U.S.A. - Wyoming - State Capitol

State Capitol, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Sent by Camellia from Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.

The Wyoming State Capitol is the state capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Wyoming. Built between 1886 and 1890, the capitol is located in Cheyenne and contains the chambers of the Wyoming State Legislature and well as the office of the Governor of Wyoming. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark during 1987.

The construction of the capitol began prior to Wyoming gaining statehood. Born in 1867 in the path of the transcontinental railroad, the Union Pacific crews arrived as they laid the tracks westward. Cheyenne soon laid claim to a higher status than older Wyoming settlements such as those at Fort Laramie, Fort Bridger, and the mining town of South Pass City, changing Cheyenne from a village to a city in a matter of months. The seat of the new Territorial government was established in Cheyenne in 1869. (read further)

U.S.A. - Wyoming - State Flower

THE INDIAN PAINTBRUSH, Wyoming's State Flower grows wild in the natural setting of the state's prairie and foothill regions.  Red is the predominant color, but shades of yellow and orange are also common.  This wild flower, growing amid sagebrush and cactus, adds great beauty to Wyoming's springtime landscape.

Sent by Camellia from Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.

Indian paintbrush (Castilleja linariaefolia) was designated the state flower of Wyoming in 1917. Also called prairie fire, Indian paintbrush is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes (as well as northeast Asia).

The species of Indian paintbrush adopted as a symbol of Wyoming (Castilleja linariaefolia) occurs on rocky slopes and arid plains and is associated with sagebrush scrub and pinyon pine or juniper woodland. It is native to Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. (read further)

U.S.A. - Wyoming - State Bird

WYOMING STATE BIRD
A rural fence post makes an excellent perch to survey the grassy fields that are home to the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).

Sent by Camellia from Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.

Wyoming designated the western meadowlark as offiicial state bird in 1927. The western meadowlark is a familiar songbird of open country across the western two-thirds of the continent.

In the same family as blackbirds and orioles, adults are 8-11 inches long and have a black and white striped head; a long, pointed bill; yellow cheeks; bright yellow throat; and a distinctive black "V" on breast. The western meadowlark is often seen perched on fence-posts in grasslands and agricultural areas singing its distinct 7-10 note melody (their flute-like song usually ends with 3 descending notes). (read further)

U.S.A. - Wyoming - Cheyenne

CHEYENNE, WYOMING
As the capital of Wyoming, the labor force of Cheyenne is predominately government,local, state, and federal employees. Trucking firms are a major employer. The city also functions as a regional shopping center, serving nearly 200,000 people in Southeastern Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Northern Colorado.

Sent by Camellia from Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.

Cheyenne (/ʃaɪˈæn/ shy-an or /ʃaɪˈɛn/) (Arapaho: Hítesííno'óowú' ) is the capital and most populous city of the US state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population was 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the northern terminus of the extensive and fast-growing Front Range Urban Corridor that stretches from Cheyenne to Pueblo, Colorado, and has a population of 5,467,633 according to the 2010 United States Census. Cheyenne is situated on Crow Creek and Dry Creek. The Cheyenne, Wyoming Metropolitan Area had a 2010 population of 91,738, making it the 354th most populous metropolitan area in the United States. (read further)

U.S.A. - Wyoming - Mapcard

WYOMING

Sent by Maille and Matt Gray from Lander, Wyoming, USA.

USA - Wyoming - Grand Teton National Park (2)

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

Sent by Zwollywood, a postcrosser from Germany.

USA - Wyoming - Rock of Vedauwoo

 

ROCKS OF VEDAUWOO
MEDICINE BOW NATIONAL FOREST, WYOMING
The mystical rock formations of Vedauwoo create endless opportunities for the adventurous. The Medicine Bow is home to a great variety of wildlife including deer, elk, antelope and an impressive variety of smaller mammals and birds.

Sent by Susan, a WiP partner from USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Vedauwoo (pronounced: vi də vu:) is an area of rocky outcrops (Sherman Granite) located in south-eastern Wyoming,United States, north of Interstate 80, between Laramie and Cheyenne. Its name (according to climbing guidebook authors Skip Harper and Rob Kelman) is an anglicized version of the Arapaho word "bito'o'wu" meaning "earth-born". The area is within Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest and includes a day-use picnic area and an overnight campground. Vedauwoo is a popular climbing area. Mountain bikers, anglers, hikers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and rock climbers come from all parts of the world to sample the area's natural beauty. Climbers find some of the best wide crack climbs (called "offwidths") known. There are over 900 routes currently on record. Due to its elevation and distance from nearby cities, making it a dark site, it is a favorite of star party enthusiasts. Interstate 80 passes just south of the main rock outcroppings and well-marked highway signs indicate the exit to use in order to reach Vedauwoo. An alternative is to drive in from the Happy Jack road that runs between Laramie and Cheyenne. 

 

USA - Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park (3)

Yellowstone National Park
Mammoth Hot Springs
Travertine Terraces are seen at Mammoth Hot Springs in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Sent by  Brenda, a postcrosser from California, USA.

USA - Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park (2) - The Grand Prismatic Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, USA.

Sent by Elvira, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, next to those in New Zealand. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.

The first records of the spring are from early European explorers and surveyors. In 1839, a group of fur trappers from the American Fur Company crossed the Midway Geyser Basin and made note of a "boiling lake", most likely the Grand Prismatic Spring, with a diameter of 300 feet (90 m). In 1870 the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition visited the spring, noting a 50-foot (15 m) geyser nearby (later named Excelsior).

The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature of the water which favors one bacterium over another. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.

The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water, itself the result of water's selective absorption of red wavelengths of visible light. Though this effect is responsible for making all large bodies of water blue, it is particularly intense in Grand Prismatic Spring because of the high purity and depth of the water in the middle of the spring.

USA - Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park (1)

Yellowstone National Park
Riverside Geyser erupts at seven-hour intervals to a height of 75 feet for a 20-minute duration. It has a temperature of 201.2°F angle over the Firehole River.

Sent by Alysa, a postcrosser from USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, though it also extends into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone was the first national park in the world, and is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park. It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is dominant.

Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years. The region was bypassed during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 19th century. Aside from visits by mountain men during the early-to-mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until the late 1860s. The U.S. Army was commissioned to oversee the park just after its establishment. In 1917, administration of the park was transferred to the National Park Service, which had been created the previous year. Hundreds of structures have been built and are protected for their architectural and historical significance, and researchers have examined more than 1,000 archaeological sites.

Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468 square miles (8,980 km2), comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered an active volcano; it has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Half of the world's geothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining, nearly intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone.

Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles have been documented, including several that are either endangered or threatened. The vast forests and grasslands also include unique species of plants. Yellowstone Park is the largest and most famous megafauna location in the Continental United States. Grizzly Bears, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in the park. The Yellowstone Park Bison Herd is the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States. Forest fires occur in the park each year; in the large forest fires of 1988, nearly one third of the park burnt. Yellowstone has numerous recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, boating, fishing and sightseeing. Paved roads provide close access to the major geothermal areas as well as some of the lakes and waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the park by way of guided tours that use either snow coaches or snowmobile.

USA - Wyoming - Grand Teton National Park (1)

Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Sent by Stephanie, a postcrosser from Orange County, California, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. The park is named after the Grand Teton, which, at 13,770 feet (4,197 m), is the tallest mountain in the Teton Range.

The origin of the name "Teton" is not definitive. One possible origin is that it was the name given by French trappers in the area. ("Tetons" means nipples in French.) Another possible source is that the mountains derive their name from the names of one of tribes in the Sioux Nation.

Grand Teton National Park was established on February 26, 1929. The park covers 484 square miles (1,250 km2) of land and water.

There are nearly 200 miles (320 km) of trails for hikers to enjoy in Grand Teton National Park.

Part of the Rocky Mountains, the north-south-trending Teton Range rises from the floor of Jackson Hole without any foothills along a 40 miles (64 km) long by 7 to 9 miles (11 to 14 km) wide active fault-block mountain front system. In addition to 13,770 ft (4,197 m) high Grand Teton, another eight peaks are over 12,000 ft (3,658 m) above sea level. Seven of these peaks between Avalanche and Cascade canyons make up the often-photographed Cathedral Group.

Jackson Hole is a 55 miles (89 km) long by 6 to 13 miles (9.7 to 21 km) wide graben valley that has an average elevation of 6,800 ft (2,100 m) with its lowest point near the south park boundary at 6,350 ft (1,940 m). The valley sits east of the Teton Range and is vertically displaced downward 30,000 ft (9,100 m) from corresponding rock layers in it, making the Teton Fault and its parallel twin on the east side of the valley normal faults with the Jackson Hole block being the hanging wall and the Teton Mountain block being the footwall. Grand Teton National Park contains the major part of both blocks. A great deal of erosion of the range and sediment filling the graben, however, yields a topographic relief of only up to 7,700 ft (2,300 m).

The glaciated range is composed of a series of horns and arêtes separated by U-shaped valleys headed by cirques and ended by moraines, making the Tetons a textbook example of alpine topography. Rubble piles left by ice age alpine glaciers impounded a series of interconnected lakes at the foot of the range (Jackson, Leigh, String, Jenny, Bradley, Taggart, and Phelps). The largest lake in the valley, Jackson Lake, was impounded by a recessional moraine left by a very large valley glacier as it retreated north out of Jackson Hole. Jackson Lake covers 25,540 acres (103.4 km2) and has a maximum depth of 438 feet (134 m). There are also over 100 alpine and backcountry lakes.

USA - Wyoming - "Old Bedlam"

WYOMING'S OLDEST BUILDING
"Old Bedlam," built by the Army in 1849. This structure served as officer quarters and as a post headquarters. It has been restored as it looked during the years 1852-1868, and three of its units refurnished as they appeared in 1855 and 1864.

Sent by Jennifer, a Swap-Bot partner from USA.

USA - Wyoming

Received this from Heather, a postcrosser who has just moved to Wyoming two months ago.

Wyoming /waɪˈoʊmɪŋ/ is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. Wyoming is the 10th most extensive, but the least populous and the second least densely populated of the 50 United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and range lands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High Plains. Cheyenne is the capital and the most populous city in Wyoming, with a population of 91,738 in the metropolitan area (as of the 2012 census). Wyoming also is the only state whose boundaries were acquired through four separate purchases: first during the Louisiana Purchase, second from the Annexation of Texas, third from the Oregon Country, and fourth and finally from the Mexican-American War. (read further)