The thin yellow-orange crescent of the dying moon hung low in the eastern sky. Overhead, the Milky Way stretched across the dark heavens. Birds were already singing, though. Dawn was coming. A faint light was already discernable on the horizon. In the darkness, Lupe sniffed around the huge vacant parking lot of the scenic overlook on the S side of Hwy 20 E of Harrison, Nebraska.
Lupe and SPHP weren’t sleepy, but there wasn’t any sense in leaving before it was light out. Lupe had come to see what was here. It would be light out soon enough. Back in the G6 for another restless hour. SPHP finally dozed a bit and woke up to find Lupe wide awake, and the sun about to rise.
Sunrise from the scenic overlook on the S side of Hwy 20 in western Nebraska.Sunrise a few minutes later from Hwy 20 approaching Fort Robson State Park.
Within a few minutes, Lupe and SPHP were heading E on Hwy 20 toward Crawford, Nebraska. It was a gorgeous morning for a drive. Fort Robson State Park was still closed when Lupe passed through. Nearing Crawford, Lupe stopped briefly at a golf course with a great view of Saddle Rock, one of the Red Cloud Buttes.
Lupe likes chasing balls, but she isn’t much into golf. She still stopped at this golf course W of Crawford due to the great view of Saddle Rock, part of the Red Cloud Buttes. Photo looks WNW.
Four or five miles N of Crawford, SPHP left Hwy 2/71 turning left on Toadstool Road. The gravel road was in fairly decent shape. It went W a couple miles before following the Burlington Northern railroad NW. Lupe had a blast riding with her head out the window in the wind. She barked with great vigor and enthusiasm at mostly unimpressed cows and horses along the way.
SPHP spotted an interesting mountain a few miles to the W. It looked like a great peakbagging goal for Lupe on a future trip. SPHP had no idea what mountain it was. A check of the maps later on revealed it is called Roundtop(4,540 ft.).
SPHP thought the mountain L of Center looked like an interesting possible future peakbagging goal for Lupe. A check of the maps later on revealed it is most likely Roundtop(4,540 ft.).
After following the railroad for 10 or 11 miles, Lupe reached a turn to the W for Toadstool Geologic Park. It was a little over a mile to the campground. Lupe was soon there. Not another soul was in sight, which was just perfect! Lupe and SPHP got out to take a look around.
Lupe at the entrance to Toadstool Geological Park in western Nebraska’s badlands. A sod home is seen on the L.
Toadstool Geologic Park has 6 campsites with covered picnic tables, fire rings, grills, and plenty of flat grassy land to pitch a tent on. There was a restroom, too, but that was it for amenities. There were no trees to provide shade, and no water or electricity. On the bright side, this time of year there weren’t any fees, either. The flat, exposed campground was next to stark, but beautiful badlands territory just to the W.
Before checking out the badlands on the Fossil Loop Trail, Lupe went to take a look at the campground’s sod house. A sign said the sod house had been constructed in 1984 as an example of the homes pioneers lived in on the prairie. Lupe went inside, but it didn’t take her long to check out the only amenities, which consisted of four walls and a roof. Life used to be extremely hard on the prairie!
Lupe on a little mound near the sod house. Photo looks SSW at some of the fossil-rich badlands at Toadstool Geological Park.
Next, Lupe and SPHP went to check out the Fossil Loop Trail. The mile long trail starts on the W side of the campground. There was a box full of pamphlets providing a self-guided tour. Numbered posts along the trail correspond to numbered sections in the pamphlet, so it was a good idea to take one along. According to the pamphlet:
Toadstool Geologic Park is a key link in understanding the earth’s history from 38 to 24 million years ago. Geologists consider it the “type section for the White River Group,” meaning that all other similar-aged deposits in North America are compared to the geologic standard designated at Toadstool. It is also the standard for animal fossils of that age – the Eocene and Oligocene epochs about 30 million years ago.
One of several informational displays at Toadstool Geologic Park.
While SPHP took the Fossil Loop Trail self-guided tour, Lupe raced around sniffing and exploring the badlands. There wasn’t much vegetation and she didn’t encounter any cactus, which made Lupe very happy. She did agree to take a little time out from her explorations of the strange rock formations to add some Carolina Dog charm to a number of photos.
Lupe among the toadstools. The toadstools are slabs of sandstone perched precariously on clay supports. Many of the sandstone caps were leaning sharply in one direction or another. Some of the toadstools were surprisingly large.
A tiny trickling stream wound through part of the area the Fossil Loop Trail went through. During periods of significant rain or melting snow, it was clear the stream would flash flood, making the trail at first impassable and later a complete muddy mess, but it was fine while Lupe was here.
A tiny stream trickled through this valley. In wet weather, parts of the trail would be a mucky mess.
About halfway around the loop, there was an intersection with a Bison Trail. A sign said the Bison Trail was 3 miles long. There was no mention of the Bison Trail in the pamphlet, or at any of the informational displays back at the campground.
Lupe near the intersection with the Bison Trail. Lupe and SPHP didn’t take the Bison trail, which was 3 miles long according to the sign, since there was no indication where it was really going.
Shortly after passing the Bison Trail, the Fossil Loop Trail climbed out of the shallow valley up onto some of the badlands formations. The trail stayed up here the rest of the way. A little bit of easy scrambling was required, and the trail went close to the edge of some cliffs, but this section of the Fossil Loop Trail had some of the most interesting rock formations.
Lupe up on the badlands formations on the Fossil Loop Trail. Post No. 5 for the self-guided tour is on the lower left. Photo looks ENE.When it rains, this dry wash must fill with water and create quite a waterfall! The trail passed very close to the cliff partly in view on the lower left. Photo looks SSE.An American Dingo adds a dash of color to this otherwise pale tan and blue scene. 30 million years ago miniature horses, humpless camels, gigantic tortoises, pigs and rhinoceroses roamed here. Now Dingoes do!
The Fossil Loop Trail was fun, but didn’t take very long to complete. Upon returning to the campground, Lupe and SPHP had a bit to eat. The solitude was broken when another vehicle entered the park. It turned out that a couple from northern Italy, Lorenzo and Gabriella, had come to hike the Bison Trail! When they couldn’t find any information about it, they came over to meet Lupe and talk to SPHP.
Lorenzo and Gabriella said the Bison Trail leads to a boneyard where 700 hundred bison had died! They wondered where the trail was. SPHP told them to just take the Fossil Loop Trail. Halfway along it they would find the intersection with the Bison Trail. After chatting pleasantly for a few more minutes, off they went.
SPHP was impressed that Lorenzo and Gabriella had travelled so far to see Toadstool Geological Park, but it was time for Lupe to move on. Except for a joy ride N barking at cows and horses, Lupe’s mini-Dingo Vacation in scenic western Nebraska was coming to an end. Minus the cactus on the hike with new friend Jobe Wymore, it had all been great fun!
Maybe Lupe will return some day to camp out at Toadstool Geological Park. Then she can explore the Bison Trail, climb Roundtop, and visit Fort Robson State Park. A stretch of pleasant dry weather during spring or fall would be the best time to be here. In badlands like these, winters are too cold and the summers baking hot!
There’s a little scrambling around on stuff like this on the Fossil Loop Trail, but it’s not hard.
Note: After Lupe returned home, a little online research revealed that the Bison Trail at Toadstool Geological Park probably goes to the Hudson-Meng Education & Research Center. Approximately 120-125 (not 700) bison died at this site around 10,000 years ago.
On a lonely stretch of Hwy 29 in NW Nebraska, someone with a big pack was hiking N. Lupe and SPHP were heading N, too. There was room for one more in the G6 with a little rearranging. Lupe and SPHP stopped across the highway from the backpacker.
Want a ride? Nope, he didn’t! Where are you going? Hiking the Great Plains Trail from Texas to the Canadian Border. Wow, that sounds awesome! Mind if Lupe gets a picture taken with you? No problem, that would be fine! Lupe and SPHP hopped out of the G6, and went across Hwy 29 to meet Luke “Strider” Jordan.
Lupe meets Luke “Strider” Jordan as he is hiking the Great Plains Trail from Texas to Canada. Photo looks N along Hwy 29 in NW Nebraska.
Lupe and SPHP had never heard of the Great Plains Trail before. Luke explained that parts of it were still being put together. He handed SPHP a business card with trail information on it. “The Great Plains Trail – Find a New Adventure! From Canada to Texas, 1800 Scenic Miles, Three National Parks, Three National Monuments, Ten National Forests/Grasslands, Five State High Points, Six State Parks”
Luke had started out on Guadalupe Peak(8,749 ft.), the highest mountain in Texas, (and also the S end of the Great Plains Trail) on Valentine’s Day. The Montana portion of the Great Plains Trail hasn’t been created yet, so Luke was going to hike through western North Dakota to reach the Canadian Border. He expected to get there sometime around May 12th.
This wasn’t the first long distance trail Luke had done. Three years ago he had hiked the entire North Country Trail from central North Dakota to Vermont. Clearly, Luke merited his “Strider” nickname!
Well, since Luke didn’t want a ride, how about a piece of fried chicken, a banana, or a Coke? The Coke sounded good. Yeah, Strider would take a Coke. SPHP retrieved one from the G6 for him.
SPHP gave Strider a phone number for Lupe, too. The Great Plains Trail goes through the Black Hills. If Strider wanted to, when he reached the Black Hills he could spend an evening with Lupe and SPHP, sleep in a bed, use the shower, etc. Maybe Lupe would even join Luke on a stretch of the trail?
After friendly goodbyes and a pat on the head for Lupe, Strider continued N. In the G6, Lupe and SPHP continued N, too.
A Coke was all Strider wanted. Strider didn’t say so at the time, but later on SPHP found out online that he was in the process of making the first through trek of the entire Great Plains Trail anyone has ever made!
About a dozen miles N of where she had left Strider behind, Lupe came to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. SPHP wasn’t sure how dingo-friendly it would be, but decided to take a chance and check it out. At the very least, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument was very wallet-friendly. There was no admission fee!
Lupe reaches Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in NW Nebraska.
Most of the land that is now Agate Fossil Beds National Monument was once part of the Agate Springs Ranch owned by James and Kate Cook. In 1892, Erwin H. Barbour of the University of Nebraska was the first scientist to visit the ranch and examine the strange Devil’s Corkscrews, later recognized as the fossilized burrows of Palaeocastor, an ancient dry land beaver.
Near the entrance to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is the 1.0 mile long Daemonelix Trail, which heads up a hillside to a rocky area where the Devil’s Corkscrews can still be seen. This is the most scenic of two trails at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. However, SPHP was hoping Lupe could do a little peakbagging along the Fossil Hills Trail, which starts 3 miles farther in at the visitor’s center.
Display at the start of the 1 mile long Daemonelix Trail near the monument entrance.
Lupe had to wait in the G6 while SPHP went in to find out if she could climb Carnegie Hill(4,600 ft.), one of two small hills at the end of the Fossil Hills Trail. In the visitor center, there was a pretty cool diorama featuring skeletons of ancient mammals that had lived in this area 20 million years ago.
Part of the diorama featuring skeletons of ancient mammals in the visitor center.
SPHP talked to Ranger Steven Lawlor. Would it be alright if Lupe climbed Carnegie Hill? Ranger Lawlor was a bit hesitant, but said OK with some provisions. They were all very basic rules Lupe had no intention of violating. Lupe had to be on a leash, no collecting or disturbing of rocks, plants or fossils, watch out for rattlesnakes, and don’t fall off any cliffs.
Soon Lupe was on her way (2:23 PM, 66°F). The Fossil Hills Trail is a concrete sidewalk that leads all the way up to Carnegie Hill and nearby University Hill. Lupe liked that. No cactus at all to deal with!
Lupe starting out on the Fossil Hills Trail. University Hill (L) and Carnegie Hill (R), the trail’s destinations, are both in view. Photo looks SSE.The Niobrara River, little more than a good-sized stream here, meanders through the length of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Photo looks SW from a bridge on the Fossil Hills Trail.Getting close! Carnegie Hill (L) and University Hill (R) are just ahead. Photo looks W.
University Hill and Carnegie Hill are very close together. The trail came to University Hill first. It was an easy climb to the top.
Lupe on University Hill. The Fossil Hills Trail circumnavigates Carnegie Hill (R). Photo looks S.On University Hill.
19 or 20 million years ago, this part of Nebraska was somewhat like modern Africa. It was the golden Age of Mammals. Ancient horses, rhinos, sheep, beardogs, hogs, camels and other animals roamed the area. Displays depicting how some of these creatures may have looked are located along the Fossil Hills Trail.After climbing University Hill, Lupe climbed Carnegie Hill from the E.
Lupe on Carnegie Hill. University Hill is seen to the N. Carnegie Hill is the higher of the two, although University Hill had looked higher from back down at the visitor Center.Looking SSE from Carnegie Hill.Another look N at University Hill.
After climbing Carnegie Hill, Lupe and SPHP returned to the trail to complete a circumnavigation of Carnegie Hill. On the way, Lupe came upon a display that intrigued her.
A beardog! That was something to consider. If Lupe hadn’t had the good luck to be a Carolina Dog, maybe she would have liked being a beardog? It sounded almost as scary!
The display was about beardogs that used to live here millions of years ago. Lupe thought that beardogs might have been almost as ferocious and scary as Carolina Dogs are today.
At some point in the Miocene Epoch, the SW side of Carnegie Hill had been the site of a waterhole where herbivores gathered to drink. During droughts, when many animals were forced to congregate here, they had been easy prey for predators.
In August 1904, O.A. Peterson of the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh discovered a great bonebed here. Between 1904 and 1923, scientists from Yale University, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and other institutions also worked at these fossil beds.
Lupe on the SW side of Carnegie Hill where a great bonebed of ancient mammals was once excavated by scientists early in the 20th century.
After completing her circumnavigation of Carnegie Hill, Lupe started on her way back to the G6. It was getting close to 4 PM by the time she arrived (3:43 PM, 66°F). The visitor center was about to close. SPHP went in to see if Ranger Steven Lawlor would consent to having his picture taken with Lupe?
Ranger Lawlor was happy to have a couple photos taken with Lupe, but first gave SPHP a very quick tour. James and Kate Cook, owners of the Agate Springs Ranch, had been friends of Chief Red Cloud. Over time, the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne gave them many gifts. The Cooks eventually donated their impressive collection of authentic Indian artifacts to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.
The Running Water Winter Count on display at the visitor center. Plains Indians used winter counts to keep track of their history, picking one event each winter to stand for the year’s activities. This is a modern winter count created by artist Dawn Little Sky. It shows a chronology of events impacting the lives of James Cook, Chief Red Cloud and the Agate Fossil Beds area.
Lupe and Ranger Lawlor outside the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument visitor center.Getting some love from Ranger Steven Lawlor of the National Park Service.Thanks to Ranger Lawlor, Lupe had gotten to climb Carnegie Hill and University Hill.
After saying goodbye to Ranger Lawlor, Lupe and SPHP left Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Lupe returned to Hwy 29 and headed N to Harrison, Nebraska.
SPHP was hoping Lupe still had time to visit the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point(4,740 ft.) E of Harrison. The Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point is 3.5 miles N of Hwy 20 near the W border of the wilderness area about halfway between Harrison and Crawford, Nebraska. SPHP’s map showed a dirt road leading N from Hwy 20 to the high point.
Although SPHP drove E slowly on Hwy 20 looking for the dirt access road, nothing promising appeared. To complicate matters, the Soldier Creek Wilderness does not border Hwy 20, but is separated from it by private lands ranging from 0.25 to 0.75 mile wide. Looking N from the highway at the vast expanse of remote ridges and valleys, it wasn’t even possible to tell with any precision where the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point was.
Just before Hwy 20 started to lose serious elevation, there was a scenic overlook with a big parking lot on the S side of the highway. Lupe and SPHP pulled in there, so SPHP could take another look at the maps. SPHP was certain Lupe was now E of where the access road should have been.
The maps showed one more possible access route. Cottonwood Road leaves Hwy 20 several miles W of Soldier Creek Wilderness. It goes N and then winds NE to come within 1.5 miles of the wilderness boundary. Maybe it would be possible to get permission to cross the private property? It seemed like a real long shot, but what else was there to do?
Lupe and SPHP drove back W again. SPHP kept looking for an access road to the N, but still saw nothing encouraging. Cottonwood Road was the only reasonable possibility left. It was too late in the day to consider trying anything else.
At least there was a green and white street sign along Hwy 20 when Lupe reached Cottonwood Road. Lupe and SPHP turned N. Soon Lupe was having a field day barking at cows! A huge herd was in the field to the W. They weren’t used to such abuse. The cows mooed as though annoyed, but they didn’t run off.
Cottonwood Road wasn’t all that great. Even though it is a county road, there was little gravel on it. It went N for 1.75 miles, then turned sharply E for a short stretch before winding NE for 1.5 miles. The road slowly deteriorated as it wound along. It was a good thing it wasn’t real wet, or 4WD would have been necessary.
A ranch came into view on the N side of the road. A couple of people were near some buildings. A sign said this was Banners Ranch. Lupe and SPHP stopped in. Lupe stayed in the G6, while SPHP chatted with the old rancher and his son. They knew about the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point, but were perplexed by the notion that any stranger would find it worth coming way out here to see it.
Another 0.5 mile farther E, Cottonwood Road would turn N. At that point, SPHP could park the G6 and go on foot to their neighbor’s ranch, owned by Emery Fox. Mr. Fox owned the land bordering the Soldier Creek Wilderness. SPHP would have to ask for permission to cross his land. A red gate in a fence line was the way to the high point. SPHP thanked the Banners for their help, and returned to Lupe in the G6.
Going E, the road didn’t get any better. At one point the G6 had to go off it entirely to miss a huge mud puddle left by melting snow. SPHP parked the G6 where Cottonwood Road turned N. There wasn’t much choice. A sign at the start of the driveway into the Fox Ranch said “No Unauthorized Vehicles Allowed Beyond This Point”. The sign was hardly necessary. There was no way the G6 would have survived that road.
This was the right place, though. A 12 foot long gently arching metal sign along the fence line said “FOX”. Lupe was on her best behavior leaving the G6 (6:00 PM, 58°F). A whole herd of cows was standing right outside. Lupe didn’t bark once. Good girl! Lupe and SPHP headed E on the Fox’s high-clearance 4WD authorized vehicles only driveway.
Half a mile later, Lupe and SPHP arrived at the Fox Ranch headquarters. The Banners had said there would be two houses. Emery Fox lives in the bigger home to the N farthest up the slope. His son, Evan, lives in the smaller home to the W. Mr. Fox was home. SPHP requested permission to cross his ranch so Lupe could go to the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point.
Emery Fox seemed just as surprised as the Banners had been that anyone would be interested in seeing the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point. He was a quiet, soft-spoken man. Apparently he saw no harm in it, so he gave Lupe permission to go.
Lupe and Emery Fox, owner of the Fox Ranch on the W border of the Soldier Creek Wilderness. Mr. Fox kindly granted Lupe permission to cross his ranch to go see the wilderness high point.Emery Fox’s home and headquarters of the Fox Ranch. Photo looks N.
SPHP’s maps showed a road going S from the Fox’s home that would eventually turn E toward the high point, before turning S again. SPHP could see the road S and intended to take it, planning to just continue E to the high point when the road turned S again.
However, Mr. Fox pointed out two tracks in his field going up a grassy ridge to the ESE. Mr. Fox said to take the track to the left. He also talked about a red gate prior to reaching the high point. SPHP never did fully understand the directions offered by the Banners or Mr. Fox, but not wanting to disobey instructions, Lupe and SPHP headed SE taking the left track up the ridge as Mr. Fox indicated.
SPHP feared that this route was going to take Lupe too far N. There wasn’t enough daylight left to waste too much of it, either. Fortunately, when Lupe reached the top of the ridge, the road (just a pickup truck path through a big field) continued ESE toward another barren ridge with a couple of high points on it. Maybe one of them was the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point? There was also a barren ridge farther S, and one with trees on it to the N, but both seemed too far away to be right.
Lupe and SPHP stayed on the road, except once when Lupe spotted 3 pronghorns. After crossing the ridge, the road slowly lost elevation, eventually coming to a fence at a low point. There wasn’t any red gate, which was a bit disturbing. On the other side of the fence, the road made a short jog to the S going up a little rise before turning ESE again back up on the high ground. The two high points were back in view. The road was heading almost straight for them.
Just a little W of the high points, Lupe reached another fence. This time there was a red gate! Signs also indicated that this was the border of the Soldier Creek Wilderness. On the high point farthest to the SE, a post was sticking up.
Lupe reaches the red gate on the W border of the Soldier Creek Wilderness. The Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point is ahead on the R! Photo looks ESE.
The road continued E skirting to the N of the highest point where the post was sticking up. SPHP left the road heading directly for the post. Lupe, however, didn’t budge from the road. SPHP hadn’t seen any cactus here, but Tenderpaw Lupe wasn’t taking any chances. SPHP had to carry her several hundred feet to the post.
A couple of feet S of the post were some white rocks. Down in the middle of them was a survey benchmark. It said “Summit”. Lupe really was at the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point!
Lupe at the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point. The survey benchmark is hidden among the rocks right behind her. Photo looks ESE.Survey benchmark at the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point.
Although it was getting pretty late in the day, there was time to relax for a few minutes to enjoy Lupe’s success. Only 1.5 hours ago, SPHP had been rather pessimistic about Lupe’s chances of getting here.
Lupe’s luck had held, though! The Banners and Emery Fox had been friendly and helpful. The road going through the pastures to get here had led right to the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point. It was an easy hike, too, all out in the open with very little elevation change over gently rolling terrain. Now that Lupe was here, it all seemed pathetically easy.
Lupe relaxing at the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point. Photo looks S.
Looking SSW.Looking NW back toward the red gate on the W boundary of the Soldier Creek Wilderness.View to the N.
Lupe relaxed at the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point so much that when it was time to leave this remote and peaceful place, she forgot to worry about cactus. She trotted back to the road under her own power.
The sun was going down, but there wouldn’t be any beautiful sunset. Instead the sun sank into a cloud bank on the horizon. It was still a wonderful easy evening trek back to the Fox Ranch HQ.
When Lupe and SPHP reached the top of the ridge SE of Emery Fox’s home, Lupe looked back at the Soldier Creek Wilderness one last time. SPHP now realized it was possible to see both the Fox Ranch HQ and the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point from here.
Looking back to the ESE at the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point from the ridge SE of the Fox Ranch HQ. The high point is just L of the big trees on the R side of this photo. (Taken with telephoto lens.)Lupe on the ridge SE of the Fox Ranch HQ. Photo looks NW.
Emery Fox was waiting for Lupe and SPHP to return. It was his turn to take a picture of Lupe. Mr. Fox and SPHP chatted for a while. Emery’s son, Evan, came along and joined in. Emery said his grandfather homesteaded this ranch in 1905. Emery had been born here, and has lived here all his life.
Back at the red gate, there had been a sign on the fence facing E toward those entering the Fox Ranch. It was about an open fields and waters program. None of the gates in the fences had been closed. SPHP asked about the program.
This Open Fields and Waters Program sign was on the fence next to the Red Gate on the border of the Soldier Creek Wilderness.
Mr. Fox said all of his land was enrolled in the open fields and waters program. (He did not want to talk about how much acreage he owns.) Hunters and fishermen with the proper licenses can legally walk in on his property to hunt and fish in season. Mr. Fox gets some financial reward from the state of Nebraska in exchange for enrolling his property.
Lupe and SPHP weren’t here to hunt or fish, just to pass through on a peakbagging mission. SPHP thanked Mr. Fox and Evan for making Lupe’s success in reaching the Soldier Creek Wilderness High Point possible. Then Lupe and SPHP headed W back to the G6 as stars began to twinkle above (8:01 PM, 50°F).
