Bear Lodge...aka Devil's Tower

 Saturday, September 30, 2023

Today's plan was to repeat several things we did in 2021...and add a couple of other stops that we weren't able to do on the previous trip. Our main destination for the day would be Devil's Tower.

Our planned route for the day.

Our first view of Devil's Tower. The three hills on the left are the Missouri Buttes.

Since our last trip, the Guide Along app has added narration for Devil's Tower so we listened as we drove. Besides pointing out things to see, the app covered some of the history of the tower. Each of the Native American tribes from the region has their own legend in regards to Devil's Tower. To them, this is a sacred site that they refer to as Bear Lodge or Bear Tipi and they resent the name Devils Tower. Many believe the current name came from a poor translation of the Native American word "bear" into "bad god". Several different tribes have called for the changing of the name.

One story that has been passed on concerning the tower's origin came from the Crow Tribe:

Once when some Crows were camped at "Bear's House," two little girls were playing around some big rocks there. There were lots of bears living around the big rock, and one big bear, seeing the girls alone, was going to eat them. The big bear was just about to catch the girls when they saw him. The girls were scared and the only place they could get was on top of the rocks around which they had been playing

The girls climbed the rock but still the bear could catch them. The Great Spirit, seeing the bear was about to catch the girls, caused the rock to grow up out of the ground. The bear kept trying to jump to the top of the rock but he just scratched the rock and fell down on the ground. The claw marks are on the rock now. The rock kept growing until it was so high that the bear could not get the girls. The two girls are still on top of the rock. (nps.gov)

As we reached Devils Tower around 10 am we noticed a portable stop light on the road to the visitor center. At the time it wasn't functioning so we were confused by why it was there. Rather than hike the paved loop around the base of the tower as we did before, we had decided to take the Joyner Ridge Trail which has a view of the tower from a distance. The road to the trailhead turned off before we reached the visitor center and only one other car was in the parking lot when we arrived. 

From reading reviews on AllTrails.com, we chose to hike the 1.5 mile loop in the clockwise direction. The trail follows a grassy path across Joyner Ridge at the beginning but then there is a steep and rugged drop-off down into the draw with a more gradual incline back to the top of the ridge. I was glad to have my hiking poles going down the steep slope to take a little pressure off my bad knees. The trail goes through various terrains in the loop and has a great view of the tower. At the top of the ridge the cool breeze was pleasant but it was on the warm side down in the valley. 

The steeper downhill portion of the trail.

Bob never passes up an opportunity to scramble on rocks.

Bob found a praying mantis on the trail.

We made it! There was a "selfie station" at the trailhead where you could prop up your phone.

Knowing we had more places to visit for the day, we decided to skip driving to the visitor center...and that was a wise move. As we turned onto the main entrance road the stoplight was now functioning and a VERY long line of cars were stopped at the red light. Our guess was that the parking lot at the visitor center was full and cars were not being allowed to get in until spots opened up. It was a beautiful weekend day, but it seemed surprising that on September 30th so many people would be visiting. Then we remembered that a government shutdown was looming for the next day. Perhaps many people decided to squeeze in a visit to Devil's Tower before it was too late. (Note: The shutdown was averted at the last minute.)

We drove to the picnic area and pulled out the cooler and made sandwiches for lunch. From past experience, we knew the view of the tower from there was outstanding!

View from picnic area.

Bob picked up some of the red soil to use when he makes pottery.

Taking the northern part of our mapped out route, we began the return trip with a stop in the town of Hulett, Wyoming. Hulett is a tiny town but we wanted to re-visit Bob's Rogue Gallery located there. It is a combination of a gift shop and art gallery but mostly it is museum. And in spite of its small size the place is probably the most unique and interesting museum ever! The place is full of cowboy and Native American memorabilia. One of my favorite exhibits are these two photos which change depending on the angle that you view them from. They go from interesting vintage photos to downright creepy!

Leaving Hulett, we moved on to the even tinier town of Aladdin...population 15. The main draw was the Aladdin General Store right on the highway. Lots of tourist-type stuff for sale in the downstairs while the upstairs was appropriately called the "Antique Attic". Bob saw a sign displayed for an upcoming community "pie social" and it made me wonder how many pies would be needed for a social in a town of 15? 😄

Aladdin General Store

The antique display case held all sorts of different kinds of candy.

The Tri-State Museum in Belle Fourche (pronounced bel foosh) was our next stop. The museum had been closed when we were there in 2021 but based on a friend's recommendation (thanks, Sherita!) I wanted to visit. The museum exhibits did a great job of recording history from the local area. 

An exhibit showing what a beauty salon would look like in days gone by. Need your hair curled??

When Hawaii became a state, the geographical center of the U.S. shifted to about 20 miles north of Belle Fourche. The actual center is on private property but the city of Belle Fourche decided they would build a monument. Also on display at the same property is the first log cabin built in the northern Black Hills.

The scenery on our drive was so beautiful but yet different than the more jagged rocks of the southern Black Hills. I was getting tired, but still wanted to visit the Friendship Tower on Mt. Roosevelt near Deadwood. A winding 1.5 mile road took us to the trailhead and it was another half-mile hike to the top of the mountain where the tower was located. It was close to sunset and the golden glow of the sun made the trail especially beautiful. The Friendship Tower was erected by Seth Bullock (the first sheriff of Deadwood) in honor of his friend, Theodore Roosevelt. A very steep spiral staircase led to the top of the tower where you could look out across the expansive Black Hills.

Friendship Tower on Mt. Roosevelt

End of the day shadows.

Climbing the tall, narrow stairs was not easy for a short person!

Back at the condo, dinner was leftovers. For me, the Indian taco from the previous night and Bob had some soup. We sat on the balcony while we ate and FaceTimed with our son and grandson. The 2nd floor condo had a great view of the city of Lead.

This aerial photo shows just how close our condo was to the giant Homestake mine pit.

I waited anxiously for the full harvest moon to rise, but realized right away that the view was blocked by a tree. Eventually it rose high enough in the sky and was a beautiful sight! The condo was quite warm so it was pleasant to sit in the chilly night air as I finished up this blog post.

Moving Day

 Friday, September 29, 2023

Our original plans had us leaving for home today but back in June we started talking and decided to extend our stay by a few days. This would give us a chance to spend some time in the northern Black Hills and allow us to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup "if" we wanted. 

The roundup is a very popular event and knowing that over 20,000 people would be attending helped us make the decision that we would NOT be going. We did watch part of the roundup live online and the announcer commented that cars started lining up at 4 am and the line extended two miles by the time the gates opened. Too peoply for me! 

Photo from a previous roundup. This is one of two viewing areas and the crowd is much further away from the action than what this photo makes it appear.
Credit:  Dakota News Now

Back in June (when we decided to add on some extra days to the trip) I searched for an AirBnB in the Spearfish area but not much was available. I did find a condo that looked suitable in Lead (pronounced LEED) and made a reservation. The condo was located right in town which was convenient, but it lacked the charm of the rural geodesic dome that we had stayed in on our last trip. 

After cleaning up the apartment and loading the car, we pulled out of the driveway at 10 am. Google estimated the travel time to get to Lead was about an hour and a half. The earliest we could check in was 3:00 so that gave us plenty of time to get there.

We had driven through the town of Custer numerous times, but never stopped. I decided maybe today would be a good time to walk down Main Street. The businesses consisted of t-shirt stores, rock shops, etc. and we mainly window shopped without making any purchases. While I stopped in at the visitor center (to use the restroom) Bob walked over to the city park and visited with a couple on a tandem bicycle who had ridden the whole 109 miles of the Mickelson Trail. 

Along the way we also stopped at Dahl's Chainsaw Art in Hill City. There are several of the Dahl's shops in the Black Hills and each has a VERY large wooden carving. Hill City sported Smokey the Bear.

Continuing on, we drove to the beautiful Pactola Lake where we walked the Veteran's Point Trail.  We put some sandwiches in Bob's backpack and had a picnic at a table along the trail overlooking the lake.

Pactola Lake from the highway.

Lunch with a view.

When we reached the end of the trail we stopped to just sit and look out over the water. While we were there, a lady walked up and we had the nicest conversation about traveling and some of our personal experiences. While talking, I mentioned that Bob would like to ride his bike on the Mickelson Trail and she commented that her brother was an engineer who had worked on the trail and they were able to have one of the bridges named for their family. I asked her what her name was so that "if" we were ever on the trail we would know which bridge it was. She spelled out her name N-O-E-M. I jokingly asked if she was related to the South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem and she said...yes...her nephew was married to Kristi!

Pactola Lake

As we have been traveling around the Black Hills we have been listening to the commentary from my Guide Along tour guide app with my phone plugged into the car audio system. As we were getting close to Lead, the commentator suggested we drive through Deadwood first...so we did! We were still too early to check into the condo and this was something to do while we waited. Deadwood is very commercialized and many tourist shops and casinos line the main street. Bob also remembered a small waterfall between Deadwood and Lead and we stopped there briefly.

Entering the city of Lead.

To occupy the last little bit of time, we stopped at the Sanford Underground Research Lab visitor center. The lab is located underground in the former Homestake Gold Mine. Until the mine closed in 2002 it was the largest and deepest gold mine in North America. The mining pit that is left (basically in the center of town) is a half mile across and a quarter of a mile deep. And that is nothing compared to the shafts which extend over a mile underground and house the Sanford Research Lab. The deepest underground laboratory in the United States, it houses multiple experiments in areas such as dark matter and neutrino physics research, biology, geology and engineering. 

Homestake Gold Mine Pit

Bob at the Sanford Underground Research Lab Visitor Center

Sanford Underground Research Lab Visitor Center

The condo was just a short distance from the Sanford Lab and we got moved into the second floor unit. The food supply I brought from home was starting to dwindle so I suggested that we go out for dinner. In my research I had come across the Cheyenne Crossing restaurant. The notebook of recommendations in the condo also had Cheyenne Crossing as the #1 choice in restaurants.

The restaurant was about 8 miles away and the drive there was beautiful with the late afternoon sun illuminating the golden trees on the hills. Their specialty was Indian Tacos (taco toppings on Indian Fry Bread) and Bob and I each ordered the "snack size". Luckily the folks sitting near us tipped us off about the huge portion sizes or we probably would have ordered the large taco. As it was, the snack size meal was ENORMOUS! Bob did manage to finish his meal but I only ate half and asked for a box to bring the leftovers back to the condo. The restaurant is also know for their carrot cake which Bob also ordered. (I HAD to try a couple of bites...😉) Besides the delicious food, the employees at the restaurant were so friendly. We will make sure to return on our next trip!

Cheyenne Crossing Restaurant & Gift Shop

If this is the "snack size" can you imagine how big the large order would be!!!

It was fun to shop in the attached gift shop after we finished eating. Bob purchased a small piece of "peacock ore" to take home to one of our grandsons who is into rock collecting. 

From the balcony of our condo we watched as the full moon rose over the city of Lead.
You can see the Homestake Mine in the distance and I think perhaps I caught a shooting star in this photo! (Or maybe just a jet...😏)

So Many Buffalo!!

 Thursday, September 28, 2023

The day began with breakfast and a map. Our plan was to go to the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival, but we wanted to make sure our route took us along the Wildlife Loop and eventually to Iron Mountain Road.

Leaving the apartment we passed by many deer and prairie dogs, but once we reached the Wildlife Loop...nothing. Eventually we did see a few wild turkeys but we thought perhaps that would be the extent of our wildlife sightings. Oh how wrong we were.

Seeing a few cars stopped on the road ahead of us was a good indication that some animals had been spotted. When we got closer we could see it was a huge herd of buffalo grazing across the meadow and on the side of a hill in the distance. As we stopped to snap a few photos, the herd started moving toward us and crossed the road in front and back of our car. We have been detained by buffalo jams before, but never with numbers like this! For some reason they all decided they wanted to be on the opposite side of the road which meant we waited for them to cross. A. Very. Long. Time.

The line of bison stretched far up onto the hill.

I had my camera ready so I could submit a video for the evening news when this lady was gored by a buffalo. Fortunately her stupidity didn't get her into trouble. 

There was finally enough of a lull in the bison crossing that we could continue driving but we felt like we had hit the wildlife jackpot. But then...we came across another large herd. This time they were grouped together under a tree alongside a small creek. Some were rolling in the dust, others were scratching against the trees making the branches shake like crazy. A few were butting heads and others were just running through the field. What a sight!

At the end of the Wildlife Loop is the new Bison Center which we walked through and checked out the exhibits. The news media were there setting up in anticipation of the Buffalo Roundup the next morning. Following the roundup all of the bison would be herded into the large corrals in this area to be sorted and vaccinated. 

Hanging out in the parking lot we found the "Begging Burros"! We came ready with a package of carrots and once they knew we had food they got very excited. One in particular was very greedy and not very nice to the others when they tried to get a handout. Bob tried to be fair with the carrots but the "bully burro" didn't make it easy. A baby burro followed me around and when I directed my attention to one of the other animals, he would chew on my purse or even nip me in the arm! The burros are descendants of the animals that prospectors used during the gold rush. Normally feeding wildlife is discouraged, but the park encourages people to feed the burros.

They aren't shy.

When we reached the arts festival the parking area was a very long way from the vendor tents. Luckily the weather was absolutely perfect so the walk wasn't too bad...mid-60's and sunshine. It was fun to see the artistic talent on display but I have decided I am at a stage in my life that I don't buy "stuff" unless it is something I am truly in love with...so no purchases for me. Bob enjoyed stopping to visit with several pottery vendors. We also came across some folks we know from back home who had a stand from the Buffalo Billfold Company and stopped to visit for a bit.

Our scenic drive for the day took us through Iron Mountain Road. This drive is more terrifying than any thrill ride at an amusement park. The hairpin turns, narrow one lane tunnels and pigtail bridges are as beautiful as they are scary. A couple of the tunnels were strategically formed to frame a distant view of Mt. Rushmore.

Distant view of Mt. Rushmore

A stop at a scenic overlook.

A zoomed in view through the tunnel.

One of the pigtail bridges.

We were almost to the end of Iron Mountain Road when we stopped at a picnic area to have lunch. The last couple of miles brought us to Mt. Rushmore. Originally we planned to attend the evening program at the memorial, but the long drive there and a return drive back after dark made us reconsider. The dozens of deer we saw coming back to the apartment following the laser show at Crazy Horse was enough to make us stay off the country roads past sunset. Too great of a chance to have an unwanted encounter.

Each day we would pack a picnic lunch.

This was as close to Mt. Rushmore as we would get on this trip.

George's profile.

We did take a few presidential photos from the highway and then headed back to the apartment. I hung out at the apartment and sorted through the day's photos while Bob hiked up the hill AGAIN to drag down more large rocks.

Supper was leftover soup eaten early so we could get out for our sunset exploring. Instead of wildlife hunting (because there was no way to top the massive buffalo herd we experienced earlier) we picked a gravel road on the map to see where it would take us. What we found...the map does not accurately depict the roads correctly and the lack of cell service kept our Google maps from functioning on our console screen. Eventually it did start working but we weren't really sure where we were. We just drove on gravel roads up and down the hills and made a large loop route. No wildlife sightings on the drive but the scenery was top notch!

When we got back, a friend of the owner was working in the garage below our apartment. He is a taxidermist and was working on the head of a deer that he had killed the day before. I get a little squeamish just thinking about what he was doing but Bob enjoyed watching.

Off to bed...tomorrow is moving day.