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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: July 2, 2005
- Miles Hiked: 1.5
- Elevation Gain: 500'
- Hiking Partner(s): None
- Description:
- I am originally from North Dakota, and on our biannual pilgrimage back
to our "holy land", I decided to stop and run to the top of
White Butte since we drive right by it on the way back home. This
actually ended up being a more interesting hike than anticipated.
I didn't review any route information in detail because I didn't think
there'd be much to it. I parked at an old farmhouse, it just
wasn't the right one. I started out south on and old road, it just
wasn't the right one. After a short while, I was beginning to
doubt whether I was even heading in the right direction. I picked
up the pace knowing my family was waiting for me and thought I found a
trail. Unfortunately, it ended at a creek, and apparently I was
just out "cow trail running" in my Teva sandals.
- I figured the butte to the south of me had to be the one, so I made a
beeline for it. I almost wiped out two or three times scrambling
up a side hill of crust with slippery clay beneath it. As I got
closer, I thought I finally saw a climber's trail on a ridge and thought
no cows in their right mind would be up there, so I continued. I
quickly made it to the summit and signed the register. I descended
the correct route after circling entirely too far the the west on the
way in. I ran by the old farmhouse that I was supposed to start at
when a herd of cows started to curiously follow me. I thought I
was going to start a stampede. As I trotted down the two track
road, I whistled and waved across a barley field hoping my wife would
see me and pick me up and the end of the road. She finally saw me
across the way and honked in acknowledgement. I got back in the
car ready to finish the drive back home and to top it all off, I
found two ticks on me.
- Maps:
- Photographs:
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