Ever wonder what it's like to conquer the captivating 1.6-mile Saddle Rock Trail in Western Nebraska? Strap on your virtual hiking boots and join me as I undertake this adventurous journey, starting from the Visitor Center, winding through the scenic valley, penetrating a remarkable hand-dug tunnel, and finally, standing atop the iconic Scotch Bluff. The breathtaking views, the thrilling inclines, and the local birdlife encounters are sure to leave you awestruck.
As we navigate the descent, you'll hear my insightful observations about the geological strata of the rocks and get a rare close-up of Saddle Rock. Listen in as I share safety tips, trail challenges, and interesting titbits about landmarks like Eagle Rock, Sentinel Rock, and the South Bluff. This episode is more than just a hike; it's an immersive outdoor adventure packed with intriguing facts, stunning visuals, and the raw thrill of reaching the summit. So, ready for a heart-pounding virtual hike? Let’s hit the trail together!
hey. So yesterday I drove up to the top of Scotch Bluff and today I'm gonna hike to the top along the Saddle Rock Trail. Welcome to Natural Medic Adventures. Hope you will join me as I trek to the top of Scotch Bluff here in Western Nebraska. Alright, you can definitely hear my breath picking up, headed up there down the first point six. Now we got a mile or so to go to get to the top. Let's keep pushing, keep going up, go straight ahead and follow the incline those folks are going. Wow, some beautiful views of the bluffs though. Beautiful, so pretty cool view. You can see the trail pretty clearly coming all the way this way from the Visitor Center parking lot, going around those little small bluffs or many badlands there up the valley here and to where we are now. Now we have a tunnel to go through. I wonder what it's like. Let's go check it out. Wow, that's cool. There's a bird in here. Oh, wow, here we are out the other side, some clouds over Garing Scotch Bluff, but nonetheless I think we'll be above that whenever we get to the top.
Speaker 1:
Now I'm right below Sandal Rock. Continuing this way, I'm right above the trail that I came up to go through, the little tunnel there. Of course there's the Visitor Center back there. Oh, awesome, moderate climbs on this. They don't last that long. The entire trail is only 1.6 miles one way. I'm at 1.28 right now, so about three tenths of a mile to go to get me to the top.
Speaker 1:
Let's go. I can show you more or less where I came from. There's the trail down there, leading from the Visitor Center around the corner, goes all the way through the valley there, goes into a tunnel just out of view here, goes around Sandal Rock, which you can see in the head of us or behind us, I guess in this point, and then winds up some switchbacks to this side and up some stairs and there you can see the summit parking area which I was at yesterday. And we'll continue up the trail this way, part of my heavy breathing, not the hardest trail I've ever done, not the easiest. Made it to the top, though. 1.6 miles Now to go back down.
Speaker 1:
Okay, headed down for a minute or two. Does he go back to the museum or the Visitor Center? The parking area for the summit is right up there, where you see that telescope thing. Just heading down. Here we go. So that is the trail that I came up on and went through the tunnel, which you can't quite see, but it's a long way down. This is no Rocky Mountain, but it's no walk in the park either. I guess in a way it is a walk in the park. Haha, I'm definitely not a geologist, but I'll take a look at all the different layers of the rock here. Pretty amazing, just the strata starting at the top Going all the way down. Pretty neat About a close-up view of Saddle Rock, as you're gonna get.
Speaker 1:
They definitely want you to stay on the trail. It's not cordoned off but you need to stay on the trail because this rock, even though it's pretty solid, under certain circumstances that could crumble and you could fall and it's all fun and game. So somebody falls down and dies. Okay, straight ahead you can see Eagle Rock, sentinel Rock, and then there's the South Bluff there. I think that's courthouse or jailhouse rock over there. So visitor centers up that way. I'll be there shortly.
Speaker 1:
I don't know if you can see the tunnel behind me on the bluff there. That was hand dug, I believe, by the CCC back in the 1930s and it was chose to be hand dug because they didn't want to use dynamite because I were afraid the rock was too soft and it might collapse. So just a little factoid for you. Just around the bend here I'll be back at the visitor center. I made it down to the bottom. Hope you enjoyed that hike to the top of Scott's Bluff National Monument, if you did. Make sure you give it a think about subscribing to the channel. And until next time I'll see you out on the trail, y'all take care.