No room at the inn
07 July 2012 | Kemmerer, WY
Kemmerer is an isolated town on a small river in soutwestern Wyoming. There's a coal mine, some new energy activity, and a pleasant little community. from my point of view, it's principal value was as an oasis in the high desert on my way from Idaho to Colorado.
I knew (from the GPS) that there were a couple of campgrounds in the town, but turned out they were for RVs only, not for tenters. I asked around a bit, but found the people I first encountered not particulularly helpful--no one seemed to know of a legal tent site in the town. Setting up in an unauthorized site is an option of course, but a last resort, especially in a community. Likely to be an encounter with the local gendarmerie, which is never that much fun. I was super-tired (85 miles today with killer headwinds and heat in the last several hours) and a bit discouraged. I went to the grocery store to get some food for the night and the next day. As I was parking the bike the pictured pair, Barry and son Benjamin, came over with the smile and lots of questions about my mad scheme. Five minutes into the conversation Barry invited me to his home. We had brats and beer for dinner and watched the final Lord of the Rings movie before bedtime. Throughout, Barry, a high-school teacher, filled me in on local history and sociology. Very knowledgable and entertaining. Benjamin is a serious Little Leaguer and knows all about the local fossils and about mountain/dirt biking.
Thanks again Barry and Benjamin for all your help and hospitality. It's the kind of interaction that makes this crazy venture actually make some sense!