Our Black Hills News

The weather has been extremely wet this summer around the Black Hills.  The normal low humidity hasn't been so normal, even the mosquitoes notice the change and have showed up this summer.  At our campground below, the weather looks good enough on that day.  Our rig Penelope is parked under the larger trees near the camp wash-house.

A first this summer was the trip up the famous Needles Highway, the picture below is the famous Needle Eye at the narrowest tunnel near Sylvan Lake.  The one little fella to the right is trying to come back down on his seat after climbing up on the Needle.  Not a position we want to be in!

Another first for us was the trip up the hill to Dinosaur Park.  We always see the Barosaurus over looking the city from up atop at Dinosaur Park.  This is the view of Rapid City from the park, looking to the west toward the Black Hills.

Gari looks out to the east toward downtown Rapid City from Dinosaur Park.  The Dinosaur Park Visitor's Center building is seen directly below.  They had a surprisingly good selection of souvenirs in the shop.  Many were paleontology and geology related to the Black Hills area.

The big guy at top is the dinosaur that we see below in town.  The dinosaur in the foreground looks more like the extinct Giant Green Kangaroo.

 We can see some of the taller downtown buildings to the right in the picture below.

Gari secures Romeo up top in the park area at the Petrified Forest trailhead. We walked about 3 miles and didn't see any petrified wood, we think it was a trick!  Notice the kayaks are loaded and ready to go should we find ourselves at a fishing hole.

Steve casts out his fly rig below in Spring Creek up in the Black Hills.  This was one of the days that it didn't rain.

A promising looking pool below also along Spring Creek at another stop.

Steve tries his fly fishing luck in the last pool of the day below.

We got up very early to hit the good weather part of the day at the Belle Fourche Reservoir.  This is a large lake of over 8,000 acres and 58 miles of shoreline.  We probably paddled two miles or so that day.  Reportedly there is good Walleye fishing up there... we got skunked that day :(

Another fine day we rode out to Deefield Lake.  This is a large lake as well with over 435 acres of water.  There is very good trout fishing here, but we only caught Black Bass and Bluegill that day.  The thing we like about Deerfield is that it is a little farther into the Black Hills and therefore less crowded.  Motorized boat traffic is limited to 5 mph on the lake so that is great for kayakers like us.

Our Sioux Falls friends Suds and Ruthie came into camp last week.  Ruthie and Gari help Suds get his CanAm and Razor out of the cargo trailer.  This year marks Suds' 59th consecutive Sturgis Motorcycle Rally!

A small herd of Bison at Custer State Park west entrance.  This is where we saw our first Pronghorn Antelope over 6 years ago.  We saw it at a distance and didn't know what it was.

A herd of mama Bison with bebes

A portrait at Needles Highway, the Cathedral Spires in the back.

Mount Rushmore from quite a distance.

A Red Dog bebe in Custer SP.

And lastly Pactola Lake.  This is the deepest lake in the Black hills and also covers 800 acres.  There is lots of water sport and water skiing activity on Pactola so that presents a challenge to fishermen, especially those in kayaks!  Gari paddles to our trout spot on Pactola.

Steve tries to lift a nice Rainbow Trout.  Those things are slippery!

Now he has it.  A quick picture before release.

Gari paddles by the big rock by the spillway. This rock is a little island in the lake.  We love the American Flag up on top!

Scenes from the Black Hills

A few random pictures from natural places around the Black Hills that we enjoy and some other items of random interest.

A small waterfall view from Little Elk Creek Trail.

Cheryl & Gari marvel at the fascinating layers in the canyon wall along Little Elk Creek.

The trail was flooded by the creek in spots, all the rain here has water running everywhere.  Cheryl leads the way over the hopping rocks.

A panoramic view from Buzzard's Roost.

Butterfly love at Buzzard's Roost. 

The Buzzards of the Roost!

A fine relaxing spot atop Buzzard's Roost.

Wild Lilies along Buzzard's Roost Trail.

Gari glides silently in her 10' kayak along the shore of Pactola Lake

Putting the kayaks in at Pactola Lake.

It is very sunny on the water, need good sun protection out there. 

We have seen RVers walk dogs, cats and now we have seen the giant Macaw fly on the leash.

2 year old Hilo perching with Steve.

A paddling scene from Deerfield Lake.

Take a Hike

We still love to hike.  These pictures are from a few hikes we were able to complete this summer in South Dakota.

Bear Butte, is not actually a Butte it is a mountain, and a mountain of significant spiritual significance to the Lakota and Cheyenne peoples of this region.  Researchers have found artifacts on the 4,426-foot-tall laccolith (a mass of igneous rock) that date back 10,000 years, and early records indicate that famous Native American leaders Red Cloud, Frank Fools Crow, Sweet Medicine, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse all paid visits to the site.  The Lakota and Cheyenne have both considered the site sacred.  One popular legend states that Bear Butte is the body of a giant bear that was wounded during a battle.  Some believe the bear’s spirit still watches over and protects the plains to this day.  Since its creation, the butte has been the site of countless experiences, vision quests, encounters with The Great Spirit, and peaceful meetings between tribes.

Jim, Michelle and Steve are ready to begin the ascent.

The gang finds a nice spot to pause for a view.

The resting bench before the final push to the summit.

There is the 215 acre Bear Butte Lake down below.

It looks like spirit flowing from the summit.  That's where we are headed.

Michelle, Gari & Jim at the Bear Butte summit.  We could see for miles up there.

Groupie pic at the summit,

We watched a small Doe cross over the Bear Butte summit while we rested on top.  

Now a short stop in Sundance, Wyoming on the way to Devil's Tower.  Steve hangs with bad boy Sundance Kid in his jail cell in Sundance, WY.

Devil's Tower, Wyoming

We hiked the Tower Trail that circles all the way around Devil's Tower so we could see it up close from all sides.  It is a mesmerizing place, really hard to look away from the Tower.  The tube like strands are fascinating.

 We took group pictures with the Tower...

Gari, Jim and Michelle at the base rocks of the Tower...

 We experienced strange photo-bombers at the Tower...

We observed skilled rock climbers scaling the Tower...

A little closer in on the rock climbers, yes they really were up there!  Would you do that?  Not me!

 Steve and Gari get a portrait with the Tower...

 A view from Tower Trail....

Jim and Steve at the halfway point; they can't decide if they are worn out or rarin' to go...

And we depart at the Sacred Circle of Smoke framing the Tower....

Last hike for the day, back in South Dakota at Little Devil's Tower in Custer State Park.  We spied a Trail Challenge marker half way up.  The idea was to make a pencil rubbing on paper and turn it in to the State Park Office to receive a

commemorative medallion of your hike.

Gari caught a little Mountain Bluebird perching on a broken tree trunk.

Steve says the trail goes up that crack in the rocks!

Great views from atop Little Devil's Tower.   We think these rocks are part of the Cathedral Spires in the area.  You see these when you drive the famous Needles Highway in the SD Black Hills.

Steve points to the CCC built tower atop Harney's Peak, now Black Elk Peak.  That is a hike for another day.

Oh the views....

Steve finds a comfortable rock seat to take in the views...

Amazing in every direction...

 What a place in the world...

And we leave you with the thought of a busy Woodpecker...