ajalldredge.blogspot: The Badlands

I held my breath a bit as we took a day to drive out to the Badlands. As the trip planner I was hoping this was really worth our while. It turned out to be Aaron's favorite part of the trip and a highlight if not a favorite for the kids as well. We got to hike a really unique area. It felt so desolate and wild, and void of all guardrails and precautions. The biggest warning on this rather strenuous hike was a sign that read "dangerous cliff, keep right" and on the flip side "dangerous cliff, keep left". I read on the sign there were stairs up into the cliff. A more accurate description would have been a four by and four and cable ladder parallel to the canyon wall. LOL We felt very adventurous and quite accomplished when we returned safely to our vehicle. One metal note I made though was how hot it must be to do the same hike in the Summer. I can't even imagine, because we got pretty warm in the sunshine glaring off the almost snow white rocks. Two quick side trips this day took us to a decommissioned nuclear rocket silo and the famous Wall Drug. Both interesting if you're in the area, but the Badlands took the prize for the day!

I really wish my camera was better, but even the best couldn't really replicate this scene adequately.

The 'trail' was marked by t-post, sometimes you really had to turn a few corners and scout ahead to find the next post telling you, you were actually still on the path.

Levi of course scrambled up quickly, but us older wiser people took out time and made sure our footings.

You can't see the sign, but here we "kept right". About 30 inches to the left of Rebecca was a scary drop!

We thought it was a loop trail, but it was out and back...this was the end of the trail, very literally.....it was all downhill past here.

I feel like this picture calls for a western ballad being played in the background.....Bonanza or the Magnificent Seven?

Isaiah, found a rock snowman that he was impressed with. His little cheeks were so rosy, but he wouldn't part with his jacket.

Oh yeah, out and back trail meant we got to go down this cliff backwards on our return.

Rebecca chose to scoot down a water run instead of brave the ladder again.

Trips like these made possible by contributions to the workforce by this guy!

You know its windy when they build these over the picnic tables.

Good bye, until our sunset drive back through.

This museum was open, but not quite up and running yet. Their displays were posters taped to the wall, but it looked like a promising museum for summer travelers. Who knew so many missiles were in the ground out here?! Decommissioned of course, but still it gave me goosebumps.

Driving through a different section of the Badlands. It just amazed me how many cliffs and drop offs were unfenced. I kinda liked it....you know let's not waste money on posting the obvious, if you're dumb enough to go over, well.....