![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bismarckmandanblog.com\/images\/double_ditch_post_21032.jpg\")
<\/center>For years I, like many others, have taken sunset photos from this lovely vantage point: the fence post at the northern edge of the Double Ditch historic site. It’s just off the corner of the road as you enter the site area, it has a great view, and its elevation affords a wonderful view of the river, the sunset, and the Square Buttes to the northwest. I’ve taken photos from here as recently as Sunday night, as shown above. What I didn’t know was how risky that’s become.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bismarckmandanblog.com\/images\/double_ditch_post_21108.jpg\")
<\/center>Last night I wanted to take a sunset photo from a more unique perspective so I hiked down to the river at the south end of the Double Ditch road and worked my way up the shore to the north end again. I didn’t quite get the angle I wanted – the sun sets further south now than it does midsummer – but I did make an amazing discovery. As you can see above, there isn’t much left beneath that familiar fence post!<\/p>\nWalking along the shore I found several places where huge chunks of the cliff had let go and are now piled at the bottom along the river shore. I hiked over them on the way to the north end, and even near the pole I could see where the cliff had recently tumbled down. Now it seems that post’s days are numbered, and I would not want to be hanging out up there with my cameras when it lets go.<\/p>\n
I’ve had a great relationship with that spot; I’ve captured sunrises, sunsets, storms, International Space Station flyovers, and more while standing next to it. Sadly, I won’t be going back. That type of soil is too unpredictable, and it looks like the erosion is now threatening to swallow up one of my all time favorite photo spots.<\/p>\n
Please be careful when you’re out at Double Ditch! There’s more to those picturesque cliffs than meets the eye.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For years I, like many others, have taken sunset photos from this lovely vantage point: the fence post at the northern edge of the Double Ditch historic site. It’s just off the corner of the road as you enter the … Continue reading