Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Wind Cave

by Mike Graf

  “Well,” Dad said, inspecting the vehicles. “It looks like we have some interesting company inside!”

  3 Hanging Out with Chasers

  The rebuilding thunderstorm chased the Parkers from their car into the lodge. At the entrance a small sign greeted them. DESIGNATED STORM SHELTER, it read, with a picture of a tornado.

  Inside, a gift shop was to the left and a cashier for the hotel registry was straight ahead. But the buzz of activity appeared to be coming from the cafe to the right.

  The Parkers heard all the commotion in the restaurant and wandered over. They were greeted by a hostess with four menus. “Would you like to sit down?” she asked.

  Dad held up his hand. “Hang on a second,” he responded.

  The cafe was packed with groups of people poring over maps, studying computer screens, and talking on cell phones. With all of the activity going on, the Parkers couldn’t pick out much of what was being discussed.

  Dad took a step closer and leaned into the small restaurant. He was able to hear bits of conversation. Then Dad turned toward his family. “They’re all talking about the severe thunderstorm,” he reported.

  Now all four Parkers edged closer. “Someone just mentioned a tornado touching down,” James exclaimed.

  Morgan caught more tidbits. “It was about twenty miles away from here.”

  Mom noticed a table next to one of the groups had just opened up. As a waiter cleaned it, Mom turned toward the hostess. “Can we sit over there?”

  “Sure. It’ll be just a minute before we can finish cleaning it up.”

  Then Mom looked at her family. “Does an early dinner sound all right?”

  “I don’t think we’ll be able to cook outside with this weather anyway,” Dad replied.

  “Outside,” Morgan repeated, thinking of the night ahead. “At least our tent is set up!”

  Mom and Dad paused while walking toward the table. Then Dad said, “We’ll see what condition it’s in when we get there.”

  The Parkers sat down. As they did, James looked out the window. At that moment, the storm seemed to be letting up—and shafts of sunlight poked between the clouds. Then, while perusing the menu, Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad eavesdropped on the animated conversations surrounding them.

  “Pretty active today,” one storm chaser said at a nearby table.

  “We did have a few, brief funnel clouds and that small tornado. Good thing there was no serious damage. Just some downed trees and a shed roof was torn off. But tomorrow our whole caravan hits the road.”

  “The atmospheric ingredients are brewing for major action east of Rapid City.”

  Soon the Parkers ordered their early supper. While waiting they continued listening in on the meteorologists and others with them. One was poring over a map. He also had his computer on in front of him. “Good thing they have wireless Internet here,” he announced while studying the radar loop on the computer.

  Then he noticed the Parkers were staring at his computer screen. “Look,” he said, turning the monitor so Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad could get a better view. It showed a satellite and radar combination loop. “That supercell really exploded this afternoon. And here’s the small hook-echo where the tornado touched down. But it’s all starting to dissipate, at least for right now.”

  Dad wanted to know more and asked, “So I take it all of you are meteorologists, storm chasers pursuing the severe weather?”

  A woman in the group spoke up. “We’re not all meteorologists, but we are all out doing our favorite thing—chasing severe storms,” she explained enthusiastically. “Some of us, like my husband and I, are on vacation doing this. Others are the weather experts taking us along for the ride.”

  The nearby group introduced themselves to the Parkers and Mom introduced her family back.

  James asked, “You’re really on vacation doing this?”

  “Yes. We’re on a Storm Chaser Safari. They’re offered every year here on the plains from March until June in prime tornado season. This one guarantees close-up severe weather spotting. And so far they’ve been right on.”

  Dad peeked again at the latest radar loop playing on the computer. “It was quite a storm we had a little while ago.”

  “Yes, but it was mostly just rain here. To the south they got hit worse. The tornado apparently touched down where there were no roads so we couldn’t get anywhere near it. Here at Badlands National Park, the rain produced some muddy, swollen streams but that’s about all.”

  At the front of the cafe a park ranger walked in. He said hello to the hostess, then walked over to several of the chasers gathered at a table.

  “Well, so much for my fossil talk,” he announced.

  “What happened?” one of the chasers asked.

  “I had to cancel it, although I first tried to continue on inside the shelter out there. But there was just too much weather going on. Lightning. Rain. Hail. We had it all. It was too distracting, and dangerous as well. So I sent everyone quickly back to their vehicles when there was a little break in the action. Right after that the real downpour hit!” The ranger added, “But, really, thanks for bringing the crazy weather with you!”

  The group of storm chasers looked at the ranger, waiting for an explanation. Then he changed the topic from meteorology to paleontology.

  “We needed the rain. It’s been so dry out here, almost to the point of a drought, but, more than that, storms like the one we just had are great news for the park’s paleontologists. The erosion really increases with the flash floods and that ups their chances of finding any fossils exposed on the surface of the soil.”

  The ranger said good-bye to the storm chasers and wandered out of the restaurant.

  Meanwhile, the Parkers finished their dinner. Afterwards, when they walked outside, the skies had partially cleared. Only broken clouds dotted the horizon. “Well,” Mom said, “Let’s go check out the damage in camp.”

  It was just after 6 p.m. and the parking lot was full of ponds making for little watering holes for the local birds and rabbits. “I wonder if the tent is soaked,” James said.

  “Or if it’s even standing,” Morgan added, recalling all the wind that had accompanied the storm.

  The Parkers drove to the nearby campground. They found their site, and their tent was tipped sideways and blown about twenty feet away from where they had staked it. They turned it upright, shook off the excess water, and restaked it at their site, then checked the inside. “At least our bedding wasn’t in there, so we’ll be dry enough tonight!” Mom announced.

  4 Early Morning Hikers?

  At the crack of dawn the Parkers got up quickly and readied for their hike into the heart of the badlands. By 6:30 a.m. they were on the road to the Saddle Pass Trailhead.

  Once there, Mom parked the car in the empty parking lot. The family threw snacks and water into their packs and began the short but steep journey up Saddle Pass.

  The morning was mostly clear and the air cool and moist after the thunderstorms of the day before. Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad stepped down a slope and hopped over a small muddy stream.

  As they followed signposts indicating the trail, mud began collecting on their shoes with each step. A short stretch later the flat trail shifted to one up a steep slope toward the top of the pass and the buttes and badlands above.

  The Parkers tromped along, their steps becoming heavy with thick, clinging mud. At one point, James stopped and began scraping the bottom of his shoe against a rock. But as he did he slowly started sliding down the trail. “Whoa!” James exclaimed while balancing himself like a surfer on a board.

  A few feet later James bumped into Dad and then placed his foot against his father’s, ending his slow-motion downhill journey. James smiled and looked at his family. “That was kind of fun!”

  From there, the Parkers carefully continued up the steepening trail. At times the whole family had to get on all fours just to keep from sliding back.

  On a slightly more level spot, Dad
dashed upward but slipped right into the mud. Then he called down. “Let me try again and just get to that rock up there.” Without any hesitation, Dad sprint-crawled up the steep section. He made it about twenty feet farther and braced himself against the rock. He quickly scraped some mud off his hands and turned around. “Okay, everyone, go one at a time and I’ll grab you when you get close.”

  Morgan scampered toward Dad. She slid backward on some steps and held her ground on others. Still, somehow, she managed to make it close enough to Dad until he grabbed her hand and yanked Morgan up the remaining distance. Then Dad pointed just above him. “Can you plant your foot on that rock and wait there?” Morgan did so.

  James and Mom followed Morgan’s footsteps up the hill. Soon the Parkers were beyond the steepest and muddiest sections of trail. A short while later they were finally at the top of the pass. Each found rocks to scrape the mud off their shoes and hands, at least as much as they could.

  The family proceeded to the junction of the Medicine Root and Castle Trails. James glanced at the sign, and at the park map. “This way!” he announced with enthusiasm. And with that the Parkers were hiking on the Medicine Root Trail.

  A second later, though, they stopped. Another rattlesnake warning sign stood ominously next to the path. Mom stepped to the front. “Follow me!” she said. “I’ll keep a look out. Morning’s an active time for snakes.”

  The mostly flat pathway weaved its way among the wild prairie grasslands of Badlands National Park. The tall blowing grasses were sprinkled with drops of water from the recent rain. Birds flitted about while others perched on top of the small, eroded stacks or buttes. Wildflowers adorned the trail and an occasional prickly pear cactus grew right next to the worn walkway.

  At times the trail was hard to pick out—lost among the tall grasses. The family had to stop at several points to decipher where the next signpost was indicating the path.

  At other spots the landscape opened up and the trail was rocky and near small washes that had eroded downward like mini canyons. In the distance the buttes, pyramids, and pinnacles of the Badlands adorned the horizon.

  One part of the trail had small muddy puddles on it. Mom started to walk around the small water holes until Morgan, right behind her, called out, “Wait! Stop!”

  Mom obeyed Morgan’s command then Morgan pointed out part of an object protruding from the mud. Dad saw it too, and whispered, “Good eyes, Morgan!”

  A fist-sized, pale-colored toad breathed in, swelling its neck and belly. Then the amphibian exhaled and shrank, apparently unaware that it was being observed.

  But it wasn’t just the Parkers watching it. James noticed the other animal first. “Look!” he exclaimed.

  A large, thick, yellow-banded snake was slowly slithering its way out of the grass. It flicked its tongue in and out of its mouth and glided toward the toad.

  Mom guided her family back a few steps. “Is it a rattlesnake?” Morgan whispered.

  “No,” Mom replied. “I think it’s a bull snake. And they are known to have a nasty temperament and painful bite.”

  The Parkers watched the reptile creep closer to its prey. Then, in one fell swoop, it struck the toad, clamping down on the amphibian, and then opening its jaws, it began using its muscles to slowly inhale the whole creature.

  Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad watched the proceedings. At first the toad kicked and struggled while its legs stuck out of the snake’s mouth. But once the toad was mostly inside it apparently died, and swallowing was now smoother for the snake. Soon the toad was out of sight altogether and the only evidence of it was a large lump in the snake’s throat.

  At that point the bull snake retreated into the grass and disappeared. The Parkers hurriedly scampered by, then James turned toward his family, grinning.

  “You don’t get to see that every day!”

  The family cruised on, passing more grasslands and an occasional, isolated butte of rock. Soon they came to the Castle Trail. At the junction of the two paths, Dad pulled out some trail mix and took out a small handful. “Anyone else?” he asked.

  James shook his head no, and pulled out his map. He pointed toward the Castle Trail, “I think we go that way now.”

  Mom looked over James’s shoulder. “Hey, there’s a road up there,” she realized. “I thought this area was all just trails. I’m surprised. I want to go up there and check it out.”

  Mom began walking and Morgan and James followed. Meanwhile Dad was staring off toward an isolated butte with a small bird on top. He studied the bird, then pulled out the binoculars for a closer look. “I’ll wait here,” Dad said. “You all go on ahead.”

  As Morgan, Mom, and James got closer to the road they noticed a parked car. Mom looked up and saw two men at the car scurrying about with equipment. Mom stopped behind a patch of tall grass and held out her arms to the twins. “Hang on a second,” she said.

  Morgan, James, and Mom remained hidden behind the grass while they watched the two men in muddy clothes hurriedly throw rock hammers and packs into the back of the car. They slammed the hatch shut, and then dashed into the car.

  The driver, wearing a red cap, started the engine, while his companion tossed more gear into the back, and then laughed mischievously. The guy in the red cap gave his friend a high five and then accelerated the car and drove away quickly, leaving behind a trail of dust.

  Once the vehicle was out of sight, Mom took a deep breath. “Well, that was a bit unnerving.”

  “What do you think they were doing?” Morgan asked.

  “Whatever it was they got up pretty early to do it,” Mom remarked, referring to the time of day.

  “And did you see those buckets of rocks in the back?” James mentioned.

  “Rocks?” Mom said nervously. “I was studying their faces. Are you sure that’s what you saw?”

  “Yes,” James replied. “They had at least three or four buckets full of rocks in the back.”

  “Come on,” Mom said. And they hustled back to Dad.

  Once they were back to the trail junction, Mom grabbed the map, then took a pen from her pack and jotted some things down.

  “What are you doing?” Dad asked.

  “Something weird just happened,” Mom replied. And Mom, James, and Morgan told Dad about the car and the two men’s unusual behavior. Then Mom added, “Whatever they were up to doesn’t seem right. I just wrote down their license plate and color and make of their car. I think we should report what happened as soon as we can to a ranger.”

  “Good eyes!” Morgan said.

  Dad looked back at the sign indicating the Castle Trail. “Come on,” he said to his family. “I’m also thinking we shouldn’t be hanging around here anymore.”

  5 An Amazing Discovery

  The Parkers continued on the backcountry loop, which now wandered over to the buttes, pinnacles, and bluffs and the heart of the erosional scenery. The family, at first, moved briskly along, wanting to get some distance between themselves and the odd event that had just occurred at the trail junction.

  Soon they passed a couple of other early-morning hikers. After that the family was a bit more at ease. Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad slowed down a little and they began to admire the lunar-like barren bluffs paralleling the trail.

  At one point a large shiny black beetle scampered along the path. The Parkers briefly stopped to watch the insect scoot by. Then they carefully stepped over it and continued walking.

  Eventually they returned to the junction above Saddle Pass. “Well,” Mom said. “That sure was an interesting morning.”

  Dad gazed ahead, quietly pondering. “You know,” he said, “your journey among these castles of dirt and rock doesn’t have to end just yet.”

  Morgan, James, and Mom looked at Dad, waiting for an explanation. So Dad shared his idea.

  “We must have walked really fast because it’s still early, only nine a.m.,” he said, “and the fossil talk is at ten thirty. What I’m thinking is that all of us don’t really n
eed to go down that muddy pass. It’s so thick and slippery, and probably not even completely safe. What we could do instead,” Dad suggested, “is I’ll go down Saddle Pass and get the car. The three of you can hike the last two miles along the Castle Trail and we’ll all meet at the fossil talk parking lot where the trail comes out in plenty of time for the ranger presentation. And we can tell the ranger there about the incident we saw today on the trail.”

  James pulled out the park map and the family looked it over, considering Dad’s idea.

  “I think it’s a perfect plan,” Mom replied.

  “Deal or no deal?” Dad said, waiting for the final decision.

  “Deal!” Morgan and James announced in unison, while Mom nodded in agreement.

  And with that the Parkers split up, Morgan, James, and Mom hiking along the last section of the Castle Trail and Dad heading down the pass.

  The Castle Trail continued to wander among the buttes, bluffs, and pinnacles. Morgan stopped to take several photos while James and Mom took occasional side treks to peek into gullies and washes and examine the erosional features. The mostly flat trail seemed even more remote, but the relative isolation was offset by the bright morning sun, and the fact that they were less than two miles to Dad and the parking area.

  Meanwhile, Dad worked his way down Saddle Pass. The top, steep part was drier than earlier in the day, but some sections were still quite slick. At one spot, Dad just let his feet glide down, leaving a skid mark in his wake. “I hate messing up the trail like that,” Dad said to no one in particular, “But, hopefully, later, the footprints of other hikers or more rain will cover up my tracks.”

  Dad managed to scamper down the steeper sections and worked his way toward flatter ground. As he approached the car he began shuffling his feet along the path, removing as much mud as he could while he walked. When Dad reached the parking area he spent several minutes scraping his shoes off on the pavement. When the weight of his step seemed closer to normal, Dad scraped off a little more and got in the car and drove to the Fossil Exhibit area. There Dad parked the car and glanced at the nearly empty parking lot. He checked his watch: 9:40 a.m. Then Dad began walking toward his family on the Castle Trail.