High Plains Drifting

[roverrocks]

Spent four days in late August 2014 wandering the backroads and byways of the High Plains of extreme northwestern Nebraska from the Wildcat Hills near Scottsbluff, NE (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...0pOelRkiZW44hrw&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw&cad=rja) to the Pine Ridge country round Crawford and Chadron, NE(http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=DU7Bv-TMwj3b7d3wFNWEyw&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw) and then northward/northwestward to the nearby borders of South Dakota and Wyoming visiting the Warbonnet/Yellowhand Indian Wars site (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=7VtvFe1kXwDxPGHhEa1tSg&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw) and Toadstool Geologic Park (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...hLP0HAd9ERhiIEg&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw&cad=rja). Also visited the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=y5TsXb6WGZQiTyaAlyArVQ&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw) and Oglala National Grassland (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...7yNRCM4RCwvYHyw&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw&cad=rja). The Nebraska High Plains contain a mixture of Short-grass Prairie and Mixed-Grass Prairie Zones with occasional small areas of Sandhills Prairie. Two major Ponderosa Pine/Rocky Mountain Juniper escarpments lie herein these Nebraska High Plains and are the Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills. The Pine Ridge area had large lightening caused wildfires in August 2012 during a severe drought season that burned about 200 sq. miles of grassland and forest. I include pictures of unburned areas and burned areas as they appear in 2014. Trees were killed but many prairie plants enhanced in the age-old ever-ongoing fire ecologic battles. Here are some pictures of my wanderings. The first 20 pictures are in the Wildcat Hills region.

1) Ponderosa/Juniper clad Wildcat Hills and late summer curing prairie grasses.
2) Wildcat Hills buttes and ridges with a center pivot alfalfa field near the Pumpkin Creek drainage.
3) Some sandstone buttes of the Wildcat Hills
4) A walk-in public hunting/hiking area in the SW Wildcat Hills.
5) Ten Petal Blazing Star
6) A spot of sandhills prairie hills adjacent to the Wildcat Hills.
7) Thickly forested and long unburnt Wildcat Hills ridges and bottoms.
8) Sandstone escarpment buttes and ridges
9) Maturing Prairie Sandreed and Needles & Thread Grasses.
10) A late summer Wildcat Hills ranch scene.

 

[roverrocks]

High Plains Drifting cont.

More pictures from the Wildcat Hills escarpment in extreme western Nebraska including the high white buttes of Scotts Bluff National Monument (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=PlzZPYvox1909wUULEkUZg&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw) of Oregon Trail and Mormon Trail emigrant renown. Many many thousands passed through this area in the1800's on the way to new homesteads all over the West. The North Platte River flows eastward just north of Scott's Bluff which towers 800 feet above the river.

1) Purple Bee Plant also known as Stinkweed because of it's skunky odor in late summer.
2) A Roubidoux Pass view eastward. This pass which lies some miles west of Scott's Bluff was the main emigrant pass through the Wildcat Hills in 1843-1851. Starting in 1851 a Wildcat Hills pass known as Mitchell Pass which lies just north of Scott's Bluff itself became the main Oregon Trail route.
3) A north/south Wildcat Hills escarpment pass known as Rifle Sight Pass.
4) Scotts Bluff National Monument boundary looking eastwards.
5) West face of Scott's Bluff with Mitchell Pass on the far right. The town of Scottsbluff is one word and the actual Scotts Bluff itself is two words. Go figure. I never could even though I was born and raised in Scottsbluff the town.
6) Mitchell Pass through which the Oregon Trail passed through the Wildcat Hills starting in 1851. A modern highway runs through the pass now but many trail ruts still exist in the National Monument grounds.
7) A diagram and info of the Scotts Bluff and Mitchell Pass complex looking back westwards.
8) The east face of Scotts Bluff in the fading afternoon. A road and a hiking trail lead to the top.
9) A small High Plains sunflower. One of the last to bloom in the late summer.
10) Curlycup Gumweed. Weedy but has a pretty flower.

 

[roverrocks]

High Plains Drifting cont.

Pictures of the High Plains of extreme western Nebraska in between the Wildcat Hills escarpment on the south and the Pine Ridge escarpment to the north. Mixed-grass prairie and short-grass prairie intermingling with occasional small areas of sandhills prarie dotting the region. In between both escarpments lies a small area along the Niobrara River named the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=EGl_kabR8cejWk5pJ-Z_dw&bvm=bv.74115972,d.aWw).

1) The High Plains of late summer.
2) The seed stems of the tall Sand Bluestem grass.
3) The seed stems of tall Prairie Sandreed grass.
4) Typical rolling Nebraska High Plains with outcrops of hard white sandstone.
5) More rolling Nebraska High Plains with outcrops of hard white sandstone.
6) A High Plains sandstone outcrop with yellow blooms of Broom Snakeweed.
7) Microhabitats in the sandstone outcrops.
8) Heading northward on a remote Nebraska High Plains byway.
9) A late summer High Plains view.
10) A Bullsnake, one of several I came across. Common to the area and much of the West.

 

[roverrocks]

High Plains Drifting cont.

More pictures of the Nebraska High Plains.

1) Interesting cattle.
2) A small area of sandhills prairie I passed through dotting the High Plains.
3) Reaching the interesting Agate Fossil Beds National Monument on my route north to the Pine Ridge region.
4) An Agate Fossil Beds informational sign.
5) A beautiful Goldenrod blooming among the bluish wheatgrasses along the Niobrara River at Agate.
6) A late summer Dotted Gayfeather. Common on the short grass prairies in many areas.
7) A near pure stand of curing Needle & Thread grass seed stems at Agate.
8) University and Carnegie Hills at Agate Fossil Beds. Many fossils quarried on both hills.
9) An abandoned railway and bridge that once carried eastward thousands of cattle that grazed and fattened on the Nebraska High Plains.
10) An interesting highly eroded small soft sandstone mini-badland on the Nebraska plain.

 

[roverrocks]

High Plains Drifting cont.

Pictures from the scenic Pine Ridge area of extreme NW Nebraska. Large wildfires occurred in large sections of the Pine Ridge area in August 2012. These first ten pictures are of unburned Pine Ridge areas. The next ten pictures show burned areas and regrowth.

1) Rolling hills and meadows of the Pine Ridge escarpment. Ponderosa Pine and Rocky Mountain Juniper are the dominant escarpment trees.
2) The Nebraska Pine Ridge.
3) The Nebraska Pine Ridge.
4) The Nebraska Pine Ridge.
5) The Nebraska Pine Ridge.
6) Canyons and ridges unburnt for a long period.
7) A beautiful Bush Morning Glory.
8) A close up of one of my favorite wildflowers and plants: Bush Morning Glory.
9) A late summer Goldenrod adding color to the Pine Ridge area.
10) Merriam's Turkeys. Two hens and their half grown young banded together.

 

[roverrocks]

High Plains Drifting cont.

Now we will show ten pictures of Pine Ridge areas that burnt a mere two years ago. The wildfires encompassed about 200 sq miles in 2012 in total.
1) 2012 fire damage and regrowth two years later in 2014 a few miles south of Chadron, NE.
2) A blackened lone sentinel and widespread tree damage but the prairie community has rebounded nicely with benefitting rains/snows of 2013 2014.
3)Pine Ridge is not destroyed by the fires but merely changed in form.
4)More burnt areas
5) Burnt pine/juniper forests on the buttes but the prairie vegetation is recovering nicely with beneficial rains.
6) A tagged Bighorn Ram calmly eating 20 feet from me.
7)Heavily burnt ridges and mesas along the Pants Butte Road.
8) More 2012 burnt Pine Ridge lands in 2014.
9) More 2012 burnt Pine Ridge lands in 2014.
10)East Hat Creek Road burned landscape. Grasses recovering well amongst the dead downfall.

 

[roverrocks]

High Plains Drifting cont.

I am now north of the Nebraska Pine Ridge complex and out into the Oglala National Grasslands. Badlands, rock toadstools, prairie ghost towns, and monuments to the skirmishes of 1874-1876 between the US Cavalry and the great light cavalry of the Sioux and Cheyenne as they tried to protect their way of life and families.

1) Entering the Oglala National Grasslands north of Pine Ridge.
2)Toadstool Geologic Park with a prairie campground and hiking trails in this badlands area.
3) Restored sod house at the foot of the badlands.
4) Oglala National Grassland badlands and mixed prairie.
5) Oglala National Grassland badlands and mixed prairie.
6) Oglala National Grassland badlands with burnt forested hills on the far left.
7) Last remnant houses of the ghost town of Orella, NE which served the nearby railroad which still carries coal eastward from Wyoming mines. Orella was named for a local woman in the old days.
8) The remnants of the prairie ghost town of Montrose, NE. All that's left is a battered Montrose sign, falling small house, and a wonderful church and cemetery dating from 1887. This church and ghost town are just 1/2 mile south of the Warbonnet/Cody/Yellow Hand Memorials from 1876.
9) Same as 8)
10) Same as 8) and 9).

 

[roverrocks]

High Plains Drifting cont.

The last pictures of Nebraska High Plains Drifting in late August 2014. Just south of the South Dakota line. A day of thunderstorms and seeing Prairie Falcons, golden eagles, Swainson's Hawks, red tailed hawks, and numerous American Kestrals.

1) Montrose Church and well kept cemetery of early settlers. The nicely kept church is open and has a guest book to sign. A quiet place to reflect.
2) Warbonnet 1876 Skirmish site just north of the Montrose ghost town site.
3) Warbonnet Memorial
4) Warbonnet Memorial
5) Warbonnet Skirmish site looking northward at Warbonnet Creek
6) Cody/Yellowhand Monument. The Warbonnet Memorial is on the left horizon.
7)Hard to read Cody/Yellowhand plaque. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/...vquZ3wSgVs3RkdTT20rh3sysgnGE3gehDTTnBuStaIDJA
8) Spotted Tail Indian Agency Site. Crazy Horse of the Ogalala Sioux surrendered here on Sept 4, 1877. Crazy Horse was murdered one day later on Sept. 5, 1877 at nearby Fort Robinson.
9)Remote high plains byway just a few miles south of South Dakota.
10) Looking eastward at a heavy prairie thunderstorm. The view is from the Antelope Creek bottoms in the foreground.

 

[NMC_EXP]

Thanks for the report. That area is on my list.

Jim

 

[gtrek]

Very intriguing area. Thanks for the great pics/descriptions.

 

[Willman]

Rich in history! Love how you tell your tail through pictures.

Hats off to you.

 

[Foy]

Nice, and thanks for sharing!

Did you get up to Igloo and Edgemont, SD?

Foy

 

[spressomon]

Very nice post roverrocks: Thanks!

 

[roverrocks]

Nice, and thanks for sharing!

Did you get up to Igloo and Edgemont, SD?

Foy

No I did not. I got just barely across the SD border to tiny Ardmore, SD and then Pine Ridge, SD on successive days. Just Nebraska wandering. I have been in the Black Hills area a number of times in years gone by. I love SD. Great place.

 

[Foy]

Next time

Igloo is the remnants of a large complex of WWII-era buildings which was an ammunition plant. It looks interesting from SD 471. You reach 471 just north of Ardmore. It's a gravel road (maybe the northern end is paved?) and it passes through some very nice farm and ranch country, up and over a low pass, enroute to Edgemont. Edgemont is an old railroad town with a big general store.

In 2010, I overnighted at Fort Robinson SP enroute from NC to MT. Got up, showered, and at 0500, I loaded up on fresh home-made pastries, OJ, and coffee at the convenience store in Crawford and headed north. I pulled over just a couple or three miles south of the state line at Ardmore, dropped the tailgate, and enjoyed a fine sunrise, as near as complete silence as can be found anywhere, and some good vittles. Beautiful, wide-open country out there. I want to go back again.

Foy