NE Day 34 Monday July 11, 2022 Travel to Oglalla NE

 NE Day 34 Monday July 11, 2022 Travel to Oglalla NE

The day started about the same with the sky sunny and the temps in the high 60’s but that would not stay too long as by the afternoon it would get into the high 80’s. The road down I-80 continued as it has in the central part of  WY, with those long hills and long uphills and downhills. The foothills of the Laramie Mountains faded from view as we turned the corner onto US 26 head south east for Oglalla NE.

The "Badlands"south of Douglas WY

Resistant rock layers in WY

The distant Laramie Mountains to the west.

 

At the beginning of this run there was very dry land, mostly grazing land and lots of stock with a few HUGE stockyards thrown in. Some had as many as 10,000 head in them. As we began to run along side the North Platte River the irrigation picked up and the land flattened greatly. There was the usual corn and alfalfa, but we began to see what I thought was sorghum, and checking that out later, we did see that it was. It had been introduced not too many years ago and is sold to China and Far East as stock feed. (Probably comes back in pork!)
 

The common bean includes many varieties and may be referred to as bush bean, dry bean, dwarf bean, field bean, French bean, snap bean, garden bean, haricot bean, kidney bean, pole bean or string bean. The plant originates from the Americas.
 
From Jackson County CO, , the North Platte flows north about 200 miles (320 km) out of the Routt National Forest and North Park near what is now Walden to Casper, Wyoming. Shortly after passing Casper, the North Platte turns to the east-southeast and flows about 350 miles (560 km) to the city of North Platte, Nebraska. In Colorado and Wyoming, the North Platte is narrower and much swifter flowing than it is in Nebraska, where it becomes a slow flowing, shallow braided stream.

 The irrigation increased as we went east  with the land gradually getting more level and further from the River (Platte).  The land started to look green again. This allowed the irrigation to be extended further from the River.

The smokestack is making clouds. ???

Ruth's photo of Chimney Rock Nebraska.

The effects of irrigation start to show

 

Ruth kept looking for the “Chimney Rock” marker that the pioneers used on their way west. We were coming at it from the west so it was more difficult to see, but she found it and we took the time to stop for photos. It is truly a grand site ,and must have been for those travelers some 200 years ago.

There were many horses also being kept along this route. And we did see a couple dozen Pronghorns but not in the greener land of Nebraska.

History of the land development.

Some crops begin to show near theNorth PLatte River.

 

 But the “fun “began when we tried to find the KOA. HA! There are two of them just one mile apart. The GPS told us to get off on  “east I-80 “. What would that sound like to you? We saw the exit for I-80 and took it although we saw a campground just across the street. That took us 12 miles out of our way and we returned to where we saw the KOA sign. “Doc”, the owner said you are not on our roster for tonight ,might you have been supposed to be at the “other KOA”? (Wha?) Yep there was another one down the road apiece. (one mile).”Just take that road left and you will see it. Well we took “that” road, and ended up a mile from town in the country with no KOA,,,again. I turned around and stopped at a golf course and asked a golfer who just finished golfing, if he knew of another KOA. Yes, and he pointed it out to us. We returned to the road we came from, and as I was passing  a restaurant a man came out flagging us down..I pulled over and went back to see what was up.(Trailer problem?…no.) He said he saw us go by once and then come back again so he came out to see if we needed help. Now THAT is one alert man.I thanked him profusely for his keeping track of citizens an we made it to the KOA finally near 4:30 about an hour later than anticipated.  THE REASON WE WENT ON I-80, WAS SOON PROVEN AS THE SIDE ROAD THE KOA IS ON IS CALLED…”EAST I-80”!   BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Oglalla was the center of cattle  drives north, and when the Union Pacific  was built through here, that confirmed its importance. It is named after the Oglala Sioux tribe.

The full moon is tomorrow and tonight as I write this it is rising in the east (of course)  not quite full. The air is quiet, and the sun is setting at 8:10 about 30 minutes earlier than in Douglas WY. (The sunrise will be sooner ,too). I forgot to take a photo of the trailer but will do so tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will examine McGonaughy Lake and see what it has to offer. There is also a dam and spillway that quite often has Pelicans. We will see.