High of 77 and windy.
We went to the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Grasslands. The north unit is colorful, rugged badlands canyons along the Little Missouri river. The Cannon Ball concretions are very cool. Huge round rocks formed when sand grains from an ancient river were cemented together by minerals dissolved in the ground water. These people were nice enough to be in the picture so you can see how big they are.
Cannon ball concretions.
John walking among the cannon ball concretions. Fall colored cottonwood trees along the river.
We saw about 50 buffalo. There are also long horned steers , wild horses and big horn sheep, but we didn't see any of them. Fall colors along the scenic drive.
Cool capstones. We hiked the Caprock Coulee trail. It is supposed to be the most scenic in the park with deep coulees, open prairie, sunbaked buttes and juniper forests. The description says there are steep sections, stairs and cliffs nearby.
John in a coulee. John with a rock protruding from the canyon wall.
John ahead in the fall colors in the juniper forest. Looking down at the colorful layers in the badlands below.
More badlands below. Human food kills prairie dogs, a fed dog is a dead dog, coal on the surface of one of the canyon walls, a concretions, beware of wild animals, keep your distance, esp. from the buffalo. Purple aster, bistort seed head and yellow asters.
Colorful cottonwood. Looking down on the Little Missouri river from the top of the sunbaked butte.
John with hoo doos. John with a petrified tree.
Nice view of the Little Missouri river. View of the canyons below.
The cliffs are made of bentonite clay. Buffalo on the horizon.
Sunset from camp.
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