My Bike Trip To The Badlands and The Black Hills
I'm a newbie to Digital Grin and Smug Mug. I've been struggling a bit to find my way around the place and when I came upon this area I thought it'd be a good place for me to start getting my feet wet.
This Travelogue is about a bike trip I made this past summer to the Badlands and the Black Hills. Not quite as exotic a location as most of the posts here but a trip that I've wanted to make most of my life. When the opportunity finally presented itself last July I packed my bags, fired up the bike and headed off in a westerly direction. So for better or for worse here's my travelogue of my trip to the Badlands and Black Hills.
========================================================
I left home very early in the morning on July 4th. My plan was to get away from home and into new territory as fast as possible so it was mid-afternoon before I took the camera out of the bag for the first time. This first shot is taken at the Mississippi River and this bridge connects Savannah IL to Sabula IA. This bridge, that was built in the mid 1930's from steel grating and polished over the years by thousands of tires was my first adventure.
Before going over I stopped at a road side pull-over to take a break and a couple shots. Going over the bridge was a hoot for the simple fact that the road surface was like driving on ice on two wheels. Not being a swimmer at all it was a challenge to stay cool and keep the bike upright.
Pic 1
This pic was taken early morning on the 5th. After leaving Fort Dodge IA, where I spent my first night, I headed west in search of a decent place to get a good breakfast. As I came into this rural town (Sac City Iowa) and saw all the 4th of July finery still up I pulled over to get this shot. About a mile ahead, up and over the hill I found a good place for breakfast.
Pic 2
I entered South Dakota thru Sioux City and from there headed north a short ways up route 29 to Junction City, where there was a welcome center. I stopped in to get some info and a up-to-date map. I then wandered over to this Tipi like structure. I was told in the visitor center that all visitor centers in S.D. have a Tipi of varying design. I took a straight on shot and then decided to get artsy craftsy with second shot.
Pic 3
Pic4
This is one of my favorite shots of the trip. I had been riding for a couple hours and needed to get off and stretch so I pulled over and parked the bike. I spent about 45 minutes there, taking in the view, the smell of the sweet clover and the different bird songs. During that 45 minutes I never saw another vehicle go by.
Pic 5
After the rest stop in the previous shot I got back on the road and headed for my destination, the Badlands National Park campground. I had been worried on the way out that it might be hard to find a camping spot on one of the biggest weekends of the year, but not to worry... when I got to the campground I found it only occupied by a handful of campers. That 4 buck a gallon gas seemed to be thinnng out the crowds.
So I chose my campsite and put up my little tent. This is where I was going to sleep for the next 5 nights.
pic 6
After getting camp setup I decided to take a ride around the area as sunset was coming on and take my first pics of the Badlands.
Pic 7
Pic 8
After the light was gone I went to the Ampitheatre for their 9:00pm show Stars of the Summer Sky. The sky was amazingly clear and dark without the intrusion of manmade lighting. I've never seen the stars as clearly anywhere else I've ever been. After the show I headed to my little tent. I stayed up awhile just taking in the night sky. About midnight I decided I was tired enough to sleep. Not long after I got horizontal I heard the rumbling of thunder off in the distance. At some point I nodded off only to be awakened a couple hours later by a lightning strike that sounded like it was right outside the door of my tent. Not long after That first lightning strike it began to rain. the wind came up and at one point I was hoping I wasn't going to end up in Oz! After awhile of battening down the hatches things died down a bit nd I went back to sleep.
When I awoke in the early morning light This was the sight that greeted my eyes.
Pic 9
I got up quickly and headed off to explore. Just a 1/4 mile past the campground entrance to the north the Badlands loop commences. You can turn right and go north for a short distance, or turn left and follow the loop road about 25 miles into Wall S.D. I opted for the North route first and stopped frequently along the roadway and in every parking lot I came across. These are some of my favorite images from the morning hours.
Pic 10
Pic 11
Pic 12
Pic 13
I like to use the bike to establish a sense of scale.
Pic 14
A Close-up shot of a piece of dried river bed
Pic 15
From this view you can see the Visitor Center, gift shop / restuarant and off in the distance, at the point of the red arrow, my little tent.
Pic 16
Pic 17
Pic 18
Being not as brave, or foolish nowadays as in my younger years I opted for a safer point of view and used these folks for perspective. One false step out there and there was nowhere to go but down into a dark, deep, crack. (Notice the road north in the background).
Pic 19
A dark, deep crack
Pic 20
The soft terrain shows the effects of human intervention. Sure wish I had the gonads to have gone out there to stand for a couple minutes.
Pic 21
I was just in awe of the colors of the different strata of rock and they would change depending on the light and time of day.
Pic22
Outside the entrance to the park there was a roadside history park, for lack of a better name, that had a representation of life on the prairie in the late 1800's.
Pic23
The typical prairie homestead in 1880, dug into the hill side with sod walls.
Pic24
Looked pretty comfy to me, but then I was sleeping on the ground with a backpack and a t-shirt for a pillow.
Pic25
A modern 1880's kitchen, also the main source of heat on those cold winter days.
Pic26
Ha! Do you have Prince Albert in a can?....yes we do....well then, let him out!!
Pic27
Dirt floors, sod walls and sunshine a thru glass window
Pic28
You didn't live on the prairie in the 1800's without a couple pair of these baby's...red flannel longjohns were a necessity if you didn't want to freeze your tush off.
Pic29
Making new friends wherever I travel.... :rolleyes
Pic30
Interior, S.D. was about 2 miles south of the park. I made trips there frequently to get gas and supplies. I was told that this jail is still in use! I'm not sure if he was pulling my leg or not, but I'd say it's not a good idea to screw up in Interior S.D. There ain't no color T.V. and air conditioning here boy!
Pic 31
After a quick, lite lunch in Interior, I headed back to the Badlands loop and headed west for the afternoon in search of the Big Pig Dig. A couple miles down the road, elavations started to rise thru a series of passes. I was very careful how I parked the bike here.......would not be good to have to chase a 650lb bike down that road.
Pic 32
For me, this is a beautiful image. I love the colors. I'd have loved to have been able to hike around out there too, but I doubt I'd have made one acension without being winded and in pain. <g>
Pic33
After a couple wrong turns and some searching I managed to find the Big Pig Dig. This is an area where some fossils were found about 12 years ago and they've been digging there ever since. Thousands of fossils have been found, some of which were on display in the Ben Riefle Visitor's Center.
Pic34
After hanging out with the Big Pig crew for about an hour, grilling them with all my questions, I got back on the bike and continued the search for breath taking vistas and wildlife.
Pic35
Pic36
Pic37
One of the high points of the trip was the several hours I spent with the Buffalo (Tatanka!) Sunday evenng. At the visitor's Center one of the first things they tell ya is stay 100 yards away from the buffalo. The only problem is they don't tell ya what to do when they approach you! I was sitting on my bike shooting big sky pics when all of a sudden I realized they were a lot closer than 100 yards. I didn't want to spook them so I sat there quietly for bout an hour while they wandered all around me. A couple times they were close enough to pat on the head! I was beginning to wonder how I was going to extricate myself from my new pals before dark when a SUV with a family inside came over the hill. That thinned them out enough I felt safe firing up the bike and heading a little further out on the dirt road.
Pic38
I kept my eye on Ma and Pa bison. He was obviously a bull of some stature within their group. He'd snort and shove his ladyfriend around which didn't bother me as much as the way he kept an eye on me. That ole boy was huge and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have outrun him.
Pic39
I think this guy was bull-in-training....He too kept a close eye on me.
Pic40
One of the last shots I got before the SUV family came over the hill. I don't know what it means when he snorts and sticks his tongue out at me and I'm not real sure I want to know!
Pic41
Have I mentioned how much I love my bke :rofl
Pic42
On the way back to pavement I drove by the herd again and this time they didn't even lift their heads to see what the racket was all about.
Pic43
Usually, according to what I was told, things are usually brown by July but because of the higher than usual amount of rain they'd had things were stlll green. The one ranger I talked to quite a bit said they had flowers popping up this summer that no one there had ever seen before. He told me I'd picked a great time to come out because it might not be this way again for awhile....
Pic44
As the light changes....so do the rocks.
Pic45
I'm gonna say this is a mountain goat, one of the new millenium models complete with GPS. Man, that's gotta be irritating when you're trying to keep your balance on this rocks.....and really, where is this guy gonna go that they need to track him?.......into Wall Drug for a Soda?
Pic46
I had the zoom all the way out for this shot.....that's a long way down.
Picc47
Talk about feeling small..........
Pic48
As had happened Saturday night, After midnight Sunday night thunder started rumbling off in the west and the sky was lit with lightning after lightning strike. I used my backpack for a tripod, sat the exposure for 8 seconds and hit the timer to make sure the camera was stable. That little blue light is a tent down the hill from me. Once this storm hit I was glad I'd been smart enough to bring the long tent stakes.
Pic49
Monday morning I was up early and headed south to a destination I'd been wanting to go most of my adult life. This is the entrance to Wounded Knee cemetery. I came to offer my prayers and apologies for what transpired there 119 years ago.
Pic50
Pic50
Just after I arrived at the site this 4 legged hostess came up to me and became my companion for my entire time there. We're taking a break here for some cheese and crackers
Pic51
Pic52
A tiny bit of the rollcall on the memorial.
Pic53
The memorial.
Pic54
Pic55
It was noon before I left Wounded Knee and from there I headed back North to the southern unit of the Badlands National Park.
This is a display tipi at the south section visitor center, which was run in partnership with the Souix tribe from Pine Ridge. I spent several hours here talking with Enis, who was old enough to be around for the 70's whoopla. I spent most of the afternoon there chatting and even had a late lunch with them...best damn indian taco I've ever had!
Pic56
I left the south unit late afternoon and continued north towards Sheep Mountain which enis had told me about. The Scenery along the way continued to amaze me.
Pic57
Have I mentioned I love my bike....? :rofl
Pic58
The next few shots are on the road to the top of Sheep mountain. It was getting late and I was worried about a possible flat on the sharp stone road so I only went a couple miles off the main road before I turned around and headed back. I need to come back here better prepared next time....
Pic59
Pic60
Pic61
Pic62
From Sheep Mountain I headed for Scenic S.D. which might just be a misnomer.
This is Scenics version of Motel 6!
Pic63
The Longhorn Saloon, Indians allowed!
Pic64
A series of evening scenics, after leaving Scenic S.D.
Pic65
Pic67
Pic68
Notice the little sliver of moon down in the notch between the peaks?
Pic69
A giant beast rising from the rocks at sunset.
Pic70
Pic71
Almost out of light as I headed back to camp. I'd stopped along the side of the road to photograph a rock outcropping and then turned around for some reason and saw this deer watching me. He was nice enough to stay put until I could get his picture.
Pic72
This Travelogue is about a bike trip I made this past summer to the Badlands and the Black Hills. Not quite as exotic a location as most of the posts here but a trip that I've wanted to make most of my life. When the opportunity finally presented itself last July I packed my bags, fired up the bike and headed off in a westerly direction. So for better or for worse here's my travelogue of my trip to the Badlands and Black Hills.
========================================================
I left home very early in the morning on July 4th. My plan was to get away from home and into new territory as fast as possible so it was mid-afternoon before I took the camera out of the bag for the first time. This first shot is taken at the Mississippi River and this bridge connects Savannah IL to Sabula IA. This bridge, that was built in the mid 1930's from steel grating and polished over the years by thousands of tires was my first adventure.
Before going over I stopped at a road side pull-over to take a break and a couple shots. Going over the bridge was a hoot for the simple fact that the road surface was like driving on ice on two wheels. Not being a swimmer at all it was a challenge to stay cool and keep the bike upright.
Pic 1
This pic was taken early morning on the 5th. After leaving Fort Dodge IA, where I spent my first night, I headed west in search of a decent place to get a good breakfast. As I came into this rural town (Sac City Iowa) and saw all the 4th of July finery still up I pulled over to get this shot. About a mile ahead, up and over the hill I found a good place for breakfast.
Pic 2
I entered South Dakota thru Sioux City and from there headed north a short ways up route 29 to Junction City, where there was a welcome center. I stopped in to get some info and a up-to-date map. I then wandered over to this Tipi like structure. I was told in the visitor center that all visitor centers in S.D. have a Tipi of varying design. I took a straight on shot and then decided to get artsy craftsy with second shot.
Pic 3
Pic4
This is one of my favorite shots of the trip. I had been riding for a couple hours and needed to get off and stretch so I pulled over and parked the bike. I spent about 45 minutes there, taking in the view, the smell of the sweet clover and the different bird songs. During that 45 minutes I never saw another vehicle go by.
Pic 5
After the rest stop in the previous shot I got back on the road and headed for my destination, the Badlands National Park campground. I had been worried on the way out that it might be hard to find a camping spot on one of the biggest weekends of the year, but not to worry... when I got to the campground I found it only occupied by a handful of campers. That 4 buck a gallon gas seemed to be thinnng out the crowds.
So I chose my campsite and put up my little tent. This is where I was going to sleep for the next 5 nights.
pic 6
After getting camp setup I decided to take a ride around the area as sunset was coming on and take my first pics of the Badlands.
Pic 7
Pic 8
After the light was gone I went to the Ampitheatre for their 9:00pm show Stars of the Summer Sky. The sky was amazingly clear and dark without the intrusion of manmade lighting. I've never seen the stars as clearly anywhere else I've ever been. After the show I headed to my little tent. I stayed up awhile just taking in the night sky. About midnight I decided I was tired enough to sleep. Not long after I got horizontal I heard the rumbling of thunder off in the distance. At some point I nodded off only to be awakened a couple hours later by a lightning strike that sounded like it was right outside the door of my tent. Not long after That first lightning strike it began to rain. the wind came up and at one point I was hoping I wasn't going to end up in Oz! After awhile of battening down the hatches things died down a bit nd I went back to sleep.
When I awoke in the early morning light This was the sight that greeted my eyes.
Pic 9
I got up quickly and headed off to explore. Just a 1/4 mile past the campground entrance to the north the Badlands loop commences. You can turn right and go north for a short distance, or turn left and follow the loop road about 25 miles into Wall S.D. I opted for the North route first and stopped frequently along the roadway and in every parking lot I came across. These are some of my favorite images from the morning hours.
Pic 10
Pic 11
Pic 12
Pic 13
I like to use the bike to establish a sense of scale.
Pic 14
A Close-up shot of a piece of dried river bed
Pic 15
From this view you can see the Visitor Center, gift shop / restuarant and off in the distance, at the point of the red arrow, my little tent.
Pic 16
Pic 17
Pic 18
Being not as brave, or foolish nowadays as in my younger years I opted for a safer point of view and used these folks for perspective. One false step out there and there was nowhere to go but down into a dark, deep, crack. (Notice the road north in the background).
Pic 19
A dark, deep crack
Pic 20
The soft terrain shows the effects of human intervention. Sure wish I had the gonads to have gone out there to stand for a couple minutes.
Pic 21
I was just in awe of the colors of the different strata of rock and they would change depending on the light and time of day.
Pic22
Outside the entrance to the park there was a roadside history park, for lack of a better name, that had a representation of life on the prairie in the late 1800's.
Pic23
The typical prairie homestead in 1880, dug into the hill side with sod walls.
Pic24
Looked pretty comfy to me, but then I was sleeping on the ground with a backpack and a t-shirt for a pillow.
Pic25
A modern 1880's kitchen, also the main source of heat on those cold winter days.
Pic26
Ha! Do you have Prince Albert in a can?....yes we do....well then, let him out!!
Pic27
Dirt floors, sod walls and sunshine a thru glass window
Pic28
You didn't live on the prairie in the 1800's without a couple pair of these baby's...red flannel longjohns were a necessity if you didn't want to freeze your tush off.
Pic29
Making new friends wherever I travel.... :rolleyes
Pic30
Interior, S.D. was about 2 miles south of the park. I made trips there frequently to get gas and supplies. I was told that this jail is still in use! I'm not sure if he was pulling my leg or not, but I'd say it's not a good idea to screw up in Interior S.D. There ain't no color T.V. and air conditioning here boy!
Pic 31
After a quick, lite lunch in Interior, I headed back to the Badlands loop and headed west for the afternoon in search of the Big Pig Dig. A couple miles down the road, elavations started to rise thru a series of passes. I was very careful how I parked the bike here.......would not be good to have to chase a 650lb bike down that road.
Pic 32
For me, this is a beautiful image. I love the colors. I'd have loved to have been able to hike around out there too, but I doubt I'd have made one acension without being winded and in pain. <g>
Pic33
After a couple wrong turns and some searching I managed to find the Big Pig Dig. This is an area where some fossils were found about 12 years ago and they've been digging there ever since. Thousands of fossils have been found, some of which were on display in the Ben Riefle Visitor's Center.
Pic34
After hanging out with the Big Pig crew for about an hour, grilling them with all my questions, I got back on the bike and continued the search for breath taking vistas and wildlife.
Pic35
Pic36
Pic37
One of the high points of the trip was the several hours I spent with the Buffalo (Tatanka!) Sunday evenng. At the visitor's Center one of the first things they tell ya is stay 100 yards away from the buffalo. The only problem is they don't tell ya what to do when they approach you! I was sitting on my bike shooting big sky pics when all of a sudden I realized they were a lot closer than 100 yards. I didn't want to spook them so I sat there quietly for bout an hour while they wandered all around me. A couple times they were close enough to pat on the head! I was beginning to wonder how I was going to extricate myself from my new pals before dark when a SUV with a family inside came over the hill. That thinned them out enough I felt safe firing up the bike and heading a little further out on the dirt road.
Pic38
I kept my eye on Ma and Pa bison. He was obviously a bull of some stature within their group. He'd snort and shove his ladyfriend around which didn't bother me as much as the way he kept an eye on me. That ole boy was huge and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have outrun him.
Pic39
I think this guy was bull-in-training....He too kept a close eye on me.
Pic40
One of the last shots I got before the SUV family came over the hill. I don't know what it means when he snorts and sticks his tongue out at me and I'm not real sure I want to know!
Pic41
Have I mentioned how much I love my bke :rofl
Pic42
On the way back to pavement I drove by the herd again and this time they didn't even lift their heads to see what the racket was all about.
Pic43
Usually, according to what I was told, things are usually brown by July but because of the higher than usual amount of rain they'd had things were stlll green. The one ranger I talked to quite a bit said they had flowers popping up this summer that no one there had ever seen before. He told me I'd picked a great time to come out because it might not be this way again for awhile....
Pic44
As the light changes....so do the rocks.
Pic45
I'm gonna say this is a mountain goat, one of the new millenium models complete with GPS. Man, that's gotta be irritating when you're trying to keep your balance on this rocks.....and really, where is this guy gonna go that they need to track him?.......into Wall Drug for a Soda?
Pic46
I had the zoom all the way out for this shot.....that's a long way down.
Picc47
Talk about feeling small..........
Pic48
As had happened Saturday night, After midnight Sunday night thunder started rumbling off in the west and the sky was lit with lightning after lightning strike. I used my backpack for a tripod, sat the exposure for 8 seconds and hit the timer to make sure the camera was stable. That little blue light is a tent down the hill from me. Once this storm hit I was glad I'd been smart enough to bring the long tent stakes.
Pic49
Monday morning I was up early and headed south to a destination I'd been wanting to go most of my adult life. This is the entrance to Wounded Knee cemetery. I came to offer my prayers and apologies for what transpired there 119 years ago.
Pic50
Pic50
Just after I arrived at the site this 4 legged hostess came up to me and became my companion for my entire time there. We're taking a break here for some cheese and crackers
Pic51
Pic52
A tiny bit of the rollcall on the memorial.
Pic53
The memorial.
Pic54
Pic55
It was noon before I left Wounded Knee and from there I headed back North to the southern unit of the Badlands National Park.
This is a display tipi at the south section visitor center, which was run in partnership with the Souix tribe from Pine Ridge. I spent several hours here talking with Enis, who was old enough to be around for the 70's whoopla. I spent most of the afternoon there chatting and even had a late lunch with them...best damn indian taco I've ever had!
Pic56
I left the south unit late afternoon and continued north towards Sheep Mountain which enis had told me about. The Scenery along the way continued to amaze me.
Pic57
Have I mentioned I love my bike....? :rofl
Pic58
The next few shots are on the road to the top of Sheep mountain. It was getting late and I was worried about a possible flat on the sharp stone road so I only went a couple miles off the main road before I turned around and headed back. I need to come back here better prepared next time....
Pic59
Pic60
Pic61
Pic62
From Sheep Mountain I headed for Scenic S.D. which might just be a misnomer.
This is Scenics version of Motel 6!
Pic63
The Longhorn Saloon, Indians allowed!
Pic64
A series of evening scenics, after leaving Scenic S.D.
Pic65
Pic67
Pic68
Notice the little sliver of moon down in the notch between the peaks?
Pic69
A giant beast rising from the rocks at sunset.
Pic70
Pic71
Almost out of light as I headed back to camp. I'd stopped along the side of the road to photograph a rock outcropping and then turned around for some reason and saw this deer watching me. He was nice enough to stay put until I could get his picture.
Pic72
==================================================
People will tell you where they’ve gone
They’ll tell you where to go
But until you get there yourself, you never really know
Where some have found their paradise, others just come to harm.
Ameila – Joni Mitchell 1976
==================================================
Visit Eckels Island on the Net:
http://eckelsisland.bravehost.com/index.html
People will tell you where they’ve gone
They’ll tell you where to go
But until you get there yourself, you never really know
Where some have found their paradise, others just come to harm.
Ameila – Joni Mitchell 1976
==================================================
Visit Eckels Island on the Net:
http://eckelsisland.bravehost.com/index.html
0
Comments
And it's nice to see someone farther behind on posting shots from their summer vacation than me!!
I took a 2 week vacation in September that led to 5000 shots or so and so far I've processed exactly 2!!
Welcome to DGrin, and keep 'em coming!
SmugMug QA
My Photos
Thank you! I took shots looking up like that from several angles but that is the one that was best balanced. In the others the sun was too overpowering.
Hehehe, Actually I'm a summer person so I go 90mph all summer and then, once the cold and snow starts I come down to my den and go thru all the stuff I shot during the warm months.
Thanks man, I'll do another day's worth and see what happens.....
Take care.
Tc
People will tell you where they’ve gone
They’ll tell you where to go
But until you get there yourself, you never really know
Where some have found their paradise, others just come to harm.
Ameila – Joni Mitchell 1976
==================================================
Visit Eckels Island on the Net:
http://eckelsisland.bravehost.com/index.html
I enjoyed your trip photos. I really liked the dried river bed photo
Looking forward to seeing more of your photos.
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
This is Lee & this is Lee's place in Scenic S.D. I stopped in here a couple times on my way to somewhere else and we hit it off. Spent a couple hours chatting with him on this morning. He was telling me about his life....used to be a boxer and was a school superintendent for a number of years then sold everything and moved to Scenic. He also told me he had cancer and didn't figure on being around too much longer. I hope he's still there next year when I go back.
When I'd left camp to head out it looked seriously like rain, but by the time I left his place the sun was out and the sky was blue so I headed on towards the Black Hills (Paha Sapa).
Pic73
Here are several pics of Mount Rushmore taken as I hiked the boardwalk to Borlum's headquarters and back to the main viewing area.
Pic74
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Pic82
The view from Grand View Terrace
Pic83
I left Mount Rushmore about 3 in the afternoon and the plan was to go down to Custer S.P. but I spent too much time on the way stopping to shoot so I never made it there, but I did see some great stuff on the way. Just another reason to go back again.
Pic84
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Pic87
This pass is barely wide enough for one car to get thru. That's my faithful steed at the other end of the tunnel.
Pic88
Almost at the end of a long days ride. A stop at the D.Q. in Wall, S.D. for refreshments
Pic89
My last day dawns clear, blue and warm. I decided that instead of riding the bike all day I'd try to hike some trails and do some climbing. This is a fairly civilized hike up the boardwalk to a viewng area.
Pic90
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Pic93
"How's the view up there?"
Pic94
Pic95
Done with the morning's hike and at the Grocery store in Interior S.D. for quick lunch.
Pic96
After my quick lunch I headed out on the Badlands loop agan until I came to a parking area and what looked to be a challenging (for me) hike. So in 96° temps with no water or nourishment I parked the bike and started up the footpath.
Pic97
Pic98
Yes, that is part of the trail!
Pic99
The two guys over there on the left were junior geologists and were having a field day exploring the area.
Pic100
How about a "Falling Rocks" sign here?
Pic101
Defying Gravity
Pic102
From the highest point
Pic103
Back down to road level again!
Pic104
Tipi's set up by the visitor center. I hung around here for awhile and even took a nap inside after the arduous climb.
Pic105
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Pic108
Pic109
I Decide my last evening's hike would be back up again to where I was that morning to see the difference in color and contrasts.
Pic110
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Pic112
Sometmes some well placed clouds can make all the difference.
Pic113
These two girls looked like they were part goat as they clambered up the ridge to its peak.
Pic114
The sun sets behind the ridge.
Pic115
A self-portrait just to prove I was really there after the long wait.
Pic116
Building storm clouds off to the south as the light begins to fade.
Pic117
Pic118
On the way back down I ran into this doe with her baby. On seeing me she immediately took her baby into the scrubby underbrush and then kept an eye on me until I headed off.
Pic119
As the sun fades, the storm clouds build and the colors get richer.
Pic120
All that was needed here is a roaring fire and some natives dancing.
Pic121
A Couple pics of the ampitheatre where they held audiovisual programs every night at 9. On this last night the topic was Native Americans and their culture in the Badlands region. Very good stuff.
Pic122
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Pic124
My Badlands National park answer man and the author of tonight's program, Richard Lampson
Pic125
The last slide of his excellent program. I hated to see it end. I'd be up early the next morning to pack up and take off. I still need to find a copy of that book.
Pic126
Cultural shock! I left the Badlands 24 hours before this shot was taken and except for a 4 hour nap in a rest area I'd pretty much been on the bike ever since. This is the bridge I took over the Mississippi coming back from Iowa into Illinois
Pic127
Somewhere in western Illinois, as I was filling up on gas and fluids, this contraption lumbered by. Once I was finished, I caught up to them and set up for this shot as they headed south and out of town. After I got home I did some surfing and found a couple articles on their trip from Missouri to Wisconsin and back again.
[HTML]http://tinyurl.com/5vknp7[/HTML]
[HTML]http://tinyurl.com/6brzpo[/HTML]
Pic128
Pic129
One last pic of my trusty steed, just outside the Chicago area, before I put the camera away and put the hammer down to get home.
TRIP STATS
2,727 miles in 8 days
Fuel (4.00 bucks +) costs for bike = $222.67. If I'd drove the truck instead fuel costs would've been over 700 bucks, more than I spent on the entire trip!
Enjoyment Factor = 100%, just sorry to see it come to an end so soon. I could've easily spent the whole month of July out there.
Pic130
People will tell you where they’ve gone
They’ll tell you where to go
But until you get there yourself, you never really know
Where some have found their paradise, others just come to harm.
Ameila – Joni Mitchell 1976
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Visit Eckels Island on the Net:
http://eckelsisland.bravehost.com/index.html
Good photos...brought back memories
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
I'd like to ride out there some time. Camping looks good, riding. Sightseeing. Looks like a very nice trip so far
Makes me yearn for a road trip.
The weather was fantastic, cool nights, warm days. The after midnight thunder storms the first two nights were awesome (I love a good storm). Other than about 10 minutes worth of rain after just leaving Mount Rushmore it was blue sky the whole trip. I was blessed with excellent weather for the whole time.
Tc
People will tell you where they’ve gone
They’ll tell you where to go
But until you get there yourself, you never really know
Where some have found their paradise, others just come to harm.
Ameila – Joni Mitchell 1976
==================================================
Visit Eckels Island on the Net:
http://eckelsisland.bravehost.com/index.html
Well, being it was my first time there I had nothing to compare it to so I didn't know any better until Ranger Lampson told me I'd picked a great year to come out. With higher than average rainall since spring things were still green and flowers were still popping out, some of which nobody had seen in years. He told me in a normal year everything would've been brown by July. Beginners luck I guess
Tc
People will tell you where they’ve gone
They’ll tell you where to go
But until you get there yourself, you never really know
Where some have found their paradise, others just come to harm.
Ameila – Joni Mitchell 1976
==================================================
Visit Eckels Island on the Net:
http://eckelsisland.bravehost.com/index.html