The two RV Gypsies
drove through Big Muddy Badlands
in Saskatchewan, Canada
and explored Castle Butte
July 4, 2013 |
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The Big Muddy Badlands region is located just north of the international boundary separating northeastern Montana from south-central Saskatchewan, and a short drive to the south east of Willow Bunch in Saskatchewan. The badlands are punctuated by the Big Muddy Valley, a cleft 35 miles tall and up to 500 feet deep. Carved by melt water during the last ice age, the valley runs in a southeasterly direction into Montana, where it meets the Missouri River basin. The valley is 34 miles long, 2.0 miles wide and 520 feet deep. |
In the nineteenth and early twentieth century the Badlands formed the northern end of the Outlaw Trail, a series of trails and stopping areas utilized by outlaws in the American West spanning from Canada to Mexico. Outlaws such as Dutch Henry and his brother Coyote Pete, Sam Kelly, the Pigeon Toed Kid, and the notorious Sundance Kid turned up in the area. Today ranching and tourism are important in the sparsely populated area.
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The two RV Gypsies saw for miles and miles ahead, and seldom saw other cars. |
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Castle Butte is a 200 foot
high outcrop of sandstone and compressed clay which protrudes from the
flat prairie. At its highest point the butte is only 3,584 feet in elevation.
Still, that is more than 200 feet above the prairie below. The circumference
is 1/4 mile. |
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Castle Butte is dotted with caves. |
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Below: Karen Duquette looked
smaller and smaller as she approached Castle Butte |
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As the two RV Gypsies reached Castle Butte, they noticed a steep hill and a cave. |
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The two RV Gypsies took a quick peek into the cave, but they did not actually go into the cave because that would be dangerous. |
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Below: The steep hill next to the cave. Footprints show someone has climbed up the steep hill, but the two RV Gypsies did not. |
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More Caves |
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Lee Duquette saw a rope in
the cave and pulled on the rope. Apparently someone actually had been
inside this cave. Even with the rope, it is NOT a place the two RV Gypsies
wanted to go. |
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Karen Duquette loved the
variety of texture and colors in Castle Butte. |
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The two RV Gypsies took the
1/4 mile walk around Castle Butte. One area had a land slide. That is
why it is NOT safe to go inside any of Castle Butte's caves. |
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Karen Duquette relaxed while
Lee Duquette photographed the view around Castle Butte. |
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From this high place on the plains of Eastern Montana, the two RV Gypsies could see for a long distance.
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Castle Butte varies in shape and texture |
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Karen Duquette liked the silky, feathery
plant - whatever it is called. |
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Below: Lee Duquette liked
the pointy topping seen from this angle, but as he walked just
a few steps, it was no longer looking so pointed. |
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The two RV Gypsies headed back to where they started their walk around Castle Butte. |
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The two RV Gypsies really love their life on the road. |
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One last panorama of the surrounding area. There is a farm down there, but it doesn't show up in the photo very well. Everything is further away than it looks. |
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Below: This is actually a different rock formation across from Castle Butte. |
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As the two RV Gypsies drove
away from Castle Butte, Karen Duquette quickly took a photo of Castle
Butte because the shape of it looked totally different than the shape
of it from the other side. |
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Driving away from Castle Butte
on the dirt road, the truck kicked up a lot of dust which could partially
be seen in the mirror. As they drove by, Karen Duquette quickly snapped
a few photos of some large, colorful rock formations. |
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