By Kurt E. Kinbacher,
Local Cyclist
If you have concerns that there are no wide-open spaces in America anymore, then this is the ride you need. It runs due north out of Chadron, and I like to ride when the winds are from the north or northwest. This is truly the high plains as it runs through grasslands and has great vistas.
North Main Street turns into Ormesher Road at the edge of town, and this out and back ride can be as short as you want it to be. To the White River and back is about 15 miles, to the South Dakota line and back is about 27 miles, and to Highway 18 in South Dakota and back is about a metric century. It passes through ranchland – most of it fenced – on the Nebraska side and into the Buffalo Gap National Grassland at the state line. The elevation gains and losses are not dramatic, but a couple of the hills are steep enough to seem long. There is a 200-foot climb right outside of town, a rolling descent to the White River Valley, a climb to the state line and a little beyond, then it is generally a downgrade to Highway 18. Traffic tends to be light, and the road is usually in pretty good shape. On the way home, the steepest climb is the last one, and it is affectionately known as “the mother of all hills.”
The highlight of this ride is usually the variety of wild and domestic animals along the way. There are, of course, cattle out there, but there is also a rancher raising bison on the north side of the White River. The herd is not usually near the road, but when it is the landscape seems primeval.
On the wild side, meadowlark sightings are ubiquitous most of the riding season, startling ruffled grouse out of the roadside ditches is a common event, and on good day, wild turkeys, mule deer, pronghorns, and white tail deer can all be spotted. There is a dogleg to the west at the river that traverses some beautiful bottom land, then another dogleg back to the north a half mile later. At that point, there is an expansive Prairie Dog town that sprawls on both sides of the road. Look forward to a good scolding.
The reward for riding this route on windier days is the raptors come out to play. Both bald and golden eagles make occasional appearances as do peregrine falcons. More commonly, merlins, kites, kestrels, and several species of hawks, grace the skies. Once in a blue moon, a big owl stays up past its bed time.
Out and back rides do look and feel different on the way home, and you get the added bonus of the tailwind on the way in. I never get tired of this ride. There is something new to see every time.
Photos courtesy Kurt E. Kinbacher