Ogallala, Nebraska

View outside Ogallala

Home of Buffalo Bill, Scout and Showman

Dear All
Here I am in Ogallala (I just love the name), home of the northern terminus of the Texan cattle drives of the 1800's. The Texans arrived here after months on the trail driving steers north for the army and western expansion - and they were thirsty - which is why this is also home to "Boot Hill" (guns and liquor).

But to begin where I last left off, I wheeled out of the motel day before yesterday to a flat tire which I must admit I am getting rather proficient at fixing. Then I crossed the Platte to the north side to follow the Mormon Trail so named for the epic trek of Bringham Young bringing his flock to Salt Lake City. They went, so the story goes, to find religious freedom (polygamy was a big issue). I don't remember anyone ever proposing polyandry - funny about that? I cross back tomorrow to the California Trail at California Hill so named for it's obstruction to travel then on to .

The land is changing as I go. There is less corn and more alfalfa and hay, more trees and fewer man-dug canals for irrigation. I am starting to see feedlots, enormous sections of pens on bare earth where cows stand around eating until you know what happens. There have been a range of hills in the north for some time and every hour our paths converge.

What about the fauna, you ask? Well, my experience is based on roadkill which I am constantly dodging. I saw one deer and either two foxes or coyotes (death be not kind), Innumerable raccoons and prarie dogs (which are slighter and longer, coarser haired than our groundhogs), myriads of frogs and snakes and an astonishing number of birds of all kinds from hummingbirds to ruffled grouse. I think the procession is wheat and corn brings bugs like grasshoppers. They bring frogs, birds, and snakes who in turn bring raccoons and coyotes. They all get splattered by cars who are themselves doomed to starvation by their voracious appetite - Hakuna Matata.

I spent that night in Cozad in a town park. I got up to attend to nature during the night and as I stood there, the automatic sprinklers came on catching the overhead lights and diffracting into millions of points of light and dozens of baby rainbows - very magical. Then I put garbage cans over the two that would have sprayed my tent.

Friday was a nightmare. Winds gusting to 27 - yes 27 MPH. It was like biking through sand. I made my planned destination of North Platte but when I got to town I saw a sign that said "Rooms - $30 - I'm talking to you Laurence" - so I went in and collapsed. What a day.

Today went well. Pretty scenery of barer and barer hills and little wind. This is the land of the Lakota Sioux and the Cheyenne. You can imagine braves on horses chasing buffalo. This morning I went to Buffalo Bill's Ranch outside North Platte. Like Graceland, these houses are insignificant compared to today's monsters and yet at the time they represented the ultimate mansions.

Love
Laurence

ps Neil, I'll be at the bus station to meet you - I'm lonely
ps Alain and Suzanne - think of this blog as a list of 'don'ts' for your trip
ps Andrew and Denise - $30 a night motel - the pool happens when the plumbing leaks
ps S&M With 3.5 kiddies, I appreciate your notes
ps David - I certainly did go see 'The Arch' (Cause I had to go right by anyway to get my new and improved sleeping pad at Walmart - now out by the Interstate, of course).

ps John, Hi and see you soonish

ps Irene and patrick Hi

ps Laura, Hi

Recent acquisitions
I bought a new much thicker sleeping pad - my hips were killing me.
I bought 2 of those aluminum foil emergency blankets as it's getting colder.