Platte Basin Autumn
Photos and story by Jare Godfrey
This past autumn, as my time in nursing school
came to a close, I was blessed to have a month
free from responsibilities. I planned to use this
time revisiting my hometown of North Platte and to
build a small portfolio of landscape images, strictly
along the Platte rivers bordering this small city. I
am no greenhorn when it comes to exploring these
rivers; much of my childhood was spent wandering
along their banks with my best friend, Chelsey, the
Chow.
The 26 years that I had lived in North Platte
usually consisted of my daily pilgrimage to one of
the rivers for a walkabout, beginning with yoga
on a large rock overlooking the South Platte, hot
summer days spent tubing down the North Platte,
or swimming at the spot I affectionately dubbed
"the bathtub." Many of my fondest memories
involve these rivers, and the beauty to be found
here is quite inspiring. Yes, I knew these rivers
well, but I have been away for some time.
Much has changed since I called this city home,
although the rivers remain strong and beautiful
as ever, continuing as two of the many arteries
delivering water from the Rocky Mountains to
these United States, through the Missouri and
Mississippi rivers, leading finally into the ocean.
To the untrained eye, this stretch of the Platte
may seem to be nothing more than a chaotic
juxtaposition of sand, wood, rock and water. We
A burned root system comes to
rest along the shores of the Platte
River near North Platte.
NOVEMBER 2016 • NEBRASKAland 41
