Today was quite a busy day. We traveled to fifteen overlooks and went on three hikes. It was only a twenty eight mile drive on a winding rural road. That testifies to how much there is to see and do in the Badlands National Park. We began the day at Pinnacles Overlook. There was much to see and many people touring. We decided to take advantage of the open hiking to get pictures without many people in them. It was also fun to go exploring!
As we left the Pinnacles Overlook on our way to the Ancient Hunters Overlook, we spotted a Big Horn Sheep. When we got to the Ancient Hunters Overlook, we found a deer and a fawn . Our sights support the idea that this overlook has been used for spotting animals in order to plan a hunt. You can cover a lot of territory very quickly by scanning almost 360 degrees. The two horizon pictures are shot in opposite directions.
You will not be surprised to find out the next location is called Yellow Mounds Overlook.
What was surprising was the number of yellow flowers we found there!
The Conata Basin was just around the corner from the Yellow Mounds. You could still see some of them from Conata Basin. The variety of colors and the distance you can see from the Conata Basin is incredible.
Today as we enjoyed the lush green colors and the bountiful flowers, we were thankful for the recent rains that made our visit so beautiful. The Homestead Overlook even added some white areas and sharply defined tiers in some of the rock formations.
At Burns Basin, the number of hills and the way they spread out toward the horizon made you realize how quickly you could get separated or lost. It only took a short walk to not see any people at all.
We enjoyed a short trek out into the prairie. The prairie grass and the flowers were thick. Our walk was easy because of the boardwalk.
In the prairie grass, there were also places where the flowers grew in smaller bunches or just as single flowers.
At Panorama Point, the vistas surrounded us. We did not expected the variations of formations, colors, plant life, and views we found here. To see so many at one place was magical.
At Bigfoot Pass Overlook, it was hard to decide whether the flowers or the mountains deserved more attention. So we begin with a photo that shows both. Then there are a few mountain pictures from Bigfoot Pass Overlook. They are followed by some flower pictures.
Here are the flower pictures from Bigfoot Pass Overlook. Which are your favorites. mountains or flowers?
We are looking at the White River Valley in the distance. This was another place where the solitude of the hills called out. You can see why so many people find this to be a special place.
We went on a hike on a board walk at Fossil Exhibit Trail. The first four pictures are from the board walk. We also went on a small excursion off of the board walk to see what was over the hill. The last two pictures are from that small hill we climbed. The first of those two is looking back at the trail. The second picture is the view from just over the crest of the hill. Some times you find a treasure if you explore just a little bit. The treasures you find make the exploration time worthwhile.
We saw this bloom at Fossil Exhibit Trail. Look at the exquisite detail of a blooming flower. Examine the sharpness of the colors. How did the petals form perfectly in the pod that they could spread out in full splendor at just the right time. See the veins of the leaves reaching out to supply the required nutrients for growth. Was this really the result of random changes over time? What possible benefit was beauty to the plant’s survival?
This is where we stopped for lunch. It was sunny and bright. We got to sit in the shade of a large rock that also provided a perfect sitting spot. For some reason, the granola bars tasted better today.
When we decide on hikes for our trips, we have a set of rules that help us decide what we can handle. We do not plan to hike too long a trail. We do not plan to hike too steep a trail. We try to avoid hiking a trail that has no shade. The rules are set to keep us from overextending. For two of today’s hikes, we threw out the rule book. It was so much fun.
This hike was a quarter mile up the hill, so it is short. The challenge is you climb about 216 feet in that quarter mile. That is an average grade of about 18 percent. A two wheel drive car might not make it up a grade that steep. On the steeper segments, we sometimes were looking at the trail right before our eye while we were standing up.
Here we are looking at the hill we are about to climb. You can see the first part of the climb just over our shoulders. The second picture is a close up of the same view. The third picture is looking up a little bit at the steepest part of the climb. The fourth picture is looking at the top from about half way up. The fifth picture is us after a successful ascent.
Once we reached the top, we walked over to see the plain on the top of the butte. We spent a few minutes looking around.
As we prepared to descend, we took a picture that tries to show how steep the trail is. In the center are two people walking back down. By trying to show them walking flat, the horizon in the background shows the angle of the climb. They still appear to be walking down hill, so the angle of the horizon is not quite steep enough. It is a challenging climb.
We took one last selfie before we headed back down.
Here is a photo from part way down. If you look closely in the middle , you can see the parking lot at the end of the trail.
One last shot where we knew the steepest downhill was coming up. Notice how the trail disappears about fifteen feet ahead of where we are. We also remembered the amount of sliding rocks on that part.
We obviously made it back. Sometimes it is good to challenge yourself.
As we were driving to the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail, we noticed a magnificent wall of a mountain ahead of us. Little did we know how much of a landmark it was to become. The hike around the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail was mostly on a board walk. We saw the surrounding area far and wide. There was a stand alone mountain. There was another steep sided mountain as well. We also realized we could now see the opposite side of the mountain we had seen on our drive to this trail. The strangest thing we saw was people high up the side of the mountain just beyond the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail.
During the Cliff Walk Nature Trail hike, we also saw some of the brightest flowers and berries we have seen on this trip.
Our next stop was a hike on the Notch Trail. The hike was full of surprises. It met all of our normal parameters for a hike. The description did indicate a short climb involving a ladder was part of the hike.
The Notch Trail begins as a very easy trail.
Even after you go around the first bend, it remains an easy trail.
It is not until you are most of the way down the trail that the climb up a log and cable ladder appears. This is what the upward climb looks like. The ladder has some play, so it is a bit of a thrill climb. Once you are at the top of the ladder, it is not so bad. (Edit by Marlene: “Says Steve.”)
When you see the view from the top, the ladder climb is definitely worth it.
Looking up the trail, it appears the hard part is behind you. We just need to get to that far wall to see the notch.
When you reach the Notch, you know how the people you saw at the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail got up on that higher spot on the mountain.
We got to see our now familiar landscape marker again. This time it is still predominate, but the landscape is much much larger.
That climb up the ladder was definitely worth it.
Until you see the perspective for the climb back down. The trip back down is a very different experience than the climb up. For some reason, you need to see your feet when you are headed down. That is a bad plan. The little bit of play on the way up somehow changes to large swaying on the way down. It is a totally different feel. In spite of the different feel, we managed to get back down. The rest of the walk was a snap.
Much of the Notch Trail appeared to be white rock and grass. However, there were lots of flowers on the trail as well.
After three hikes and thirteen overlooks, we were about ready to be done. We still enjoyed the Window Trail and the Door Trail. There is a parking lot that is about a mile long situated between the two short trails. We decided to drive from the Window Trail to the Door Trail to save some time and energy. Both the Window and the Door trail had unique sites. The worn wall at the Window Trail with its many coves was interesting. The trenches in the door trail area provided many places to explore. Lots of people were enjoying the free hiking freedom at the Door Trail. We just admired the scenery.
Our last stop in the Badlands was the Big Badlands Overlook. It is very near to one of the entrances to the park. This overlook does a great job of capturing the essence of the park in a single spot. There are magnificent vistas that look over a huge collection of rock formations. There are multiple types of rock formations. There are lovely flowers. The reputation of the Badlands is that it is a hard place to live. With the small amount of annual rainfall, that seems likely. Despite that reputation, the beauty, majesty, and variety of plant and animal life make this a marvelous place to visit. We parted with one last stop at the park entrance sign.
Today was another great day on the way to seeing all the capitols and all the national parks. This completed our national park visits for this trip. We still have several capitols to see on our way home.