O’Fallon’s Bluff, California Hill, Ash Hollow, Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff (and Scottsbluff), Chadron, Museum of the Fur Trade, visit to the dentist
(posted from Fort Collins (CO) Public Library)
(This post covers 30-31 August, 2009)
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Monday, 31 August-
This morning we woke early. After breakfast we drove to Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Like Chimney Rock, this is another spectacular landmark for the emigrants. In fact we could see Chimney Rock from Scott’s Bluff and the valley is lined with monumental geographic wonders. There’s Courthouse Rock (and nearby Jailhouse Rock) before you hit Chimney Rock (as you follow the Oregon Trail) then a lineup of impressive bluffs and rocks the whole way to Scott’s Bluff.
At the visitor’s center we saw a good narrated slide show about the area and toured the museum-quality displays. Afterwards, we walked the Summit Trail, a particularly agreeable thing to be doing on this nice day. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the nice temperatures for the last few days and it appears from the forecast that we’re to have more of it.
Our walk was interrupted by a bit of a surprise. As we walked along talking we weren’t looking down all the time and suddenly we came upon a rattlesnake lying along the edge of the paved walkway. He (or she) was stretched out against the edge of the path, apparently soaking up some heat from the black asphalt.
As I passed the rattler I noticed it seemed lethargic. It didn’t really rattle its tail at us but it did vibrate it, as if warming it up in case it really needed to warn us.
As we skirted around it by simply walking on the other side of the path (we were about three feet from it at that point), the snake thought better of tangling with the big ugly humans and eased off the path and slowly worked its way into the brush.
This was only the second rattler we’ve seen in all our travels out West (or in the East, come to think of it). We saw one crossing the sidewalk ahead of us at Palos Verde National Park in the early Nineties and now this one today. Very cool!!!
In the visitor’s center we had just been talking with the ranger about the rattler taxidermy mount in the glass case under the ticket counter. We were talking coloration and size. The one in the case is an average size for this area but the live one on our walk was considerably larger, about half-again as long and thick as the two-footer in the case.
The light, almost white (and light brown) coloration was identical.
Late in the first mile our path angled upward significantly and we tried to follow it with our eyes. But it seemed to just disappear at a dark spot in the rock face. Shortly thereafter we heard voices and they echoed strangely. The dark spot turned out to be a tunnel and from it we soon saw two men. Labashi hallooed to them and they hallooed back. We later talked with them briefly as we met them on the path.
Our climb to the tunnel wasn’t as bad as it first appeared. And the tunnel was very cool. As it turned out, the tunnel is narrow. Though the bluff appears to be a massive mountain from our angle as we walked up, the tunnel is only about fifty feet long. There you emerge with a completely different view of the valley below, this one overlooking the city of Scottsbluff (Nebraska). Far below the teeny-tiny little men were playing golf on the teeny-tiny little golf course, complete with teeny-tiny little pond and fountain. Off in the distance we could see the lineup of buttes the whole way to the very distinctive Chimney Rock.
After emerging from the east end of the tunnel we continued to climb until we reached a false summit. We could see the trail to the summit but decided this was enough for us today. Our round trip would be about four miles.
We returned to Mocha Joe and pointed him northeast, towards Chadron, about 100 miles away. We were now temporarily abandoning the Oregon Trail to visit The Museum of the Fur Trade, just east of Chadron.
We made it to the museum by 1400 and spent the rest of the afternoon there. As our time there ended, I decided to see if we could solve a little problem. I had broken off the side of a tooth late Saturday as I ate supper. In Scottsbluff I had called my insurance provider to help me find a dentist there. But, surprisingly, though there were a dozen of them in Scottsbluff, none participate in my insurance plan. But two in Chadron do. So in the museum gift shop I decided to ask the two women at the counter which they’d prefer if they were having the work done.
I was surprised to have them not only tell me which one, but also offer to call and arrange for me to be seen tomorrow. The dental receptionist said she’d have to make a few calls and I should call back by 1630 to see what time I could come in.
But as time approached we realized we were actually only a few minutes from the office so I drove there instead of calling.
As I arrived, a family was just finishing up their checkup and the doctor offered to take a quick look and decide what we’d be into tomorrow. Once he saw the tooth, he said I’d need a crown but that could wait until my return home. He ground down the sharp edges to prevent my tongue from getting sore and that was that. $25 well spent.
Labashi was hungering for a good filet so we tried a local place recommended by the dental receptionist. We went so far as to order but then learned they were out of filet today. We instead drove to the city park and had (really good) hot dogs.
Afterwards we blogged for an hour or so before going to the Wal-mart for the night.
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Sunday, 30 August-
After a super-quiet night at the Kearney Wal-mart, we had an omelette at Pane Bello, a local Panera knock-off. This restaurant not only had wi-fi, it had Ethernet ports and power receptacles at each table and booth.
We spent a few hours catching up on email and a bit of news, posting the blog update, and researching info for our travels in the next few days.
We headed west on US30 from Kearney until we reached Sutherland, where we turned back on I-80E to the O’Fallon’s Bluff rest area. This is the location of a problem area for the emigrants. Traveling along the Platte River, they needed to climb to the top of the bluffs and it was at O’Fallon’s Bluff where many chose to do this. The crossing of the Platte was itself dangerous, particularly in higher water (as they would have if they left Independence in May). Then the pull up the incline was steep and muddy, requiring multiple teams. Today, we could see the swales left by the wagon trains and here at the back of the rest area, they are marked by a series of wheels. These simulate the wagon wheels, two larger wheels in back, two smaller in front. The four sets of wheels are positioned in the swales as if the wagons are climbing up from the river.
The rest area is curiously understated. It looks much like other interstate rest areas and it’s only if you walk out behind the building that you see the wheels off in the distance. If we didn’t know they were there (from our guide book), we wouldn’t have known to walk out to the signs explaining what we were seeing.
After regaining the Lincoln Highway going west, we drove to California Hill. A roadside sign tells the basics but our guide book told us to turn back the dirt road and go a half-mile to a pull-off, from where we could walk into the pasture and see a large swale created by the emigrant wagons as it crossed the summit of the sandhill. Our guidebook cautioned us to look out for occasional rattlesnakes and prickly-pear cactus. We saw several of the latter (our first of this trip), none of the former. We also had our eyes peeled for cow-pies. The pasture was occupied by forty or fifty cows and they watched us very closely. When we disappeared over the hill, two of them followed to see what we were doing. But as soon as we came close on our way back, they spooked.
We then set the GPS for Ash Hollow State Historical Site. We made the visitor center just in time to catch the intro video and take a quick tour of the displays. Ash Hollow was an oasis of sorts for the emigrants. After 140 miles of little water and little wood, the Ash Hollow plain provided both. Its water was said to be the sweetest on the Trail.
But to get in to Ash Hollow there was a price. The wagons had been up on the bluffs ever since California Hill and now needed to go down the fearsome Windlass Hill to enter the hollow. With a wagon loaded with over a ton of supplies and gear, the emigrants would chain the wheels of their wagons keep them from turning and skid the wagon down the steep incline. All hands would man ropes behind the descending wagon to slow it and keep it in some semblance of control.
We walked to the top of Windlass Hill via a sidewalk put in to prevent erosion. A bridge crosses a 20-foot deep arroyo which formed over the years from the original Oregon Trail track. Once atop the bluff we took a trail down the steep section. I wouldn’t want to try to drive Mocha Joe down a road as steep as that descent.
By then it was 1700 but we still had miles to go before we slept. We headed for Scottsbluff (where there’s a Wal-mart) but along the way stopped to see Chimney Rock. We saw it from twelve miles away as we drove toward it. We had supper at an informal pulloff within walking distance of the base of the rock and afterwards walked the twenty minutes to a marker at the base and back, returning just before dark.
We then drove the rest of the way to Scottsbluff and our Wal-mart for the night.
********** END OF POST ***********
(posted from Fort Collins (CO) Public Library)
(This post covers 30-31 August, 2009)
--------------------------------------------------------
Monday, 31 August-
This morning we woke early. After breakfast we drove to Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Like Chimney Rock, this is another spectacular landmark for the emigrants. In fact we could see Chimney Rock from Scott’s Bluff and the valley is lined with monumental geographic wonders. There’s Courthouse Rock (and nearby Jailhouse Rock) before you hit Chimney Rock (as you follow the Oregon Trail) then a lineup of impressive bluffs and rocks the whole way to Scott’s Bluff.
At the visitor’s center we saw a good narrated slide show about the area and toured the museum-quality displays. Afterwards, we walked the Summit Trail, a particularly agreeable thing to be doing on this nice day. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the nice temperatures for the last few days and it appears from the forecast that we’re to have more of it.
Our walk was interrupted by a bit of a surprise. As we walked along talking we weren’t looking down all the time and suddenly we came upon a rattlesnake lying along the edge of the paved walkway. He (or she) was stretched out against the edge of the path, apparently soaking up some heat from the black asphalt.
As I passed the rattler I noticed it seemed lethargic. It didn’t really rattle its tail at us but it did vibrate it, as if warming it up in case it really needed to warn us.
As we skirted around it by simply walking on the other side of the path (we were about three feet from it at that point), the snake thought better of tangling with the big ugly humans and eased off the path and slowly worked its way into the brush.
This was only the second rattler we’ve seen in all our travels out West (or in the East, come to think of it). We saw one crossing the sidewalk ahead of us at Palos Verde National Park in the early Nineties and now this one today. Very cool!!!
In the visitor’s center we had just been talking with the ranger about the rattler taxidermy mount in the glass case under the ticket counter. We were talking coloration and size. The one in the case is an average size for this area but the live one on our walk was considerably larger, about half-again as long and thick as the two-footer in the case.
The light, almost white (and light brown) coloration was identical.
Late in the first mile our path angled upward significantly and we tried to follow it with our eyes. But it seemed to just disappear at a dark spot in the rock face. Shortly thereafter we heard voices and they echoed strangely. The dark spot turned out to be a tunnel and from it we soon saw two men. Labashi hallooed to them and they hallooed back. We later talked with them briefly as we met them on the path.
Our climb to the tunnel wasn’t as bad as it first appeared. And the tunnel was very cool. As it turned out, the tunnel is narrow. Though the bluff appears to be a massive mountain from our angle as we walked up, the tunnel is only about fifty feet long. There you emerge with a completely different view of the valley below, this one overlooking the city of Scottsbluff (Nebraska). Far below the teeny-tiny little men were playing golf on the teeny-tiny little golf course, complete with teeny-tiny little pond and fountain. Off in the distance we could see the lineup of buttes the whole way to the very distinctive Chimney Rock.
After emerging from the east end of the tunnel we continued to climb until we reached a false summit. We could see the trail to the summit but decided this was enough for us today. Our round trip would be about four miles.
We returned to Mocha Joe and pointed him northeast, towards Chadron, about 100 miles away. We were now temporarily abandoning the Oregon Trail to visit The Museum of the Fur Trade, just east of Chadron.
We made it to the museum by 1400 and spent the rest of the afternoon there. As our time there ended, I decided to see if we could solve a little problem. I had broken off the side of a tooth late Saturday as I ate supper. In Scottsbluff I had called my insurance provider to help me find a dentist there. But, surprisingly, though there were a dozen of them in Scottsbluff, none participate in my insurance plan. But two in Chadron do. So in the museum gift shop I decided to ask the two women at the counter which they’d prefer if they were having the work done.
I was surprised to have them not only tell me which one, but also offer to call and arrange for me to be seen tomorrow. The dental receptionist said she’d have to make a few calls and I should call back by 1630 to see what time I could come in.
But as time approached we realized we were actually only a few minutes from the office so I drove there instead of calling.
As I arrived, a family was just finishing up their checkup and the doctor offered to take a quick look and decide what we’d be into tomorrow. Once he saw the tooth, he said I’d need a crown but that could wait until my return home. He ground down the sharp edges to prevent my tongue from getting sore and that was that. $25 well spent.
Labashi was hungering for a good filet so we tried a local place recommended by the dental receptionist. We went so far as to order but then learned they were out of filet today. We instead drove to the city park and had (really good) hot dogs.
Afterwards we blogged for an hour or so before going to the Wal-mart for the night.
--------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, 30 August-
After a super-quiet night at the Kearney Wal-mart, we had an omelette at Pane Bello, a local Panera knock-off. This restaurant not only had wi-fi, it had Ethernet ports and power receptacles at each table and booth.
We spent a few hours catching up on email and a bit of news, posting the blog update, and researching info for our travels in the next few days.
We headed west on US30 from Kearney until we reached Sutherland, where we turned back on I-80E to the O’Fallon’s Bluff rest area. This is the location of a problem area for the emigrants. Traveling along the Platte River, they needed to climb to the top of the bluffs and it was at O’Fallon’s Bluff where many chose to do this. The crossing of the Platte was itself dangerous, particularly in higher water (as they would have if they left Independence in May). Then the pull up the incline was steep and muddy, requiring multiple teams. Today, we could see the swales left by the wagon trains and here at the back of the rest area, they are marked by a series of wheels. These simulate the wagon wheels, two larger wheels in back, two smaller in front. The four sets of wheels are positioned in the swales as if the wagons are climbing up from the river.
The rest area is curiously understated. It looks much like other interstate rest areas and it’s only if you walk out behind the building that you see the wheels off in the distance. If we didn’t know they were there (from our guide book), we wouldn’t have known to walk out to the signs explaining what we were seeing.
After regaining the Lincoln Highway going west, we drove to California Hill. A roadside sign tells the basics but our guide book told us to turn back the dirt road and go a half-mile to a pull-off, from where we could walk into the pasture and see a large swale created by the emigrant wagons as it crossed the summit of the sandhill. Our guidebook cautioned us to look out for occasional rattlesnakes and prickly-pear cactus. We saw several of the latter (our first of this trip), none of the former. We also had our eyes peeled for cow-pies. The pasture was occupied by forty or fifty cows and they watched us very closely. When we disappeared over the hill, two of them followed to see what we were doing. But as soon as we came close on our way back, they spooked.
We then set the GPS for Ash Hollow State Historical Site. We made the visitor center just in time to catch the intro video and take a quick tour of the displays. Ash Hollow was an oasis of sorts for the emigrants. After 140 miles of little water and little wood, the Ash Hollow plain provided both. Its water was said to be the sweetest on the Trail.
But to get in to Ash Hollow there was a price. The wagons had been up on the bluffs ever since California Hill and now needed to go down the fearsome Windlass Hill to enter the hollow. With a wagon loaded with over a ton of supplies and gear, the emigrants would chain the wheels of their wagons keep them from turning and skid the wagon down the steep incline. All hands would man ropes behind the descending wagon to slow it and keep it in some semblance of control.
We walked to the top of Windlass Hill via a sidewalk put in to prevent erosion. A bridge crosses a 20-foot deep arroyo which formed over the years from the original Oregon Trail track. Once atop the bluff we took a trail down the steep section. I wouldn’t want to try to drive Mocha Joe down a road as steep as that descent.
By then it was 1700 but we still had miles to go before we slept. We headed for Scottsbluff (where there’s a Wal-mart) but along the way stopped to see Chimney Rock. We saw it from twelve miles away as we drove toward it. We had supper at an informal pulloff within walking distance of the base of the rock and afterwards walked the twenty minutes to a marker at the base and back, returning just before dark.
We then drove the rest of the way to Scottsbluff and our Wal-mart for the night.
********** END OF POST ***********
posted by Bezabor&Labashi | 23:59
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