Remote But Worth the Effort

Post 33

The Black Hills area has always held a mysterious and intriguing allure for me. It contains a rugged mountain range seemingly in the middle of nowhere, isolated from the mighty Rocky Mountains to the West and ancient Appalachian Mountains to the far East. Docile rolling foot hills materialize from the arid dusty uniform plains and crescendo into granite spires that defy natures desire to keep the landscape on a level plain. They are in fact the highest mountain range east of the Rocky Mountains reaching heights of over 7,000 feet.

Being that this remote area is located in Western South Dakota and Northeastern Wyoming, it is truly a destination and not a place you would simply pass through on your way to another location. But trust me, those that take the time to explore this unique area will find it well worth their effort.

Luckily our tour schedule took us to the Scheels outdoor store in Rapid City on our way from the Midwest back to the Northwest. Having visited the Black Hills on three separate occasions in the past we knew that this special area would require some extra time to explore. The evening we arrived we briefly visited and drove through the multi-hued windswept bluffs, ridges and mounds of Badlands National Park. The main drive takes you through the most prominent scenic vistas of the park while a full two thirds of the park remain roadless and remote. It is on my bottomless bucket list to take a full week to hike in and explore this harsh beguiling tableland.

We spent the day after our show driving the switchbacks and hairpin turns of the scenic drive encircling Mount Rushmore National Monument and Custer State Park. Having visited both of these iconic parks in the past we opted to spend our afternoon traversing an eleven mile trail through the heart of the Black Elk Wilderness therefore immersing ourselves in the backcountry while avoiding the summer crowds.