Sunset Memories

Our first of three long driving days behind us, we made it into Medora, North Dakota and the visitor’s center at Theodore Roosevelt National Park with just an hour to spare before they closed.  We were tired, but glad to be out of the truck with our feet on the ground moving in forward motion.  I can tell you for certain that the southwest corner of North Dakota is pretty much the definition of “middle of nowhere.”  We spent the entire day driving across the northern edge of Montana and across the border.  We saw beautiful rolling plains and prairie – following trains on the BNSF line all the way – but there weren't many towns to speak of…

Upon arrival, the kids were hopeful that this park was participating in the Junior Paleontologist and Wilderness Explorer programs they had been working on since Capitol Reef but we were having trouble getting completed.  Sure enough, they were immediately sworn in as Junior Paleontologists – adding another badge to their collection.  Although the ranger wasn't familiar with the Wilderness Explorer  program, we had a fantastic conversation with him about his passion for wilderness and his past experience as a wilderness ranger.  I guess we will be contacting Capitol Reef remotely to get that program finalized.  They did also pick up the Junior Ranger books for Theodore Roosevelt and began working on them immediately.  We got the quick low-down on what to do and see in the park during evening hours while Matt got the camper set up in the nearby campground.

After dinner, we headed back to explore.  Although uniquely different than many of the other more well-known parks of the West, Theodore Roosevelt is beautiful.  Watching the prairie dogs run about in their “towns” – looking out for overhead predators, tumbling and playing – draws you in to observe.  The Badlands of this area reveal the geology of the landscape in their visible rock layers, melted away and exposed by the passing time.  With not much time before a ranger-led program we wanted to attend at 9pm, we decided to do a short hike on the Ridgeline Trail up to a viewpoint to get out and have a closer look at what this park protects.

It wasn't far – maybe a half-mile or so – but as we walked up to the top of a ridge, the sunset began to reveal its glory to us.  Our timing could not have been more perfect if we had planned this moment in advance…  As it fell behind a few low-hanging clouds, the sky turned vivid shades of orange, yellow, red and purple as rays of light spread out in the valley below – highlighting the lush green tops of each hill and mound.  There was a bench as we reached the trail’s end where Matt and Abby sat down as I tried to capture the memory.  We sat to enjoy, to memorize the moment.  These miraculous moments remind me to celebrate life – all of its glories along with its many imperfections.  We were created to enjoy the ride.

Savoring every moment of the view from all of the angles along the trail back down, we made it to the ranger program on time – and we even saw a bison along the way.  We learned about “The Many Faces of Theodore Roosevelt” in a fantastic interactive presentation, given by one of the most engaging, approachable rangers we have yet to come across.  On the way out of the park, long after dark, we were still glowing from the evening’s experience when we saw two sets of eyes glowing back at us… badgers roaming around the prairie dog town, looking for their next meal.