Good thing this was in 2003 and not, say, 150 years earlier! At this location, the Santa Fe Trail crosses U.S. 400 in southwestern Kansas. It was hard enough traversing that pioneer path of promise and pestilence, under threats from hostile natives, more-hostile nonnative robbers, lack of water, rattlesnakes, and of course unexpectedly late or early winter weather, bracketing the withering summer heat. Yet strafe a stretch of trail with a severe storm like this, and the Conestoga wagon inhabitants might wish for “merely” facing the other dangers. Imagine 1853, being out there in the great wide open, 90 miles from nowhere and even farther from rescue, seeing this charge over the western horizon at you—no escape, no shelter. No bueno.
8 ESE Cimarron KS (1 Jun 3) Looking NW
37.7908, -100.1968