Finding what you are looking for, and what you aren't

The Badlands hold a special place in my heart. 5 years ago, in my first trip to the American west, the Badlands were the gateway to the other side of this country. The first in a string of true open spaces, where the land is almost desert. Though this place is largely inhospitable to us, treasures of life are to be discovered if you only know where to look, or if you are ready to look without a particular destination or goal in mind.


In a dried river bed, I almost stepped on this nest. The nest did not look abandoned, but I saw no parents land while I was in the vicinity. I will soon confirm with our bird expert on the species that these eggs belonged to.


The Badlands were once an ocean bottom, and here fossils can be found almost anywhere, from petrified trees to actual bone fragments. The dark matter littering the ground was a glassy layer of matter that crumpled at the feet, and broke with a crisp volcanic sound. Walking across these beds turned my curiosity into discovery, giving my walk a sense of timelessness.


With a sense of awe and marvel, I stooped at a pile of fragmented fossils to discover two pieces that when rejoined, perhaps for the first time in ages, created a ball and socket joint. The urge to pocket these parts came strong for a moment, but the rush of wonder and discovery were enough to take home without a physical keepsake. If you step off route 44 at the southern edge of the park, west of Interior (this a town name), you may find small moments of history like these.


This car was not found in the Stronghold district of the park, but serves as a reminder to modern human presence in such areas of the country. When the land is forgotten, misused or unused, relics of another past remain to tell stories of man's presence within the most secluded nature we have left.


It is almost unfortunate that these desert bighorn sheep let me get so close. It made for one of the best wildlife photos I have ever taken, yet wouldn't have happened without these animals being so accustomed to people.