~ Green Creek Wildlife Society ~
~ Green Creek Wildlife Society ~
|
|
Belted Kingfisher ~ Ceryle alcyon ~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the Green Creek Wildlife Society Website! We are a conservation and research organization based in NW Ohio. Founded by Tom Kashmer over 20 years ago we are highly involved in the area with research projects and educational programs year round.
~~~~~~~~~~
|
Another GC Classic - Where would you be going if you drove though Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota? How about the Badlands! That’s exactly what 9 members of Green Creek did this past summer. The trip began at 5 am on Friday June 10th when seven of us boarded a 15 passenger van in Helena, Ohio and headed for a great hiking and camping adventure in the Badlands of South and North Dakota. We arrived in Mitchell, South Dakota at 7:30 pm. Our plan was to camp in a State Park not that far away from Mitchell. However the first of our many “plans” didn’t work out. It was raining, and the forecast called for rain all night. So instead of a tent, we stayed in a motel! Rain greeted us again in the morning but no matter, we still had 350 more miles to drive before we reached Rapid City and our scheduled campsite in Custar State Park. By then the rain would surely end. Dan Ragen and Mary Zylo met us at the park. They drove from Arizona, via Yellowstone National Park, and arrived only minutes before we did. The rain had ended, but the dark clouds began to roll in. We decided to get the tents up. We expected temperatures in the 70’s but they hovered around 50 to 55. Several people drove into town to get supplies for supper, and they ran into SNOW! (enough snow that the snowplows were called out) At the campsite we only got rain, but lots of it. I must tell you our campsite was beautiful. We were located next to a clear, cool mountain stream. The sounds of rushing water always has such a soothing effect especially at night when your trying to fall asleep. The next day, between rain drops, we took our first hike. It was only a short 2 mile hike, but the scenery was outstanding. The afternoon, because of cloudy skies, had us taking the driving tour around the park. We saw buffalo (within 5 feet of us), antelope, wild turkeys, and MULES! Yes, mules, they actually were real pests, almost climbing into the van to get human snacks. We returned to the camp in the rain. It continued raining the rest of the day. By 5 pm Park Rangers made us excavate our beautiful mountain stream campsite because flash flood warnings had been issued for our area. Our “new” campsite was about 300 yards from the stream and considered safe. We were told that we could remain there for the rest of our stay (three more days). However, someone messed up. After one night of camping at our new site, we were told we had to move again. It seems someone had reserved that site. As you can probably surmise the first two days of this trip were very hectic. Plus the temperature never got out of the 50’s! But things began to change for the better. By the fourth day the temps approached 70, and the rains left us for good. We visited Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, one of the oldest Fish Hatcheries in the West at Spearfish South Dakota, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, and many other exciting areas over the next several days. We hiked in the Badlands of South Dakota and North Dakota. We spent three days at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota camped on the banks of the Missouri River. We attended several naturalists programs at the various parks, and some of us even went for an evening horseback trip. And so we end another outstanding Green Creek trip. I wish every member of Green Creek could attend one of our adventures. Over the years we have seen some of the most beautiful country the United States has to offer. We have shared many memories. Oh, one more thing…if you see Aron, ask him where he’s at? |
|
|
For problems or questions regarding this website contact Auriel Van Der Laar
- aurielvdl@yahoo.com
|
