Today we will start driving north up Highlight Road past the Black Thunder West loadout. We plan to spend most of the day around the mines north of Gillette, but repeat some of the previous day’s route because it is more interesting and easy to stop. The sky is now completely clear and blue.  Not far up, there is another abandoned ranch. This one is quite different from the one we stopped at yesterday. Places like this always intrigue me and we stop for a while. They are like novels with a curious title and a cover illustration that draws you in, but the print inside has faded from sight. You want to know the story, but will have to work more to get it. Perhaps, as a result of writing this, someone will one day tell it to me.

The white painted structures of Codero Rojo are now gleaming in the clear bright sun. The constructed mesas on the trailing edge of the mine are substantial. Occasionally the very top of a dragline crane appears over the edge of the slowly moving hole in the ground. Operations at the leading edge of these mines are not visible from anywhere we could drive to. Perhaps, one day, I will find an opportunity to visit this part of the operation with my camera.

Back on 59 north, we head for the mines north of Gillette passing directly over some of Eagle Butte’s operations along the road. We later learn that the road has been moved to open a new hole to the west where the road used to be. Roads just don’t stay put around here. On the road into Rawhide there is only a distant view of the operations. I stop at the entry gate to ask if it is possible to walk a hundred yards in to take a few pictures. Their safety rules prohibit that so we turn around. In the visitors parking lot outside the gate is one of the really big 400 ton haul trucks partially disassembled for service or repair. It does not look intended for visitors so we keep a safe distance. The dump, wheels and tires have been removed and it is held up by the biggest jack stands I’ve ever seen. This one makes the 170 ton Unit Rig by the hotel look like a toy. I will have fun digging up info on this one when we get home.