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The strange mixture of high country, peaks, and flat areas, that
make up the Badlands |
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Tourists skirt the edge, of the area, wondering at the structures,
and at the processes which create, and constantly change them. |
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A primordial scene, with a strangely discordant bit of the modern
world thrown in. It would not be too out of place, to see a dinosaur, or
one of the ancient animals who's fossils litter the park, patrolling the
area. |
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A shadowy self portrait, of sorts, taken at the edge of the Badlands. |
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A look into the sun, down one of the many near vertical ribs which
make up the wall. |
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Though the Badlands are mostly known for the formation which has
come to be known as "The Wall" this is a fascinating ecological system.
Compare this photo of the lower prairie, with some previous pictures taken
of the upper prairie, and notice the differences in the plants. Time marches
on, as the broken formations of the badlands, confront their future. |
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Flatlands, and jagged hills. Given time, this entire area
will become part of the lower prairie. |
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Ribs of rock, going off into the distance. Even as the Badlands
are worn down, and turned to prairie in the center, they are continually
moving out, and being renewed at the edges |
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Area in transition. This photo, though not as scenic as the views
of the cliff areas, tells the story of the Badlands. The essence of this
place is change. There are a few remnants of the towering structures, which
inspire such awe in tourists, but they are mostly worn down here. What can
be seen around them are the sterile areas left after the formations are
worn down, and a few areas which are beginning to turn to grass. |
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This photo shows the process a bit further along. Far from the
wall, there are only a few low formations. The encroachment of the lower
prairie, among the diminishing formations, is obvious here. The area has
become grassland, and could almost be considered prairie, except for the
sporadic intrusion of some mudstone structures. The conversion here, is
nearly complete. |
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A look up the face of one of the vertical structures. The relatively
unconvoluted face of this formation, marks it as being well along in it's
life cycle. A bit more erosion, and the face will be nearly vertical, at
which time, this structure will be called a wall. |
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This area is about midway through the life cycle of the geologic
formations. The structures no longer tower, but are still substantial.
There are areas of flat land here, beginning to turn to grass. |
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A view across one of the more central areas of the Badlands. These
areas, just inside the wall, are pretty featureless, but have a certain charm,
in their own way. The area is quite sterile here, though there is some hardy
pioneering growth scattered about. These formations have been worn, almost
level, by centuries of erosion. These are the more mature areas of the park. |
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The wall is more or less down, in these boundary areas, but the
prairie has not really had time to move in yet. Though the soil is not exactly
sterile, the arid climate, and the heat, make colonization by plants, a
very slow process. |
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Our fearless leader, a park ranger (interpretive guide) takes us
out on a trek through the roadless areas of the Badlands, for a couple
of hours of exploration. A series of day treks, and night prowls are offered,
some lasting less than an hour, others taking up most of a day. |