So far on our South Dakota
excursion we had explored different terrains on the outskirts of the Black Hills. From the Badlands to Devils Tower,
my daughter Jessica and I had seen enough to satisfy most tourists. But her Old
Man was not most tourists and besides she had not yet had her first ever
backcountry experience. It was time to head through Custer
State Park and into the heart of the Black Hills. Thus, it was time to leave the comfort of
our cozy little Rapid City KOA and hit the wilderness!
What strange beasts would we encounter that might attempt to
prevent us from entering this sacred space?
It would take much more than Bighorn Sheep to make us run
away!
We spent the morning on the Wilderness Road just chilling
before heading to the upper most corner of the State Park at Sylvan Lake.
You are almost guaranteed to encounter free range Bison
along the loop.
The Wildlife Loop is aptly named as we also encountered
Pronghorn Antelope.
Prairie Dogs
And something that caught my eye in the Park brochure –
Begging Burros!
Burros are not native to the Black
Hills and were brought in by Gold prospectors in the 1870’s. Later
they were used by the Sylvan Lake Resort for trail rides to Harney
Peak. Sometime in the late 1920’s the Burros were released from
the resort and have been free roaming ever since. They formed a small herd
along Iron Mountain Road
and were later divided into two herds. They have become a roadside attraction
to visitors as they come begging for food. Unlike most wildlife situations,
feeding the Burros is permitted and to some extent even encouraged by various
tourist literatures. Of course, once you encounter them then you will see that
they are not shy about getting their handouts.
Jessica wanted a little more breathing room and hopped out
of the car to share some Sun Chips with her new friends.
We found no lack of wildlife on our morning drive around Custer State
Park.
There was one creature of the West that we hoped to
encounter, but had to settle for a Post Card.
We also discovered that the State Park had been used for
several Movies.
Another Post Card gave me the indication that all this show
biz might have gone to a few of the local’s heads.
By the way, there are more than one Buffalo herd in the Park and as cute as they
are please don’t approach!
The Bison rule the road and smart visitors will travel
slowly and enjoy the drive through the herd. Idiots who want to risk being
smashed to bits will honk their horns!
It was time to head across the Needles Highway and hit the trail.
We arrived at Sylvan
Lake and began our adventure from the
upper section of Custer
State Park.
Near the beginning of the trail you get a look up at Harney Peak.
It is not long before you leave the State Park and enter the
Black Elk Wilderness.
Long before the Fire Tower at the summit, the mountain had
been traversed by an Oglala Sioux Holy man named Black Elk. The Lakota Sioux
know this mountain as Hin Han Kaga, the center of the world.
There are no backcountry camp sites so we scoped out
potential camping spots along our way to the top.
The trail makes its way through a forest of trees that
occasionally open up for some beautiful views of the Black
Hills.
The hike to Harney Peak from Sylvan Lake
gains 1100 feet of elevation in 3.5 miles.
Harney Peak at 7242 feet is not only the high
point in the Black Hills, but is the high point
for the State of South Dakota.
The Fire Tower is unique and was open on our visit.
The views from the tower are breath taking.
While enjoying the views from the tower, I spotted some
curious visitors to the peak.
We headed down the stairs and out of the tower to have a closer
look and meet the Mountain Goat family.
We had seen a lot of wildlife of this glorious day; however,
this was our first encounter with this creature that walks along the summit
rocks as if walking on a flat surface.
We watched in wonderment and our patience rewarded with the
classic National Geographic pose.
The Mountain Goats finally headed off down the mountain and
after enjoying the views for a few moments longer we needed to find a camp site
before dark.
As we headed down the mountain, I knew that we simply needed
a clear spot for the tent as we had no need of a fire. By the time we set up
camp and had dinner it was dark.
It was cool and pleasant in our forest canopy as we prepared
for pleasant dreams and another day of hiking in the Black Elk Wilderness.
