The Snowy Range and Happy Jack

[Query:  Does the title sound like a children’s book?]

One of Ted’s and my goals for this vacation was to take time to enjoy some National Scenic Byways.  We drove two of them today as a slower alternate to driving I-80 to Cheyenne.

The Snowy Range Scenic Byway (aka The Great Sky Road, aka WY Hwy 130) runs from just south of Saratoga to Laramie, Wyoming.  It crosses the Medicine Bow Mountains and the Snowy Range.

Verification that we are on the Snowy Range Scenic Byway.

We stopped at the Libby Flats viewing tower (elev. 10,653 ft.) along the way.

I can affirm that the “ferocious winds” part is true.  It was very windy here.

Medicine Bow peak is 12,013 feet high and the Snowy Range Pass is at 10,847 feet.  It was a gorgeous route to drive on a sunny day.  The pictures below show a little bit of the scenic beauty of this route.

On the east side of Laramie, we saw an unusual sight.  Over a few miles, we saw numerous houses that leaned to the east.  What would cause that?  Wind?  Earthquake?  All of the houses appeared to be inhabited, but they definitely leaned.

At Laramie, we picked up the Happy Jack Road (aka WY Hwy 210), another alternative to I-80.  Happy Jack Road begins in the mountains, then passes through ranchlands and forests on the plateau.  It is sometimes described as a road in the middle of nowhere.  For Ted and me, it was another beautiful drive on another beautiful day.