Theodore Roosevelt: North Unit - Snakes on the Plains

While yesterday's passive absorption of the sights provided by Teddy was incredible and shockingly therapeutic...today I was destined to get my boots dirty...or dusty at the very least. The morning started off kinda special actually - I got to brush my teeth. After that small miracle I ran into my Uncle Frank's doppleganger...another Don as it would turn out. We spoke for what turned into hours about Alaska, the Idaho panhandle, and western Montana - all places Don has at one point hung his hat. He was over in North Dakota capitalizing on the oil and natural gas BOOM towns just 40ish miles north of where we were standing.

I only want to briefly introduce Don here because I will have a separate series of posts where I will go into more depth about the characters who I have met along my travels - to include Don, Karen, Gary, Shanan, Darren, Chris, and Fuzzy Junior...and thats just Theodore Roosevelt Park. Hows that for a teaser!?

Well shortly after Don put away the map of Alaska and toasted a cup of oatmeal to longevity of epic adventures, I laced up my boots to head out onto the trails.

Not more than two steps onto the trails I hear an unmistakable rattle. "Greaaat!," I thought to myself. Looking down was a rattle snake right at the threshold of the Caprock Coulee Trailhead. Not a good start...well it actually didn't matter much because it just slithered off into the tall grass. This one freakin' snake would end up spiking my fear level of alert more than any big game animal I've come across. Buffaloes can't hide...

Speaking of buffaloes...

I was making steady progress towards a Prairie Dog town and just aloofly staring up at all the bluffs as I passed by them within grazing distance. Now if buffaloes DID have a rattle I probably wouldn't have stumbled within a few feet of a lone bull! This sucker was huge and probably alone for a good reason (bad attitude?). If it weren't for the ONLY other hikers on the trail who screamed, "BUFFALO" in an attempt to warn me, I may have been a bison's person burger - an odd twist of fate indeed. Check this Bad Larry out below.

I spent most of this hot day cruisin around on foot and relaxing at my camp. Perhaps the best surprise of the day was when I was invited to join fellow camp mates Karen and Gary (more to come in the Cast of Characters posts) for a tipple of Jack Daniels. A sweet ambrosia that hadn't graced my lips seemingly forever. Turns out it was there 30th wedding anniversary and that tomorrow was going to be my 27th birthday...in addition to being surrounded by beautiful country did we need any more of an excuse to toast the day!? I think not. In short, the three of us talked at length about the need for folks, particularly while they are young, to go out and never stop exploring. Kids and adults are getting too soft and have lost touched with their primal side. We all, if we can, need to get out and get your hands dirty and rediscover how much we take for granted. I'm not saying you have to be a caveman...but you know what I mean.

I cut our powwow short and headed back up to the Oxbow overlook to spend the evening with members of a North Dakota University astrology organization for some stargazing. The conditions weren't perfect but they were pretty close...I mean I saw the rings of Saturn sooooooo....HUGE telescopes. These folks put some major dough into these contraptions. I was lucky to briefly step into their hobby.

Well below are a few photos of the day...hope you enjoy.

BUFFALO!

Ok this photo is just cool! Come on!

This geological feature is a redish hued stone...its red because it has literally been cooked by very hot material below the ground.

Can never have enough brooding selfies...mostly needed to chronicle the beard growth

Stars upon thars