Monday, Sep 18 2023

Road map and video

I knew the Bighorn mountains must be scenic as there are three east-west scenic byways across them. Today, for my last scenic drive of the trip, I chose the central route, the Bighorn Scenic Byway as I went from Lovell to Buffalo, WY.

I’ve been checking the fire and smoke map regularly and it showed the Canadian wildfire smoke heading my way in recent days but, luckily, it stayed just north of me and, again, I had the pleasure of traveling in perfect weather. The drive was particularly scenic approaching and leaving the Bighorn Mountains and the dash cam captured plenty of video that conveys the feeling of the drive.

My first stop was at Shell Falls right at the side of the road. There are several falls but the main drop is 120 feet (37 m) as Shell Creek, a tributary of the Bighorn river I saw yesterday, falls over a fault line where one side has been uplifted.

I like to include video of waterfalls as they are active and photos do not capture the sound.

The Forest Service manages the area and have created several accessible trails with interpretive signs to educate visitors on the geology, history and wildlife in the area. It was a very enjoyable stop.

I also stopped about 33 miles (53 km) further along the road for a hike up to Steamboat Point.

I wasn’t able to make it to the top because the trail uses a narrow ledge along the rock face and, since my stroke, my balance is sufficiently diminished that I felt unsafe. I, therefore, had to be satisfied with a view in just one direction instead of the 360 view that is available at the top.

I do not expect to enjoy much more scenic driving during the rest of the trip as I travel away from the mountains and concentrate more on indoor activities in the smoke zone. However, today was extremely enjoyable and a fitting end.