So this is the flickr set. I'll keep adding to it as I travel. And will try to post it again so people remember to check it. It's too hard to keep adding lots of photos to the blog.
It's been an interesting 24 hours. I made it out from the badlands along a southern route, which was just fantastic. For anyone who might make it out that way, venture off the main route and drive out 44. You get see the badlands from a distance. You're driving through ranches and on one side of you, the badlands stretch out like an enormous wall. After spending the day walking and driving through the rocks, it's something quite different to see them as one enormous entity. I was driving, though, so have no photos. Sorry.
The roads I took were badly marked so I spent most of the 1 1/2 hr ride to Porcupine (where the powwow was) thinking I was lost. It's a different world out there. Ranches, ranches, and parkland. Every once and a while there was a house, and at one point traffic (me and one other car) slowed right down because we passed the single grocery store for miles.
I took the left turn into the powwow "parking lot" and realized I was going to be the only tourist around. It was filled with vans and cars parked every which way. I got to the back where there was some free space and was told by some guy that, "they said we could park anywhere it was mowed." So I did. The powwow was filled with locals. Everyone seemed to know eachother. There were stalls selling Indian Tacos, Nachos, icecream, "pop," etc etc. People brought lawnchairs and were sitting around chatting with their neighbors and watching the dancing. The ranger had told me that things would start sometime around 7. I got there a little after that, and the dancing didn't really get going until after 8. I certainly felt awkward at times not knowing anyone but the people watching fantastic. It was great to get to see a little more closely what life is like in SD. At around 9, I decided to make my way back. I get to my car and I'm parked in, so the man who helped me out before moved his car so I could pull out. It was pretty dark at this point and as I pull my car forward, I hear a horse whinney. No shit. All of a sudden, I realized that no only were cars parked in this parking lot, but horses were stabled. On my way up the drive getting out, I passed some kids urging their horses out as well.
I wish I could say the drive home was stress free but that ranger in the badlands misled. Not only was it pitch black, but i (possibly) hit and killed a bunny rabbit (not to mention the myriad of moths that splatted on my windshield), and then immediately after spotted a deer standing at the side of the road. Hitting a deer is one of my biggest fears (after hitting a moose). The ranger had assured me that there weren't many deer in these parts. There were. Not only did I see that one on the road, but I saw two others running through the area where my cabin was located. They were pretty, I guess.Today, I woke up early to grey skies and set off for Wyoming. It spatterred rain continously and the thermometer read 46 at one point. And of course, the shiny newness of the scenery had worn off. 7 hours in, I was pretty sick of looking at brown ranches. In Montana, I got off the highway and saw real mountains for the first time. This was awesome. I turned the corner, sick of driving, and saw these massive black mountains hidden in the low slung clouds. I admit it, I cried. And I decided it was worth it to go into Yellowstone no matter the weather (at that point, I was actually considering just moving on to northern Montana...)
So now, I'm in Cody Wyoming (to get here I had to go north into Montana and then back south again into Wyoming.) People here were plaid flannel and cowboy hats. For real.
Tomorrow it's off to Yellowstone.
Lots of love everyone.
Tamara
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