Touch the Sky Prairie

Neither Bob or I are native Minnesotans. When we first moved up north many years ago I remember commenting that “the sky looks bigger here” than in Illinois. I know Montana has claim to the title of Big Sky Country, but here on the flat prairie there really is more sky. With few trees or hills, the view goes 180º from one horizon to the other.

Bob, with his love of Native American history, has a much greater appreciation for the prairie and what it offers. I, on the other hand, miss the forests and hills of my youth. So when a friend recommended visiting a place called “Touch the Sky Prairie” I was a little hesitant. But in these times of social distancing, traveling to somewhere other than the back yard seemed appealing.

When we woke to absolutely gorgeous weather a few days ago, it seemed a perfect time for a road trip. Temperatures were in the upper 50’s with bright blue skies and a slight breeze. A picnic cooler was packed with some sandwiches and snacks and we were on our way.

Turning off the highway we followed the signs that lead us on gravel roads through the prairie to a small parking lot. All that was there was a sign with some information and a map showing three different trails. We chose to do the Prairie Waterfall Trail.

The trail consisted of a mowed path through the prairie grass. The native prairie grass was a thick carpet rippling in the wind, but where the trail had been cut, dandelions and other weeds had taken over. On a hot day, this type of hike would have been miserable, but with the cool temps and slight breeze, it was delightful.

Our destination...the grove of trees ahead.

The trail followed along the banks of a small creek and lead to a tree grove where we found the waterfall. With the warm sunshine and sounds of rushing water, we spent 30 minutes or more taking in God's handiwork.

I imagined the Ingalls family coming across this prairie in a covered wagon
many years ago when I saw this old wagon wheel propped up next to tree.

Up to that point, we had been alone but another couple came walking down the path as we were getting ready to leave. I was happy that we had enjoyed the area in solitude, and now it was time to give the newcomers their turn.

As we walked back towards our car, we watched small butterflies flitting around and even spotted a frog hiding in the tall grass.

Wind farms and crop farming...both common on the prairie.

A back-of-the-car picnic. 

The day was just too beautiful to not enjoy outdoors so we continued on to do some hiking at Pipestone National Monument. Due to the pandemic, the visitor center was not open, but the mile-long path through the cliffs and quarries was accessible. Since I have written about our previous visit to Pipestone National Monument, I will just include a few photos of our walk.

I keep recalling a phrase that we heard in an online church service recently referring to this unprecedented time in our history..."Pain without gain is a shame." (Andy Stanley). As much as I would love for life to go back to "normal", we have enjoyed seeking out places close to home that we probably wouldn't have taken time to visit in the past. A definite plus during this time of slowing down. So what have you have "gained" during the pain of this pandemic?