Badlands National Park, SDSep 22, 2006
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Badlands, Day 1
Badlands, Day 2 - Windy as hell but less rain
Badlands, Day 3 - Perfect weather for a walk
| Yet again we woke to pouring rain. We drove west towards the Badlands. As soon as we turned off the interstate and drove along the Badlands loop road our breath was taken away by the stark beauty of the moon-like formations. Early french explorers weren't as impressed as us due to the inhospitality of the place and so named them les mauvaises terres, the "badlands". Due to the rain and freezing cold wind we decided to stay in a park cabin. We saved hiking for a better day and headed out to the town of Wall. The loop road provided some stunning scenery along the way. Saw our first prairie dogs, impish little creatures that hop, dance & scurry about from burrow to burrow. We went to Wall to check out the Wall Drug store, a place that have been advertised by road signs for the past 500 miles starting in Iowa. The store carries a wide range of goods from drugs (the legal kind), groceries, clothing, tacky gifts and an impressive range of cowboy boots (I think Leo was tempted!) Unfortunately the weather was still crap the next day and the torrential rain had turned hiking rails into rivers of mud. Wandered around some of the park's smaller walks where we saw bighorn sheep and antelope. Went on a fossil trail where we saw fossils unearthed during recent archaeological digs such a gigantic ancestor of the rhinocersaurus, long tusked pigs and a fantastical looking marine lizard, all of which existed 30 million years ago. Finally on our third day in the Badlands we go to embark on a proper hike as the weather was perfect. In no time the hot sun baked the mud so it was perfectly walkable. Hiked the Castle & Medicine Root trail which winds its way through craggy rock formations where herds of antelope roam. Stopped for a picnic lunch at Saddle pass which provided a panoramic view of the lands around Cedar pass where we were staying. Afterwards we took on the challenging Notch trail, a one-hour hike through a canyon that involves climbing a shaky ladder then skirting round cliff edges but worth it for the fantastic view of the cliff shelf and White River valley. Camped that night at Cedar Pass campground which offered a brilliant sunset over the eerie rock formations. On the downside it was extremely exposed terrain and the high winds made it very difficult to put up the tent. Unfortunately Leo had gone to get supplies and I opted to put the tent up by myself. I ended up with the fly sheet wrapped round my head, although it was only antelope that heard my profanity. Drove out of the Badlands via the rugged Sage Creek Rim road. Stopped at Roberts Prairie Dog Town, a huge community of the charming creatures. A little way down the road we saw our first bison (buffalo), majestic graceful creatures that can run in excess of 40 mph so it pays not to get to close or call them an overweight cow! |
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