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Nebraska 23 images Created 20 Sep 2016

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  • Tucked away in a dusty corner of northwest Nebraska, the Toadstool Geological Area is a place very different than the rest of the state. It's similar to the Badlands of South Dakota, yet different. The badlands and geological formations here are very brittle and are constantly changing and being weathered away. Many of the toadstool formations that the park is named after are no longer standing.
    Jumbled Toadstool Rocks
  • A flowering yucca plant stands out among the swaying grass in the sunrise light. Tucked away in a dusty corner of northwest Nebraska, the Toadstool Geological Area is a place very different than the rest of the state. It's similar to the Badlands of South Dakota, yet different. The badlands and geological formations here are very brittle and are constantly changing and being weathered away. Many of the toadstool formations that the park is named after are no longer standing.
    Yucca Badlands Sunrise
  • Tucked away in a dusty corner of northwest Nebraska, the Toadstool Geological Area is a place very different than the rest of the state. It's similar to the Badlands of South Dakota, yet different. The badlands and geological formations here are very brittle and are constantly changing and being weathered away. Many of the toadstool formations that the park is named after are no longer standing.
    Toadstool Moon
  • The remnants of a low-precipitation supercell moves past a prairie outside of Norfolk, Nebraska. This storm dropped large hail earlier on, but started to die shortly before the sun set. After watching the sun slip beneath the horizon in the other direction, I went up the road a little bit and came across this stunning sky. I was fortunate to find these purple wildflowers on the side of the road to include in the foreground. The sun sets late here this time of year, this was shot after 9:00.
    Dying Beauty
  • A dying supercell created this colorful sky as the sun set near Norfolk, Nebraska.
    Norfolk Road Sunset
  • Chimney Rock  is a very distinctive rock formation south of Bayard, Nebraska. Rising 300 feet above the surrounding river valley, it is the most famous landmark along the Oregon Trail.
    Chimney Rock Afternoon
  • It was a cloudy morning at Scottsbluff National Monument. Towering 800 feet above the river valley, Scottsbluff is one of the most well known landmarks on the Oregon Trail.
    Descending Scottsbluff
  • It was a cloudy morning at Scottsbluff National Monument. Towering 800 feet above the river valley, Scottsbluff is one of the most well known landmarks on the Oregon Trail.
    Shadows and Yucca
  • Yellow wildflowers and yucca plants were blooming in the prairie in front of Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. Standing 800 feet above the North Platte River valley, Scotts Bluff was an important landmark on the Oregon Trail. It was the 1/3 mark of the 2,000 mile journey. Hundreds of thousands of emigrants traveled over Mitchell Pass in covered wagons over 150 years ago. In some places the tracks from the wagon wheels are still visible today. Because Scotts Bluff is made of brittle sandstone, it is constantly being weathered away. The trail to the top was closed because of a recent rockfall.
    Scottsbluff Morning
  • This thunderstorm rolled through the wheat fields of western Nebraska shortly before sunset. It was formerly tornado warned, but had weakened by the time I approached it. There was quite a bit of lightning as the storm got closer.
    Strike Two
  • Windmills and water towers are common sights in Nebraska and I had to capture this rainbow over both of them.
    Bridgeport Nebraska
  • A vivid rainbow hovers over the Sand Hills of western Nebraska near Bridgeport. The rainbow persisted for quite awhile and I watched it expand as the sun sank lower.
    End of the Rainbow
  • After hiking the Summit Trail to the top of Scottsbluff, I came across these wildflowers growing on the edge of a cliff.
    Color On a Dreary Day
  • These pillars stand at the east end of Scottsbluff along the Summit Trail. But the area around the pillars is closed since the sandstone is brittle and there is a risk of falling.
    Pillars of Scottsbluff
  • One of the most notable landmarks on the Oregon Trail, Chimney Rock towers hundreds of feet above the surrounding plains in the Nebraska panhandle. The pillar was at least 10% taller 150 years ago, but it has since been weathered down by wind, erosion, and lightning. I was glad to be able to capture some nice light at sunset on the west side of the rock formation, even though it didn't last long. The anvil in the distance is from a thunderstorm which produced a tornado nearby a couple hours earlier.
    Last Light On Chimney
  • This tornado near Broadwater, Nebraska, developed almost on top of me while I was attempting to core punch the storm. At the intersection of Rd 78 and Hwy 385 I was close enough to hear the roaring waterfall sound and feel the intense RFD winds. But I couldn't see it because the storm had become HP (high precipitation) and visibility was horrible. As I fled south on Hwy 385 debris started flying past me including sheet metal hitting my car. A semi truck that I passed would be flipped over on it's side and all the sign posts at the nearest intersection snapped in half. Once I made it a safe distance away (about 5 miles) I stopped and took this picture looking north. Visibility was still bad, I couldn't see the tornado and I even missed it the first time after reviewing my pictures. But after enhancing the contrast the twister became visible in the rain shaft on the left.
    Broadwater Tornado
  • Tumbleweeds rolled across the road as I drove through the Nebraska panhandle with this stunning supercell behind me. I was looking for something, a barn, winding road, etc, to shoot in front of the storm. But mostly I wanted to capture a time lapse without power lines getting in the way. Finally I found what I was looking for: a lone tree on the edge of a barren field. I ran out to the tree and had 6 minutes to take pictures before the winds would blow over my tripod.
    Almost Here
  • Tumbleweeds rolled across the road as I drove through the Nebraska panhandle with this stunning supercell behind me. I was looking for something, a barn, winding road, etc, to shoot in front of the storm. But mostly I wanted to capture a time lapse without power lines getting in the way. Finally I found what I was looking for: a lone tree on the edge of a barren field. I ran out to the tree and had 6 minutes to take pictures before the winds would blow over my tripod.
    Tree Vs Supercell
  • This was the last line of thunderstorms on the other side of the cold front. The lightning was almost non-stop. I shot it next to the North Platte River not far from I-80. This is a stack of 10 shots.
    Strobe Lightning
  • This dusty elephant trunk tornado dropped outside of McCook, Nebraska. It was one of many that formed from a long-track cyclic supercell. After firing on the dry line in Kansas, it tracked for nearly 200 miles. Researchers that are part of the TORUS project surrounded the twisters with a fleet of radar, drones, weather balloons, and other instruments. A NOAA P3 aircraft, which is typically used to fly into hurricanes, could be seen overhead circling this storm and gathering data. Altogether this was one of the most well studied and documented supercells yet. The tornadoes left some damage behind, including downed power lines across the road which ended my chase. But there were no reported injuries, which is always good news. Even though I wish I would have done some things differently, I'm just glad to have been there.
    Elephant Trunk Tornado
  • When this evening thunderstorm popped up, I knew I had to go to Chimney Rock to try to shoot the lightning behind it. After taking over 100 pictures, I eventually caught a couple bolts. A green light shines on the rock formation all night long.
    Lightning at Chimney Rock
  • On the road to Courthouse and Jail Rock I stopped to photograph these horses in the evening light. They were very friendly, walking right up to the fence as soon as they saw me.
    Friendly Nebraska Horses
  • As my alarm dinged at 4AM I didn't know what I'd see when I peeked outside my tent. The chances were about 50/50 whether it would be too cloudy to see the lunar eclipse. But to my delight the sky was clear. Right on schedule, the moon was entering Earth's shadow - called the umbra. The left half was dark while the right half was still brightly lit. As the moon sunk lower, the shadow deepened and took on the characteristic reddish color. While the middle of the US never got to see the moon in totality before setting, it was close enough. <br />
Chimney Rock is perhaps the most well-known landmark in Nebraska and on the Oregon Trail. The towering rock spire was seen by half a million migrants who passed by with wagon trains in the 1800's. It was visible from up to 30 miles away , which is a 2 day's journey. Back then it may have been up to 10% taller than it is today.
    Chimney Rock Moon