The Badlands, South Dakota

Making my way to the Badlands in South Dakota I really didn't know what to expect.  I had heard of them a while back but as I made my way closer, the people I crossed paths with kept telling me they were a must see.  I'll have to agree with them.

I have never experienced anything like them.  Just out in the middle of really nowhere, these outcroppings are everywhere.  Some small, others really big.  Most were not even hard stone but condensed clay formations.  I couldn't have every imagined this without witnessing them in person.
The greatest part of this experience was actually camping on a ravine above the Badlands in the US Forestry services grasslands.  Looking out my camper window, the views were fantastic atleast until the weather came in.  I was setup on a ridge high above the nearby highway and next to some large transmission tv towers. 

There were several other campers setup for the night.  When the weather came in, it came in fast.  The winds picked up and next thing I know the camper about 50 yards away from me lost their awning.  My camper was rocking and swaying.  I finally put down the outrigger legs to stabilize my rig.  It helped but to sway that much, I would have rather been on a boat in the ocean.  I could only imagine me and the camper being blown over the edge.  The rain really came down at several times that night.  You may ask why I didn't try to move?  The ground in the Badlands is like a soft clay and when it gets wet, it was like something you would use on a pottery wheel. 

Very slick stuff, which I witnessed at first light the next morning using my ice driving skills to make haste back to the highway and be on my way.  The Badlands were an experience that I will never forget and glad I went but next time, not on a ridge.  Let's go see some presidents next...