I like big buttes

[PurdueGuy]

I like big buttes. By the way, butte is pronounced like beauty, only without the y. It's essentially a lone mountain, and there are several near me. Today was my 2nd drive up the Big Southern Butte.

Full Photo Gallery (click)

Highlight pics:

East side of the butte:

OH NOES, I'M GONNA DRIVE UP THE BUTTE CRACK! (west side of butte)

It's a long way down...

It's an even longer way up!

This might be about halfway up. Probably less...

ONWARD!

See that little tiny white box thing on top of the highest hill? That's where we're going...

That last picture was taken from that bend in the road in the middle of this pic:

You can still kinda see the house near where the first pic was taken

and this is how big the building *still* looks from where the last couple photos were taken. Still a long way to go

finally get to the building

not great visibility, but still a nice view from the top

those tiny lines are roads

nice view driving back down... don't make any sudden turns.

Pretty much needed 4wd going up, and going back down was done mostly in 4wd low, just letting it coast. It's not like it's a serious 4wd enthusiast challenge, but it's no place for a car. Beautiful place, and though it's a "National Landmark", there is little to tell you that's the case aside from a sign at the bottom and a couple spots where they've blocked off unofficial "roads" people have made. I've never seen anyone else out there. Of course, it is about a hour drive from the nearest large town...

[ocnblu]

Oh man, that is awesome. Thanks for posting.

[K.C.]

Great photography! The title really got my attention. That Sir Mix-A-Lot song cracks me up. I am not trying to think of a version of it based on your photo subjects here.

[mustang84]

Is this in Idaho? My grandma on my dad's side grew up in Sweet Grass, Montana, and nearby are the Sweet Grass Hills which are some big buttes in the middle of flat prairie. There is also an area north of Shelby called "The Rocks" which are some huge limestone cliffs that you can climb on and rise 300 feet above farmland.

[PurdueGuy]

Yeah, this is in southeast idaho, in the snake river basin. This butte is about 2500 ft high.

[Robert Hall]

Cool...I love driving roads like that.

[Camino LS6]

Very cool.

I can see that the Suburban was the right choice for you. :AH-HA_wink:

[scharmer05]

Very cool, and great pictures. Western ND looks a lot like that except for the most part, the buttes in W. ND have flat tops to them and are pretty much straight up on the sides, so there isn't much driving up them. Seeing them along with the Badlands is about the only reason to travel out West unless you are really into hunting. Much different that Eastern ND where there isn't even a hint of a hill as far as the eye can see.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I don't like big butts at all!

What's that, it's buttes not butts? Ohhhhh, nevermind!

[PurdueGuy]

unfortunately, the site I hosted the in-thread pictures in is down. If you click the link to the full gallery, that is a google/picasa gallery, and it should work fine still for those that want to see pics (other than the big butts custom-s posted. lol)