Great Plains Storm Chase 08

Day 14:

Two weeks in...

We went to see Castlerock in Gove County, KS. Castlerock is a petrified coral reef from thousands of years ago. The suspense was intense because we drove 19 miles on a dirt road. Then we drove about 4 miles in an open pasture. Yes, we even had to dodge cows. Once we got to the rock we realized that there was several rocks that were all massive. Everybody started climbing on the rocks and taking action shots on their cameras. I am deathly afraid of heights, but I wanted to get at least on picture, so I manned up and started climbing. Once I got to the top I realized how high I was and froze. I mumbled under my breath, "What have I gotten myself into". I had a small anxiety attack and started breaking out in hives. It took me about three minutes to gain composure. Once I did, everything was under control, but I remained grounded. Once we got back to the hotel, we did one of the best things thus far on the trip. We split into groups with the professors and we were given a computer and a map. We had to look at different charts and models and pick where we thought the best area would be to chase on Friday. My group picked Wallace, NE. We then will combine each group's chosen destination and travel towards the middle point. I probably learned more in that 45 minutes than in a month of school. Tori, Dealy, and I ventured out on a late night journey to Sonic. Then I called it a night because tomorrow I will be traveling to two states I have never been.... Colorado and Nebraska.

~Leah Dailey
X-Ray