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| Storm over Nebraska Farmland |
We moved to a new campsite today. I had to laugh (or at least smile behind my whiskers); the only two times today when is really poured down rain is when Ron had to hook up/put away and unhook/set up the camper. I helped by staying out of the way, under the bedspread. The rest of the day it was just cloudy and sprinkling most of the time.
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| Fly on flank of statue of horse |
We traveled from Smith Center Kansas to Ogallala Nebraska. Ogallala first gained fame as a terminus for cattle drives that traveled from Texas to the Union Pacific railhead located here. It was also a stop on the Pony express.
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| The Trail Boss. Bronze statue at Boot Hill in Ogallala Nebraska |
“Gomorrah of the cattle trail” That’s how one trail driver, Andy Adams described early Ogallala. In his book, “Log of a Cowboy” Adams, who first came up the trail in 1875 said: “We finally scaled the last divide and there below in the valley of the South Platte, nestled Ogallala, the Gomorrah of the cattle trail. From amongst its half hundred buildings, no church spire pointed upward, but instead three-fourths of its business houses were dance halls, gambling houses and saloons.”[1]
After getting settled at the Country View Campground, the humans went to check out the area. They visited Boot Hill Cemetery and Lake McConaughy.
The lake is Nebraska’s largest reservoir with more than 35,000 surface acres and 105 miles of shoreline. The dam, which impounds the North Platte River, is 20 miles long, 4 miles wide and 142’ deep at the dam. At 3.5 miles long, 162’ high and 1,100 feet thick at the base, it is the largest earthen dam in the United States. The state’s largest hydro-electric plant is located at the dam.
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| Dam at Lake McConaughy |
Tomorrow we head for the black hills. Ron and Nancy both put on long pants and sweatshirts------glad I have my fur coat on! It has been in the 80s and now we have the heater on.
