The sun starts coming up around 4:30 am and by 7:00 the sun
is high and blaring. It is easy to wake up early. We got a nice start. Hawkeye
made his famous oatmeal and we actually cooked some sausage (yes, meat) that
has been in the freezer for a while. The little Avengers were happy with their
sausage and ate it up.
We went out for a great morning hike. We took the Window
trail which was labeled strenuous to treacherous. We were slightly nervous but
decided this was labeled by American standards and we should be fine (we were).
If we decided it was too dangerous, we would simply turn around. The hiking poles
again turned out to be a sticking point and the littles, especially Hulk, all
wanted one. Problem was Hulk was so intent on walking with a hiking pole that
he never actually walked he just picked it up and repeatedly poked the ground
with it. Hawkeye attempted to sling him (as did Black Widow) but this resulted
in loud shrieks of wanting to walk echoing through the canyons.
We hiked a while until we came to a log ladder that went up
the side of the cliff roughly 30 feet high. All littles (and bigs) were champs
at getting up. We then hiked along the side of a cliff. Remember, trails are
marked with poles so the littles eagerly scouted out the next pole. We came to
the last pole and were unsure which way to go. Turns out you can go both ways,
so we scouted out two ways to get to a window. The view over the Valley and
White River were excellent. The second option was much more steep and was more
like controlled sliding back down on rocks than hiking. Captain maneuvered this
task extremely slowly while Thor decided to take it sitting down approach. No
permanent scrapes and cuts. J
A window is basically an opening within
the canyon/cliff that has a sharp drop-off on the other side. One could then
see into the White River valley for 20-30 miles.
We completed a couple small hikes around the same area and
then set out for the Badlands Loop (Sage Creek Rim Road). It was here we could
see some of the local animals like the prairie dog, bison, and pronghorn
antelope. We saw all three. The prairie dog population evidently has the black
plague. You know, the same black plague that wiped out one-third of Europe.
There are signs everywhere informing you about this. This is passed through
fleas so the park is treating the prairie dog population with flea dust.
There were several excellent overlooks around the road and
we stopped at a few. We completed one
last hike – the fossil nature hike. It was hear the idea of animals either
having to adapt, move, or die was concreted in. The horse adapted to the
changing climate, the alligator moved to Florida, and dinosaurs died. On the
way back to the campsite, we stopped by the Ranger Station as the little
Avengers had completed their Junior Ranger books for the Badlands. This was the
second badge for the trip. By the time we finished everything it was time to
return to the campsite and prep dinner.
We ate veggie burgers and it tasted great after such a busy
day. Prior to leaving, Black Widow bought some “fun” treats to have while
camping and Jiffy Pop was on the list. She opened one package and then set out
to get ready to pop it. Next thing she
knew the little Avengers were running around and the small suppose to be there
hole on top was about 3 times the size. Well, the larger hole coupled with
cooking too close to the burner resulted in one nasty burned popcorn mess. The
second bag turned out great and we all enjoyed a little popcorn after dinner.
It stays light so late it is difficult to get remember to go
to bed. The littles fell asleep quickly
and so did Hawkeye and Black Widow. Tomorrow we will leave the Badlands and
venture on to Custer State Park.
