10/14/2003: Canadian badlands

Like many Americans I can't hear the word "badlands" without immediately hearing Springsteen belting out the word at full volume. "Badlands, you gotta live it everyday, let the broken hearts stand, as the price you've gotta pay..."

But I didn't know what badlands meant until this Earth Sci pic of the day. It turns out that badlands are any heavily eroded and arid region, although most people think of the Badlands National Monument which is in South Dakota. This one is in Ontario and is the result of farming erosion which continued after the farming ended.

Springsteen was talking about north Jersey shoreland so you know he is a poet who can make that kind of metaphor.

It looks cool, but really it's just a big useless area. I guess the north Jersey shore analogy sticks.

Re: 10/14/2003: Canadian badlands

I've spent quite a bit of time in the South Dakota Badlands, both in the touristy areas, and in the out of the way places. It can only be described as magnificent desolation, especially at night under a big moon.

The thing that always blows my mind is how easily you lose your sense of scale when you are out in the Badlands. With nothing else to reference, you begin to feel you are out amongst a mountainous region, and it is very difficult to tell how far away a peak or hill might be. Then, you look again, and people are standing on top of it, and you realize that it is only about fifty feet high...

Fascinating geological area, the Badlands, and a rich, rich source of fossils.

This would look fabulous as a stereo slide.

Oh, great...thanks a lot, SD. Now I've got to tell the wife I need money for a stereo camera, and that we're spending our next vacation in the Badlands (again).

What a tremendous idea that is, SD. Gonna have to ponder this for awhile.

Oh, yeah, blame me! I can just imagine... "Oh yeah?? Well if that Steve Austin or Steve Dallas or whoever told you you needed to jump off a bridge would you do it??"

But don't worry. I checked the website http://www.canadianbadlands.com/see-do.htm
and if your travels take you there remember to bring your golf clubs. You see all the Badlands needed was a little turf, fertilizer and water.

I thought the cool thing about the badlands (National Park) was the lack of signs to tell you not to climb the hills or tread lightly off the paths. Since the terrain is constantly changing any "damage" you do disappears quickly.

Chris, the golf course is in Alberta and UT's pic is in Ontario.