Dispatch 12: Lake Ogallala, Nebraska to Edgemont, South Dakota

This morning, we rode across the dam for Lake McConaughy. To our right was 30,000 surface acres of water. It was an unbroken plane of blue, and I have to say, the view was alright, alright, alright. To our left, we could see last night’s campground. Jerod and I talked over our helmet comms. We agreed that it’s unnerving to sleep next to a wall of earth with an immense amount of water pushing against it. 

We sat down at the Oregon Trail Trading Post in Lewellen, Nebraska, for over-easy eggs, hash browns, bacon, and one biscuit. It’s my go-to breakfast on this trip, and we needed the calories as we rode into the Sandhills of Nebraska. The dunes bubble across the landscape. Short prairie grass grows on the rolling hills, helping stabilize the grainy soil. The dirt roads are loose, sandy, and incredibly difficult to ride. We rode 40 miles of this unforgiving surface, wrestling our heavy machines the entire way.

We rode through Alliance and stopped at Carhenge, a replica of Stonehenge but with gray painted cars. I’ve never been to Stonehenge, but I know there’s a bit of mystery of why and how? Carhenge evokes that same sense of wonder. 

We rode through the Pine Ridge National Recreation Area. The contrast was abrupt as we went from the Sandhill prairies to the towering pines,dramatic bluffs, and rock spires of the Nebraska National Forest. 

We passed through the Oglala National Grasslands as the sun started to set. We entered South Dakota under the night sky and rode an expected section of dirt all the way into Edgemont. We grabbed a quick burger at the Yesway convenience store in Edgemont and climbed into the Black Hills National Forest in search of dispersed camping. Jerod got stuck on a loose climb, and I dismounted to give him a push. It was around 10 p.m., and everything outside beyond headlights was pitch black. When I remounted and started the climb, I got off center and dropped 600 pounds worth of motorcycle. Jerod helped me upright my steed, and we proceeded to our camp along Red Canyon. It was midnight before I crawled into my sleeping bag, exhausted but elated for what the morning light would reveal.