BAD TO THE BONE

The Badlands that is. We went to the Badlands National Park two days, Why, well the first day we did all our hiking and before we knew it it was late. We do not like to leave Cooper in the Rv more than five hours, so we went back. The second day we did all the overlooks and pull offs with Cooper with us. I have to say this is an awesome place.

THE BADLANDS or “Mica Sica” as the Lakota Indians named it, was formed over 1million years ago, with uplifts in the earth, volcano eruptions, and massive movement of rock and stone to create an over 60 mile long shelf or wall formation. Around 500,000 years ago water began to cut down through the rock layers, carving fantastic shapes into what once was a flat floodplain. Ancient fossil soils, buried for millions of years, once again were exposed. Erosion, and rain, drive the ever changing landscape as more sediment is washed away. In human terms it will not change, but in another 500,000 years, they will erode away. As we traveled the over 30 mile park roadway, it is hard to grasp what you are seeing, moving, and changing colors of rock in layers all over. Then you come to the plains area, and next to it the plain has eroded into deep gullies, and towering spires all over. As you peer into the depths and prairie lands it just goes on and on. We saw a lot and the pictures don’t even come close to really show what you are seeing. We got to see a Buffalo right along the side of the road, munching on grass. Cooper gave a bark , he looked at us as if to say go away. Then we saw some long horned sheep, and the ever present prairie dog, they are cool. We also saw an active fossil dig site, someone a month ago saw a femur bone sticking up ,and now it is a full scale dig site. They believe there is a full skeleton of the ancient big pig, which stood over six feet tall, that was cool to see. We spent about 11 hours in the park, it was a great adventure.