Life with MK: Day 4: The Badlands

Today was my day in The Badlands National Park. I woke up and made myself some oatmeal with blueberries, an egg, and turkey bacon for breakfast. Definitely not an easy task with one small burner! I learned my lesson on trying to boil too much water at once, it took forever, and probably used half my fuel canister! Luckily I brought two just in case. After breakfast I got ready to spend the day in the park and then headed out in the car.

My first stop was the Saddle Pass trailhead. I hiked up the trail, which is quite steep, to the main Castle Trail. The Medicine Root Trail also starts there and makes a loop with the Castle Trail, so I hiked those for around 4 miles. It was really nice and the weather today was amazing!!

After hiking I made myself some quick salami and cheese sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls and finished the 240 loop through the Badlands. I stopped at a bunch of viewpoints (and had a flashback to seeing the Waimea Canyon with grandma Nancy) and it was all very spectacular! I tried to go to the Prairie Dog Town, but the road that way was closed so I couldn't. I left the park and drove to Wall, SD and went to the Wall Drug Store, because how could you not after over 200 miles of billboards for it? It's a huge amalgam of random things and it was fun to walk around. I got myself some batteries for my headlamp and a better spoon so I can fit more than one noodle at a time!

After the drug store I stopped at the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall. It's actually the visitor center for all 19 National Grasslands from the West Coast to Chicago and from North Dakota to Texas! I watched a little video about the national grasslands and then saw a lecture about Prairie Dogs. I then hit the road again bad to the part of the Badlands I started in.

When I re-entered the park I hiked the short Door trail, which had some spectacular vistas! I'm glad I made the stop for sure. I then visited the Badlands visitor center and got myself a magnet and watched a video about the Badlands. When I got back to the campsite I reorganized my car to make it easier to get out what I need and tolerate a pantry area so my food wasn't so strewn about and disorganized. I then made some turkey hotdogs for dinner with a bag of Maui onion potato chips with a smore for dessert. After dinner I went to evening program about the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and I met Smokey Bear! All in all a fun day.