ones along the Miracle Mile of the North Platt. Apollo learned to swim in the river current and now I can’t keep him out of the water. Immediately when he sees a body of water, he must jump in (he was scared of water before this adventure). It is hilarious until he scares away all the fish.
Haddie
Dugway Campground
Keith
Living in our car down by the river, and it was pretty nice. Quite spot right by the North Platte made for some refreshing after work walks/dog play sessions. Sadly, Apollo did not catch us any fish.
I have a love hate relationship with cows. Apollo just loves cows. He was more than happy to herd the hundreds of cows away from camp each day. The rock formations were incredibly unique with huge towering formations that Keith was super excited to climb. I consistently felt like I needed EMT wilderness training because Keith was jumping between rocks with hundred foot drops between them. He lived though, which is good.
Haddie
Vedauwoo, WY
Keith
Our first real test of the rig outside of Colorado. Ended up spending a week scrambling around on big boulders, herding cows away from camp, and keeping an eye out for moose butts. Worst thing about this place was the wind and dust, but think that just comes with the high plains of Wyoming.
