June 2021 • Nebraskaland 47
own way.
After the fi rst 3½ miles, we encountered King Canyon
Road — the fi rst of four county roads that the trail intersects.
We took a break and adjusted the straps on our packs. They
were too loose at the top and causing the weight to tug at our
shoulders like a poorly designed harness. The adjustments
made remarkable diff erence in balance and made us wish we
had done it sooner.
After another 4 miles, we crossed U.S. Highway 385 and
entered Chadron State Park. The timing was right to meet
Cricket and our daughter, Kiera, for lunch under the Lagoon
Shelter. The park is certainly the most comfortable attraction
along the route, and trail users should plan to spend some
time there.
Only the park's horses are allowed in the park, so with
horseback riders in consideration the offi cial trail courses to
the Outrider Trailhead. It is about one-third of a mile north
of the park along the highway, and has corrals and other
amenities for the equestrian crowd. From there the trail circles
Chadron State Park's southern border. Hikers and cyclers,
however, have the option to enter the park's extensive trail
system and hook up with the Pine Ridge Trail from a number
of outlets — certainly convenient, but potentially confusing.
We hopped on the Norwesca Trail behind the park's duplex
cabins and followed it to an intersection with the Pine Ridge
Trail at the park's southwest corner.
This is when the hike started getting tough for this short-
legged, middle-aged man. With the afternoon heat and the
stifl ing air among the trees, the steep climb from the park to
the ridge above was brutal. Once at the top, a windmill with
a full stock tank was a welcome sight. We used a fi ltering
system to drink the cold water coming from the pipe and
dunked our heads in the tank. It was a glorious pit stop.
Water is one of the most important considerations for a trip
such as this. Carry too much and you become weighed down.
Carry too little and you become dehydrated. It was especially
With thunderstorms fast approaching both nights of the journey, the hikers set up tents in a hurry.
