We headed north out of Sidney, NE toward a couple attractions on the Oregon Trail.
First stop, Chimney Rock and the first hint of anything beyond a rolling hill.
This is a geological formation that marked the route to the Oregon Trail. Travel south of this point, and you'll add many miles to the journey. To the north are the impassable Badlands.
This formation could be identified from miles away.
A 30 minute drive to the west is Scott's Bluff Pass.
This was the only available route through the area. Although only a 30 minute drive, it was two day's travel for the pioneers from Chimney Rock to this pass.
South of the pass is a ridge that would have been impossible for a wagon to cross. The formation to the left is known as the Capitol Dome.
The park service maintains a road to the summit of Scott's Pass. There are vehicle size restrictions on the road and our unit just qualified to use the road. The park service provides a free shuttle bus to the summit so I opted to use their fuel and brake pads.
From the top looking north over the Platte River valley.
Along the rocky ledge of the north side of the summit.
The vistas are infinite. This view looks east back toward Chimney Rock which is just barely visible on the horizon at left center of the frame. The hiking trail to the summit is visible in the center right. It was closed (darn it) due to a rock slide.
We moved south from Scott's Bluff and found an RV park at a bison ranch just south of Cheyenne, WY. The campgrounds in the area are all full for tonight and tomorrow so we'll sit tight for a day and let the weekenders clear out of the woods on Sunday and head toward Estes Park, CO and the Rocky Mountain National Park. We can see snow on the mountains from here and are looking forward to ditching this 90 degree heat of the plains.
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