May 20, 8:00 a.m.
Until Ron built the Plattepus I, I don’t think the boat existed that could navigate the North Platte River between Henry and Bridgeport. He’s gone under fences, around diversion dams, over diversion dams, and kept moving in water shallow enough to leave my ankles high and dry.
His shoulders are sore, his hands are blistered, but he’s smiling. Last night he told Sheila and me about coming around a corner in the river to find the riverbed entirely blocked by cows, something that struck him as being an authentically Nebraskan experience.
At another point on the river he wished he’d had the camera with him to capture the image of a herd of multi-colored cows on deep green grass, a flock of geese flying low over the river, and Chimney Rock in the background of it all. He’d left the camera with us so we could get pictures of him along the way. It won’t replace the missing cow/geese/Chimney Rock picture – but some of the pictures we took of him and the rest of our day are posted here.
As someone who grew up enjoying rivers and using them as roadways, it is surprising to Ron that no one seems to expect that anybody will use the North Platte River, and because they don’t expect any river travelers, there are no signs announcing the upcoming presence of a dam, and no markers to make the fence wires visible. Then again, one of the hallmarks of adventure is the lack of hints for what’s ahead.
Until Ron built the Plattepus I, I don’t think the boat existed that could navigate the North Platte River between Henry and Bridgeport. He’s gone under fences, around diversion dams, over diversion dams, and kept moving in water shallow enough to leave my ankles high and dry.
His shoulders are sore, his hands are blistered, but he’s smiling. Last night he told Sheila and me about coming around a corner in the river to find the riverbed entirely blocked by cows, something that struck him as being an authentically Nebraskan experience.
At another point on the river he wished he’d had the camera with him to capture the image of a herd of multi-colored cows on deep green grass, a flock of geese flying low over the river, and Chimney Rock in the background of it all. He’d left the camera with us so we could get pictures of him along the way. It won’t replace the missing cow/geese/Chimney Rock picture – but some of the pictures we took of him and the rest of our day are posted here.
As someone who grew up enjoying rivers and using them as roadways, it is surprising to Ron that no one seems to expect that anybody will use the North Platte River, and because they don’t expect any river travelers, there are no signs announcing the upcoming presence of a dam, and no markers to make the fence wires visible. Then again, one of the hallmarks of adventure is the lack of hints for what’s ahead.
1 comment:
Ron this is Chris Webb from the Connection GIVE HER HELL RON and GOOD LUCK and remember that Prayer
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