SWE 08
This posting on the SWE 08 was initially written in Word, as was the previous posting, and I have attempted several times to copy it into lj but for some reason all I get is garbage when I try. So I am now typing it out for a second time and am very disgruntled with the process at this time and am considering writing the rest of the "trip notes" out by hand and placing them in the snail mail system to all but no one would be able to read them (which might be preferred). After leaving Eastern Nebraska we headed up to the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey NE. The National Forest is located right off of State Rt. 2 and besides being a "place to camp" it is a tree nursery and, at times, training ground for the local "Storm Troopers". At least I think they may be "Storm Troopers" disguised as an ATV club dedicated to ATV rescue. We arrived on Friday morning and set up the camper on a hill surrounded by ponderosa and jack pine trees, young trees not more that twenty to thirty years old. Through out the day there was constant ATV activities: going up the hill, going down the hill, waving at the campers from Indiana; going up the hill, going down the hill, ignoring the campers from Indiana. The ATV's were driven by middle aged fat, white men and women and by middle aged fat, white children. Apparently all of the weeks activities were over and now it was just time to relax and drive aimlessly about the camp grounds running off any and all local wild life.
As soon as we finished setting up the sky became overcast and dark with rain clouds, the temperature dropped and as I was cooking supper over the camp fire it started to rain. It rained for the rest of the night along with thirty to fifty mile an hour winds and hail, followed by trains.
No it did not rain trains they just rolled by the camp ground every half hour throughout the night. One hundred car long coal trains coming out of Wyoming passing within about an eighth of a mile from where we were set up. DOT regs call for a train to sound it's horn at every crossing, there are two at the entrance of the Halsey National Forest; four blasts, one long two shorts and one long, all night long punctuated by thunder and towards morning coyotes yapping, obviously upset by the passing trains.
In the morning it cleared up, the wind dropped and the "Storm Troopers" started their morning rounds just as I was starting to fall asleep. They would greet each other by sounding their horns, one long two short and one long. As soon as the camper died out we made a run for it followed by several ATV's looking for someone to rescue. With blood shot eyes we were looking forward to camping along the Niobrara river up near Valentine..