We belong on these wild and wonderful trails

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Yesterday was a long trek from Valentine to Omaha across the northern edge of the state on Nebraska Highway 12. Almost this entire area feels forgotten, as if time moved on without it. The towns are impossibly small (see: Monowi, Pop. 1 and Gross, Pop 2.) and poetic in their own silent, sad ways. This part of Nebraska had its glory years almost a century ago and much of what once held great importance to those who lived here will disappear quietly over time.

In Sparks, I was taking photographs of the general store / post office and an old church when a woman came outside and invited me in. I learned that a grandchild had just been born - increasing the population of the town to 7. The general store had a broad, eclectic collection of necessities, and more than half of the town was sitting at a table in a cafe area, all family. They were all exceptionally friendly people, joking about how they've realized that the number of pets in the town now greatly exceeds the number of people.

All in all, this was a successful trip, and a much needed break from the day-to-day responsibilities of my job. Despite how much I enjoy wandering, there's nothing better than coming home to a comfortable house, a wonderful wife, and an excited dog. 

To the future!

Sparks, Nebraska

Keya Paha County, Nebraska

Bristow, Nebraska

Winnetoon, Nebraska

Visited: Sparks, Norden, Springview, Burton, Mills, Brocksburg, Jamison, Naper, Butte, Annoka, Spencer, Gross, Bristow, Lynch, Monowi, Verdel, Niobrara State Park, Niobrara, Verdigre, Winnetoon, Brunswick, and Foster, Nebraska.

Post title: The Tallest Man on Earth - Beginners

We've got hours before we get to Valentine

Today brought a (relatively) quick day, across the sandhills from Chadron to Valentine. It was a near-perfect, warm spring day for a drive and a few photographs.

I ended the day by visiting Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge a few miles outside of Valentine. There were no elk or bison to be found, as the refuge has been conducting a prescribed burn today. (This is a bit of a funny coincidence, as my job at Fontenelle Forest has had me working on a plan to educate the public and announce prescribed burns on our properties.) Instead, I watched prairie dogs pop in and out of their network of holes in a different part of the refuge for a good long while.

Tomorrow is the long trek back to Omaha, beginning with Nebraska highway 12 across the very northern edge of the state to visit a handful of towns I've yet to visit in my travels. I will post an updated map soon; After this trip I'll be down to less than a dozen towns in the state that I've yet to explore.

Rushville, Nebraska

Cody, Nebraska

Niobrara River near Valentine, Nebraska

Visited: Hay Springs, Rushville, Clinton, Gordon, Merriman, Cody, Nenzel, Kilgore, Crookston, Valentine, and Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska.

Post title: Big Harp - Steady Hand Behind the Wheel

The highway is my home

This morning, I headed west from Chadron on US 20, listening to classic country and public service announcements on KILI 90.1 out of Rapid City, the voice of the Lakota Nation. It was a fitting choice, as this part of Nebraska is perhaps best known as the site of Crazy Horse's final days and his controversial death.

I drove in a large circle that included parts of Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota, before finishing the day in the Oglala National Grassland at Toadstool Geologic Park. Toadstool is one of those places that you really have to want to get to, as it's well off the beaten path, only reachable via a long, poorly maintained gravel road that bounces across the grassland. A word of advice from my experience today: If Toadstool is wet - either wait until it dries out or wear a pair of waterproof mud boots. 

All in all, it was a very good day. Definitely much warmer than yesterday, although there was a lot more snow on the ground in Wyoming. Lusk had piles of snow placed just about everywhere, including a 10 foot tall mound in a grocery store parking lot.

Tomorrow brings a trek to Valentine!

Lusk, Wyoming from Oglala

Whitney Lake from Oglala

Oglala National Grassland from Oglala

Provo, South Dakota from Oglala

Visited: Chadron, Whitney, Whitney Lake, Crawford, Harrison, and Oglala National Grassland, Nebraska. Van Tassell, Lusk, Manville, Lance Creek, and Mule Creek Junction, Wyoming. Edgemont, Provo, Rumford, and Ardmore, South Dakota.

Post title: Merle Haggard - I'm a Lonesome Fugitive