Shortgrass Spring

Jun 8, 2022

By Christian Begeman

When was the last time you had lunch with a view? I was never much of a picnic person. Growing up, I was too easily annoyed by gnats, mosquitos, black flies and ants trying to get at my food before I did to really enjoy the picnic experience. And I like my food, mind you. But the first day of June may have changed my view on picnics. It wasn’t really because of the food (I had a ham and cheese sandwich, a bag of cheese flavored snack mix and a cold soda). It wasn’t because of the company since I was alone. It was the view, and everything that came with it.

The location was the northeastern edge of Sheep Mountain Table in Badlands National Park. I parked my vehicle at one of the sidetracks that lead to an overview and found a nice place to hang my legs over the edge and take in the scenery. The sky was that early summer, perfect azure blue graced with white clouds moving swiftly overhead. The breeze was light, stirring just enough to bring the sweet smells of blooming chokecherry blossoms up the slopes to linger over me and my picnic spot. Meadowlark song with an occasional mourning dove coo echoed between the cut banks and ravines that stretched as far as the eye could see. The chalky white badland formations against the late spring grass — a verdant green after abundant rainfall — seemed almost too perfect to be real. But there it was. As real as it gets. I wore a black t-shirt that soaked up the sun and concentrated the warmth on my back. It was one of the first solid warm days I’ve felt this year. It didn’t take long to realize that I had stumbled upon maybe the perfect lunch situation.

Ironically, during this picnic, I didn’t take my camera out of the car. And that was OK. There are some moments in life that are better left un-photographed. Even as I reminisce and try to describe that perfect picnic with a view, I can almost feel the warmth and smell the chokecherry blossoms again. Removing the pressure of “perfectly” capturing the moment with a camera turned out to be a gift that allowed me to capture this memory with more depth and breadth. These are the memories that will keep me coming back to such places for as long as I can.

That said, I was not without my camera gear on this latest week in West River. This collection of 18 photos shows the other reasons I take such trips. Driving, hiking and simply experiencing the landscape after it has thoroughly woken up from a long winter’s nap breathes life back into me just as it does the wide windswept landscapes of western South Dakota.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he's not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.