I was so excited this morning to take Noelle and Sierra over to Scotts Bluff National Monument to hike the Saddle Rock Trail. After breakfast, we packed a day pack and made the short drive to the monument. We parked the car and hit the trail, excited to see some of the best scenery of Nebraska's Panhandle.
A sign near the trailhead warns of rattlesnakes,
but being January, we have little risk of seeing the venomous serpents. Sierra was excited to be out exploring and ran ahead on the trail.
It was a chilly morning, but at least it wasn't windy (at least not yet).
We passed Scott's Spring and rested at a bench
before the trail started to climb in earnest.
Soon we were approaching the tunnel through Saddle Rock.
We went through the tunnel
and enjoyed the view from the other side.
If we were quiet, we could even hear prairie dogs in the meadow far down below.
Soon we started switchbacking steeply up the bluff.Then we found ourselves at Saddle Rock.
Sierra rested on a rock there,
before we followed a section of trail that traversed a narrow ledge.
Sierra thought the "pipy concretions" of limestone were interesting.
As we approached the summit of the bluff, pondersosa pines became more numerous.
There were lots of views out across the prairie to Dome Rock
and other points of interest.
We enjoyed the views from the different overlooks and then stated to descend back towards the trailhead.
It was a fast hike as we made a our way down.
By the time we were back at the car, the wind had picked up quite a bit. We were glad to have finished the hike when we did. Still, I would say this has to be one of the most interesting hikes in Nebraska!
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