We made sure we got up and going on time this morning as we wanted to kayak the Niobrara River early enough to avoid the heat of the day. Looking at all the maps we decided to start at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge and take out at Smith Falls State Park. That would be about 12 miles of river and a 15 mile bike ride back to retrieve the RV. Seemed like a good plan. We had thought about taking out at the next point down the river but 15 miles of river and a 20 mile bike ride seemed a bit much.
First problem: a bridge is under construction on the road to both of these places so we had to take the detour route. This route included several miles of washboard dirt road and the lack of rain here meant it was incredibly dusty. I’m sure I’ll have to tighten a few screws after that ordeal. And we had to do it twice, once going in and once going out as there was no other route. So between spotting a bicycle at the State Park, launching at Fort Niobrara, and then driving back to the State Park to retrieve the kayaks, the distance driven was nearly 80 miles. And that didn’t include the 15 miles I rode on my bike to go back to the RV. In the end, everything was caked with a fine layer of dust.
We managed to put in the river at about 10:30. The day was warming up rapidly and the wind was picking up. But this is a beautiful river with a decent current so we made good time, even just drifting along. There are several waterfalls along the river, fed by underground aquifers, and the largest one, Smith Falls, is just a short walk from the State Park.
As the day progressed, the wind picked up, and after lunch it was a 30-mile-per-hour wind with gusts over 40. And it was directly against us. The river may have a decent current, but the wind would actually push us upstream if we stopped paddling. The wind also would rip the tops off the ripples in the water, sending them flying into our laps. A little bit of splatter felt good due to the heat, but sometimes it was rather a lot.
So it became quite a workout, trying to keep forward progress against the wind, without allowing the kayak to spin around or be pushed against one of the river banks. By the time we reached the takeout point, we were pretty spent.
It was a great river, I can see why it was designated a National Scenic River, it is just best enjoyed with a little less wind. We did see lots of turkeys and a bobcat when driving in this morning, so we got a little wildlife in there also.
Now I had to ride back and retrieve the RV. That same wind was at my back for part of the trip and a crosswind for most of it. So most of the time it felt like I was being pushed off the road. It took only about 45 minutes to bike the 15 miles back to the RV in spite of the wind; electric bikes do have their advantages. Especially with hills and wind.
Once everything was loaded back on the RV, we bumped our way back through the detour into Valentine and then headed west again on US-20. We wanted to get a few more miles in before the day ended.
The same wind made driving difficult. It was a severe cross wind so it was a fight to keep the RV on the road.
We drove through several tiny towns that consisted of only a grain elevator and a small cluster of buildings and finally stopped in one to make dinner. Cody, Nebraska is larger than many of its neighbors, with a population of 154. It was one of the few villages that actually had a city park. With shade. So we parked there and made dinner. And were entertained by three kids wandering around town and playing with a water spigot in the park. The wind would take the water and fling it in unpredictable directions, so it was a game of trying not to get wet.
We stopped in Chadron, probably one of the few towns to have a Walmart in the entire state, to pick up a few supplies, then on to Crawford, where we are camped in the city park. We pulled in here after dark and could hear animal noises quite close by. I figured out by looking at the map that we are parked right next to the Crawford Livestock Market. That would explain it.
We were driving into the sunset, never a great experience, when the sun disappeared behind a rather ominous cloud formation. That was a relief to our eyes and as it got dark we could see lightning flashing in the blackness ahead of us. Kind of cool to watch as it would light up the sky in random areas. And it gobbled up any light in the sky as we drove towards it. I was hoping for a good storm, but it blew over after we parked in the campground. Not even so much as a drop of rain. Maybe it will result in a cooler night. One could only hope.
So after paddling 12 miles against the wind, biking 15 miles in a crosswind, and struggling to keep five tons of hurtling mass between two white lines for 200 miles, I’m pretty tired.
Distance covered today: 253 miles. This includes 80 miles for the kayaking trip.
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