Guernsey, WY - Oregon Trail Ruts

I am so relieved, I found the pictures I thought I'd deleted. I had moved them from the memory card to the laptop. Then instead of cleaning off the memory card I deleted the pictures on the laptop. I didn't even check the memory card because I was sure I'd already cleaned it off. Took a couple of pictures this morning and when I went to move them to the laptop - yippee! yesterday's pictures. 
Mixed bag of weather here this morning. When we got up it was warm enough to open the door. Then suddenly a few drops of rain on window, black sky and the temps dropped. As I am writing this though the sun is peaking out and it feels like it is warming up. The forecast for today though is scattered thundershowers. 
First a couple of pictures from yesterdays drive. We weren't even out of Hill City before we ran into construction. Got moving from this one and a mile down the road another flagman stopping traffic. 

 Just getting into Wyoming. No more groves of trees, just lots of grass land with a tree or two every once in a while. 

 Rocks just sticking up here and there. 

 Our spot at the campground in Guernesy. 

The view out our front window. 

The river is behind us. 
Late yesterday afternoon we drove - about 1.5 miles - over to the site of the Oregon Trail Ruts. Because of the time of day some of the pictures are either kind of washed out or dark. 

 Just some information about the Oregon Trail 

 I added this tidbit because for three years I lived in Casper, WY when I was in high school. And we'd hang around the old fort area in the summer. The Platte River ran right through the town.

 Neither Bill nor I can figure out why the wagon trail went up over the rocks when there was flat land right next to the river which is less then a quarter of a mile away. Pretty country here with all the trees. 

Looking back down the walkway up to the ruts. 

 And here they are. Thousands of wagons had to have come this way to wear away so much rock. 

 They are really deep down from the regular surface of the rocks.

 Kind of can see them when looking west - into the sun. 

Another area where they are worn done. 

I could almost hear the cattle mooing, the horses and oxen clopping along. The creeks of the wagons as they shifted from side to side over the rough rocks. And the people talking to each other and orders being yelled out. I don't think I could have even thought about leaving home and taking this journey.  

 Rough road. This was the first stop after leaving Fort Laramie - about 15 miles away. A ten minute drive for us. And I was complaining about the 190 mile five hour drive in the RV.

 Steep but short descent. 

 Standing on the rocks just north of the ruts looking out over the valley. The river is at the lower tree line. 

Why come up over the rocks? 

 There is the Platte River.

The pictures he was taking. 

I am almost 5 foot 2 - so about 4 feet to my shoulder. 

Heading over the Platte River over to Register Cliff. 

Will stop for now here. Today we hope to go to Fort Laramie - depends on the weather. Also found out there are two almost ghost towns close to here. One has the oldest operating bar in Wyoming. Today saw my first mosquito on this trip. Got to remember to keep the screen door closed. Don't have any flying bugs in Vegas so we forget how annoying they can be.