Snowy Range Pass
The major ranges in the
eastern two thirds of Wyoming are big rounded
masses of rock in the shape of sleeping
elephants, but only when seen from the hazy
distance. They lack the sheer vertical drops
of ranges further west. But these mountains,
that block the free flow of east west traffic
for hundreds of miles, involve some big
climbs. One reason for the existence of roads
through these mountains is, that at least the
eastern ranges are rounded enough that roads
can climb them more easily. Snowy Range Pass
is the highest of these eastern Wyoming
passes.

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1. (00.0km~00.0mi,
2479m~8133ft) START-END EAST: Centennial
2. (19.3km~12.0mi, 3306m~10847ft) TOP:
Snowy Range Pass
3. (21.9km~13.6mi, 3220m~10564ft) road
passes Mirror Lake
4. (49.1km~30.5mi, 2375m~7792ft) jct
with Ryan Park Rd, profile stays left on
Wy130
5. (63.5km~39.5mi, 2116m~6942ft)
START-END WEST: Wy130 crosses the North
Platte River, just before jct wit Wy230,
south of Saratoga
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Approaches
From East. Wy130 leads from
Laramie to Centennial through a stark, treeless
landscape typical for eastern Wyoming. Once the
Laramie Mountains come into sight they stay
there, and the shape of a gigantic wave of rock,
breaking on the shore of a sagebrush dessert is
a captivating sight.
Passing through the collection of
buildings that are Centennial, the trademark
fake police car with the strange markings
including a 911 decal is still there. It once
had a fake Indian sitting in the driver's seat,
but that police car from the 80s has been
replaced with a newer, more respectable
Cadillac.
From Centennial the road starts a
short steep climb to where it enters the forest.
The bulk of the ride is a long, uniformly
climbing forest road with few if any landmarks.
Then, all of a sudden the road enters a clearing
and the summit ridge of the Snowy Range can be
seen ahead, a lip of rock that stretches the
width of the view. The road passes to the south
of the main ridge and reaches a high point.
There is no pass sign and the short, very scenic
portion of the trip starts from here. For the
next few miles the road remains at or above
treeline.

From West. (also described upwards)
Immediately after Wy130 diverts from Wy230 it
crosses the North Platte and forms a low point
where the profile starts. The road undulates
upwards in straight line through sage brush and
cattle country. The Medicine Bow Range ahead is
a series of breadloaf like shapes in the
distance, the tops reaching above tree line.
Eventually the road enters a short canyon of
billowing rocks, crosses a meadow and enters
into the Medicine Bow National Forest. Here too
the bulk of the workout is a long straight,
uniformly climbing road through the forest
without any man made structures, just like on
the eastern side - with one exception: A sign
stating "tourist activities" points to a
collection of huts in Ryan. Apparently a lodge
there is sometimes open on weekends. When I was
there only a barking dog answered. Finally
reaching treeline, the short very scenic portion
begins. The road passes by several lakes lying
at the foot of the main ridge, the main one
named Mirror Lake. The whole scene is somewhat
similar to the other "Mirror Lake Highway"
through the Uinta Mountains of Utah. A couple of
switchbacks improve the viewing angle onto the
ridge even more and the road reaches what seems
like a high point at Libbys Flat. This is where
the first sight of the plains to the east come
into view. A rocky viewing platform informs
further about the view. The road rolls over a
few more high waves in the landscape to reach
the real summit without much extra climbing
involved.

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Tours
Dayrides.
An out and back ride: Centennial
<> Snowy Range Pass <> jct Wy130 -
Wy230, including a short additional approach
from FR338 measured 80miles with 7600ft of
climbing in 7hours, on a very windy day in
September, but windy days are common here. The
climbing altitude may be somewhat inflated due
to the windy weather.
Three Day Road Tour: A
three day tour, dubbed the Cowboy loop by DBTC
Denver city slickers was as follows: day 1:
Laramine > Snowy Range Pass > Saratoga.
day 2: Saratoga > Walden (Co), day 3: Walden
> Foxpark Divide > Laramie. (m1:88.07.02-04)