It’s “Butte – iful” Out Here – Colorado Style
The eastern plains of Colorado contain perhaps fewer buttes than the Dakotas or Nebraska, but there are some unique features out there that deserve some attention. First up are Pawnee Buttes, which have been mentioned numerous times in this blog, and a place where the Great Plains Trail will almost certainly pass: […]
Back to Buttes
So much for the Super Bowl, we’re back to buttes here on the Great Plains Trail Blog . . . Good. Nebraska has its share of nice looking buttes as well. Each of the following buttes, which is but a small sampling of the many cool features in the wide landscape of western Nebraska, are […]
Super and Great (Bowl and Plains)
Let’s take a short break from our sampling of buttes of the Great Plains, and briefly connect today’s big game, Super Bowl XLVIII, to the Great Plains. Admittedly, the connection between the Super Bowl and the Great Plains is pretty thin. In fact, the only real connection I can find is that the Denver Broncos […]
It’s “Butte”-iful Out Here – Part 2
Someone who is a much better photographer than me should create a coffee table book of buttes the Great Plains. Something with lots of cool pictures, but also some some information on heights, history, and the like. I think buttes are like the Ayers Rock(s) of America, but without any of the fame. It’s time […]
It’s “Butte”-iful Out Here
One of the most distinctive landforms of the Great Plains is the lone butte. Nothing says “Great Plains” like a towering monolith reposing in the dreamlike distance – not quite mountain, not quite hill, but an unmistakable and proud feature of the landscape that beckons from far away. Buttes are majestic and muscular like mountains, […]
Happy New Year – 2014!
Happy New Year from the Great Plains Trail! I’m excited for the new year because I’m excited about another year of progress on the GPT. I’m looking forward to routing and mapping more trail and encouraging people to get out there and experience the Great Plains. For those of us who love the Great Plains, […]
Our De Facto National Symbol – The Buffalo
The November 2013 issue of Smithsonian Magazine features something it is calling 101 Objects That Made America. The idea behind it is to spotlight objects from the various museums, and show their importance in American history. It’s a pretty fascinating project, and all of the objects are interesting in their own way – from Stegosaurus, […]
This Place, These People . . . (those coffee table books)
Yet another book of incredible Great Plains images has emerged in recent months. (Side note – What’s going on here? Is it me or is the Great Plains becoming a hotbed for photojournalism these days?) This one is titled, This Place, These People – Life and Shadow on the Great Plains. The photos are by Nancy […]
Capturing America at its Greatest! (not Plainest)
An article appears in this week’s New York Times Magazine about life in the Great Plains. I will refrain from commenting on it, other than to say it’s well written and worth reading, and don’t forget to check the slideshow with all of the photos! The article is titled, “Life Along the 100th Meridian.” […]
Heartland
A new coffee table book has arrived featuring the Great Plains. This one is called Heartland and it’s by David Plowden. The book is a series of very beautiful black and white photographs from various places around the Great Plains, and a number from places just a bit further east, such as Iowa and Illinois. […]
Interpreting Mystical Poets . . . or . . . Are We “There” Yet?
“Great is the earth, and the way it became what it is, Do you imagine it has stopped at this? . . . . and the increase abandoned? Understand then that it goes as far onward from this as this is from the times when it lay in covering waters and gases.” – Walt Whitman […]
Great Plains Trail Featured in Bootprints
We are excited to announce that last week, the Great Plains Trail was featured in the e-zine Bootprints. Bootprints is a web based publication which features articles on active outdoor pursuits, particularly hiking. It has lots of great ideas for adventures of all kinds as well as places to travel. Here is a link to […]
