Valentine

I drove over to the Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge at first light - which is getting later and later each morning. I could live without the extra two weeks of daylight savings time. Actually, I could live without daylight savings time entirely, but that is another story. This refuge features a couple of short hikes, and some gravel roads that criss-cross the grasslands of the refuge. A herd of 350 Bison roam the refuge. I took the Fort Falls 0.8 mile loop trail. The falls was nice, but had accumulated debris that marred its aesthetic appeal. The trail parallels the Niobrara river for a time, and a few white-tail deer waded through the river and scampered up a hill. That would end up being one of my only wildlife sightings all day. Chad and Christie at the refuge office suggested that I drive down to the Valentine NWR (which was on my agenda anyway) and also check out McKelvie Forest. I sketched out a loop route that would accomplish this itinerary.

These days have started out chilly, but warm up fast once the sun rises. Highs are still in the 70s, which they should not be in the middle of October in the Heartland. Chad had recommended Hackberry lake at the Valentine NWR , which he said housed a pair of trumpeter swans and should also be home to migratory waterfowl. The lake is reached via a 9 mile gravel road that winds through the refuge. While the wildlife was elusive - others confirmed the unexpected dearth of migratory waterfowl - this was more than compensated by the stunning scenery. While stark - hectares of grassland dotted with stands of trees around the many small lakes and streams - the grasses are a complex palette of color and texture.

This refuge is situated in the, one of the largest plant-anchored sand dune regions in the world and the largest sand dune formation in the Western Hemisphere. The Sandhills region was formed after the great inland sea which once covered Nebraska receded. The dunes sit atop the Ogallala Aquifer, resulting in thousands of little lakes and ponds in lower-lying areas. I took another 2 mile out and back hike out to the fire tower, which you can climb partway up for a bird’s eye view. The wind was kicking up again.

The plan was then to drive west to McKelvie National Forest . I drove along the southern border for a while but never found a way in. I’m still not sure if there is an official entrance, but my GPS kept directing me to dirt roads. The first one became a flooded muddy mess a few hundred feet in. I decided that was not a good plan, even with 4-wheel drive - and turned around. The second led up into the hills for miles. I passed a house and was not clear if I was on private property. I turned around and decided that the forest would have to wait for another trip. I decided to head back up north to try the Niobrara NWR and overlook again.

The refuge was a bust, so I drove up the road the the scenic overlook. As I entered the half mile gravel road leading to the top of the hill, there were the bison, a group of a dozen or so, including bulls, cows and calfs. I stopped well away and started shooting standing on the running board of my vehicle. Predictably several cars arrived soon after and, of course, drove right up to the bison so they could shoot with their phones. In my opinion, they were way too close. These bison are obviously used to human presence, but I would not want to tangle with any of them, especially the bulls. On car managed to edge past and then, predictably got stuck trying to come back. Another became impatient and made a 37 point turn to get back to the main road. The third just blocked the road and the view for a while and I had to shoot around them. I will encapsulate the problem as human arrogance and phones. I can only imagine what this area must be like during the summer travel season. I did capture some images of the bison, but even the late afternoon was cloudless and the light was harsh. Hopefully I’ll have some more chances at bison in the next few states.

I eventually did make it up the the viewpoint, which was not any better in the harsh light. A couple of the other cars had also stopped and I spoke with them for a while. It did not change my opinion of their actions.

Tomorrow I continue west to Scottsbluff.

Additional images are found in the Gallery .