Our next destination is Yellowstone National Park. The nearby North entrances are still closed due to the floods this past spring, so we are going to Cody, WY where we are stopping at a Harvest Host for the night before entering via the east entrance. Following the advice from the host at 7th ranch we will take Hwy 14 through Bighorn National Forest, a mountainous route that is supposed to be very scenic.
The drive started out fine along a country road, but as we started the steep climb up the mountain the misty fog became thicker, making visibility very poor and us a little nervous (I began to regret listening to the advice, and the hikes we had planned to do were quickly dismissed). The hwy. climbs steadily upward to an elevation of 9,054 feet at the summit. As we began the descent we were relieved that the fog cleared and the views were magnificent. We stopped at a campground day use area for a short walk, and discovered that there are many campground gems in this forest. Although most were marked “closed for the season”, their gates were open and we saw there were people camping in some areas, so we surmised that closed just means no bathrooms or water available.
At the base of the mountain just at the side of the highway a moose calf and mother were grazing, and the surrounding cliffs display some nice colours.
We arrived at Cody early so we checked in with the Harvest Host, Cody Craft Brewery, and inquired where we could go for a hike. A patron local to the area provided intel on a good spot along a gorge, but it was too busy for us to safely park Portage. Back in Cody we stopped to check out a site where the original “Cody town” was built – there are preserved buildings, and a short interpretive trail. Next to this is the Rodeo grounds which advertises a rodeo every night in the summer – that would be fun. Cody reminds me of Canmore in BC. A town at the foothills of the mountains, providing everything touristy for those venturing to and from the mountains. It has a rich native history with sacred mountains and secret burial caves nearby. The rushing water and gorges of the Shoshone river and the plains buffalo provided all they needed. Buffalo Bill was a legend in the area which is evident by the many establishments named after him.
Back at the brewery we were allowed to bring Cedar inside (Cody, it turns out is very pet friendly and most places allow dogs). We each ordered a flight of four beers (our requisite HH offering came to $30). Afterwards we walked into town to pick up a pizza for dinner. Our spot for the night, in the brewery parking lot, turned out to be quite noisy, so neither of us slept well.
