Well another week has already disappeared, but we did take a fun and as always adventurous trip to Palisades State Park in South Dakota for a weekend of climbing and mountain biking.  We spent Saturday completing a ride of a trail that we attempted last fall only to wake up at 3am with our tent being flattened against us by 50mph wind and snow.  This time the weather was great and the trail was not bad.  Next in our ND naivety we left a completely empty and perfectly suitable campground behind and drove several hours south to the state park where we planned to climb.  Forgetting completely that outside of ND people like to camp outdoors Memorial Day weekend.  So after driving past several hundred campers in half a dozen camp grounds we found a small patch of unclaimed grass in an unknown South Dakota town where the sites were not really numbered or marked and we felt we could legally squat for the evening.  The next morning we left the partying high school kids behind and returned to the park where we found a freshly open camping space and lots of intriguing and fun cliffs to climb.  Here are a few pictures. 

Cliff Lined Creek Leading To Farm Land

Roo & Max Enjoying a Little Fishing & Hunting

Real Climbers Trails (Straight Up)

Tourist Trails (Plush)

My Favorite: Farming Is Never Far Away In The Dakotas

Ballancing Rock

Many Climbs Started Abive The Water

King & Queen

It seems to have warmed up and we managed to fit a couple hour ride into Beth's studying.  Since the trails along the river are still under water we headed fifteen minutes out of town to Turtle River State Park, the home of the only (although short) sections of single track trail in eastern North Dakota.  The weather was great and the trails mostly dry.  It was so nice the dogs swam about a dozen times and the ticks were even begining to come out to play.  So a afternoon ride expanded into a combined ride...hair cut...dog bathing party.  As You can probably tell the hair cuts still need a little work, but it was getting late.  There will be a round two with the clippers for sure.  We even got a picture of one of the first couple dozen little guys of the year for you.  Cute aren't they.

One of our new friends

There is always time for a swim

What?... Now We Look Like Labs 

Well with may little trip to Salt Lake the other weekend I think the ND ski season may be ending.  Now if the water would just fall we could get the bikes back out.  I just ran accros this clip of Kris Holm on the unicycle.  Its an old clip but ramains incredable.  


Enjoy