July 13 The South Unit

View from Sheep Mountain

From Red Shirt overlook.  Miles and miles making you wonder about the pioneers and those who crossed here-
Were they nuts?  

 The South unit of the park is spectacular as well as the north.  Today I was in the company of a wonderful young woman, Natalie, who is our Junior Ranger Ambassador for the park this year.  She accompanied me on a trip to the South Unit which is on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. We traveled through our wilderness area, spotting bison and lots of prairie dogs.  We stopped up on top of Sheep Mountain the highest point in the park and took in the view.  Then off down along the bottom of the unit, collected a few samples of chalcedony ( a quartz). 

No fear! Natalie is fantastic at soaking in new things and her
enthusiasm is contagious.

Our final vista was at Red Shirt Overlook.  Amazing miles and miles of the terrain that earned the area the name of Badlands.

Wish my camera could do justice to the colors of the sky.  This was the sunset this evening.  Our reward
for a long day of professional development.  

   We returned home via Rapid City where we stopped for a very late lunch and a quick stop to get gas and then back to the home base.  OHHHH, one last stop for icecream at the local gas station.  We were rewarded with a full sun in the sunset.  A great day!  Thanks Natalie for joining me and experiencing your park and for your eagerness to learn about and share the park with others.  It is so wonderful to work with talented people that have a passion.