The morning dawned clear and cold (26 degrees). Fortunately I-80 reopened over night so we were on our way by 8:30 am. The Interstate was dry although we could see signs of heavy snow by the side of the road and the mountains have a thick blanket.
I checked on Yellowstone one last time before we left this morning. More snow is expected tonight and night time temperatures will be in the teens. I also looked at the Wyoming road report and found warnings of ice on all the routes into the park. Even though we are disappointed about missing Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, it will be good to be home.
After taking more than a thousand photos, Rebecca has declared a moratorium on photography. You will just have to create a picture of the scenery on your own.
The road in Wyoming and Utah goes through one mountain pass after another. Yesterday between Cheyenne and Laramie we were at 8,640 feet. Today most of the passes were about 7,000. The surrounding mountains look deceptively low because the valleys are over a mile high. The rugged treeless slopes are impressive especially when their irregular surfaces are defined by a layer of snow. For the first time in a week, we passed through an urban area around Salt Lake and Ogden. It was a bit of a shock. I prefer the sparsely populated wide open spaces of Montana and Wyoming.
We drove 570 miles today and will have to endure about the same tomorrow. At least at the end of the day we don't have to check into a motel. Although we are both tired and eager to be home, we have enjoyed being traveling companions for this fantastic journey.
PS - The spotty Internet service has made it difficult to post photos. If all goes well, I will do a photo essay tomorrow.
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