2007/06 BC trip - Teddy Roosevelt park |
|||
|
|||
June 2007
Dear All,
We were off on a trip to British Columbia, a short trip by recent standards, just a few weeks. We hoped to spend a couple of weeks with Karen and Stewart, and also to meet up with our contractor and an architect to get started on building our home in Hope.
Sunday June 24th
We made an early start as both of our closest freeways were closed that weekend for construction. The junction of the freeways was designed for the empty roads of the 1970s, and by the 1990s it was already a disaster with those in the left lane trying to get to the right, those in the right trying to get to the left and those in the middle determined to keep their place. The long overdue fix is a three year job, and
we’ve tried to stay out of it as much as possible. We took back roads, rejoined the freeway, and settled down to a 600 mile drive to the North Dakota Badlands and Teddy Roosevelt national park. It was 70 at dawn, 80s by morning. 90s by noon, but it was an easy drive, with little traffic.
On this trip we were planning to swing south through Montana, so our favourite CCC campground by the 
north unit of the park was not a practical option. We camped in a secluded spot in the south unit at the Cottonwoods campground, a frequent stop-over for us in the 1980s and 90s.
We had time for a quick walk through the meadows down to the Little Missouri River. The area must have had recent rain judging by the strong smells from the shrubs and the stickiness of the clay around the river. The Badlands clay is famous for its smoothness and its use in toothpaste and many foods, but it is best avoided if you’re hiking, riding, or driving!
We had a steamy evening, but we were woken in the early hours by high winds, rain, thunder, and lightning, 
and had a frantic rush to close vents and windows.
Monday June 25th
We had a much shorter distance to drive on the Monday, so we could afford to spend the morning enjoying the park. We drove the park road and hiked a few of the trails, enjoying the flowers and the animals: wild horses, deer, prairie dogs, and the bison herd. We’ve been to the park many times before, but it always seems worth another visit.
Next.