NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/498175
26 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2015 Area (SRA) to do some fishing and hiking. So when we reached Long Pine, I led us off the trail and took Main Street north through town. Jim and I bought fresh strawberries at Anderson's Market. Dave Harlan pulled into the parking lot and told us that we were welcome to use the Crew Quarters Bunkhouse to shower that evening. Leaving Long Pine, we turned left onto Eighth Street and took the winding road down to the SRA. Having set up camp, Larry was there waiting for us at the bottom of the hill at the bridge. He helped us with our bikes as we hopped over the railing to reach the campground. We would've had to ride over a steep hill and around to enter through the park's entrance if Larry had not found this short cut. Unfortunately, Verna had to leave us that afternoon to prepare for BRAN. Out of 11 riders that started out in Norfolk, only five would make it to the end. Camp at Long Pine SRA was picturesque with abundant wildlife, thick pine trees and a cold, fast-flowing crystal clear stream. Songbirds of all colors visited our camp, while curious turkeys lingered nearby. I pitched up my tent over soft spring grass and felt relieved to know that we didn't have to ride the next day. Jim made a makeshift clothesline under the picnic shelter to hang our smelly bike shorts. Bob took out some Spam and crackers, which Jim and I devoured because we were so hungry. Carine decided to pass on the snack and fell asleep under the sun in her comfy camp chair instead. Larry took us to the bunkhouse in town to shower before dinner. That evening, Larry cooked a wonderful dinner of grilled steak, beans and stir fried potatoes. We expressed our thanks for the great meals we had, for surprisingly good weather and for all the beautiful Nebraska sights we had seen, including our "gem" of a camp at Long Pine SRA. We fell asleep in our tents to the babbling of the creek just 10 feet away. Wednesday, May 21: Rest Day in Long Pine The smell of campfire smoke woke me. Jamie, who arrived early that morning, was preparing coals for a Dutch oven breakfast when I popped my head out of the tent. She made us biscuits and sausage gravy, which hit the spot. We spent most of the morning and afternoon around camp. Larry caught some brown trout out of the creek, while Jamie gave us a small lesson on the biodiversity and ecology of Long Pine Creek. We savored our rest by the campfire before heading out to Keller Park SRA to do some fishing that late afternoon. Commission staff at the Bassett office were there to greet us. We can never thank them enough for feeding us that night, grilled venison dogs with all the sides and fixings. Following dinner, we hiked out to the ponds at A (SRA) t d fi hi d c o t n V p s m p t c c t In Johnstown, Bachmann, Kropatsch and Carine Stava stop in to visit with Ruth Trobee, the owner of the L-Bow Room. They savored ice-cold cream sodas and munched on fried snacks while Ruth gave a brief history of the building.