Theodore Roosevelt National Park's

SOUTH UNIT

(In real time I am closely following 2 things...the Presidential Election and the Standing Rock Pipeline Protest. I am still in shock that the Oregon Terrorists got NOT guilty verdicts???  They were not attacked by any  cops while they held a NWR hostage, and destroyed Federal Property while welding arms against the govt of the USA.... and a group of unarmed citizens who are exercising their right to protest are being abused and attacked by heavily armed police? Democracy is dying dead in America.) 

I really wanted to stay in Theodore's north unit a second night...but time had begun to close in on me...and the weather was getting colder every day! So time to head out of the cold north.

  

The South Unit is a nearly 70 mile drive, but it is an easy one, and I reached the entrance in just about an hour with plenty of time to see the sights and even some time to pull over and read this plaque before I left the area of the North Unit. 

I found this to be curious...and wondered if I could find out more about this cowboy...googled the name and came up with only the marker I saw! Then a check on Find A Grave scored his grave and memorial.  There is a discrepancy of his middle name...John or Howard?  Im going to ask my sis to find his obituary she is the top dog on finding the death cert and obit in our research! As I type she is on her way back home..miss her so much. :0(

                                        

 

(a tie-down on a horse is what I refer to as a martingale, it keeps the horse from tossing his head up too far, and not a good idea if you plan to JUMP very high a horse needs his entire body for balance)

There's actually 2 visitor centers at the south unit..one right off the Interstate 94 West Exit, that you get on for only 10 miles, and the other is inside the park just out of the touristy Western  town called Medora, ND. I didn't take any photos of either VC! But I got this herd of wild horses, the rangers call them feral horses...so I assume they were at one time ranch horses. 

I used the same strategy to get my campsite secured, at Cottonwood CG and in a bit of a drizzle I found one and paid my fee and hung my tag on the post...then off to sight see!   More horses but darn this tree got in the way of my photo of this sweet blue roan foal on the right. 

saw many prairie dogs all fat and in good condition, I had hopes of seeing burrowing owl in one of these burrows but no luck on that. 

  

Nice to see American Bison and Wild horses grazing together!

MANY awesome rock formations...with striking colors

the white rock looks like you could reach out and scoop it up right? ANK its solid as....well Rock!  And below is one of the many hikes I took, this one followed the ridge line, and I admired the cacti growing along the edges...

My feet got a good work out! And so did my jaw...it keep dropping at the scenery along the way...

Found a nice flock of wild turkey...

and more Bison and Prairie dogs!

The Little Missouri River Bend Trail gives one a great view of the Little Missouri...from the top of the ridge.  

Gorgeous  fall color, in the Dakotas, it peaked in mid Sept,  

This cabin is the Maltese Cross Cabin, it sits right behind the VC inside the park...TR lived in it but it was not on this site it has actually been moved all over the place! But this is where it sits now!

Slept great as the pitter patter of rain on the van roof serenaded my slumber all night long and in the morning Casey and I had to make our way through Medora in the pouring rain.  There is a wonderful outdoor  Musical here...but it was already closed for the season (June 3- Sept 10)  I would have enjoyed seeing that!

I took this shot off the web of the Musical..The Greatest Show in the West 

but this was my morning spent in Medora!

There's other interesting things in town too shopping, museums, hotels, and eateries. As well as the post office where I mailed my postcards to family and friends! Something I do every place I go...then we left town and it actually got worse!!

then Slowly but surely the further South on Hwy 85 toward South Dakota I drove the better it got...

And by the time I arrived in Belle Fourche, SD the sun was out I had to change into short pants, and stash all my flannel and fleece and remove my faux wool ear warmer and pin my hair up to stay cool!! From heat to AC in about 2 hrs time! So the claim to fame in Belle Fourche, SD is the Geographical Center of the Nation, now this includes Hawaii and Alaska as Smith Center Kansas claims the center of the continuous USA.

there's all 50 flags here...and no wind!

and on the grounds was Buckskin Johnny's Cabin 1876. 

It was nice to be back in the sunshine again after spending 7 chilly cold days in North Dakota. I can now say I've been to ND! And now I've returned to SD to see more of it as well! 

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Theodore Roosevelt's Legacy

Theodore Roosevelt went to ND to hunt Buffalo, and in the end he used his pen to protect land that is now ensuring those same animals  continue to live on our Lands; kind of ironic? 

The North Unit 

I was happy to leave the oil fields of Williston behind me and head into the badlands of ND to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, The park has 2 units North and South separated by about 70 miles of badlands.  The North Unit's Visitors Center was being demolished as I drove up!! They are building a new one I hope...meanwhile they are housed in these 2 trailers..

The September day was cold! The wind continued to be a factor too.  I  got my passport stamp, a map, then headed for the campground to secure a camp spot in the Juniper Campground.  Good thing too because later in the evening it got pretty full!  Awesome price of $8. No hook ups. 

the colorful rocks and the fall colors were amazing...it was one magnificent view right after another!

There is a 14 mile one way scenic drive and when you turn around its a totally different view on your way back down!   I took a few of the shorter hikes as it continued to threaten rain and did I say it was cold? BRRR the wind chill was the problem.  I hiked a bit here till it got too muddy and I turned back.  Right by the trailhead parking are these amazing rocks called cannonballs!!

I was awestruck by the almost perfect round shape.  

And I found this little fellow sitting as still as he could along the edge of the hillside. 

I imagine he would dart into that hole if he felt threatened.  He never moved anything but that nose.  

Then I decided to hike this trail, can you see where the trail disappears over that little rise? There is a trail head sign in book held in a box atop that post...barely visible at the end of the trail in this shot...Well I stopped but didn't sign the book...closed the box and  turned to go over the rise ...

and suddenly a HUGE tawny HUMP was coming right at me, I made a fast and speedy U-turn and got off the trail as this fellow came right at me!

He was in no way threatening me, he was just browsing...and then he came up the trail head sign in book...

and gave himself a good scratch!!

I had of course retreated to the parking lot and it was there I met this amazing couple! NO names were exchanged as I don't normally introduce myself...I just start jaw flapping..They drove up as I was leaving in a dodge ram van same as mine only a different color and they too used theirs for overnight camping! We immediately had something in common and exchanged stories of the thrill of exploring these awesome parks we are so Grateful that exist due to the foresight of people like Roosevelt... and we planned to continue our conversation in the campground later and we did..

I took so many Bison photos...they are just too cute to pass up.  Here is a good mom taking care of her large, but always, her baby..

The herd is quite large I never got a head count...the landscape is so full of different textures it just draws you in and you want to go explore what's beyond that grassy hill, maybe you can catch a view of the elk that you hear bugling but can't seem to figure out exactly where the sound is coming from...

Mule deer

But it has a wild and wonderful sound and sends a chill down your spine!1

This is the Little Missouri River in the background there...it passes through both the north and south units of TR NP. 

I saw so many amazing colors of rock and in every configuration you can imagine too.

and if not for the CCC we would not have these amazing structures to enjoy...

a perfect bison pie...

one could spend a lifetime right here and never grow tired of this untamed landscape...

it took me all day to do the 28 miles (14 up and 14 back) as I stopped at every single trail head and overlook...till the sun tipped the ridges and it was time for me to head back to the campground where it was drizzling rain. 

so I have no photos of my campsite! It was a good one directly across from the bathroom, but with plenty of privacy, and a great open space to walk Casey where we had deer flush through a couple of times.  With the drizzle I just left the camera in the van, and put on my rain poncho.  

the couple I met began their journey in Pennsylvania and they too had gone to Shenandoah NP! They had 3 months to enjoy traveling and they were headed on to Glacier NP in Montana they had already done the South unit of TR, the way I was headed.  They, like me, focus on the natural aspect of traveling...being out in the open spaces, hiking, and photographing the landscape, and seeing first hand the plants and animals that live in these great spaces.  

They both quit their jobs, she just returned from a trip with Doctors Without Borders to Africa and they decided they don't really know what they want to do they know what they don't want to do is work their whole life away...so who knows where they will end up. 

The funny thing was I noticed right away they were not American's so they explained.  He immigrated from New Zealand 5 yrs ago and she immigrated from New Zealand 4 yrs ago and friends via work introduced them and so they met here in the USA and they grew up only 30 miles away from each other in New Zealand!!  On the cuteness scale they score a 10...young people the age of my son and I was so impressed by them.  Their "check engine" light had come on, but they were not worried they planned to stop somewhere along the way and have it checked.  Such is the life of us who don't have the brass ring. 

I pulled out about 10 mins before they did and I still wonder how their trip is going since they are still out there, probably winding down in CA as they intended to do the Pacific Coast Highway as they wrapped their trip up.  Neither had been to Oregon, and they were headed there after MT, and I have a feeling Oregon will be the place they decide to settle as they were hoping to find a home-base somewhere along the way of their trip. 

They wanted to kidnap Casey...lol. 

so many awesome young people are out there to carry  forward, we must remember to try and focus on the positives in our future as hopefully they will take the torch and carry it and not go backward as the baby boomers seem to be trying to do! I say let Gen. X take control they are way smarter than we are. 

...my next stop is the South Unit of the TR NP only an hours drive South.

So we packed up and left early.  

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.