 |
| "MITCHELL PASS" by William Henry Jackson |
At the end of a recent trip to Wyoming, I decided to ramble
over to western Nebraska and investigate Scotts Bluff National Monument. I have
a couple of short works in progress set in the area and needed to see and smell
it for authenticity’s sake.
Scotts Bluff, named for a fur trader who died at its base,
is actually a chain of sandstone/limestone rock formations covering 3,000 acres
and towering 800 feet above the North Platte River. It’s a spot rich in
history. From 1860 to 1861, Pony Express riders thundered by every ten days or so.
Between 1841 and 1869, some 350,000 people traveling the Oregon Trail squeezed through Mitchell Pass–with only sixty feet
of clearance– in the shadow of majestic Eagle Rock, the southernmost peak of
the bluffs. Westbound pioneers would have seen the pale hulk of Scotts Bluff
for days before they reached it. It was an important landmark; it meant that
they were a third of the way to Oregon and the prairie was about to give way to
mountain ranges.
It’s interesting to note that Mormon emigrants traveled and
camped on the opposite, northern bank of the Platte, to avoid unpleasant
encounters with those who opposed them. For that reason, the Mormon Pioneer
Trail parallels the Oregon Trail for much of its length.
 |
| 'THE HILL THAT IS HARD TO GO AROUND" |
Of course, the Native American tribes in the area had known
about Scotts Bluff for a long time, although they may have had mixed feelings about
its significance. Their name for it was “Me-a-pa-te,” or “hill that is hard to
go around!”
Scotts Bluff has been managed by the National Parks Service
since 1919. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed an access road during
the 1930s. The drive to the top of the bluffs is dramatic, beginning with a
lazy arc across the plains, then rising steeply through outcroppings and
passing through three tunnels carved in the sandstone cliffs. (I recommend that
you postpone enjoying the breathtaking view of the plains until after you’ve
negotiated the switchbacks and are safely parked at the top!)
Hiking trails allow visitors a closer look at geological
features and vegetation. Numerous overlooks afford sweeping views of the plains
and another rocky area known as the Badlands, lesser to those located in South
Dakota. The Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center, located at the park
entrance, provides a wealth of historical and scientific resources, along with
some gorgeous oil paintings by noted Western artist William Henry Jackson.
While it’s always fascinating to walk in the footsteps of
our pioneer forefathers, sometimes the line between present and past feels
mysteriously blurred. As I hiked up the rocky trail to the overlook, I stopped
to take pictures of a determined little pine tree that had contorted itself
into existence in the rocky ground. As its branches swayed in the wind, I heard
what sounded like a faraway song…but only for a few seconds. As the breeze
ebbed, I heard it again and, this time, it sounded like a chant––a Native American chant.
I was sure I’d become weak-minded from altitude sickness,
but just as I gave up on hearing the chants, they drifted by once more. I crawled
up on a flat boulder and looked eastward down into the valley. I saw a grouping
of buildings next to a large grassy park, roughly the shape of a baseball
field. It was packed with people…and, even at that distance, I could see that
most of them gathered in a circle. The chants drifted up again. A pow wow!
 | |
Later, I drove past the Legacy of the Plains Museum and
confirmed that my first visit to the summit of Scotts Bluff had coincided with
the closing ceremonies of the Lakota tribe’s Circle the Bluffs Pow Wow, or wacipi, as the natives call it. How
lucky can a writer girl be?
Of course, I left with an overflowing well of inspiration. While
I do all my writing from a converted bedroom office in the southeastern United
States (at least, for now), I try to make the most of trips out west. Stories
emanate from the land and the people of a place. I take hundreds of pictures,
talk to locals, and drive down backroads. I have learned the hard way how to identify roads on
the map that peter out into gravel. I’ve been known to sneak pine cones and
bags of rocks into my carry-on bags. You do what you have do to make the West
come alive in your writing!
 |
| MODEL OF AN OXEN-POWERED PRAIRIE SCHOONER (EAGLE ROCK) |
Learn more about Scotts Bluff National Monument at www.nps.gov/scbl.
All the best,
Vonn
Vonn McKee
“Writing the Range”
“Writing the Range”
FIND VONN ON FACEBOOK
2015 WWA Spur Finalist (Short Fiction)
2015 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Finalist (Short Fiction)
2015 WWA Spur Finalist (Short Fiction)
2015 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Finalist (Short Fiction)
