US-26 west of Riverton, Wyoming


		US 26 west of Riverton, Wyoming View of Wind River Range from US-26 near Riverton, Wyoming US-26 is heading toward Dubois at the base of the Wind River Range where it will follow the Wind River to Towogotee Pass. The Continental Divide runs along the rim of the Wind River Range so we are going to have a tough climb in the motorhome as we get over Towogotee Pass. That is the Wind River you see in the bottom left side of this picture. Laptop with Street Atlas Mapping program & GPS position Joyce just happened to take this picture of the laptop that sits on the dash of our motorhome when we are traveling. We are on US-26 just outside the small town of Riverton, Wyoming as we follow the Wind River to Dubois and ultimately to the Wind River Headwaters near Towogotee Pass on US-26 between Dubois and Moran Junction in Grand Teton National Park. Irrigated field northwest of Riverton, Wyoming along US-26 Agriculture is big business around Riverton where the Wind River supplies life giving water to an otherwise hostile environment. Wind River Range as seen from US-26 near Riverton, Wyoming The Continental Divide runs along the rim of the Wind River Range in front of us. Irrigated fields along the Wind River with a lone butte and the Wind River Range A butte is a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; it is smaller than mesas, plateaus, and tables. The word butte comes from a French word meaning "small hill"; its use is prevalent in the western United States, including the southwest, where "mesa" is also used. Because of their distinctive shapes, buttes are frequently key landmarks in both plains and mountainous areas. In differentiating mesas and buttes, geographers use the rule that a mesa has a top wider than its height, while a butte's top is narrower. In this picture you are looking at a classic butte. However, in this picture of a butte you also get a glimpse of the Wind River Range in the distance, and beautiful irrigated agricultural land along the Wind River here in Wyoming. Wind River agriculture with a long mesa and the Wind River Range The term "mesa" is used throughout the United States to describe a flat-topped mountain or hill. In Spanish such a landform is more usually known as a meseta. A mesa (Spanish and Portuguese for "table") or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape. Compare this mesa with the butte seen in one of the pictures above and you can see the difference. That is the Wind River Range in the background. Joyce took this picture in late June of 2011 and there is still a lot of snow in the upper elevations. Just for your information the Continental Divide runs along the crest of those mountains. Wind River agriculture with a long mesa and the Wind River Range Wind River Agriculture with a nice mesa and the Wind River Range as viewed from our motorhome as we travel along US-26 northwest of Riverton, Wyoming. Click here for more Wyoming travellogs Until next time remember how good life is. Mike & Joyce Hendrix More Wyoming Adventures Some Utah Adventures More 2011 Travel Adventures Mike & Joyce Hendrix Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures: Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page Travel Adventures by Year Travel Adventures by State Plants Marine-Boats Geology Exciting Drives Cute Signs RV Subjects Miscellaneous Subjects** We would love to hear from you......just put "info" in the place of "FAKE" in this address: FAKE@travellogs.us Until next time remember how good life is.