The Jonas Creek Trail bisects the the perimeter road. We hiked it upstream for about 2.5 miles. It was fun to be hiking in the west again. Big open space, so trails are placed along valleys leading up to the head of the stream. In TRNP it is the North Dakota Badlands with open prairie and range lands with cottonwoods trees in the draws. David McCollough, whose Mornings On Horseback, I have been reading draws a distinction between the North Dakota Badlands and the South Dakota Badlands. Here it is greener, more range land, suitable for grazing animals than the more forbidding south. I would have to agree. One of my reservations about the stop was that I had seen the southern version, and I could not have imagined what we would do.
The north was wonderful. We hit a cool spell with some clouds and a nice wind each day. The sun was hot, but not too. We were just past peak flowers but there were enough to decorate the trail pleasantly. The trail rose, but steadily, and just enough to let the legs know that it was a hike. My right knees has been sore after riding the last few weeks and it tolerated the hike OK.
A very nice hike indeed!
The north was wonderful. We hit a cool spell with some clouds and a nice wind each day. The sun was hot, but not too. We were just past peak flowers but there were enough to decorate the trail pleasantly. The trail rose, but steadily, and just enough to let the legs know that it was a hike. My right knees has been sore after riding the last few weeks and it tolerated the hike OK.
A very nice hike indeed!
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