What I learned this summer in Wyoming. (Casper, Rawlins: houses, transfer)

[Clay Lady]

You can't drive on bentonite covered roads after it rains! Some desert roads are covered with bentonite.

My husband and I plotted out a drive from just north of Wamsutter to Atlantic City. We had not been on those roads before and wanted to see what was there. We had the trip saved on his computer - had the GPS talking program to keep us on the right road. Since this was the start of a four or five day outting we were ready to go camping for a couple of nights - had plans to check out a music festival that weekend and just enjoy touring the state.

About thirty minutes after we turned off I-80 a rain shower came along and I thought - Great, it will settle the dust. Then my Outback starts gently sliding this way and that. My husbands' fabulous driving skills kept us on the road by the hardest. He was able to get the car turned around and get us back to paved roads. He said the AWD and the turning around ability of the Outback probably saved us from a nightmare experience.

I use bentonite some times when I am throwing on the wheel - drilling rigs use it - bentonite is some slippery stuff. My students have said it feels like snot! You certainly can't drive on the stuff.

Has anyone ever made that drive all the way? We turned off before we got to Wamsutter- maybe exit 225. The roads came into Atlantic City.

[HighlandLady]

Yes, I've driven that road and fortunately, it was dry.
The Oregon Trail Road outside of Casper - on the otherhand - was not..and in a 4-wheel drive truck, I ended up in a ditch and had to hike a few miles to a ranch house. I learned if there is rain or a storm heading that direction, it was perhaps best to not travel.
Glad you made it out okay!

[Clay Lady]

Were there many interesting rock formations on the road I mentioned?

I have been on the Oregon Trail road outside of Casper when it was dry! I am not getting in as much exploration time as I had hoped but loving every minute that I have. It has made me smile to recognize the location from pics that were posted!

[HighlandLady]

I'll have to find the photos I shot on that road...my memory is dodgy regarding rock formations. Seems to me, there were a few, and if memory serves, I hiked around and came up on a couple of tipi rings.

Are you in Wyoming now? I am glad to hear you are having a delightful time of it!

[Clay Lady]

I am enjoying life in Rawlins as I type! My husband got transferred - may get another so we going to sell this property - before I get like John Mclain and can't say for sure how many houses I have!!

Funny you mentioned tipi rings. I am always on the look out for any signs from the past. A few years ago I did a Vision Quest with a small group. One of the places we went had tipi rings. I would love to see some here in Wyoming.

[tekape]

Originally Posted by Clay Lady

You can't drive on bentonite covered roads after it rains! Some desert roads are covered with bentonite.

A year or so ago, some truck spilled bentonite on the highway here in Casper (not on purpose, of course).....and they closed the highway down for about 4-5 hours in order to get it cleaned up properly.

[shadowwalker]

I used to travel that road in the late 70's on my dirtbikes. I remember the tee pee rings and the first time I seen the Prarie Chickens on the rock formations and small hills. Just sitting there, some had their wings slightly spread out. All were standing so the sun hit their backs. Looked real odd. Silent little statues. I found out since then that they were sunning themselves in the last sun rays of the day. To be warm going into the night.
I do remember finding a small pond with trout in it out there. And some petroglyphs.Not many and I never really looked at them. I used to do bad. Back then we'd just take off across the desert and ride/explore on our bikes for miles and miles. I wouldn't even dream of that now. Knowing the distruction that can be done that lasts for years and years.
I do remember on that road you will go past a spot that has rock tubes sticking out of the ground. It you look at them they will have designs on the sides. These are the fossilized tubes of some kind of mud worm that lived way back when. Some are many feet long in the ground. There is also a area that has fossilized turtles, just the shells but some are real big maybe close to four feet across. These weigh alot!These are along a ridge that has what looks like lumped poop of some kind. I was told this was the turtles. There are maybe a hundred of them. They are on the right side of the road and look like shiney black dots from the distance on it.
After my misadventures of telling a UW professor about some tee pee rings out side of Rocksprings,wy. And a Ospray Hawk (? the big grey one that primarly eats fish I think that was what it was) that had a nest south of Bittercreek turnoff. To the Wyoming Game and Fish. I never told anyone about other things I have come across in this wonderful state. If I did I never told a exact spot anyway.

[Clay Lady]

That area probably hasn't got a lot of sightseers which is actually a good thing. I've seen some rock formations damaged from being in the way of a road or rig location. It's sad.

After my husband told me about the area I just knew it would be interesting to explore. We have been in the mountains a lot. The desert is such an interesting environment in comparison. I have a trip there on my list of things to do before it starts to snow.

[PsykoKustomz]

Not to stir the pot but are you sure that it was bentonie? I know north and south of Wamsutter on what is referred to as Dad's road they spray a mixture of Magnesium Chloride on the roads to keep the dust down. They have begun this treatment to alot of oil field roads to help with "dust" "pollution" When that stuff gets wet it is slicker than snot and will put you in a bad spot in a hurry.

Im defintiley not saying that there is no way that it was bentonite I just have a wondering mind complex LOL

[HighlandLady]

There seems to be more betonite in the soil of Wyoming, nearly everywhere in the NE and Central part at any rate...but yes, the magnesium chloride mess they deem necessary to lay down probably didn't help either.