Toadstool Geologic Park

While leaving Custer Park, we found a more accurate sign regarding the climbing circular path!

When water runs through red clay, it makes red rivers!

Coal trains in Nebraska too!

64 % of the North Nebraska countryside

We left South Dakota heading south into northwestern Nebraska primarily so that I could visit the memorial to the wounded knee masacre which is in South Dakota, but more easily accessed from Nebraska.  As we were driving down the road we saw a sign for "Toadstool Geologic Park".  Not sure what a geologic park was, we turned down the road to find out.  We traveled 12 miles on a dirt road through open range land.  Both on the way in and the way out, we came accross this herd of cows.  As we would approach, they all would turn and stare at us.  Each time, about 4 or 5 cows wanted to play chicken.  And each time we won, barely.

This one didn't want to play.

Loser!

The road was pretty good and we finally reached a small campground with nobody camped.  So we stayed by ourselves and enjoyed the peace.  There were a few day trippers in and out, and one young man, while waiting for his father to change their flat tire, showed me a complete leg fossil he found in three sections.  I said that the signs prohibit you from removing fossils and he responded that he found it in a dry creek bed somewhere else.  I would also like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge.     We took the marked hike through the geologic park and found ourselves on Mars.  The formations were too weird to be on earth and I know I saw movies in the 60s about Mars that must have been filmed here.

Trail to Mars

Talking flat headed aliens

Mike carrying Bernie across a crevice

dry earth

Some flowers will grow anywhere!

Alien space ships

wall of alien butt cheeks

more flowers

some perspective

Why doesn't this rock fall down?

Camp view from Mars

 A little way from the camp, we found this reconstructed sod cabin.  I can only imagine what living here would be like.  The wind never stopped and the sun was merciless.  I know that many women settlers are rumored to have "gone crazy", whatever that means,  on the prairie.

Inside wall

Another abandoned homestead nearby

I can't leave this post without telling you about the stars at night.  I have never seen anything like it, and I have seen a lot of stars.  No area larger than a millimeter was without a star.  I now fully understand why there are so many native legends about the stars.

When we left this camp, earlier than planned due to a clogged sewer pipe which I won't describe, we drove up through White Clay, Nebraska and the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.  Many of you probably don't know that I am a recovering alcoholic.  I am.  White Clay is just outside the reservation and the reservation is dry.  This one town is the best example I have ever seen of the ravages of alcohol and drugs.  Many people were passed out on the sidewalk and others were openly conducting drug sales.  I  hope that I never see this again!  So much sadness and wasting of valuable human lives.  And to top it off, the road to the Wounded Knee  memorial was closed so I didn't get to see it.  We continued through the reservation and on into Rapid City, SD to deal with our clog.   We passed through the badlands, but took the wrong road through them and didn't see much.  Better luck next time.