We started the hike on the Lower Padock Trail. We took numerous breaks because it was a really hot day. It turned out to be the only hot day of the trip. The rest of the week it was cold and rainy. We camped out on the Upper Paddock Trail and the next day we cut this hike short and went back to Medora as one of us had a wet sleeping bag and it was raining continually. I'm pretty sure that in North Dakota you only get extremes in temperatures -- either super hot or super cold!
We saw large herds of elk and antelope. The antelope are swift and it was fun to see them running around us. At night we heard coyotes and owls. We saw a lot of buffalo too. I've included a picture of some that I snuck up on. That was probably not the smartest thing to do. You need to take great caution with wild animals. I had somewhat of an encounter with a rattlesnake while crossing a muddy stream. Thankfully it just gave a warning rattle and slithered away.
We waited out the weather and then started our two day hike on the Petrified Forest Trail. It was still wet and muddy. The mud here is called "gumbo" and it would stick on our shoes in huge clumps (see photo) which we were continually poking off with our hiking sticks. I felt like a cartoon charactor with huge feet. The Petrified Forest Trial lives up to its name -- you really do see a lot of petrified wood.
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To find out more about the trails, visit these websites:
http://www.nps.gov/throw.nps.gov/thro
http://www.mdhta.com/dhta.com/
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Permits: It is easy to get permits. I picked up our permit from TRNP Park Station in Medora.
http://www.nps.gov/throw.nps.gov/thro
http://www.mdhta.com/dhta.com/
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Permits: It is easy to get permits. I picked up our permit from TRNP Park Station in Medora.
Total miles hiked: 40 (approximate)
Driving time from Grand Rapids, MI to Medora ND is: 17.5 hours
4 hikers
