Pyramids, President Heads and Happy Jack??

After our beautiful hike at Vedauwoo, I wondered what else we would see on our first full day of exploring Wyoming.  The answers came quickly......

Joe, who was our hiking guide, also drove the car we were in, so we he mentioned seeing the Ames Monument and was answered by bewildered looks, it was to the Ames Monument we went.  This 60 foot pyramid was built as a monument to Oakes and Oliver Ames, brothers who helped finance the Union Pacific railroad and is built at the highest point of the original Transcontinental Railroad line.  With a blue sky and big puffy white clouds as a background, it was an amazing sight to see.

The Ames Pyramid Monument

But this was not the only monument to see today.  We found our way back to I-80 and turned off to view the giant head of Abraham Lincoln.  No, not his real head, but a 13.5  foot tall stone carved head that sits atop a 30 foot granite pedestal.  Built to honor Lincoln's 150th birthday, it was originally located at the highest point of Lincoln Highway, then it was moved here when the new I-80 was built.  This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln highway.

The Lincoln Monument along I-80

Ok, Vedauwoo, Pyramids, and a giant Lincoln head....what next?

The answer - Happy Jack.  Happy Jack is an area comprised of multiple trails similar to the Jacksonville Woodland trail system here in Southern Oregon. The Happy Jack trails are for hiking in the spring/summer/fall and for skiing in the winter. Since I didn't bring my skis, good thing it was summer!

We started at the Tie City trailhead and once again we let Joe do the leading since he trail runs this area quite often.  Although there were not as many flowers as we saw at Vedauwoo, there was still plenty of color and beauty to go around.

We went through meadows, aspen groves and even along or over a creek or two in our hour-and-a-half hike.

Aspen grove along one of the trails

Large meadow area that used to be a ski run area in winter

Sagebrush, trees, fence along one of the trails

We were quite tired after our second hike today but still amazed by all the beauty in this area.  It was time to go home and rest and dream of our next hiking adventure on this road trip......Rocky Mountain National Park.

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol