“And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”
Time to Start
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Sunrise at Badlands National Monument from a motorcycle trip in 2004. -
Badlands
Badlands National Park Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires surrounded by a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. The landscape of Badlands National Park is roughly half badlands geologic formations and half mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. The mixed grass prairie is a transitional zone between the tall-grass prairie to the east and the short-grass prairie to the west. This land was formed by the geologic forces of deposition and erosion. Deposition of sediments began 69 million years ago when an ancient sea stretched across what is now the Great Plains.
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Badlands
Morning Sunrise in the Badlands “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ― Maya Angelou
My first, and only, trip to the badlands was in May of 2004. I spent three days camping there and shooting a few images but that was not enough time. The rugged beauty is breath taking. The openness with vast skies will cause you to look skyward. My evenings were spent looking to the west, watching the sun set and the clouds constantly changing formations. That was seven years ago so I’m think it’s time to make plans for another visit.
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Those Expectations
Sunset at the Badlands in 2004 It amazes me I still look for how many comments or visits there are to my images. When I look at stats I am setting expectations and that is not what I want to do. My hope is that my images will say something to me and others, to move me and others. I shoot because I cannot shoot. There is something inside urging me to look for images and every so often being pleased with the results. Darn those expectations. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!
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The Badlands
Badlands National Park in South Dakota Another one of my motorcycle touring trips included a couple days visiting the Badlands in South Dakota. I was not expecting the beauty I discovered there.
The Lakota called the topography “Makhóšiča“, literally bad land, while French trappers called it “les mauvaises terres à traverser” – “the bad lands to cross”. This dry terrain is a type of soft sedimentary rock and clay-rich soils that have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It almost has a look of volcanic rock. And, it is so rich in colors, patterns and shapes. This type of terrain can be found in several locations in the U.S. such as Makoshika State Park in Montana,Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Another popular area of badland formations is Toadstool Geologic Park in the Oglala National Grassland of northwestern Nebrask and you can include Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah.
