August 19, 2020
Little Missouri To Cross OR Not To Cross
Magpie Camp Little Missouri National Grasslands, North Dakota Day 2
The daytime temperatures are sweltering but last night temperatures dropped to the 60’s. It was cool for my morning walk.
Family of wild turkeys.
We loaded the cooler into the Jeep and headed out for today’s adventure. It was our intention to take the Little Missouri River vehicle crossing and travel through the backcountry to Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch. The ride started along a ridge.
We had spoken to a ranger who told us that the river is normally passable. He encouraged us though to be 150% sure before we attempted a crossing. He reminded us not to base our decision on what the river was like yesterday…the river is constantly changing and rain upriver several days ago can quickly change the depth and current of the water. We stopped to assess and evaluate and deliberate. Tim walked across in his flip flops. The bottom was rocky, not muddy, and this was good news. As he crossed though, the water became a little deeper, about 24 inches at the deepest point. The water was silty and like chocolate milk and the current was steady. Tim was unsure. He really wanted to go! I trust him implicitly and waited as he weighed the evidence. He likes to be adventurous…not foolish and he always makes a careful, thoughtful decision. We decided to wait for a while to see if anyone else passed through to cross. After an hour, we turned back. We will approach Elkhorn Ranch another day, from the south, along an easier route.
We found other roads to explore and I got to drive today. We took another road less traveled through the bottom.
Our picnic spot.
Bighorn sheep.
These are the North Dakota Badlands. Native American peoples first called these bad lands because they were worthless, difficult to farm and to travel. The Lakota called this place “mako sica.” There is evidence of human existence here for thousands of years, but not much. This area was used primarily for hunting and therefore not much was left behind. This area is ideal for sheep, elk, deer, wild horses, and bison…hoofed, sure-footed grazers. Hay, oil and cattle are other sources of commerce. The land is now owned by a mishmash of oil production companies, ranchers, and the government.
The thermometer hovered at 100 degrees. We went back to the campground and sat in the shade. It didn’t feel as hot and oppressive today as it did yesterday…there was even a tiny breeze (real tiny). Even so, the heat chased us inside where we were happy to sit in air conditioning.
Evening walk.
