Yesterday, I was able to hike 20 miles on the Maah Daah Hey Trail. It has stunning scenery, and a breathtaking change of views. From rolling meadows, to wooded forests, to the sides of steep hills, the changes in elevation and sights are unending.
On my hike, I came across a total of four other people, two young woman hikers and two teen bicyclists. The solitude is amazing, coming across four people in seven hours of hiking is a great thing, it’s just you, nature, and whatever wildlife is around. There were many birds, cattle and their calves, hawks, butterflies, spiders, and I did see Bison scat, but didn’t come across any, though they are on some portions of the trail. The last two miles was inside a part that definitely did have Bison, as it was surrounded for miles by six foot high fences, which are only necessary for Bison. Bison not only are the largest land animals of North America, they also can reach up to speeds of 35 mph for hours, climb some of the steepest hillsides and mountainsides, but they can jump six feet straight up.
Maah Daah Hey is a term from the Mandan Indian language and it means “An Area that will be around for a long time”
There are no water fountains on large stretches of the trail. It is 144 miles, and to hike it and back takes 9-10 days at a 20-30 mile per day clip. There is virtually no water that can be filtered along the way either. So, there are rest areas every twenty miles or so, and that’s practically the only place to get water.
Here are a couple of experiences of people who have hiked the trail.
The trail has places, where if you aren’t careful, you can be seriously injured, or even potentially die. I came across one stretch on my hike on the side of a very steep hill with switchback trails, and a landslide had wiped out the trail. So, with the wind whipping in 55 mph hour gusts, I had to pick my way over the landslide, which didn’t appear terrible stable.
http://northdakotarunner.blogspot.com/2018/07/i-hiked-70-miles-of-maah-daah-hey-trail.html
I began hiking it from the northernmost part, near the Teddy Roosevelt North National Park. It was the CCC campgrounds. The trail is pretty clearly marked, but, there are times when there are no markers and the trail is faint, and you have to do a bit of investigating to make sure you are going the right way. Three times on the return trip I lost the trail and had to backtrack to get back on it.
After I finished, I was quite exhausted. It felt perfectly lovely to sit in my car on the way home. I was slightly limping as I’d twisted my ankle. But, I feel fine today.
It was an exhilarating journey into the wilderness of the state, to imagine what it must have been like centuries ago, when Elk, Bison, and Big Horn sheep roamed in massive herds. To see the scenic beauty of a landscape largely unchanged for the entire history of the state is truly satisfying. To see nature as it always ways, and which it always returns to, if given the chance.
The majestic views are not done justice by the pictures. Perhaps a high quality camera will give a better depth perception, but my Apple I-phone can’t capture the magnificence that the equally magnificent human eye can comprehend. I can’t wait to return to hike the whole trail one day. To go into the wilderness alone is a wonderful experience that is not only healing and satisfying, but humbling and inspiring too.
