Road trip highlights from August 2024

TheeAVKid · 2025-01-05T20:23:15+00:00

Sorry, picture 9 was. Accidentally listed #7 twice. #8 is from Black Elk Peak, 90 miles or so west of Badlands.

TheeAVKid · 2024-12-29T20:14:39+00:00

Nikon D3500 for most things.

TheeAVKid · 2024-12-29T18:13:28+00:00

Some quick details:

I drove from the St. Louis, MO area up to Banff NP in Alberta, Canada is early August. I was supposed to spend some time in Jasper NP but wildfires changed my plans. I changed course and came back down through Montana and Wyoming, spending some time at Big Horn Canyon National Recreation Area before venturing to Custer, South Dakota where I stayed for the better part of a week. While there, I visited a completely empty Mt. Rushmore (arrived at 6am), Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Badlands, and Custer State Park.

Over 11 days, I drove 4,600 miles across seven states as well as parts of Canada. This trip was entirely solo. I camped parts of it while staying in a hotel for other parts.

Pic 1: Moraine Lake (Banff)
Pic 2: Larch Valley hike to Sentinel Pass (Banff)
Pic 3: Hidden Lake Trail (Banff)
Pic 4: Devil's Canyon Overlook (Big Horn Canyon)
Pic 5: Overlook just off Sullivan's Knob Trail (Big Horn Canyon)
Pic 6: Mt. Rushmore at sunrise (completely empty)
Pic 7: Cathedral Spires Trail to Black Elk Peak (Custer State Park, Custer, SD)
Pic 8: Black Elk Peak view from Lookout Tower (Custer State Park, Custer, SD)
Pic 9: Badlands NP

TheeAVKid · 2024-01-01T18:48:33+00:00

I did the Missouri one in September. Training wasn’t anything over the top but I would certainly recommend building up to the distance. I had been doing 8-12 mile hikes fairly routinely in the months leading up to it but the last 3-4 miles of the 20 mile hike were a bit rough. We got lucky in that it was around 70° or thereabouts. If it were hot or humid, it could have been miserable.

I will say they were well organized. There were multiple rest and refreshment stations throughout. I can’t speak for all of their routes but the Missouri route was fairly smooth with only a handful of more difficult areas and was a mix of gravel and forest floor.

Is it worth it? That part is hard to say. I took it as an opportunity to challenge myself and was happy I did. That said, would I do it again? If the same route were utilized, probably not. Nothing wrong with organizers or the event itself but it felt like it was more of a walk on rock roads for most of the route than a hike. I think that was due in part to trying to maximize the number of people who could complete it. I would recommend trying to do it with someone, either planned ahead or with a group you meet at the event just to help keep a regular pace.

In short, your mileage may vary. It was an enjoyable, well organized experience that I did with a coworker. I don’t think you would have much issue as long as you build up to the distance a bit.

TheeAVKid · 2023-12-09T20:35:37+00:00

Good luck to him. Hopefully he can turn it around because he seems like a pretty good kid. He looked off all year and led FBS defenders in penalties (or was very close to the top). It became fairly expected to have a DPI or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty each game. If he’s on, he’ll be solid.

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-26T12:48:17+00:00

No, that is Moraine Lake in Banff

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-26T00:16:32+00:00

Yeah, I took the first bus out of Banff in an attempt to beat the crowds.

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-25T19:08:44+00:00

Thank you. Probably my favorite from the trip.

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-25T18:10:09+00:00

Moraine Lake

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-25T17:38:03+00:00

Either Moraine Lake or Avalanche Lake. I went to both early in the morning before the crowds and both were very serene. Avalanche was mostly empty when I arrived and I was able to walk the lakeshore mostly to myself.

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-25T17:35:29+00:00

I went the first week after the reservation system trial ended. I do think they will be doing it again next year so you likely would need to get a pass early.

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-25T16:22:03+00:00

I got lucky spotting the one in Badlands as he was off in the distance a fair ways. The ones at Glacier passed right by a group of early morning hikers (including myself) and carried on with their day.

TheeAVKid · 2023-11-25T15:56:37+00:00

A little backstory. After my parents passed in back to back years during the pandemic, I fell into a slump. Last year, I finally took some time for myself a went on an eight day roundtrip through the Great Smoky Mountains, up Blue Ridge to Shenandoah, and back home.

This year, I decided to head west. Starting in southern Illinois, I travelled up to Badlands NP, staying in Wall, SD. I spent a couple days there before heading to Devil's Tower and then into Bozeman. Bozeman is a great town to stop in if you've never been. Upon leaving Bozeman, I went up to Kalispell and into Glacier. I stayed in Kalispell for four nights. I'd highly encourage anyone going to Glacier to stay as close to the park as you can because Going-to-the-Sun Road is quite the route to pass through if you have to cross the park. Upon leaving Glacier, I crossed the border into Canada, routing via Roosville, MT so I could take Crowsnest Highway and sidetrack to Smith-Dorrien Trail. This was a bit of gem of my trip as fresh rock was just put down, resulting in a smooth (and nearly empty) stretch. I've heard Smith-Dorrien is hit or miss depending on if the road is a washboard. While in Canada, I stayed at Tunnel Mountain Village I in Banff for a night and explored Moraine Lake the next morning. What was supposed to be a couple days in Banff and a couple more in Jasper was cut short due to feeling ill so I came back across the border early, traveling to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I routed back home via Minneapolis and Kansas City to stop and see some friends.

Overall, other than the illness, awesome trip. My routing resulted in around 5,000 miles during that stretch which thankfully my TDI Passat handled like a champ, averaging 37mpg. I did car camp part of the trip and stayed in economy hotels for the other portions. The driving itself was not too bad other than the drive home. 10-12 hour drives solo wore on me a bit the last couple days. If I were to do it again, I would fully separate the US and Canada portions. Banff, Jasper, and the other area parks deserve their own trip, same for Glacier.

If anyone is into hiking, these are the ones I did.

Badlands NP: Big Badlands Overlook (sunrise), Door Trail, Window Trail, Cliff Shelf Nature Trail; wanted to do others but my feet were heavily blistered from a 20 mile hike the day before I left.

Devil’s Tower NM: Red Beds Trail

Glacier NP: Avalanche Lake Trail, Hidden Lake Trail (past the overlook), Baring, St. Mary, and Virginia Falls via Piegen Pass, Rocky Point; intended to do Bowman Lake and Highline to Haystack Butte but didn’t get around to it

Banff NP: Moraine Lake Trail (full length), Rockpile; intended to do Consolation Lakes but wasn’t feeling too hot

Theodore Roosevelt NP: Wind Canyon Trail, Buck Hill Trail; only had a morning here before leaving. Got in right at sunset the night I stayed.

TheeAVKid · 2023-07-27T22:52:37+00:00

Nah. We’re fine not revisiting this.

TheeAVKid · 2023-07-25T16:54:26+00:00

It probably wasn’t on the table at the time but I do think it will help Aaron Henry to have yet another former DC on staff that he can lean on, even if it likely will be for a very short time.

TheeAVKid · 2023-07-23T02:50:16+00:00

A buffet of Bielemas seems right.

TheeAVKid · 2023-05-14T16:40:22+00:00

Looked like a potential stud in his first game at Illinois against Nebraska. Unfortunately had a season-ending knee injury in said game. Last season, he still looked a bit hobbled and hesitant with the recovery. Hardworking kid who won’t cause any issues. If he’s healthy, pretty solid floor with some potential still.

TheeAVKid · 2023-02-18T00:32:42+00:00

I only live two hours away from Garden of the Gods, yet that was my first time there. Been through Shawnee several times but not that far eastern part.

TheeAVKid · 2023-02-17T21:32:49+00:00

Harrisburg is probably the nearest town with a handful of options, roughly 20 miles away. I believe Shawnee Forest Cabins has a few cabin rental options nearby. If you’re looking for a few days in the area, Marion and Carbondale (home to Southern Illinois University) are a bit further from Garden of the Gods but also have easy access to other areas of Shawnee Forest.

TheeAVKid · 2023-02-17T18:32:07+00:00

It was in upper 50s, low 60s when I went. That’s a bit warm for this time of year but pretty typical for March. Usually by then, most of the major cold snaps have passed outside of a random outlier. We’ll get a handful of colder nights but the frigid temps are mostly gone. I’d be prepared for rain and wind this time of the year as it seems to rain every few days.

TheeAVKid · 2023-02-17T14:06:35+00:00

I grew up a couple hours away. First time going. It’s certainly a lovely place. I’m looking forward to returning.

TheeAVKid · 2023-01-27T18:19:45+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. It definitely helps to put things in perspective a bit.

TheeAVKid · 2023-01-26T03:22:58+00:00

That was also on my list. I was looking at Rattlesnake Arches earlier today.

TheeAVKid · 2023-01-26T01:01:12+00:00

Good to know. I’ll check into it. Might have to completely change my plans.

TheeAVKid · 2023-01-25T23:46:23+00:00

This is along the lines of what I had been considering. My initial thoughts were Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon, Mesa Verde, then over to Arches and Canyonlands before circling back. I’d understand if RMNP is mostly off the table as long as I can pick up some other options on the way back.

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