Frozen gold - a photo on Flickriver

Frozen gold

            The warm golden hues of ochre, red and yellow are deceptive as the sun descends rapidly and shadows fill the vast badlands along the frozen Little Missouri River.  Warmth is relative, though, for the temperatures on this particular day (1-24-2024) were 50 or 60 degrees warmer than a week or two prior and one could breath without freezing nosehairs or gathering ice on the face.  

Now, a little over a week later, the temps have climbed above freezing as a false spring warms western North Dakota, and a lot of the snow has melted away, moisture that also brings mud.  This is part of the erosion process that created the badlands out of these sedimentary layers but it's the bane of those that farm or work in the Bakken oilfield, for it means the dirt/scoria "gravel" roads are essentially closed to anything heavier than a pickup truck.  Personally, I'd much prefer driving on the ice here than in the mud, for the mud is unlike any I have encountered anywhere else in the US.  Imagine driving on Vaseline...  Thus the reason I would prefer it simply remain in the 0-10F range until spring is ready to be unpacked, for this will be the second unseasonably warm spell this year.  Welcome to North Dakota weather, where the forecast is only as good as what one sees outside the window!  :)

Taken in: United States / North Dakota / McKenzie (show map)

Taken on: January 24, 2024

Tags:

Watford City

Grassy Butte

North Dakota

Peace Garden State

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

TRNP

north unit

National Park Service

NPS

badlands

frozen Little Missouri River

semi-arid

rugged

bluffs

cliffs

ridges

ochre

red

winter

grasses

harsh

sedimentary

geology

layers

dry

nature

natural

landscape

scenic

evergreen

snow

vistas

distance

Caprock Coulee Trail

golden hour

clouds

sky

United States « less

Sets appears in: • Scenic/"other" Photography • Theodore Roosevelt National Park more » • Watford City & McKenzie County, North Dakota « less

Groups appears in: • U.S. National Parks • U.S. National Parks and Places more » • North Dakota • Nature Heals the Soul • North & South Dakota Photography • Badlands • Landscapes!!! • North Dakota Sky • North Dakota Photographers • Theodore Roosevelt National Park • Landscape Beauty ! • Travel North Dakota • Golden Landscape, Only The Best ! (Post 1, Comment 1) • Best of U.S. National Parks • WorldLandscapes • A Photographer [No AI or SL] • Un-enhanced American West • *Mágico Mundo Natural * Magical Natural World * • Landscapes Only • TOURISM magazine • Hobi-Fotografi (hobby photographers)Only high quality Photo • Anything - 18+. Your best! NO KIDS PIX • Landschaften aus der ganzen Welt • A NATIONAL PARK • ALL AMERICAS • The Olympus E-M1X Users Group • (A) HEARTLAND PARADISE. • (A) AMERICAN NATIONAL PARKS • GRANDES COMPOSICIONES DE LA FOTOGRAFIA MUNDIAL.LARGE COMPOSITION • WONDERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN GENERAL.MARAVILLAS DE LA FOTOGRAFIA EN • AMERICAN VISTAS • U.S. National Park Service « less

Camera: Olympus E-M1X, f/4.0, 1/100 sec, 7mm (=14mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Olympus E-M1X
Lens:	OLYMPUS M.7-14mm F2.8
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	0.01 sec (1/100)
Focal Length:	7mm (35mm equivalent: 14mm)
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	+0.7 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	Low
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 25.3 (Windows)
Show full info

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