We started our journey on a cool March afternoon at the
visitor’s center in Lake Sakakawea State Park.
The visitor’s center is generally considered the end of the North Country Trail (NCT), but for us (living in Bismarck, ND), it was our starting
point.
(Here we go…)
(…following the yellow brick road!)
We hiked an out-and-back to Hwy 200 over mostly dry trail; a
modest 3.6 miles. In only one spot was
there snow, which is unusual for late March in a ‘normal’ year, but was no
surprise given our winter of negligible snowfall and above average temperatures. It is no wonder we’re currently assigned an ‘abnormally
dry’ category by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Here’s to hoping for some moisture soon!
This section of the trail is part of the Great Plains, a broad
relatively flat area that slopes east away from the Rocky Mountains. More specifically, this section is in the
Missouri Slope Upland physiographic region, with rolling to hilly plains except
in badland areas (which are about 100 miles west) (Bluemle, 2000). Because of its close proximity to the Missouri
River, there is ample evidence of glaciation along the trail (i.e., large rocks),
which makes most soils in the area approximately 10,000 years old.
We recorded what we felt was a representative soil type near
an NCT marker about a mile into our hike.
Using the SoilWeb for iPhone app, we recorded a mix of Werner and Amor loams.
(Location of recorded soil type)
(Our first soil!)
The Werner loam is classified as a loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Entic Haplustoll, whereas the Amor loam is classified as a fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid, Typic Haplustoll. The Werner is typically found on east/northeast facing slopes (as in this case), while the Amor can be found on variable aspects.
These soils are unique in that they are both formed in residuum weathered from soft sandstone, siltstone, and shale, thereby making them different (and much older) compared to soils we'll soon be encountering to the east.
From a trafficability perspective, both soils are well drained, but can be susceptible to periodic ponding depending on the slope. Fortunately, slopes for most of this section of the trail favor runoff should a deluge occur.
These soils are unique in that they are both formed in residuum weathered from soft sandstone, siltstone, and shale, thereby making them different (and much older) compared to soils we'll soon be encountering to the east.
From a trafficability perspective, both soils are well drained, but can be susceptible to periodic ponding depending on the slope. Fortunately, slopes for most of this section of the trail favor runoff should a deluge occur.
Interestingly, the Werner and Amor loams are the same soil
types our home sets on in Bismarck (how’s that for a coincidence!). Realizing this, we looked for evidence of
salinity along the trail (a problem we have at home) as the presence of shale in
the area allows for lateral flow of salt-bearing water (meaning the salty water
will come out the side of a hill). The
salts originate from the parent material and – to a lesser degree – the lower
horizons of the soil.
It didn’t take long for us to find evidence of salinity. Actually, there were a number of spots where
we located the telltale signs of salinity (white crust at the surface), but we found only one location for a decent photo.
(Salt of the earth)
