The torturous route reflects the relative scarcity of roads in this area if you do not use the unpaved ones.
My success in fleeing the heat is getting too much. It was really, really cold today. Not so much because of the temperature, which was a manageable high fifties and low sixties, but because of the incredible wind. So, I ended up driving top up much of the day though it was mostly sunny, and with stunning scenery. At least I got a chance to really hear my MP3 player.
The badlands are really good, though.
Pictures (click for larger size):
