Black Hills

Today was an incredibly hard day. Oh, it was beautiful and magnificent too. But it was not at all easy. At day's end now, I'm a couple thousand feet higher up than I started. And there was a lot more up and down in between. I chose the "scenic route", which meant a whole lot of hill climbing. And it was made all the worse by being nearly 90 today. Turns out The Black Hills have some serious hills. Who knew?

Late in the afternoon as I neared Custer and saw the cafe at this " Wheels West RV Park", I decided I was just done right then and there. I accepted the $20 cost for the night, set up tent, revelled in my shower, was damn grateful my phone battery wasn't going to die, and then paid out for a really filling meal. It costs money to be in this part of the world, and I've simply come to accept that's how it is. I won't be here in the Black Hills much longer.

Damn though, it is pretty. I can see why it was considered hallowed ground...and equally why it's been turned into a tourist trap (funny, funny sad, how those tend to go hand in hand). The wondrously shaped cliffs, the seas of trees...

And the bison... My goodness is it something else to see them roaming free. I saw plenty in the morning at a comfortable distance. ...Then I came to a herd of about thirty crossing the road in front of me, and with a half a dozen calves no less. I waited, and waited, as they slowly meandered across. And I approached on foot with utmost caution behind the procession of cars also trying to get through. I took some pictures (and even video) when I was some ways back, but as I got close all effort was on looking as nonthreatening as possible and trying to get safely through. Even in a car, giant horned beasts that way a literal ton are intimidating, imagine without that protection (or illusion of it) of having that metal and glass between you and them. It was an experience I will never forget.

Now, to see some faces of dead presidents carved onto sacred land those same men had a hand in defiling, because it's impressive looking and an engineering wonder, or skipping it because it's not really the right way?