GreatPlains2013

Day 6

Thursday, 13 Jun 2013
Scottsbluff, NE to Fort Robinson SP, NE
96.1 miles, 7h00m, 13.7 mph
Elapsed Time: 8h44m, Max speed: 38.9mph
Total Climbing: 3461ft, Max elevation: 4974ft
Total mileage: 361.2

The wind really came through for me this time. I don't know how I would have done this ride with a headwind. I had a strong tailwind for all but the last 25 miles--and five of those miles was a screaming descent into Fort Robinson State Park.

The first 10 miles were along the North Platte valley. Then I turned north and the land changed into
grazing land. Lots of grass and cattle (not pictured) and a road that never seemed
to stop going up. Thanks to a massive tailwind I was able to cruise up all but
the steepest hills.

Q: What is unusual about this photo?
A: There's a tree in it.

It was 47 miles before I reached Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Many of those
miles looked like this.

Background: A sand dune turned to rock.
Foreground: A picture of a sand dune turned to rock.

This was the mystery fossil of the site for many years. It's called a daemonelix.
It is the burrow of an ancient beaver turned to stone. Crazy. How it
got inside that phone booth is another mystery.

People say they want more Bear pictures. I give the people what they want.

That damp area is the Niobrara River. If all goes well, I'll be seeing
quite a lot of that river over the next few days.

After Agate Fossil Beds it was about 25 miles to a small town called Harrison, then
a right turn into a crosswind and another 25 miles to Fort Robinson.

The last 5 miles into Fort Rob is a screaming descent. I almost caught up with a couple
of touring cyclists pulling trailers, but they didn't stop at the Fort and I did.

I found Linda on the porch of the former enlisted men's quarters--now the park offices and a lodge.
We rented one of the houses for the night. The only annoyance was that check-in was not until 5pm,
and check-out is at 10am. Oh. And it took forever for us to get our dinner at the restaurant.

This is our place--the former Nurses Quarters. A nice little house conveniently set next to
the rodeo ring.

After two long days, my plan for tomorrow is to take a really short day--about 25 miles to Chadron. Then I have to figure out what I'm doing to get the rest of the way across the state. Linda plans on running up into South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore or one of the other attractions up there and meet me in Chadron at the end of the day. After that she's heading home. So tomorrow I'll practice carrying my own bags.

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