Motocaching the Cowboy State - Part 3

Day 4

Since it was the weekend the Bunkhouse didn’t serve breakfast until 7:00.  We hadn’t logged any caches in Platte County so we got up at 6:20 and headed out to “Trail Ruts”.  This was another of our favorite caches.  We had to travel about a half mile on gravel and then hike about 3/4 of a mile round trip but it was worth it.  We were in a big park that showcased the ruts from the Oregon Trail.  The terrain those pioneers covered in everything from wagons to handcarts was absolutely astounding.  What I couldn’t figure out was why they chose that path when outside the park seemed relatively level.

By this time it was 7:00 so we went back to the Bunkhouse for breakfast.  It was the best one we had on the whole trip.  Besides the usual cereal and fruit there were homemade cinnamon rolls and breakfast burritos.  The Bunkhouse feeds the hands well.

We picked up another cache in Platte County on the way over to Ft. Laramie and (Land O’) Goshen County.  We logged a cache at the fire station that featured a cat that acted like a dog.  It came out to greet us, was very friendly and even followed us out to the cache and back.

We had been on Highway 26 since leaving the Interstate the day before.  Now at the little town of Lingle we turned due north toward Niobrara County.  I hope you can pronounce that name better than I can.  All morning we had a wonderful ride with no traffic, a nice tailwind and beautiful rolling prairie with mountains in the distance.  We swapped motorcycles for a bit so I could try Yancey’s new bike.  It was nice with a really cool sound.  We continued north into Weston County and stopped in Newcastle where Yancey got a good deal on sunglasses to replace ones he had broken the day before and a hat which he had forgot.  Ordinarily the last thing a bald guy forgets is his hat but it’s easy to do when you’re wearing your motorcycle helmet.  It’s happened to me too.

 

From Newcastle we turned northwest on Highway 16 toward the small town of Moorcroft situated in the southwest corner of Crook County.   We ate our lunch in Florence Noonan Park there where we picked up a cache for that county.  The town and park was not very impressive and seemed run down which was just the opposite of Newcastle.  Before we headed west toward Gillette I acquainted Yancey with the old “Look sharp, feel sharp, be sharp” Gillette commercial which was new to him.  I’ll bet all you oldsters remember especially if you watched the Friday night fights they sponsored.  But I digress.

Our plan was to log another cache just outside of town at a Rest Stop.  When I left the park I was studying my GPSr as I was wending my way through the residential section of town thinking that Yancey was right behind me.  After a few blocks and turns I came to a stop sign and noticed that Yancey was nowhere to be seen.  After waiting a few minutes I circled back to the park but I didn’t see him there either.  After waiting at the Interstate entrance a few minutes I decided I would proceed to the Rest Stop in case he had gone ahead.  The Rest Stop was not right on the Interstate but one of those located below the Interstate level with the exit a ways before the actual Rest Stop and you have to wind around to get down there.  So on top of my other problems and concerns I missed the exit.  As I was passing the Rest Stop I saw Yancey down below waving to me.  Now I have the problem of reversing my direction on the Interstate to get back down to the Rest Stop.  I had no idea where the next exit was.  Although my bike is really not meant for this sort of maneuver I cut down into and across the median to get to the eastbound lanes.  Fortunately it wasn’t too rough and I had no problem.  Yancey had waited for me at the Rest Stop and we were soon reunited and got another Crook County cache.   

We picked up a cache or two in Gillette (Campbell County) but by far the most memorial was the last one of the day called “Oh! Birdie” in Buffalo (Johnson County).  It was in a nice residential neighborhood stashed in a birdhouse in someone’s front yard.  After logging the cache we made ready to begin the trip to Sheridan to spend the night.  I made sure Yancey had his bike started and was ready to go before I pulled out from the curb.  Again I was intent on watching my GPSr to get me out of the neighborhood and onto the Interstate.  After three or four turns I glanced in my mirror and no Yancey.  Not again!  After waiting a while I returned to the cache and when he wasn’t there I called and left a message on his cell phone that I was waiting at the cache site.  After waiting a while I called again and told him that I was proceeding to Sheridan to the motel which was about 30 miles away.  I was worried but I didn’t know what else to do.  After the experience on the first ride years ago I could just see Yancey off somewhere in a ditch.  I don’t want to face Kelly (his wife) for sure.  After about 10 miles I pulled off the Interstate and called again.  To my intense relief, this time he answered.  He was already in Sheridan.  When I had pulled away from the curb he had realized that his helmet strap wasn’t fastened and had been delayed fastening it while I left the premises.  I guess this was “lost boy” day.

I had a little trouble finding the motel in Sheridan but Yancey didn’t so he was already settled when I finally got there.  To me Sheridan had a more cosmopolitan feel to it than any place we visited.  It was dark before we had gotten cleaned up and walked down Main Street to a restaurant.  I don’t remember the name of it but it was the best meal we had on the trip.  I believe Yancey had some fried chicken strips and I had a grilled chicken sandwich that was delicious.  We ate on outdoor patio with the tables surrounding a blazing fire pit.  Our waitress was very congenial and quick.

We finished the day with 15 caches, 3 DNF’s and 356 miles.  Yancey had less miles because some of mine were searching for him.  We had the most comfortable beds of the trip and if Yancey snored at all I didn’t hear him.

Pictures: Trail Ruts - 2, Lunch in Florence Noonan Park at Moorcroft, Bikes reunited at the Rest Stop outside of Moorcroft, Cache site above the town of Buffalo.  Scaricty of pictures this day due to stress.

To Be Continued  M/W