The
Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
drove through the Big Muddy Badlands
in Saskatchewan, Canada
to explore Castle Butte
July 4, 2013 |
|
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. |
|
The two RV Gypsies could
see for miles and miles, and seldom saw other cars. |
|
|
|
|
Below: 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. Castle Butte was a landmark to the First
Nations people, the NWMP and early Canadian settlers. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Below: Castle Butte is dotted
with caves. |
|
Below: Karen Duquette looked
smaller and smaller as she approached Castle Butte |
|
Below: As the two RV Gypsies
reached Castle Butte, they noticed a steep hill and a cave. |
|
|
Below: 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. |
|
|
Below: The steep hill next
to the cave. Footprints show someone has climbed up the steep hill,
but the two RV Gypsies did not. |
|
Below: More Caves |
|
|
Below: Lee Duquette saw a
rope in the cave and pulled on the rope. Apparently someone actually
has been inside this cave. Even with the rope, it is not a place the
two RV Gypsies want to go. |
|
|
Below: Karen Duquette loved
the variety of texture and colors in Castle Butte. Its composition is
sandstone and clay-based with alkali and coal deposits. |
|
|
|
|
Below: The two RV Gypsies
took the 1/4 mile walk around Castle Butte. One area had a land slide
earlier. That is why it is not safe to go inside any of Castle Butte's
caves. |
|
|
Below: Karen Duquette relaxed
while Lee Duquette photographed the view around Castle Butte. |
|
|
|
|
|
Below: From this high place
on the plains of Eastern Montana, the two RV Gypsies could see for a
long distance. |
|
Below: Castle Butte varies
in shape and texture |
|
|
| |
Below: Karen Duquette liked this silky, feathery plant - whatever
it is |
|
|
Below: Lee Duquette liked
the pointy topping seen from this angle, but as he walked just a few
steps, it no longer looked so pointed. |
|
|
The two RV
Gypsies are almost back to where they started their walk around Castle
Butte. |
|
Below: The two RV Gypsies
really love their life on the road. |
|
|
Below: 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. |
|
Below: This is actually
a different rock formation across from Castle Butte. |
|
|
Below: As the two RV Gypsies
drove away from Castle Butte, Karen Duquette photographed Castle Butte
once more because the shape of it looked totally different than the
shape of it from the other side. |
|
Below: Driving away from Castle
Butte on the dirt road, the two RV Gypsies' truck kicked up a lot of
dust which can partially be seen in the mirror. As they drove by, Karen
Duquette quickly snapped a few photos of some large, colorful rock formations. |
|
|
|
|
AFTER
you have seen all six sections above, please continue on to 
