Badlands Residency Day 37

Went to Rapid today for some groceries, got a little work done, and took things slow today.  Tomorrow looks to be the only nice-weather day of the week, so I'm going to go be out in it.  Along Hwy 44 between here and Rapid, there are many flooded or mud-flooded ranch fields and swollen creeks and run-offs.  Really hard to imagine people a hundred years ago successfully navigating these lands in the muck.  Certainly the wagons wouldn't make it.  Good hiking is not likely to happen soon except in high ground areas.

If the weather is clear in the morning, I'm going to attempt to catch sunrise out by Conata, before the next front of snow moves in tomorrow night.  Bleh.  

Looking off into the buttes from next to my apartment.

Badlands Residency Day 36

We had a really good breakfast buffet before driving over to Katie's grandma's place in the hills above Rapid City.  I had intended to come back right away in the morning, but they talked me into staying and relaxing a little.  It was a very good choice.  Her family is so much like my mom's family, it was sort of like being home (childhood home) for a day, and helped me unwind.  We played cards, and Katie's dad and I taught Ryan how to play cribbage.  I learned when I was maybe 6 years old, both sides of my family played extensively, and it is an integral part of my childhood memories.  It was so fun to play again.  Ryan picked it up pretty quickly, and we were even able to play a few games of pairs.  Katie's grandma lives in the hills, and the sound of the wind in the coniferous trees sounded and looked like being home in N. Idaho.  It was a nice break and cleared my head.  Feeling better about my goals at the park now.