We spent the day exploring the ranchland on the numerous cattle trails and playing around on the sandstone mesa. Ty Lund and his son Cody regaled us with stories of ranch life before we went wheeling. It's life like this that really intrigues some of us city dwellers. To give you an example of how big this place is, a person could drive from horizon line in the east to horizon line in the west, covering many miles, and still be on the Lunds' property.
After the ranch run, we were treated to a fantastic barbecue hosted by Magic City 4 Wheelers. Getting out and meeting great people like this not only leaves you with a good feeling, it is just plain fun.
This is why two of the Jeeps...
This is why two of the Jeeps had problems with water induction. Warn's technical representative, Steve Schoenfelder, shows you just how deep the river was in some spots.
Day three we found ourselves rolling south down Highway 90 and then Highway 200 toward Beartooth Pass with our trail guide for the day, Bill Springer. Highway 200 happens to pass through the historical town of Red Lodge, Montana. At one time, the famous mountain man Jeremiah Johnson was sheriff of this town. Beartooth Pass peaks at 11,000 feet above sea level while it passes into the northern border of Wyoming just above Yellowstone National Park. The day before on the Lund ranch, we were wheeling in 80 to 90 degree heat, but the top of this pass, we found frigid 32 degree temperatures, wet snow, and sleet. The guys with the open and bikini-top Jeeps had a heck of a time keeping warm.
After a brief rest at Top of the World, Wyoming, we headed a few miles down the highway to the trail. Not too far off the pavement, our Jeeps got completely bogged down in deep snow. Progress became extremely slow. From this point on, we only made it a few more miles before we had to turn around and head out the same way we came in. That short run took us most of the day and was filled with challenges and numerous mechanical issues and breakdowns. From the snow trail we headed south on Highway 296 to Cody, Wyoming, and then east on Highway 14 to Lovell, Wyoming.
Trent McGee (driver) of Superlift...
Trent McGee (driver) of Superlift TV and his cameraman Andrew Black were on hand to film the event.
Day four was canyon and caves day in Devil's Canyon. This area is east of Lovell and just above the Big Horn Basin. The area's terrain is dry, somewhat hot, and similar to high-desert conditions. We were guided by local resident John Olsen. The mountains outside Lovell provided us with some very scenic and mild wheeling. The area is filled with historical Indian art work (petroglyphs) in addition to the natural wonder of the caves. On this run, we even got to undertake a little spelunking. At the end of the day, we headed back to the hotel for a fantastic barbecue provided by Robbie Pierce, owner of MasterCraft Race Products (don't worry, Robbie, I won't tell anyone I beat you in a game of horseshoes).