By Bill Ashworth, Trip Coordinator
For probably the 10th consecutive year, hardy paddlers from RMCC canoed the Niobrara in North Central Nebraska at Memorial Day. A typical trip in most regards (lovely campground, gorgeous river canyon, flowing waterfalls, SOME rain) we did have unusually high water. The historical average for this weekend is about 900 cfs and the historical high (2015) was about 1900 cfs. We saw about 2500 cfs on Saturday and Sunday. Despite the regional flooding seen this spring (the Niobrara hit 6000 in March), we saw little evidence of flood damage and our paddle at 2500 cfs was speedy but uneventful.
Our 15 paddlers launched from the Cornell Bridge without incident but some of the group missed the Fort Falls hike while assisting a capsize. In a first – a buffalo was spotted on the NORTH bank in the Ft Niobrara National Wildlife Reserve. Not incidentally, this was near the Buffalo Bridge (hey, they have to get across somehow). Saturday’s fair weather extended into the evening campfire but Sunday morning saw an overcast and light intermittent rain until early afternoon. A REALLY fierce wind had all the boats in thrall around the Big Cedar Springs Falls curve and some could not make headway and landed early for the hike to the Falls. We took out again at Sunnybrook Camp who’s nice staff and reasonable rates ($4/boat landing fee and $5/car parking fee) continue to stand in sharp contrast to Rocky Ford Camp just down the river. Avoid Rocky Ford Camp!
Anticipating rain, the group had its Sunday night potluck under the camp shelter. Excellent cuisine as always.
Besides the buffalo sighting, the usual wildlife suspects were observed (eastern kingbirds, goldfinches, swallows, Canada geese, boat-tailed grackles on the bridges, kingfishers, bald eagles, mergansers). And in another first, we observed a cattle drive across either the Brewer Bridge or County Line Bridge. None of the cows were licensed drivers however and so were walking.
Heeding the thunderstorm warnings along the I-76 corridor, some of us came home Monday via Chadron, Scottsbluff, and Cheyenne. Everyone made it home safe but there was a tornado on the ground near Ft Morgan mid-afternoon.
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