Cheboygan , Michigan

4870 total miles

Well Michigan has been pretty awesome! We have seen spectacular sights ,tons of animals and alot of water and with even more light houses.
We drove up the upper peninsula, and stayed in a small town named "Escanaba" while staying there we toured the local National forests and went to see a place called "pictured rocks" along the shores of lake superior.  After leaving  we drove over the Mackinac bridge. Which is a 5 mile suspension bridge that goes over Lake Michigan and Huron, lucky for us we drove over it the day before labor day,  which on labor day they shut the bridge down and have a huge bridge walk lead by the governor for the full length of the bridge.

We rode on a large ferryboat that tooks on to lake Huron and out to "Mackinac Island", Huge tourist trap haha it was a cool island that doesn't allow any motor vehicles,  so everyone is either riding a bicycle or getting a ride from a horse carriage. 

Michigan has some very cool places and very beautiful sights to offer. 

Hope, Minnesota

4256 miles total
527 miles on the day

We left South Dakota this morning, only to be greeted by a monsoon, as we started to cross the state line into Minnesota the sun looked like it might start to make it's presence known but then decided against it and let the clouds and wind open back up. 

I wasn't able to take any photos today because I was driving the majority of the day, but I will leave you with a beautiful quote from John Muir-

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.

Badlands National Park

While staying at the Badlands National Park,  we have done and seen a ton. The first night we went to a ranger talk where he showed us all of the constellations that were visable, I saw Saturn, mars, and the Andromeda Galaxy. (A ton of shooting stars.)  We went to the Minute man missile National Historic sight, where we got to tour the launch control modules of the missiles that were "hidden" underground during the cold war. After we finished learning about our national defenses during that time.  we drove through the badlands N.P. into Buffalo gap national grasslands and on over to Wind Cave National Park where we saw hundreds of Buffalo, wild donkeys, and a mother deer with her spotted fawn. We went for a guided hike in the caves about 200ft below the surface of the earth, where we got to view a rock formation called "boxwork" that is a very rare occurrence. (No pictures of that, just a tad to dark ) after we went into pine ridge reservation where the wounded knee massacre occured. 

This morning I went for a hike in the badlands, only a 7 mile hike or so ,but It was amazing, I got on the trail by 6:15 and saw the sjnrise over the badlands and burn through the morning fog. Around 25 big horn sheep blocked the trail as a patiently waited for the male big horn sheep to walk his herd of females and calfs to safety on the other side of the trail the howling of  3 or 4 coyotes filled the morning silence, it set my nerves on edge a little bit. The rocks and geological formations are nothing I have ever encountered.  It really Is beautiful. 
 

There is a lot of little details that I know I'm leaving out. But they will never fad from my memories.

Mountrushmore, Crazyhorse

We went and checked out Mountrushmore, and Crazyhorse sculptures today.  I must say crazy horse is amazing especially the whole story behind the sculptor and what all he has sacrificed to fulfill his promise to the natives the surrounding blackhills are very beautiful. Off to the badlands!

Rapid city ×2

3684 total miles driven
358 on the day

On the way back to rapid city we stopped at the Little Big horn National Park were general Custer made his last stand against the natives of the land It was very awesome to see all of the old artifacts and hear the stories as told from the natives (being as they were the only survivors of the battle.) It was amazing to think I could have possibly stood where Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse might have once been. We are no at a camp ground about 20 miles away from mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse sculptures are. Pictures will follow tonight!

Laurel, Montana

3,326 total miles driven
616 miles on the day

Well leaving a place like G.N.P was a little hard,  with the new friends we made in the campground, on the trail, and all the memories we shared In just the week we were there.  Montana will go down in the book for me as the most beautiful state I have ever been to, And I believe both of my grandparents would agree. Montana is know as the "Big sky country" it really does live up to that name. The skies here just seem massive, over the mountains and the the farmlands they just seem endless. We stayed the night at a truckstop parking lot.  Just pulled up and fell asleep.

Backcountry Backpacking

23.90 total miles hiked
8197 total elevation change
4147 up
4050 down

1st day-8/18/14 - Snyder lake via Sperry trailhead
4.40 miles
2047 ft elevation gain
The first day on the trail was a short hike but alot of elevation gain. The view from inside of the basin at snyder lake are absolutely breathtaking, you are surrounded by cliff faces that are 2000th feet high in every direction except where you hiked in at. At the camp I encountered a doe. She was very curious and visted me 2 more times that day. There were only two other hikers that stayed at the campground that night, they were a couple from Maine named will and Caroline. ( awesome people )
That night there was not a cloud in the sky while I watched the sunset over the mountains. The stars were like nothing I have ever witnessed! There was not a dark spot in the sky. Snyder lake was amazing.

2nd day-8/19/14 - Lincoln lake
11.50 miles
1300 up
1800 down
I rose before the sun and was able to watch the shadows of the mountains disapear along the other mountains as it came over the closest peak. I ate my birthday cake(cliffbar)  for breakfast with my two new friends. We said our good byes while we all took in the beauty one last time before left Snyder lake. After hiking down snyder lake trail I went east on Snyder ridge trail where I encountered mosquitos the size of pigeons, and there were hundreds of them. Once I got through with the ridge trail I went north on Lincoln lake trail. For what is probably the most up and down in elevation I have ever encountered on a trail. Once i arrived at Lincoln lake where the largest waterfall in the park is around 3 I was the only hiker there, I had made it just In time to set up my tent and filter my water from the lake and then the skies opened up. It rained until 8 or so just in time for me to watch the sun set around 
10 o'clock the sky cleared up enough for me to see the stars once more in a different lake basin. At 12 that night a storm was coming directly over head where lighting struck 2 miles away. But the thunder is like nothing you have ever heard, it's reverberations bounce off of the basin and make the most beautiful sounds. Each thunder boom lasted for a good 30 to 45 seconds. The combined sound of the thunder, rain,  and waterfall made for a very peaceful sleep.

3rd day-8/20/14 - return to civilization via Lincoln lake trailhead
8.00 miles
800 up
2250 down

When I woke,  the rain was still drizzling I waited for 10 mins or so,  and I was lucky enough that there was a break in the rain. I packed my life's needs back in my pack and hit the trail.
Again like I said this Lincoln lake trail is filled with elevation gains and loses but im not sure if it is just harder going out then coming in or if my legs were that tired. I met the killer mosquitos once again for about a 3 mile stretch
I didn't see any people until I was a half a mile away from the road, so I went a full 24 hrs in G.N.P's  backcountry with out seeing a soul and it was incredible.

I'm back at base( R.V.) now with the memories of the best birthday ever. It was such an honor to be able to witness so many beautiful scenes and people.  I'm truly the richest person right now.

Happy birthday to you too dad.  Love you.