From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel



Day One (Jul 31)

We took off into very strong and gusty winds out of the northwest,
so had mostly headwind all day. This made the rig a bit
squirrely. The corn was bent to 45 degrees at least halfway down
the stalks!

My route took us out on Nebraska 92 through the Two Rivers (Platte
and Elkhorn) Valley, familiar scenery for us. Going on, the
landscape changed to rolling hillsrCogetting a bit more arid as we
continued west on 92 into the edge of the Sandhills. As we
approached St. Paul, the road dropped down into the Loup River
Valley--lovely! From there our westward route turned northwest
and we passed through the towns of North Loup and Ord.

Burwell was the last town we went through; this had been an
overnight stop on BRAN (bicycle ride across Nebraska) when we rode
it on the tandem some 10 years ago, and is home to one of the
biggest rodeos in NebraskarCodefinitely cattle country!

Our campground was on the Calamus Reservoir, clearly catering to
boaters with a good sized lake and designated fish cleaning
stations. We had to hike a bit from our campsite to actually see
the lake. And OMG the flies swarmed us! Even walking at a brisk
pace, there would be 6-9 landing on our legs, arms, backs, heads,
you name it. And they weren't being shy about biting. Yikes!

The campsite was very nice--double wide concrete pad. After
getting all set up I realized that was because it was a
handicapped spotrCoI hadn't realized it when I made the reservation.
We were relaxing a bit before supper when we got a sharp knock at
the door. I thought it was a Game and Parks official come to tell
us we had to move, but it was just another camper (who had liked
the look of our small camper and wondered if he could look
inside). Whew!

The campground was full, but still not cramped. One of the things
I like about state parks is they generally don't pack everyone in
cheek to jowl. Lots of families with lots of kids, but it was
quiet well before 10:00. A nice surprise, especially for a Friday
night!

The campsites were all advertised as "electric plus". I had
thought that might mean water and sewer hookups, but norCoonly
water. I guess the "plus" meant we got a fire ring and picnic
table. Oh well.
--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> Gretna, NE, USA
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From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

On Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:02:41 -0000 (UTC),
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> wrote:

Day One (Jul 31) [snip]

Day Two

Heading out for the Nebraska panhandle, we ran northwest for a
bitrCothen straight north to Basset, where we turned west on US 20.
We had ridden the northward stretch of this on our tandem some 25
years ago; it was the finest ride I've ever had, so it was fun to
see it again. Going west the Sandhills gradually gave way to
different landscapesrCohigher and drier (we gained a couple thousand
feet of elevation on the day). We passed through some of the
gorgeous Pine Ridge region and the Niobrara River, then the buttes
started appearing--with great ridged formations of them as we
approached Fort Robinson (our stay for the night). It was hot
(upper 90s), but the humidity was, as usual for western Nebraska,
quite low so it wasn't all that uncomfortable.

I guess with having seen the Niobrara, Loup, and Platte, you could
call this trip the Nebraska river tour.

After setting up the trailer, we hiked up onto one of the buttes
where we had scattered my mom's ashes a decade ago. The
campground was not even a quarter full, maybe the heat put people
off. The area we were in had almost no trees, so that didn't
help. After hiking we drove into Crawford for some supper. I had a
delicious Reuben sandwich.

Oh, and it took quarters to run the showers. Again. It was $1.50
to get enough time (6 minutes).

https://panix.com/~theise/ftrob_campsite/ https://panix.com/~theise/ftrob_buttes/
https://panix.com/~theise/mom/
--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> Gretna, NE, USA
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From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

On Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:03:35 -0000 (UTC),
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> wrote:

Day Two

Day Three

It was already getting hot by 8 am at Ft. Rob, as expected due to
the heat warning issued (high of 105 or more). Trying to quickly
get set up to depart, it was still almost 10 before we were on the
road. Part of the delay was tank dumping. The station wasn't
marked well on the chintzy campground map and there were no signs,
so I had to ask another camper where it was. When we got there I
had to wait for someone else to finish. Who knows why, but after
he was done dumping he had to continue occupying the space while
he resecured bicycles strapped to the back of his rig! Grr.

Then I got concerned about why the black tank levels weren't going
down (indicator or visual inspection through the toilet). After
some ineffective flushing, I finally realized I'd pulled the gray
tank drain valve handle first by mistake. I'd even seen the gray
tank level indicator had gone to zero bars and thought "Huh,
that's weird". Duh. Once I pulled the right handle, the black
tank drained nicely. I wanted both tanks empty for our main
stop--a primitive campsite in the Snowy Range.

Heading west again on US 20, we passed through Harrison--the last
town before the Wyoming border. It was notable for us because it
had been the starting town for BRAN the first time Kathy and I
rode it on our tandem. Crossing over the state border I laughed
when I saw the speed limit increase from 65 to 70, imagining
Wyoming saying, "hold my beer" when posting the sign.

From there we climbed until hitting Lusk and turning south on
state roads. More climbing followed for the better part of an
hour, then gradual descending until we got to Laramie. From there
it was about an hour west (and lots more climbing) to our
campground at Silver Lake. This was at 10,500 feet with not a
speck of connectivity signal. The small campground was nearly
full, but it was markedly quieter than the state parks we often
stay at. I attributed that in part to the elevation and part to
the absence of services. The temps were great (70s day and 40s at
night) for a delicious respite from the heat and humidity of
eastern Nebraska and the heat of western Nebraska.

After getting set up, we hiked down to the lake and then did the
trail loop around it. We could sure tell the elevation when
exerting ourselves to hike back up to the campground! Supper prep
went fine without the microwave (which I usually make great use
of), but it was late enough when all was said and done that we
forewent a camp fire. I had hooked up the solar panel and with
the last hours of daylight was able to get the battery nearly back
to a full charge.

https://panix.com/~theise/campsite_view/
https://panix.com/~theise/aglake/
https://panix.com/~theise/night-nite/
--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> Gretna, NE, USA
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From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

On Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:56:14 -0000 (UTC),
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> wrote:

Day Three

Day Four

Making the requisite morning coffee without electricity went fine.
I had brought a hand grinder as well as a battery operated one,
and with water boiled on the stove was able to make our camping
coffee with the Aeropress. After breakfast we headed to Saratoga
(a good 40-minute drive west) to pick up a knapsack and a tank of
propane. Checking the tank after several days of very light stove
and hot water use plus an overnight of furnace and refrigerator
use it seemed less than half full (having been full to start the
trip). So with two days and nights of furnace and refrigerator
use to go, I figured I'd better have a backup.

We then packed lunches and headed to the Medicine Bow Peak trail
head--our main hiking objective for the day. Listed as a moderate
to difficult 7-mile loop, it wasn't entirely clear to me it would
be within our capabilities, but I figured if it got too hard we
could always turn back. Shortly after striking out we passed a
trail sign that said 3 miles to the peak, so that was heartening.
The thin air really made for slow going, and after a mile or so we
started encountering extended stretches of rock fall to clamber
through. At 3 miles we came to a T with another trail (marked on
the maps) and continued the rugged hiking and tough ascending. At
4 miles we finally broke out onto a ridge that had a spectacular
view of the lakes far below--lakes that we'd started from on the
other side. We ate our lunches and started toward the
summit--only to be faced with somewhat technical climbing up loose rocks/boulders for the final few hundred feet. Maybe worse for us
with our profound fear of heights was that the climb was really
exposed to a great drop. So we were strongly unified in our
decision to retreat and head back the way we'd come. It was a
tough slog getting back to the trailhead. My legs were wobbly and
my core muscles gave out, so I had to stop frequently to rest.
After we finished I told my wife (a number of times), "Don't
*ever* let me talk you into doing something like that again!

https://panix.com/~theise/medbowpk/
https://panix.com/~theise/upward-bound/
https://panix.com/~theise/viewfromtop/
--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> Gretna, NE, USA
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From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

On 8/12/2026 10:02 AM, Ted Heise wrote:

Day One (Jul 31)

We took off into very strong and gusty winds out of the northwest,
so had mostly headwind all day. This made the rig a bit
squirrely. The corn was bent to 45 degrees at least halfway down
the stalks!

My route took us out on Nebraska 92 through the Two Rivers (Platte
and Elkhorn) Valley, familiar scenery for us. Going on, the
landscape changed to rolling hillsrCogetting a bit more arid as we
continued west on 92 into the edge of the Sandhills. As we
approached St. Paul, the road dropped down into the Loup River Valley--lovely! From there our westward route turned northwest
and we passed through the towns of North Loup and Ord.

Love these reports where I can follow along on google maps. Looks like
a nice area.

Burwell was the last town we went through; this had been an
overnight stop on BRAN (bicycle ride across Nebraska) when we rode
it on the tandem some 10 years ago, and is home to one of the
biggest rodeos in NebraskarCodefinitely cattle country!

Our campground was on the Calamus Reservoir, clearly catering to
boaters with a good sized lake and designated fish cleaning
stations. We had to hike a bit from our campsite to actually see
the lake. And OMG the flies swarmed us! Even walking at a brisk
pace, there would be 6-9 landing on our legs, arms, backs, heads,
you name it. And they weren't being shy about biting. Yikes!

I've been busy on a project but wanted to start responding to your great
trip reports. I had a similar buggy experience last trip, which I hope
to get to reporting. Not so much flies, but other nasty bugs. The
flies biting are almost unbearable for me. Bug spray doesn't help, and
they can ruin an otherwise nice time. When you figure out how to keep
them at bay, please let us know.

The campsite was very nice--double wide concrete pad. After
getting all set up I realized that was because it was a
handicapped spotrCoI hadn't realized it when I made the reservation.
We were relaxing a bit before supper when we got a sharp knock at
the door. I thought it was a Game and Parks official come to tell
us we had to move, but it was just another camper (who had liked
the look of our small camper and wondered if he could look
inside). Whew!

The campground was full, but still not cramped. One of the things
I like about state parks is they generally don't pack everyone in
cheek to jowl. Lots of families with lots of kids, but it was
quiet well before 10:00. A nice surprise, especially for a Friday
night!

The campsites were all advertised as "electric plus". I had
thought that might mean water and sewer hookups, but norCoonly
water. I guess the "plus" meant we got a fire ring and picnic
table. Oh well.

Sounds like a great day one. Thanks
--
Science DoesnrCOt Support Darwin. Scientists Do

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

sticks wrote:

On 8/12/2026 10:02 AM, Ted Heise wrote:

Day One (Jul 31)

We took off into very strong and gusty winds out of the northwest,
so had mostly headwind all day.-a This made the rig a bit
squirrely.-a The corn was bent to 45 degrees at least halfway down
the stalks!

My route took us out on Nebraska 92 through the Two Rivers (Platte
and Elkhorn) Valley, familiar scenery for us.-a Going on, the
landscape changed to rolling hills|ore4rCYgetting a bit more arid as we
continued west on 92 into the edge of the Sandhills.-a As we
approached St. Paul, the road dropped down into the Loup River
Valley--lovely!-a From there our westward route turned northwest
and we passed through the towns of North Loup and Ord.

Love these reports where I can follow along on google maps.-a Looks
like a nice area.

Burwell was the last town we went through; this had been an
overnight stop on BRAN (bicycle ride across Nebraska) when we rode
it on the tandem some 10 years ago, and is home to one of the
biggest rodeos in Nebraska|ore4rCYdefinitely cattle country!

Our campground was on the Calamus Reservoir, clearly catering to
boaters with a good sized lake and designated fish cleaning
stations.-a We had to hike a bit from our campsite to actually see
the lake.-a And OMG the flies swarmed us!-a Even walking at a brisk
pace, there would be 6-9 landing on our legs, arms, backs, heads,
you name it.-a And they weren't being shy about biting.-a Yikes!

I've been busy on a project but wanted to start responding to your
great trip reports.-a I had a similar buggy experience last trip, which
I hope to get to reporting.-a Not so much flies, but other nasty bugs.
The flies biting are almost unbearable for me.-a Bug spray doesn't
help, and they can ruin an otherwise nice time.-a When you figure out
how to keep them at bay, please let us know.

If they're no-see-ums/sand flies/biting midges, or something similar,
the only thing that works over here on the coast is absolute minimum
50% DEET which sorta works. Higher % is better. I've got some 100%
that I use when they're very very bad, and it works better than
anything in history. If the flies are not those tiny little suckers
and 100% doesn't work, I've got no other suggestions. However, since everything is Trump's fault, wearing a T-shirt and a hat that says
IMPEACH TRUMP might work.

The campsite was very nice--double wide concrete pad.-a After
getting all set up I realized that was because it was a
handicapped spot|ore4rCYI hadn't realized it when I made the reservation.
We were relaxing a bit before supper when we got a sharp knock at
the door.-a I thought it was a Game and Parks official come to tell
us we had to move, but it was just another camper (who had liked
the look of our small camper and wondered if he could look
inside).-a Whew!

The campground was full, but still not cramped.-a One of the things
I like about state parks is they generally don't pack everyone in
cheek to jowl.-a Lots of families with lots of kids, but it was
quiet well before 10:00. A nice surprise, especially for a Friday
night!

The campsites were all advertised as "electric plus". I had
thought that might mean water and sewer hookups, but no|ore4rCYonly
water.-a I guess the "plus" meant we got a fire ring and picnic
table.-a Oh well.

Sounds like a great day one.-a Thanks

--
bill
Theory don't mean squat if it don't work.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

On 8/13/2026 12:03 PM, Ted Heise wrote:

Day Two

Heading out for the Nebraska panhandle, we ran northwest for a
bitrCothen straight north to Basset, where we turned west on US 20.
We had ridden the northward stretch of this on our tandem some 25
years ago; it was the finest ride I've ever had, so it was fun to
see it again. Going west the Sandhills gradually gave way to
different landscapesrCohigher and drier (we gained a couple thousand
feet of elevation on the day). We passed through some of the
gorgeous Pine Ridge region and the Niobrara River, then the buttes
started appearing--with great ridged formations of them as we
approached Fort Robinson (our stay for the night). It was hot
(upper 90s), but the humidity was, as usual for western Nebraska,
quite low so it wasn't all that uncomfortable.

Humidity is the key. I agree, I can handle higher temps, if the
humidity isn't that bad. I know the wind seems to always be blowing out
your way. How was it when you were out?

I guess with having seen the Niobrara, Loup, and Platte, you could
call this trip the Nebraska river tour.

I went prairie dog hunting just a little bit north of there with some
buds a few years back just over the border in South Dakota on an Indian reservation. Great country!

After setting up the trailer, we hiked up onto one of the buttes
where we had scattered my mom's ashes a decade ago. The
campground was not even a quarter full, maybe the heat put people
off. The area we were in had almost no trees, so that didn't
help. After hiking we drove into Crawford for some supper. I had a
delicious Reuben sandwich.

You sure gave your mom a view. I love those hiking trails and the view
from up top is great. Lovely place. Hard to believe the campground is
so empty. Maybe the camping thing is wearing off finally for the
newbies after covid?

Oh, and it took quarters to run the showers. Again. It was $1.50
to get enough time (6 minutes).

That is pretty shitty. The last place I took one you had to push one of
those buttons that gave you about 10 seconds before it shut off. But at
least it was free.

https://panix.com/~theise/ftrob_campsite/ https://panix.com/~theise/ftrob_buttes/
https://panix.com/~theise/mom/

Great pics. Thanks
--
Science DoesnrCOt Support Darwin. Scientists Do

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

sticks wrote:

On 8/13/2026 12:03 PM, Ted Heise wrote:

Day Two

Heading out for the Nebraska panhandle, we ran northwest for a
bit|ore4rCYthen straight north to Basset, where we turned west on US 20.
We had ridden the northward stretch of this on our tandem some 25
years ago; it was the finest ride I've ever had, so it was fun to
see it again.-a Going west the Sandhills gradually gave way to
different landscapes|ore4rCYhigher and drier (we gained a couple thousand
feet of elevation on the day).-a We passed through some of the
gorgeous Pine Ridge region and the Niobrara River, then the buttes
started appearing--with great ridged formations of them as we
approached Fort Robinson (our stay for the night).-a It was hot
(upper 90s), but the humidity was, as usual for western Nebraska,
quite low so it wasn't all that uncomfortable.

Humidity is the key.-a I agree, I can handle higher temps, if the
humidity isn't that bad.-a I know the wind seems to always be blowing
out your way.-a How was it when you were out?

I guess with having seen the Niobrara, Loup, and Platte, you could
call this trip the Nebraska river tour.

I went prairie dog hunting just a little bit north of there with some
buds a few years back just over the border in South Dakota on an
Indian reservation.-a Great country!

After setting up the trailer, we hiked up onto one of the buttes
where we had scattered my mom's ashes a decade ago.-a The
campground was not even a quarter full, maybe the heat put people
off.-a The area we were in had almost no trees, so that didn't
help. After hiking we drove into Crawford for some supper. I had a
delicious Reuben sandwich.

You sure gave your mom a view.-a I love those hiking trails and the
view from up top is great.-a Lovely place.-a Hard to believe the
campground is so empty.-a Maybe the camping thing is wearing off
finally for the newbies after covid?

If you're really lucky. We started serious camping around 1970, and
pretty much stopped in the 2000's. We learned pretty quickly that
summer was not the season to camp if we wanted uncrowded camping. Once
we figured that out, nearly all of our camping occurred after Labor
Day and before Memorial day.

Apparently that hasn't changed much: ----------------------------------------------------
Summer is the classic camping season. Kids are out of school, lakes
are warm enough to swim in, and you donrCOt need to pile on layers like yourCOre dressing for an arctic expedition. Everything about summer
camping is simplerrCoexcept the crowds.
Why Summer Is the Most Popular

Longest daylight hours of the year
Warm evenings and easy sleeping temps
Perfect for swimming, kayaking, and fishing
Less gear required for comfort

If you have kids or beginners with you, summer is usually the least complicated season for a successful trip.
Summer Drawbacks

Crowded campgrounds (especially weekends)
Mosquitoes, ticks, fliesrCobasically a small kingdom of things
trying to bite you
Hot, humid weather in many states
Harder to keep food cool without packing half a convenience
storerCOs worth of ice

ItrCOs the best season for convenience and activities, but the worst for finding calm, quiet campsites.
...
When experienced campers are asked about the best time of year, fall
wins almost every time. You get the comfort of summer without the
heat, the beauty of spring without the mud, and the calm that comes
when crowds thin out.

Why Fall Is the Champion Season

Cool, stable weather ideal for hiking and sleeping
Virtually no bugs after early fall
Campgrounds dramatically less crowded
Peak sceneryrCoarguably the best of the year
Ideal campfire season

Fall hits the perfect middle ground: warm days, cool nights, great
colors, and very little hassle.
Fall Drawbacks

Shorter daylight hours
Nights can get cold fast, especially in northern states
Sudden storms and early cold fronts are common
Some campgrounds close early in higher elevations

Still, even with those downsides, this is the most comfortable mix of
weather and solitude yourCOll find
------------------------------------------

Oh, and it took quarters to run the showers.-a Again.-a It was $1.50
to get enough time (6 minutes).

That is pretty shitty.-a The last place I took one you had to push one
of those buttons that gave you about 10 seconds before it shut off.
But at least it was free.

https://panix.com/~theise/ftrob_campsite/
https://panix.com/~theise/ftrob_buttes/
https://panix.com/~theise/mom/

Great pics.-a Thanks

--
bill
Theory don't mean squat if it don't work.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2