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2015-10-02 tl;dr: Cold, windy, wet, I traveled the sand hills and visited Conley Flat Cemetery. Maybe it was my habit of drinking water from unverified sources, or maybe biking all weekend in the rain had something to do with it, but I was pretty sick this week. I decided to delay my usual long weekend until Friday.I fixed up my tire and lubricated my brake lines. I should be good to go. I still have sand burs embedded in various parts of my body. It was windy and cool, but still fairly nice out when I left Valentine. There was even a little sunshine. That wouldn't last. The wind is crazy-strong, but is behind me for the most part. I took the "Bridges to Buttes" highway into Mountain Time and on to to Cody, Nebraska before finally departing the highway for a while. I turned south into the sand hills. Taking back roads through the sand hills is worth a side-trip. As the day progressed, I managed to weave my way between rain storms, but that was not to last. I took a break between some round bales that didn't really keep me dry or out of the wind. A little ways down the road the rain picked up even more when I spied a bus surrounded by junk in a cluster of trees. I was able to open the door, so I waited out the rain in an old RV-conversion bus that absolutely stunk. It was really bad. Squirrels and other rodents have had their way with this place for years. I avoided touching anything. Further along, I ended up at a point on my map that I had failed to label to find Conley Flat Cemetery, a fenced in cemetery that is locked from the inside. I'm kind of glad I didn't label it, as I may decided against taking these back roads to see a cemetery. The gravestones here are not crazy old, but some are constructed from cement and colored rock, and others are just petrified wood. My goal at this point was to find a camping spot out of the severe wind. This country has no wind blocks whatsoever save a few scattered pine trees. I was back on the highway before I found some trees in a pasture. My tent was set up and everything thrown in just minutes before the rain started in earnest. It was cold, windy and every layer I was wearing was wet. Unfortunately, in this situation the only thing you can do is climb I to your sleeping bags with all of those wet clothes on, because otherwise the clothes will be even wetter and colder come morning. Also (as I've learned through experience), if your sleeping bag is warm enough your clothes actually dry out while you sleep. |
 new spokes  hay stacks  cattle waterer   all roads are shared with cows  I walked up the other side  not staying dry  stinky bus  inside the stinky bus   Niobrara River  Conley Flat Cemetery  head stones   |