Breaking into the West

After Minneapolis, Morgan and I struck out for the Badlands of South Dakota. We stopped to stay the night in what the map called "The Nations Grasslands", before heading the next day through the Badlands and on to Wyoming.

excerpt from journal

6/22/16

Woke at 530am to the sunrise over blustery prairie, walked whispering with wheat into morning rays, and back on the dusty trail to the South Dakota Badlands

A few hours of driving flew by and we were in the Badlands, birds of prey soaring up around mud mountains, as we ran giddy, from here to there and back to the car, weaving through these great sand castles, where plateau erodes into prairie.

And soon we were back to the interstate, Morgan snoozing peacefully, leaving me to catch up with myself and the open road.

Just as suddenly as that stoic BadLandscape appeared, it vanished and was replaced with a wholly different manner of forested valley and grassy knoll.

We drove through Custer Park and on to Windcave, sweltering under noonday sun. Past herds of Bison until will hit the visitor center. There we were met with a louder, more jarring herd of tourists, and quickly headed back out in search of solace and a place to continue our meditative practice.

An afternoon of yogic wandering ended back in the car, heading for the Black HIlls of Wyoming. The landscape again changed as we crossed the border of Dakota and WY, and this seemed to confuse the sky, who furrowed dark brows, creating excellent photo opportunities, and further enchanting us as we drove into the hills in search of free camping.

After trundling over rut, rock, and bump in Morgan's faithful Kia, Kelly Ann, we at last found a small grove that would be the nights journey. As we put up the tent and prepared dinner, the once cotton sky was overtaken with the billowing dark smoke of forest fire. We briefly contemplated running, but quickly decided against it when the last sunset rays shown through the black and took away the last of my breathe for the day.

Now I must rest and clear my palette, for tomorrow dawns anew and I will need quite an appetite where we are going!