6/27/12 – Major hike to to top of Bear Butte Mountain

We spent 2 hrs and 45 minutes hiking round trip to the top of Bear Butte Mountain.  Unfortunately Jerry’s 2 pictures of the mountain at a distance didn’t take for some reason.  We went from 3400 ft elevation to 4500 feet, 1100 feet in 1 hr 15 minutes, another workout for the lungs!!  The mountain is sacred to many indigenous peoples, who make pilgrimages to leave prayer cloths and bundles tied to the branches of the trees along the mountain’s flanks. Other offerings are often left at the top of the mountain. The site is associated with various religious ceremonies throughout the year. The mountain is a place of prayer, meditation, and peace.  A father and his 2 sons were making a pilgrimage up the mountain along with several prayer vigils.

After that long hike we stopped at the Full Throttle Saloon for a brewski and then to the Knuckle Saloon in Sturgis for the world famous Beef Tips, they were excellent and very tender.  No guilt eating those after the mountain hiking.

 

 

 

 

6/26/12 – Hair cut and visit to Belle Fourche, the geograhical center of the country

Jerry went to the Barber and got a buzz cut, his hair was getting long so he decided to see what a buzz cut would do.  Much less maintenance and a lot cooler with the temperature reaching 107 today.  We visited Belle Fourche, the town know for being the geographical center of the 50 states when you include Hawaii and Alaska.   It is also has  long rodeo history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foot warmer, filled with hot coal used on the buggies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olf fashioned permanent, hot clips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

107 degrees, that is a first for us to see in the car

 

 

6/25/12 – Hiked through the Petrified Forest

We hiked through one of the largest out-cropping of fossilized petrified wood in the Black Hills.  It was amazing to see how trees turn to stone over time with the right conditions present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/24/12 – Back to Spearfish Canyon to do a few of the hiking trails and waterfalls we missed previously

We did the 76 Trail, very strenous, especially starting at 4500 feet elevation going almost straight up 1,000 feet ending at 5,500 feet.  It took us about 45 minutes, what a workout.  Now I really know what compressed lungs feel like.  Then we did the easy 3/4 mile hike to Spearfish Falls before enjoying a wonderful Trout lunch at the Spearfish Canyon Lodge with well deserved glasses of wine.

The Black Hills National Cemetary next to our Campground

6/23/12 – Huckfest RC Airshow all day

Enjoyed the Huckfest Airshow all day, lots of acrobatic planes and great weather.  Belinda was interviewed by the local NBC News as a spectator.  If you would like to see the footage it is at http://www.newscenter1.tv/stories/11908.aspx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/22/12 – Ellsworth AFB Air Museum, Minute Man Missle Training Site, Trolley Tour of Rapid City, Journey Museum and the Huckfest RC Air Show

A very busy day.  We started off at the Ellsworth AFB Air Museum with a tour of the base and the Minute Man Missle Training Site.  Then headed back to Rapid City and hopped on the Trolley Tour that hit all the Rapid City highlights.  Lunch at the Firehouse Brewery Restaurant, in a historic Fire Station.  We visited the Journey Museum, a nice mix of Black Hills Geology, Indian History and the Pioneer Days.  The rest of the day was spent at the Huckfest RC Show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downtown Rapid City Alley with Graffity Art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journey Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaur Eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/20/12 – Visited the Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame in Sturgis

Visited the Motorcycle Museum in Sturgis, the home of the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held in August.  There was a motorcyle that had over a 1 Million miles on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signs placed at an accident where a life was lost as a reminder not drive recklessley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/19/12 – Drove the scenic drive through Deadwood, Lead and Spearfish Canyon

Late afternoon drive to see the sights we will come back to over the next 2 weeks.  We visited the Mt. Moriah Cemetary,  the burial place of  Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock along with other notable Wild West figures.  We visited the Homestake Mine in Lead, it was the largest and deepest gold mine in North America  producing more than 40 million ounces (approximately 1.25 million kilograms) of gold.  Spearfish Canyon is a deep but narrow gorge carved by Spearfish Creek.  It is located on the northern edge of the Black Hills National Forest.  We visited Roughlock Waterfall.

6/18/12 – We moved from Custer (southern area) to Sturgis (norther area) with a visit to Spearfish

We moved from Custer in the Southern area of the Black Hills to Sturgis in the northern area.  Jerry made it through downtown Rapid City with flying colors.  We are at the No Name City RV Campground just south of Sturgis where the motorcycle rally is held in August.  We spent the late afternoon visiting Spearfish, a city about 20 miles west.  We visited the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, it is one of the oldest operating hatcheries in the country.  It was very interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world record below is for the greatest temperature change ever recorded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first fish cemetary we have ever seen!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first time we have ever heard of a Fish Car, how they transported fish back in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/16/12 – Hiking around Pactola Lake

Spent a few hours hiking around Pactola Lake, the largest reservoir in the Black Hills created by the Pactola Dam.  Sorry, no pictures, Jerry went camera free on this hiking trip.  This is the first lake we saw with lots of boats and jet skies.