Hardscrabble to Nebraska

Out of Colorado into Nebraska, through Scotts Bluff National Monument and Chimney Rock National Historic Site and a hail storm.

Successfully navigating the fringe of chaos in Colorado Springs, the first encounter of the day appeared just west of Limon in Colorado.  The historic Matheson brick schoolhouse from the early 1900s stood solemn on the sunny hillside.  Not much could be gathered about this location just now, but give the internet time. 

The trail turned north from Limon, through the wide open spaces of northeast Colorado.  The view into Nebraska changed only with a few minor buttes and the addition of a storm looking to intercept our route.  Escaping the hail-bearing load seemed improbable just north of Kimball.  Fortunately, it arrived at the turn before us and was unable to stop and sailed off to the south. We countered with a turn to the north, permitting only a momentary peppering of the transport.

Storms brewing all around, forecast for the afternoon into evening, hail and high winds were promised to those that remained for the credits.  Atop Scotts Bluff National Monument confirmed much of that already communicated by radio  The bluff area stood in sunshine throughout this investigation. A strange weather phenomenon is suspect.

The clouds eventually intensified in the area, too insistent to be deterred by any odd circumstance of wind currents, encouraging departure.  Chimney Rock stood waiting down the road, after a pause for refueling and refreshment.

Words of encourage at the station enabled a moment of amusement.  Sound advice such as this seems much more appropriate than the useless banners and advertising that typically appear at the pump.

Out in front of the leading edge of the storm yielded just enough time to drop by Chimney Rock National Historic Site; not much though.   The weather was definitely taking a dramatic turn and a road of fine dirt led out to the monument.  It would be a sloppy, muddy mess in storm and stranded there could prove a disadvantage to plans for the evening.  The visit out to the site lasted only a handful of minutes and just as the vehicle hit the pavement, the first few drips assailed us from above.  

Sprinting quickly to the east in an effort to get back in front of the situation, no more drops fell as quickly as the first had fallen.  Authorities crackled over the radio that the worst of the storm was then passing to the north, through  Hemingford and Alliance, paralleling our route.  Reports of high winds, the potential for tornado activity, and rather large size hail were distributed evenly, and conveniently in that particular location.

Bridgeport, the final resting place for the evening, remained out of the path of most everything that night. Enjoying ice cream at a walk-up later in the evening, locals shared that the weather always does that in those parts, then offered up photos of the hail stones their children had forwarded.  The decision to forego Carhenge in Alliance had been a wise one indeed.

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Further Reading

Scotts Bluff National Monument

National Park Service

Chimney Rock National Historic Site

National Park Foundation

Storm Brings Damage To Box Butte County

Alliance Times-Herald