Chimney Rock National Historic Site- Nebraska
After an overnight stay in Ogallala Nebraska on my return journey to Calgary from North Carolina, I planned to visit Chimney Rock as soon as I got up, but after viewing the map I decided to take a leg stretcher at McConaughy Lake first. When got to the lake I was almost blown off my feet by the strong wind that was rattling through.
I still had a nice walk on the south-eastern shore before setting off on the scenic drive around the lake, as I crossed the dam that creates the lake dozens of tumbleweeds were heading down the road to meet me.
I had planned to take the scenic drive and then stop at the northern end of the lake and walk in Ash Hollow State Historical Park, but the wind would have made walking in the trees a bit like a game of Russian roulette so I bypassed the park and continued west toward Chimney Rock. After passing so many of these irrigators I decided to stop and grab a shot of one, they are so different to ours back home in England.
It's around 1.5 hours drive west to Chimney Rock from Ogallala and storm clouds had moved in as I reached the small access road that branches off US-92, with perfect timing a break in the cloud landed right on Chimney Rock providing a nice opening shot
I stopped at the visitor centre as the sky filled with dark clouds and took my time examining the history of Chimney Rock and viewing the artifacts on display. I took this shot from the window of the visitor centre zoomed in to the summit pinnacle.
I happened to say to the old lady in the visitor centre that I was going to go to the trailhead and walk over to the rock once the rain had blown over, she told me there was no trail and you couldn't get to the rock, in fact she went as far as saying it was not permitted.
When the rain stopped I followed the public road to a 'T' junction and turned right (as I had planned on google the night before) I then followed the road to its end at Chimney Rock Cemetery where there is a trailhead for a short hike to Chimney Rock. When I arrived there was already a truck there, it's occupants long gone.
I decided to follow the trail as planned, through my telephoto lens I could see a memorial stone out by the rock with a plaque on it, I guess that was put there for the people who aren't permitted to walk to the chimney (I imagined myself saying to the woman in the visitor centre)
In the same way that this trail was worn into the field by all those people who are not permitted to be here, I think that woman may have been alone too long.
The memorial stone states that this historic landmark was given to the public by Rozal Frank Durnal. The rock was used as a landmark for the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail and Deadwood Trail by those making their way west and by the Pony Express riders delivering news of home to those who had already made the journey.
After I'd spent a little while exploring the clouds finally parted and a little sunshine shone through as I turned to walk back to the truck
Back through tumbleweed gulch where thousands of those damn wandering bushes have come to rest over time, they are waist deep on the trail here but dry and brittle so walking through them is easy enough.
I'm out of the culch and along the trail a little way when I look back to see this demarcation line between the earlier storms and the current blue skies
The sun keeps on shining and the clouds keep on moving east as I near the car park where I meet a couple of Mormon guys from California making a pilgrimage to the rock as part of a 6 week 'church tour' We chatted for a while about the significance of the rock to the Mormon Church before going our separate ways.
Back at the truck I took one more shot of this isolated monument before heading back east to my next destination, I did seriously consider stopping off at the visitor centre again and asking what the "no trail" nonsense was about, but no good would have come of it, so I carried on regardless.