It was on to Crawford for another one of those free city park places but remember the previous experience with those pesky coal trains? Well ditto here! So we headed out past the Ft. Robinson State Park complex into the Nebraska National Forest and the Soldier Creek Wilderness for some peace and solitude. Absolutely gorgeous countryside but after 11 miles on a gravel road we found a stream we just could not ford; Pod a little low in the belly, you know! So we turned around and headed back to Ft. Robinson’s rather expensive, right by the highway, limited amenities, and campground. Ah well, it was only for one night.
Next morning we explored the only thing at Ft. Robinson that caught our attention – the Trailside Museum of Natural History, run by the University of Nebraska, specializing in the Clash of the Mammoths. The truth is that we all agreed we really don’t like all the forts and military places because they tend to celebrate the destruction of lives; plus this particular one was the site of horrific Indian battles, the stabbing death of the great Indian leader Crazy Horse, as well as a detention camp for Germans during WWII. Frankly, we find these places kinda spooky. We acknowledge that the Museum also records the loss of life but it was different some how as it was all part of Mother Nature and so many millions of years ago.
The greatest fossil discovery of the1960’s was just north of Chadron. It is of two giant bull mammoths with their tusks locked in mortal combat and is one of the rarest fossils in the world. Scientists find that animals in Nature generally do not battle to the death; it is counterproductive to the continuation of the species. A loser may still live to father offspring another day. What makes this fossil record so rare is that it is the only one in the world to show mammoths having died locked together and is only one of two fossil records worldwide to show any kind of mortal battle frozen in stone. These beasts were huge – 12 and 13 feet respectively and were most probably fighting over breeding rights during the mating season. Having locked their tusks together, when one fell or slipped he pulled the other over and neither could rise without trying to lift the entire weight of the opponent, thus they could only struggle to exhaustion and death. There were other fossils such as rhinos, giant turtles, plus sea nautilus and other ancient sea creatures. The dioramas and records were very educational so the entire museum was a first rate experience.
Off bright and early the next day for the last town in this corner of Nebraska – Harrison. Actually, it is the ONLY town in the entire Sioux County, but it too had a sweet free park and was the gateway to the fascinating Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.
Now I had to do my Pod Protector routine while the Gals did their museum information thing but that was okay by me because I always have sleep to catch up on! This National Monument preserves one of the largest concentrations of prehistoric mammal remains ever found. Some fossils were originally discovered by Agate Springs Ranch owner, James H. Cook in the 1880’s, then extensively worked by his son, Harold and scientists from the University of Nebraska, Yale, the American Museum of Natural History and other institutions over the years. The giant bone bed was a fossilized waterhole discovered in 1904 which contained hundreds of animal skeletons 19 to 20 million years old. The study of these fossils in the early 1900’s was important to the development of the science of paleontology. These studies continue to this day and are helping to answer important questions about the Earth’s past.
All of the animals represented by these fossils are now extinct, but a few relatives and/or descendants are represented today: Parhippus, ancestor of the modern horse; Beardogs, fierce carnivores; Menoceras, a three-toed rhino.
Mysterious creatures such as Moropus, a distant relative of the horse and the rhinoceros, was large, had back legs shorter than the front and appears to have had claws instead of hoofs. Paleocaster, anatomically related to modern beavers, behaved more like modern prairie dogs digging great spiral burrows and nests. These fossilized burrows are called Daemonelix, devil’s corkscrew, and many are still intact in the ancient sandstone.
Well, needless to say, my Ladies could have spent days at this site, but they are always aware and sensitive to my having to stay in a potentially hot Pod. They rescued me in a couple of hours and we went back to Harrison for another relaxing day knowing it was our last time in Nebraska before we headed for exciting times and adventures in the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota.
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