Upper Paddock Creek trail

Mid January and we were missing the park, we headed to the Upper Paddock Creek Trail. There is a nice parking spot just past a drainage bridge, large enough to get just one car off the road.

Just a stark and brisk day to be in the park, but what else could you expect from an early January day. With surprisingly little snow we headed out to get a few miles under our feet and see how the landscape has been doing this winter. I having done the part of this trail during the late summer was excited to see what the differences would be with the passing of the seasons.

We started at the trail head off of the Scenic Loop Drive and slowly descended into the valley. Passing across fields we encountered the most interesting pit of mostly dry mud, trekked over an array of animal prints and poop, leaped across a mucky creek bed, contemplated taking the old trail that had eroded into a steep bluff and found ourselves flanked by painted canyons and standing on grassy table tops with dried and not so dry creek beds below us. A mile and a half in we were in an unrecognizable different world than where we had parked out truck. We took a few moment to take in the beauty and enjoy the weather before turning around and heading back to civilization.

No wildlife today, a trail that is accommodating to those who do not hike much but may pose challenges to very small children. 

400 Year Old Tree Alive in ND! what?!?!?!

About 25 miles east of Dickinson off of Hwy 94 is the Schnell Lake Recreation Area near Richardton ND. The following information can be found on the BLM web site: http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/north_dakota_field/schnell.html

Activities: Schnell is a non-motorized area with good opportunities for wildlife viewing, nature photography, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, camping, and environmental education. Dispersed primitive tent camping is allowed on the property except along an established 1.5 mile nature trail 

Facilities: Each of the six campsites has a fire ring, grill, picnic table, lantern holder, and garbage can. Potable water is easily accessible from every site but is only available from mid-April to mid-October. Three vault toilets are easily accessible from the camp sites. Grass, trees, and shrubs have been planted to reduce dust and to provide shade and a more pleasant surrounding. 

Please help to preserve the area--use only trash receptacles for your garbage.  Be careful with fire. Use the fire rings that are provided and make sure your fire is completely out when you leave. Use only dead and down wood for fuel.  Enjoy natural and cultural objects, such as rocks, flowers, and antlers, but please don't remove them.

Fees: $5 per campsite per night.  Payment of fee must be made within 30 minutes of occupying site.  All valid federal recreation passes are honored.


Season/Hours: Open year-round.

Location/Access: The Schnell Recreation Area is located in eastern Stark County approximately three miles northeast of Richardton, North Dakota.

From I-94 Richardton Exit #84, drive 0.75 mile north to Highway 10.  Turn right and go 1.5 miles east.  Turn left and go one mile north, following the curve to the right.  Go one one mile east to the headquarters.

Exiting off of Hwy 94 it is incredibly simple to find with great signage from prior to the exit till the parking area itself.

ND view

Schnell Lake Recreation Area Western Entrance 

Today's hike started at the Western Trail dead, about 2 miles south west from the main park entrance. This parking area is easy to find and looks like it will be a great place to cross country ski this winter.

Slater Pond Picnic Table 

Slater Pond

I started off to the left and within a 1/4 mile came across this stunning view. In another 1/4 mile I had arrived at Slater Pond.  Slater Pond is a small dammed up area that looks to be mucky in the spring or after a large rain, but was excellent in late October


At Slater Pond I headed to the right for another 1/4 mile to discover a whole new trail, the Bur Oak trail (1.5 miles total). 

Bur Oak Trail Crossing

Natural Chairs

Along the way there are several natural chairs and benches to sit and enjoy the tranquility of the forest. About 3/4 of a mile into the trail you come to a group picnic area. Just beyond this area is the official park entrance. 

Bur Oak Picnic Area

It so happens that today a truck was dropping off a house just outside the park entrance and I was able to get a snap of the house unloading. The house is still attached to the truck and is being slowly propped up on supports.

House Unloading

400 Year Old Tree

After watching the house for a moment, I spent some time looking at the park history kiosk and than continued on the Bur Oak Trail. Soon I came across a tree that they informational sign says is over 400 years old! The trail winded its way in and out of the creek grove and on back towards the trail crossing I had first come across. I passed by Slater pond and stayed to the right to bring me back to the parking lot on a different path. about 1/4 mile before I got back to the parking area I found a doe hiding in the brush eyeing me intently, and smartly so, its getting to be hunting season.

Deer in the brush

Western Edge is overflowing

I am living on the western edge and it is overflowing. Jobs are in great abundance and everything else is in great demand. I am coming to the close of an epic search for a place to live. Starting with a basement in a family home at $1,100 (and did not really want to do that), moving on to a room in a single ladies home for $600 that I said I wanted and was given to a higher bidder.  My search than spiraled into chaos of exploring, unfinished basements, campers with heaters, buying land and putting up a yurt, sharing a house with an old man and even thought of buying a fixer uper 30miles outside of town.

I ended up living in the house of a board member for two weeks till a really wonderful woman rented me a bedroom in her 3 bedroom house for $550 a month all utilities included. I shared the home with three women and begun my hunt for a more permanent home.

I have put ads on line, put my name on LONG waiting lists, crossed my fingers that I would not need to live with the housing mob, looked at apartments where 10 other people had looked that same day and it had only been open since that morning. I considered month to month rentals and worried about being homeless in the middle of the winter and today signed a 6month lease for a one bedroom with washer, dryer, off street parking and all utilities included for the outrageous price of $950 a month. Will put $500 down tomorrow and I have my fingers crossed that no one out bids me before than.

And my experience is not abnormal, I am by far a lucky person, with old poorly maintained studios going for $1000 a month, I sometimes wonder if I am really in the same US that is having the housing market fall to pieces, ours cant build fast enough

Petrified Forest West Access Trail

Starting Point : Petrified Forest West Boundary Access

Start of Petrified Forest Trail

Exit towards W river road. This is two exits west of the main Medora / Park exit. At the stop sign at the end of the exit ramp you will take a right. It is about 7miles up this road. The road itself curves and branches quite a bit, when i went there were signs directing you the whole way. The road can be quite challenging in the spring when there has been a lot of wash out or if they have recently re-graveled. There are many oil wells along the road so the trucks have done a good job of packing it down

You will find a small parking lot just before the gate to access the trail. The trail starts off flat and than climbs for about 1/2 a mile till you reach a junction. We went to the left and after a a mile including an 1/8 mile drop we found ourselves in the forest. If you stay on the trail it will wind you directly through some amazing petrified trees. It is a large area and I found that wandering a bit off trail got me in groves that I would have missed staying on the path

The brown markers for this trail are about 6 inches across and 4 feet high. They are fairly easy to find. It looks as if they are in the process of putting in wooden post markers. In some places the wooden markers and the brown markers were up.

We hiked up out of the forest grove onto the grasslands and followed them for another 1/2 mile and turned back to our car. The grasslands kept going, my guess is for another 1.5 miles at least.

Petrified Forest from the east

I saw some great butterfly's and birds and lots of crickets.  We saw signs of larger mammals but did not encounter any. 6 other people were on the trail that Sunday, but we never felt crowded.   

Youth Programming Brainstorm

Continuing my sort through my past and found this list of youth programming that my AmeriCrops State, Pillsbury Corps 2002-2003 generated

• Publish a small zine (magazine) to see the results of their work
• take field trips to see theater or museums of the kids' choice
• go/ learn ice skating
• go rock climbing /  bungee jumping
• visit nursing home
• do an obstacle course /  high ropes course
• do sidewalk art
• reading / visit library
• drug free program
• have an art show / poetry reading at the community center
• visit animal farm / horse ranch / zoo
• go biking
• go scuba diving /  fishing
• go to the Y
• serve a community meal / volunteer at food shelf
• Organize sports leagues/ tournaments
• go on a nature hike / to a nature center
• go on a scavenger hunt
• play paintball / laser tag
• go to a sporting event
• have a derby/ build go carts
• cook
• sledding
• build castles out of cardboard boxes
• have a puppet show / go to the heart of the beast
• plant a garden / flowers
• make music / have a band
• historical costume days / activities
• go boxing
• build mechanical things
• ASK THE YOUTH WHAT THEY WANT TO DO!!!!

Petrified Forest Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest 

Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest

Painted Canyon Visitor Center Access Trail & Western Upper Paddock Creek Trail

Starting Point : Painted Canyon Visitor Center

Exit towards Painted Canyon Visitor Center. You will see large signs and find yourself in an establish parking lot.

Upper Paddock Creek Trail

The center is a great place to start a hike, they have bathrooms, water fountains, snack machines and if you arrive during business hours the visitor center has an array of things. I stopped by the visitor center my first time in the park to get maps, hike advice and a local wildlife and plan update. The staff was very helpful and the maps they have are better than the ones I found on line.

Wildlife and Plants in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit: Bison are a relatively calm animal however it is advised that you give them their space, they are large and can be dangerous. The park is home to rattlesnakes, don't go sticking your bare hand into tall grass patches that's when they have the highest rate of bites. Beyond those two, things are fairly standard.

The access trail starts to the south west of the visitor center. Standing in the parking lot you will see an access road going off the western side, follow this road about 1/5 mile till you see a brown marker on your left side. Near the brown marker you will notice a foot path veer away from the road, this is the trail head.

The brown markers for this trail are about 6 inches across and 4 feet high. They are fairly easy to find.

The trail almost instantly heads into the canyon. Footing can be questionable during the decent due to the soft nature of the soil. There are several areas where the trail has caved in, as the canyon slowly grows. Keep an eye on your footwork and you will be fine.

There are a few places where small creeks cross the trail, I have gone in fairly wet times and been able to easily jump these creeks.

At the base of the Access Trail you come to a sign that point north/ west and south/ east. Both directions will put you on the Upper Paddock Creek Trail.

On this day I went north/west. I was interested in doing a 6 mile hike this day, 2 miles to get into the canyon and went about 1.5 miles west on Upper Paddock Creek Trail.

I saw some great butterfly's and birds.  I sat at a nice outcropping and read a book for about an hour and than returned back the way I came. This hike was very isolated, I did not see any people or mammals from start to finish.

Talkington Trail

Starting Point: East fence gate.

Exit towards "Fryburg" If you are heading west this will be the last exit before the park starts, about 4 miles before the rest area overlook. If you are heading east this will be the firs exit after the park ends, its one after the rest area overlook by about 4 miles.

Head north about 100feet and you will encounter a small parking area and a side road. It looks like a frontage road. Road name is fryburg road.

Take a left heading west, follow this as it curves north and turns into 136th/ government creek road. Go about 1 mile and look for a gate in the fence on the west(left) side. The earth will be built up so that you can pull in and park at this gate.

When I visited the gate was locked but had space for a person to squeeze through. A larger person may have to climb the fence.

Talkington Trail

The start of the trail is quite hard to distinguish since it is all grassland and rarely used. Head west through the grass and look for a brown marker that is about 6inches across and 4 feet tall. As you near the canyon the trail becomes more apparent.

The day that I hiked this trail I encountered two groups of horseback riders, about 6 people per group. 3 day hikers. 1 heard of bison totaling about 20. 1 prairie dog town, as marked on the map, a very vocal and timid community.

I hiked till I reached the scenic drive and than turned back. My advice on this trail is to bring plenty of water and wear closed toe shoes, the park has snakes. Otherwise its fairly straight forward and enjoyable to walk. 

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Since moving to Dickinson ND I have been spending almost every weekend hiking in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  I have an array of comments on this experience.

• The park is divided into two separated  areas the North Unit and the South Unit. 
• The South Unit in along side interstate 94 
• The eastern corner of this park is about a 20min drive from Dickinson.
• You can access the park on foot from a variety of entrance points
• To access the park by car you must enter at the Medora Visitor center and pay a $10 fee for a 6 day park access

Systematic Support

National Grasslands, ND

I have begun working for a non profit in a small town and encountered amazing systematic support. When re-locating the Executive Director of the non-profit spoke with the board and had two members offer me space in their house so that I could move to town and than pick a place to live, over having to sign a contract sight un-seen. I am not sure that this type of whole person support exists in other sectors, but it reminds me greatly of the support that I received when working with AmeriCorps. Community members going above and beyond to help you be successful in your development objective in the community.

Former Staff as Volunteers

Welcoming former staff back as volunteers is a great way to keep connected and to access individuals who are skilled as well as have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of your operation. I have recently encountered a learning experience when our summer camp welcomed two former heads of departments back for a three week volunteering experience. 

Summer Camp

These volunteers had been involved in our camp for over 5 summer seasons, each rising to lead their respective departments during their time on staff. They came with the desire to give back to our community, intending to take on a large scale but relatively isolated project and to use their free time to help out in the departments that they had once lead. 

Very little was given to them in way of an induction of their volunteer process and they both eagerly jumped in to their former departments excited to begin to contribute. Their presence and understanding created challenges. In one department the volunteer took it upon himself to complete all of the "fun" jobs, depriving the staff who had been working towards these fun jobs the opportunity to participate in them. 

In the second department the volunteer entered in and took on a leadership role, undermining the authority of the pre-existing leader, causing feelings of degradation among the lower ranked staff, and making programmatic changes that created future challenges within the department.

The volunteers were oblivious to the negative feelings that had transpired and were under the perception that they were accomplished thier objective of giving back to the community they love.

The upper level management (who had welcomed their former employees back to the community) were un-aware of the conflict that was brewing within their departments.

After the negative feelings had begun to brew the two departments approached the upper level management and requested a conversation regarding the volunteers. During this meeting all members of the departmens affected by the volunteers as well as the upper management. A closed door meeting was held where everyone was given the opportunity to express their preception of the situation, propose their ideal situation as well as what they viewed as compromises. 

Following this closed door meeting the executive director met with the volunteers to discuss a plan for moving forward. The volunteers both felt quite badly about how things had transpired. One offered to dedicate his full efforts to the project they had originally come to work on and to no longer work in his old department. The other volunteer requested some time to think about this and to have a meeting with the department she was the former head of.

In summary, two former heads of departments returned to volunteer in the departments they used to run and approached the situation with strong personalities and a mindset that they were there to run the department again.

The take away learning from this is to have a conversation with returning staff members about how their are new competent people in their former positions and that their role is to follow the lead of the staff member, that their role is to be an assistant not a leader. Potentially working with current staff to carve out places for the volunteer to lead activities within the parameters set by the current staff

Returning to the USA

Ian and I have returned to the USA. This return was prompted by an array of factors, all of that could have been overcome, but deep down we were both feeling a little burnt out on Asia. Ian has started school in St.Louis and I am back in Minnesota sorting out what my next move should be. I have joined the un-employed highly educated young adults of America and after 3 weeks of it, I am board, ready for something to take my attention. I read the other day that the national average to find a job after becoming un-employed is 37 weeks, there is no way I can make it that long. I am thinking about taking a job at a summer camp, learning to make canoes and enjoying the great outdoors for the next two months