Over the hill moments...

This trip has been full of what we are now calling “over the hill moments”. There have been so many times when we crest a hill and what lies ahead simply takes your breath away. Sometimes it is a stunning vista, of which there are many in the Badlands, other times it might simply be the next big town or the endless expanse of prairie and grassland. We had taken to calling them something else, but that phrase is not appropriate for a mixed audience.

We are currently sitting outside the Roosevelt Inn and suites in Watford City. which is about 15 miles to the north of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit. Last night was our first night on the trail, in the south unit. Aside from the bugs, which were quite remarkable, it was stunning. We saw our first buffalo, ate breakfast under the watchful gaze of a mule deer, protected from above by a hawk soaring on the currents floating off of the buttes and were entertained by the sights and sounds of the playful prairie dogs. Our little camp at the point of a ridge provided a nice base camp for exploring. We discovered a small petrified forest and felt like we had the world to ourselves. On the drive up we encountered a group of pronghorn antelope in the national grasslands and now eagerly await our two day trip into the north unit where we hear that there is a herd of over 200 buffalo still wandering together.
A note on Coop. I am pretty sure that he is having a great time. His car sleeping skills continue to improve and I am enjoying watching him fall asleep. The rhythmic bobbing of his head as we roll through the prairie provides a nice distraction to the endless expanse of grassland and the dramatic vistas of the badlands.

We have seen big towns and small and acres upon acres of wheat. It’s true that there are many small and dying towns but this is a place full of life and history. The people who call North Dakota home are truly the friendliest I have encountered on my many trips and they have a profound appreciation for where they are. In some ways I think they like that this place and their lifestyle is their little secret but they appreciate that we have chosen to take the time to find out the many things they think are wonderful about their state. We will run out of town before we run out of places to see and things that both amaze us and provide little moments of serendipity.

The stark contrast here is between the old and the new. For every old farm, or homestead, that is slowly being retaken by the land there is an oil well (ND is the 8th largest producer of oil, soon to become the 7th), a coal mine or a wind farm. Susan described it to me as energy rich and people poor. The other prominent feature of the landscape are the high tension power lines that ship the majority of ND’s energy to place like the twin cities which are people rich and energy poor.

I’m still falling behind on stories to tell and fall a little further each day.There is so much to do, so many places to get to and so many experiences (both big and small) to have and that we’ve had that it has been difficult to keep up with them all, but I am keeping notes.

It’s back out on the trail to be awed a little more. When we return from the backcountry we head north to Williston, the heart of North Dakota gas country and then we head east. We know we will hit Rugby, the geographic center of North America, other then that it is whatever the road, and this state, have to offer. If the past is any guide we are sure to have many more “over the hill” moments.

Cheers,

Posted by JW