We don’t even drive 80mph

























Yesterday we had a short drive up to Chimney Rock near Gering NE.  It was an easy drive and we stopped at the visitor center which is only open Sat and Sun.  We took a few picks and stopped at a nice mom and pop campground which is just down the road.  They have been in business for 22 years and have a nice view of the rock from every site.  


After Chimney we drove up to Scottsbluff National Monument.  This is a cool spot on the Oregon Trail where the trail diverted from the Platte River and went uphill.  We checked out the exhibits and learned we couldn’t drive to the top with the trailer.  Learning this, we brought the rig over to Papa Moon Winery and Cider to drop it off.  We chalked the tires, unhooked and went back.  $119 in diesel and a few snacks and we were back on the road.  


The drive to the top was worth it, the views were great.  The wind was really picking up and we could see storm clouds on the horizon.  We drove back through the downtown of Scottsbluff and found a Black Rifle Coffee dealer.  We went in and picked up another bag.  


Back at Papa Moon, we visited the tasting room and had great conversations and cider.  Of the 8 ciders there was not one that we didn’t like.  I think we hung out for almost 2 hours talking with the owners and other guests.  The bramble, margarita, original and mango habanero are tops.  The pineapple mixed with the jalapeño is also a good choice.  


We leveled out the rig after tasting and hooked the truck back up.  The wind was gusty from the south at about 25, but we were good to go.  At about 7:30, it was like a giant hit the side of the trailer from the west.  The wind closed several windows and filled the trailer with dust and debris from the ones that remained open.  


A 17’ long aluminum canoe blew out of a drainage nearby and wound up spinning on the grass behind the trailer.  I went out and put down stabilizers.  That didn’t really help, the trailer blew off a set of leveling blocks.  We decided to make a move about the time our hosts called and told us to move up by the house.  


Long story short, everything is covered in dust and we were parked on a decent incline, but we were mostly sheltered from the wind.  Sustained winds were at 48mph and gusted to 82.  We haven’t seen anything like this.  Our host Ryan has lived here his whole life and never experienced anything like it.  The dust cloud was unreal.  20’ visibility with HE LED lights.   

It got stayed windy all night and got cold.  To top things off, it just started snowing.  90 yesterday and 35 this morning.  

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