It wasn’t raining when the guys started at 7:30 this morning, but it was foggy and misting a little. They rode the highway the six miles from Ainsworth to Long Pine where we met them to check out the trestle.
Marcia and I got there and unloaded our bikes and they were there, ready for us to take a selfie. There was so much moisture in the air it fogged up the camera!
We headed down the trail to the trestle – less than half a mile from the street. The sun was trying to break through …
Long Pine’s history is tied to railroad development through the years. The first rail line arrived in 1881 and Long Pine became a bustling railroad town. The Chicago & North Western Railroad built a 115 foot tall steel bridge across Long Pine Creek in 1905 and the town became a division point between Norfolk and Chadron. Freight trains carried goods and livestock to markets and as many as five passenger trains per day stopped in Long Pine.The last train to pass through Long Pine was in 1992. The views from the trestle were pretty cool. It was known as the Cowboy Train and it is now part of the “Cowboy Trail.”
You could see the Long Pine Creek below.
We had fun riding across the trestle and back.
Tobey wanted to make sure he got a picture of us actually riding ON the trail!
In that short distance of less than a mile, I managed to get a sandbur in my rear tire. When Tobey has more time he will have to take the wheel off because we couldn’t pull it out. Yikes.
From Long Pine they rode on the highway and part of the trail to Bassett. They took another short break to warm up since it was so damp and dreary along the way. When they were ready to go they passed this cool old gas station on their way to the trail.
We stopped at the library to upload yesterday’s blog then we were on our way to Newport.
They had some good sections of the trail on their way to Newport. It did rain on them (and us a little) so when they got to Newport they were pretty soaked.
Tobey was still smiling when he arrived. As you can see, the trail is not well maintained.
This sign was posted at the trail, but Tobey said the cows didn’t know how to read because there was plenty of evidence of them being on the trail!
While we waited for them to arrive we checked out the Newport Pool Hall – open 24/7. It is unmanned, but had video cameras in operation. 
We talked with a couple of folks from town while we waited. They told us the pool hall used to be the “hay station” for the railroad. The wooden planks in the front are where the scale was located. Hay was weighed, then stacked in barns that were originally on the site while they were awaiting transport to market. 
One of the women gave Marcia apples from her garden. Don’t you just love small towns?
After lunch and drying out the guys headed out on the trail to Stuart. 
The White Horse Heritage Museum is located there, but guess what. It is closed after Labor Day. We walked around the grounds and looked in the windows. It looks like it would be a fun museum to visit on another trip.
After a short break, they were ready for the last leg of today’s journey – Stuart to Atkinson. We were here and at the campground as they made their way in. We are staying at the city’s Mill Race Park and Campground. The sites are $15 per night and include electric and a great shower house.
Tobey, Marcia and I took a small walk on the Bluebird Nature Trail. We didn’t see any bluebirds – or birds of any kind for that matter – but it is a nice little trail.
Today’s ride was 51.8 miles. They were both thankful the weather wasn’t as bad as forecast and are looking forward to a dryer day tomorrow!
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