The Snowy Range, Wyoming

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Snowy Range Pass, Wyoming
Snowy Range Pass, Wyoming

On our one full day in Laramie, we headed out on the Snowy Range Scenic Byway, Wyoming’s second highest pass at 10,847 feet. Our first stop was the Libby Flats Observation Point (from which the panorama above was taken, as well as the two pictures below).

Libby Flats Observation Point
Snowy Range Pass, Wyoming

A short distance down the road, the Medicine Bow Peak Overlook had good views over the peak and Bellamy Lake nestling below it.

Medicine Bow Peak and Bellamy Lake
Medicine Bow Peak and Bellamy Lake

From here, we also took a short trail of about a mile which looped round the abandoned Red Mask Mine and a miner’s cabin. Built in the 1920s, the mine was thought to contain rich veins of copper, gold and silver but only traces were ever found.

Red Mask Mine Trail
Red Mask Mine Trail

Descending a little further, we parked at Lake Marie, named after Mrs Mary (Marie) Bellamy who led the successful suffrage drive which led to the 19th amendment allowing women to vote. She was also the first woman elected to the Wyoming Legislature in 1910. Wyoming women’s history rocks!

Lake Marie
Lake Marie

A trail led off from Lake Marie passing Mirror Lake, Lookout Lake and several smaller lakes – and now I can’t remember which is which! So I have helpfully labelled all the photos in the next gallery Lakes Trail. Breath-taking views – in more ways than one….

Lakes Trail
Lakes Trail
Lakes Trail
Lakes Trail
Lakes Trail
Lakes Trail

The trail wasn’t difficult as it climbed gently uphill, but I found myself short of breath and (even) slower than usual. The air is much thinner when you’re at 10,000 feet before you even start walking and it took us a few days to acclimatise.

Eventually, we reached a saddle with a junction of trails.

Lakes Trail
Lakes Trail

We could, of course, have continued upwards and onwards to the summit of Medicine Bow Peak and back to Lake Marie along the ridge – um, not likely! We returned by the same 2.4 mile route we had come. At least it was now mostly downhill and easier to breathe.

The next day, we left Laramie and headed for Rock Springs.

USA, Wyoming

72 Comments »

  1. Wow! The Snowy Range Scenic Byway is beautiful, as were the hikes you took. And how nice to hear about Mrs Mary (Marie) Bellamy who led the successful suffrage drive! That fits in nicely with what I learned in Cheyenne. Thanks for sharing this! Sorry it took me so long to get here! 🙂

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  7. Pingback: April Squares: Snowy Range – The Glasgow Gallivanter

  13. Hi Anabel, I had to change my blog to private quite abruptly, please when you get a chance simply visit my blog and request access.

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  14. Always like the mountain regions in any country and good to put a landscape on a name. I must have heard it somewhere in a book or film before as Medicine Bow Peak rings a bell.

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  17. These are quite dramatic photos. I really like the soft gray tones and textures. Suns strenuous though….

    Peta

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    • I don’t think it would have been strenuous without the combination of altitude and jet lag. Thanks – I like “dramatic” rather than “bleak” which many have gone for.

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  21. What a beautiful walk and views. I had no idea that the altitude in Wyoming was so high in places. Did you think back about your time in Tibet? 🙂

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  24. I love the drama of the landscape, and besides, having been brought up on the old black and white cowboy and Indian films, it looks just right to me. All I needed was a couple of bandits and a posse following and it would be perfect.

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  30. Hi Anabel – well that added to your Laramie trip – even for the ‘bleak trail’ it adds to Laramie’s interest … lucky for the inhabitants to have that wonderful scenery so near by … cheers HIlary

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  32. Amazing how lakes all look pretty similar once you are back home, but at the time each and every shot you take feels like it is so unique that you’ll be fine when you get back!

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    • Strange, until I got your comment and Pit’s I hadn’t really thought of it as bleak but I suppose it is! I liked it a lot. There were a few wildflowers but we were a couple of weeks too late for any profusion at 10000 feet.

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