Willow Springs

Riding through Emigrant Gap on the dramatically named Poison Spider road  on Thursday May 26th

As the name suggests, many emigrants passed this way while crossing what became known as Emigrant Ridge.  This route bypassed the site of Red Buttes where a Pony Express station was located on the North Platte to the southwest of Casper.

Another example of the ubiquitous fake deer which abound in American gardens...

 ..surprising when there are so many of the flesh and blood variety....

 A morning view of a mule deer from the house of elderly gentleman Tom Leman. Diadra had contacted him to provide an overnight stop for the horses, and they had the run of the garden, or yard as it is called here.  Tom went out of his way to make me feel welcome.  Here he is with son Robert just as I was about to set off again...

 Hmm..

For the next two days we were on the deserted Oregon Trail road ....

..following the line of the Oregon trail across wild and beautiful sage bush country. The Pony Express trail also joined again here and took this route.

 One of the many Wyoming thunderstorms which regularly appear without warning from a clear blue sky...

 

Camp spot at the site of Willow Springs Pony Express station, looking back towards Casper Mountain..

With two ponds fed by clear spring water, this was an oasis of lush grass among the sage brush, and the horses tucked in. 

 

Ride captain Jay turns up with the Kindle I left at Tom's, having been scouting out the Pony Express trail for the imminent 2016 re-ride....