Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, United Statessept 1 juniper aampground TRNP North Unit ND
It may be only 4 pm.
I think it is later. My body feels like it is much later because it has been through a lot today. I woke up and it was stilll dark out but I think the phone said it was after 6 am. So I got up. I decided to go for a walk after I hit the restroom. I had my camera and phone and everything I needed for a shortish walk and it had already been a walk from the campsite. I wanted to do the whole Little Mo Nature Trail loop today and see if I could see any wildlife. It began to get a litlte lighter. I walked up by the river and then took the longer loop from the other direction - as opposed to my previous direction. The trail headed into the rock formations. I think I could see where the corral was and all in all it seemed like a very nice little walk. I even took some photos of the big orange ball of sun rising through the big dark cloud. It looked as if it were going to be a very hazy day.- not that great for photographing this incredible scenery. On my way back to the campsite, I startled what I think were at least two deer - I saw some tannish rumps with fluffy white tail.
I tried to catch sight of them again with no luck.
Next, now my phone jumped ahead in time. I made myself muesli with the last of the blueberries, my new banana and the still edible yogurt, so that was good. Wish I had a coffee. Then I washed my dishes - this was going to be tricky. I did not use soap so I dumped that water by a tree. Next I emptied a gatorade bottle of water into my bowl and put in some soap and started washing my laundry. I drove to the restroom and dumped the soapy water in the toilet. I saw a squirrel on my way back to the tent site - major wildlife sighting. Then I tried to rinse the clothes but there was still lots of soap in them when I squeeZed them out. I hung them up - as is - after twisting them in my pink travel towerl. I took all my valuables out of the tent and put them in the car. Now I was ready to leave to explore the park....after dumping the rinse water at the restroom.
When I got to the restroom, a ranger was there attempting to clean it. I asked if I could dump the water in the sink and he reluctantly said I could and said they really needed an outdoor sink put in.
Then he began to tell me about all the horrors of the world - covid, hurricane and fires. He said one of the rangers is quarantined because his wife got coivid. Two of her relatives from NJ came to visit and they think that is how they got it. When he found out I was from NY, he said there was a lot of covid in NY but not as much as in Florida and then California has the wildfire . He says the hospitals can't take care of all the people. Oh, and the hurricane that devastated New Orleans and Mississippi. What is happeing to the world? But he said it is good that the park opened this year. Last year they couldn't open because the people who make the restrooms were from that town where all the people in the meat packing places got coivd. I need to get internet again so I can find out what is happening where....and determine if I need to change my itinerary, such as it is.
So It was a little after 10 am when I started on my drive of the scenic road here in the north unit. (I think it was 10 am.
The Park actually is in 2 time zones - which may have added to my confusion - not here maybe.) I stopped a few places and then I arrived at the River Bend Overlook. I walked to the overlook and it was a great view. I saw some tiny little black blobs that were herds of bison down in the pastures near the river. Then I started to get ready for a 4.1 miles loop hike. Before I got started I asked some ladies a question....not sure what now. It turned out they were planning to do the same loop. We talked about where the beginning of the trail might be. I found it, went back to tell them, and then they invited me to accompany them. Which was nice. They were 2 sisters Pattie and Polly , Patty from MN and Polly moved to AZ - they were on a trip after Polly spent time in MN for the summmer. They are planning to go to Yellowstone and the Badlands.
The sisters chose to do the Capstone Coulee Yrail counterclockwise so they would be
climbing the uphill rather than descending it. I joined them.
They kept up a good pace. Early on we saw 2 bison. I saw a black blob and made a comment about seeing a bison when I really thought it was a rock. The did not say anything. Then as I walked farther, I saw the second blog which I recognized as a bison. I was quite surprised. It was exciting to find them in a little patch of grass beside the trail. It was a pretty stunning walk through the bottom of the canyon and then back up it again. Before going up, we had to go past a detour which was confusing, but Pattie had no trouble finding the way. We crossed the road and started going up and I told them to go ahead because I would be too slow.
Considering that I had used 3/4 of my water and my cell phone was lower than 20%, that may not have been a wise move. I hiked along at my slow pace and got to several extraordinary viewpoints, walked across little paths between drops into the precipices....all very scenic. A young man passed me as I was looking at the crinkly blue-gray clusters on the side of some mounds.
Then I got to a point way up high where I ran out of path and could not for the life of me see where the path went - everything was just so steep going down the side of a cone. There was a sign pointing, but I swear I could find no path near it.
I decided to turn back to the road. As I was walking back, I ran into a man looking for a longer trail, so I warned him and wished him luck. I forgot to tell him, though, that the people ahead of me had not turned back so there was probably a way. It wasn't long before I hit the road. I started walking up the road. It was getting quite steep. I walked, cars passed me, and then a car going back down the road stopped and two ladies offered to take me back to the River Bend overlook where I had started. Pattie, Polly and I had met them while we were walking - they were going in the other direction and finished the hike. I was very grateful for the ride. They dropped me off at my car and then I saw Pattie and Polly were felt responsible and waited for me to get back.
I was worried that they might and felt bad about inconveniencing them. But they were very gracious and said they enjoyed hiking with me.
Back in my car, I continued with the scenic drive to the Oxbow Overlook, stopping at a few places on the way. There was a long stretch of prairie grass where I would have expected to see lots of bison, but I did see quite a few in a grassy area where there was no pull out or overlook. The Oxbow Overlook was pretty spectacular but there was only a few cars in the lot and no one at the overlook when I was there.
Oh, when we were Hiking Pattie and Polly saw two robins. We saw a bird flying which Pattie said flew like a turkey vulture. And I saw a bunch of small black birds flying on the last part of my drive back to the campground.
The ladies who rescued me are staying at campsite #7 here. I was trying to think if I had anything to offer them if I went over - I do have the watermelon and I wanted to cut it today but I don't know if it is any good. My feet hurt in my hiking boots....time to take them off. So I ended up being chicken and stayed in my campsite. I had my cheese, crackers, green olives and pinot grigio for dinner. By the time I finished it was pretty much getting dark and by the time I got into my sleeping bag, it was dark. A long but eventful day....
2025-05-23