On our recent visit to Nebraska, we decided to venture the 35 miles north of Scottsbluff once again to the barren landscape of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. The weather, being decidely better this go-round, afforded us the opportunity to hike one of the two trails at the site.
No birds were killed on this latest foray near Harrison, NE, but the brisk wind of a cool January afternoon promised us that at the very least, there'd be no rain this time. We ventured back into the visitor center, where the NPS ranger announced that we, along with the other couple browsing the displays, were the only visitors of the day thus far. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is one of the Top 5 Least Visited Monuments in the National Park System, averaging a meager 12,000 visitors per year (Alibates Flint Quarries - previously mentioned - receives only 2,000 tourists per year). The ranger was so starved for contact that he asked Matt for his advice on camera angles for an upcoming brochure shoot. (By the way....definitely the shot through the window of the dinosaur skeletons framing the Excavation Hills in the distance)
The elderly pair inquired about the trails through the monument. Equipped with a cane, the old man asked if he could easily traverse the trails, to which the ranger answered affirmatively..."Yes - this is an easy hike. You will have no problem".
Lies! All lies!!
We heard the Excavation Hill Trail described as a "Nature Walk" and decided to take the one mile round trip Daemonelix Trail instead. This was also described as "easy" and passed by fossils of the ancient burrowing mammal along the route.
Instead of gravel or hard packed dirt, the trail above was a soft mish-mash of red stone dust. Each step resulted in sinking down into the mud. I envisioned the elderly man taking two steps with his cane and getting stuck like Willy Wonka making his grand entrance, sticking in place, and causing Grandpa to tumble ass first into the crimson mud.
The climb gained steady elevation, which made our lungs burn in the cold January air, but ultimately proved invigorating at the end. The helix shaped fossils of the Daemonelix are easily spotted throughout the rock bluffs on the one mile trail, which at the apex provides the hiker with a pristine fossil over 35 million years old of this small prehistoric animal. Paleontologists believe these small creatures lived in packs, much like prairie dogs, creating throughout the hard rock a virtual ant farm.
To be sure, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is not a shining star in the NPS system, but our second visit helped our perspective of the site better and allowed us to experience the excavation sites, bringing the site's importance back to light. We are not fans usually of repeat visits, but this one helped the site..........a little.
4/10
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