High Plains Footprints: Labor Day Weekend

Whew, I'm back. And rested...

Usually, Labor Day weekend is pretty laid back for me. This year, not so much!! In fact, it’s probably my most intense Labor Day weekend ever! My brother brought up a motorcycle buddy with him from Denver for the holiday, and the plan was to spend three days on mountain trails, me on my 4-wheeler and those two on their mountain motorbikes.

After the guys got here, we started off with my brother grilling up some thick steaks on his portable gas grill; he also brought up some “killer” twice-baked potatoes which I warmed up in the oven while the broccoli was cooking. It was a beautiful evening outside, and so we got “fueled up” for our adventures with this very tasty dinner, sitting outside under the darkening sky. Here we made plans for the next morning: get an “early” start with a protein –rich breakfast (with my brother as chief chef), load the machines, load the gear and lunches, and head the Toyota Tundra and trailer toward Limestone Mt., above Lander, WY. (It's one of my favorite rides and beautiful to show it to new folks.)

We unloaded the machines at the base of the mountain in the southern Wind River Range. I slipped on a sweatshirt, and with gloves and helmet in hand, I was ready to go. Then, I watched as the guys went through a two-part routine: first, put on all the protective gear. They became walking transformers, with breastplates, back plates, elbow and knee protection, as well as tall, heavy boots to guard their feet and lower leg area. The helmets completed the look.

Then, part-two of the routine was to hope that the red Honda would start; it took an exhausting amount of kick-starts, more adjustments, a couple of short-lived turn-overs, a few choice words of frustration, and then “Ya-room.” Relief! We all jumped into action, secured our helmets and gloves, and headed up the trail.

From on top, it’s possible to see Oregon Buttes and Continental Peak, both of which were landmarks for those traveling the Oregon Trail to South Pass. My brother was filming the whole trip on the GoPro camera, mounted on top of his helmet, and it all had to be readjusted after a little mishap up a steep, rocky incline.

We wound through timber and rocky slopes until we got to Grannier Meadow; from there we traveled on the Loop Road to Louis Lake for lunch.

Here's proof that I was there too.

Then, I wanted to take the guys back out on the road, past Fiddler’s Lake and up to the Blue Ridge Lookout, a structure that was built in 1938. Climbing to the top of this rock structure, one gets a great view of the area: a good place to keep an eye out for forest fires. We enjoyed the view, took a few pictures, and then headed back over the mountain, traveling a total of 42 miles for DAY 1.