Preparations for the trip to Wyoming were rather last minute due to lots of other time commitments like work and the local fair. I was fortunate that My wife and mother were available to meet the vet to get Coggin’s tests (negative test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)), and later get a health certificate. We had to wait for the Health certificate since until June 27th Wyoming was requiring a health certificate within the previous 72 hours before the horses entered the state. On June 27th they lengthened that time period to 30 days. We also shod all four horses that would be making the trip, did a service and put new tires on our pickup.
The plan was for me to take our two oldest girls, and 2 horses (Shorty and Candy) and travel Thursday and Friday (June 30-July 1). My parents would follow with 2 more horses (Snoopy, and Dudley), my wife, and our 4 year old daughter to arrive on Sunday, July the 2nd.
We loaded the trailer with tack on the night of the 29th, along with hay pellets (Weed free according to Public land feed rules). We loaded the truck with tent, camping gear, a couple days of food, and our luggage.
THe morning of the 30th we were hooked up, loaded up and on the road by 8:00 am, and the travel was pretty uneventful. My sister’s trailer towed well, the horses were nonplussed by the trip each time we checked them at rest and fuel stops. The combination of the two older kids was pleasant to travel with.
We were in Reno around Noon, Had a late lunch at the Martin Hotel in Winnemucca at 3:30, and Pulled into the Wells, Nevada Rodeo grounds at around 7:00pm with plenty of daylight left. We unloaded the horses there for the night and gave them a feed of pellets and access to water. Neither horse was very hungry or thirsty.
Horses getting their evening pellets in Wells Nevada with the Ruby mountains in the background.
We pulled out our cots and sleeping bags. The girls played cards in the horse trailer while I took some pictures and wrote down my thoughts from the day by headlamp. Seeing the sunset and the Ruby mountains with snow still on them was a special memory. We slept there at the rodeo grounds listening to our horses stomp and chew until Friday’s dawn crept across the desert at 5:00 am the next morning.
Day 2:
We had horses fed and on the road by 6:00 am as we headed North on Highway 93 through Jackpot and Twin Falls. The Desert was as green in the beginning of July as it normally is in May. We saw the Deer Migration overpasses in their partially finished Stage. They should be ready for this winters migration of deer and Antelope. With tall fences tokeep the animals off the highways, there should be fewer wildlife -car collisions along that corridor.
The trip was uneventful across the Snake River plain along highway 84/86/15. typical interstate fare. When we crossed into Wyoming on Highway 20/26 from Idaho Falls, even my 13 year old was impressed. We picked up highway 189 at Hoback Juction and the Wind River range began to reveal itself more the further south we travelled. Along this stretch we saw more antelope than any other part of the trip.
Finally we passed through Daniel Junction, and after passing through Pinedale arrived in the town of Boulder. We turned onto the Well maintained gravel road and traveled 7 miles to the Mountain Springs Ranch, home of GROW (Green River Outreach for Wilderness). This would be our base camp for the next 7 days. While the girls joined the campers I turned out horses, and set up my tent. We had been on the road for 10 hours, and it was nice to have my feet on the ground.
