The trucker came over and warned me about a storm heading from the Badlands. I told him I was heading to the Badlands, he said "ah you'll be fine, you look tough." He was right I drove through it pretty quickly.
The drive to the Badlands wasn't too bad, rain and threatening rain, but nothing serious. Driving into the Badlands was a bit depressing, run down places, tourist shops, and the like. The cheap type of shops to pick up trinkets and souvenirs that make their way into yard sales and junk piles. I needed a few camping things and saw along the way "Wall Drug" had supplies. The number of signs advertising Wall Drug should have been a hint to what type of place it was, but it didn't really register until I got closer to Wall. Anyone who has experienced South of the Border in South Carolina, or any large massive tourist trap you're on the right track. Very tacky, overwhelming and disappointing. Too many people! I couldn't leave fast enough.
The Badlands. One ranger said "the Badlands is always changing, always eroding."
The Badlands were formed by the geologic forces of deposition and erosion. Deposition of sediments began 69 million years ago when an ancient sea stretched across what is now the Great Plains. After the sea retreated, successive land environments, including rivers and flood plains, continued to deposit sediments. Although the major period of deposition ended 28 million years ago, significant erosion of the Badlands did not begin until a mere half a million years ago. Erosion continues to carve the Badlands buttes today. Eventually, the Badlands will completely erode away.
On the way back to my site I decided to check out another site to camp at. Twelve miles on a dirt road to a camping ground with no water and not much to look at, so I stayed where I had already planned. I drove through the Badlands and onto the reservation. Returning to the park through the south entrance I could see how the Badlands got the name "the wall" driving toward the gate it looked like it was just a solid wall of rock with no entrance. Massive desolate rock and pinnacles right in your face. Not much else happening so I returned, read a bit about the area, and had some water. You can never get enough water in the Badlands!!! I have never felt so dry, hot and parched, and my hair, yeah we won't go there. One word--straw!
Near sunset I drove out along the Badlands again. The moonscapes at sunset were striking. During the day the moonscape looked white and pale orange, not very impressive really, the size and how it formed, but not much else was grabbing me. But at sunset, that was a different story, the formations took on a completely different mood. The colors, tones and mood were extraordinary. They seem to come alive at the end of the day. Honestly, I had become bored with the formations, but the evening colors were quite striking and awe inspiring. I watched the sunset over the Badlands with a fellow camper who had a car just like mine, and a pup like I had many years ago when I was married. We chatted it up a bit as a storm rolled in. We decided to head back to the camp before it started to really rock, as we could see lightening off in the distance. Always a sign to take cover in the west.
The storm was a fantastic light storm, lightening lighting up the sky with the most amazing colors, the colors are amazing in the west. It always astonishes me the change, and the brilliance of color in the west. No rain, but heavy, heavy winds, again. I laid on the picnic table looking up at the night sky. It was really too warm to be in the tent, and the sky was too phenomenal not to marvel at. I don't know much about the constellations, but I could see the ones I knew so clearly. The stars appeared so close, as if you could reach up and grab them. I can't remember ever seeing so many stars. The night sky was dark, dark, like ebony, which accentuated the brightness of the millions of stars. I thought of setting up my camera but the wind was too strong. Eventually, I took refuge in the tent as the wind got stronger and blew the pages of my book and knocked my light over. I laid in my tent fighting the wind and at times holding my tent up to keep it from collapsing around me, which eventually it did. At some point I drifted off only to be awakened to flashing lights all around me. A gust of wind came that nearly collapsed my tent; when I ventured out I saw that all the tent campers were gone except one other who was carrying his by the poles that became a kite as he approached his vehicle. I ended up striking mine and heading out.
Driving through the Badlands at night was eerie. The shadows that formed as the headlights bounced off the pinnacles, rocks and mud. Cold, dark and edgy. At times I felt the car driving into them. I headed to Rapid City, but with no options open for a place to stay I scratched going to Mt. Rushmore. Jamie said she wanted to go together anyway. I headed to Nebraska in the dark night along the scenic route, driving through reservations and national grasslands, no services anywhere, dead tired. Nothing around...nothing! Just me and the dark night, an occasional creature illuminated scurring across the road driving, driving on an endless road in solitude.
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