Custer – OsteoPraxis on the road

Still happily ensconced at Broken Arrow Horse Camp, we had another day to find some fun and frolics out on the trails. One of the great things about Custer South Dakota is that not only Wind Caves National Park is on the doorstep…but also Custer State Park (another gem)

(The two parks share a boundary….but interestingly are fenced to keep the bison herds separate. Wind Caves herd is genetically pure plains bison whereas the Custer State park herd has hybridized cattle DNA…..so the fence is there to try and keep them separate.)

One of our favourite hikes from this campground has been the trail up to Black Elk Peak. Rather than redo that one, I found a trail that ran parallel, but on the south side of Cathedral Spires. Black Elk Peak trail runs to the north of the Spires.

To reach this trailhead in Custer State Park….we travelled up Needles Highway……not like the needles highway from Route 66….this one is literally driving through the eye of the needle…..a tunnel through solid rock after a seriously serpentine narrow road to get there.

The pictures never truly reflect the steepness of the grade, the sharpness of the hairpin bends……or the horror of the sheer drop on the passenger side of the vehicle….!!!

The approach to the tunnel is impressive to say the least….

The tunnel is 8 feet wide and.9 feet and 9 inches tall……only wide enough for one vehicle at a time…and you had better turn off the proximity sensors as you pass through it.

I took video on our first pass through …. these pictures are on the return journey….

The road, after you pass through…does not improve any. The hard switchbacks and invisible corners on this perilous path carved out of the side of the cliffs is a whole experience unto itself.

On one of the switchbacks they have built a wall that shields parking spaces on either side…..a bit like the ones in Great Smoky Mountain National park…if you are lucky there will be a spot….if not…there is absolutely nowhere to stop.

We were lucky….and there was a parking spot.

The trail itself is a bit of a climb and rock scramble most of the way up. But the views are spectacular all the way.

Sometimes the view is ahead of you….or right beside you and up…..

….or sometimes when you stop for a breath and turn around to look down….

Hydration and frequent rests are crucial on these paths……this one is not a long hike …but it’s a decently challenging climb…..especially for the heat of this season.

Another rest and opportunity to turn around and look out…..and up…

Near the top the path levels out and continues along the base of the spires…

It was interesting to see the spires from the other side…..I’m still not sure how people manage to climb up to the top of them (When we did Black Elk Peak…we could see people standing on the tops of the spires…having climbed up)

As with most rock scrambley paths…the way down is about as entertaining as the way up…!!!

Even tho my guy carefully takes his pictures without other people in them….this was a fairly busy trail…..and getting busier as we descended.

Part way down we spotted this ‘eagle’. Its easy to see why these rock formations were sacred to the indigenous peoples…..there are so many ‘faces’ and ‘figures’ in these rocks. They don’t have to be sculpted to look like something.

Near the bottom there was a sudden roar….and fly by of some military jets…..Mr Blogtographer was pretty quick off the mark to get the camera up to get these shots.

On the way back…the drive back through the tunnel is just as exhilarating the second time.

We finished the day with the very scenic hike/walk around Sylvan Lake.

This is a very accessible spot and looks to be a great swimming hole…..but by the time we had done the other trail and explored the Needles highway it was late in the day and very busy. There was even a wedding party taking their shots on the lakeshore, spectacular back drop.

As many people as there are on the beaches….surprisingly few were on the hike around the lake. (it’s only a couple of kilometers)

Hidden behind the big rocks is the dam that holds the lake…the dam was built in 1819…..and quickly turned the area into a popular tourist spot…..and it is beautiful.

….and there were all these little fishies in the water…..!!!!

I had intended just a little stroll as we had been here before and the rock formations per the Black Hills are extraordinary (it’s like all those fake styrofoam rocks from the original 1960’s Star Trek episodes….except they are real….!!!) and turned out to be a much nicer walk than I had expected…..

Extra Pix

On our last visit to Custer SD….we had happened on the local barbershop, enticingly named ‘ A Dudes Place“, on the main street. It sparked a discussion about traditional wet shaves ( a service offered by this local barber) …after a bit of thought …….. Scott decided to give it a go……unfortunately we arrived too late in the day….and it had been our last day there

This time…..we got in ahead of the game. It’s a walk-in place….so in we walked and waited for the barber to finish the haircut before us.

The result was impressively smooth…and reportedly very comfortable. Would he do it again…….he did say yes….!!!! (Editor. It was a remarkably relaxing experience, I’d recommend it)

After the underground walk with the cave tour….we needed a proper hike to get the legs moving….and to get out there on the high plains and observe some local wildlife…..bison (at a distance…!!) and the prairie dogs (closer up..!!!)

It was hot so it needed to be a reasonably tame hike and we were looking for one not done before….Alltrails gave us the Lookout Point Trail

The Trailhead for this one (in Wind Caves National Park) was a lovely shaded spot….which was fortunate as it was a very warm day. We set out early to try to get ahead of the sun.

Most of the trails in Wind Caves National Park are very exposed, with these mostly treeless high plains covered with prairie grasses and prairie dog towns.

The trail itself was not entirely clear to begin with and I was mostly navigating with my phone and the Alltrails digital map.

Once we found the familiar marker posts (the ones bison had not pushed over…!!!) the trail became clearer.

Wind Caves National Park is at just over 5,000 feet above sea level…..it’s hard to imagine as you look at the prairie stretched out in front of you. In July with the heat….it really does feel like you are quite a bit closer to the sun.

Although quite a bit greener this year than any of our previous visits…..like most of central north America there has been quite a bit more rain than usual this year.

The trees up ahead were very welcome for a bit of relief from the beating sun. (If you have a look…I am actually in all of these pictures……that’s how BIG this place is)

After a stop for a bit of shade and some rehydration……the path led down through one of the prairie dog towns……..

…….always entertaining…they get so indignant when you walk through…LOL. ….and the babies are so stinking cute…!!!

To illustrate the scale of the prairie……can you spot me?….second picture with arrow if you can’t…!!!

About the midway point the path did take us through an area we had been in before… thankfully into a shaded portion of the trail…

A familiar portion of the path…but green and lush with wildflowers….

….and then as I turned the corner……what did I see….?

A large bull bison….standing looking at me………

…and closer than I would like to have been to a lone bull.

I hesitated !!!!

Another couple of tourists appeared behind us….walking at quite the clip (well he was……she was toddling along behind…!!) They passed us as I was plucking up the courage to pass this giant bull .

He turned around a couple of times and flumped down in the grass….

The lady tourist stopped in front of him and started snapping multiple pictures with her phone…stepping off the path and moving closer.

I seized my opportunity and sped along and past her (at this point I only had to run faster than her….and she was presenting herself quite well as a target if Mr Bison decided to be annoyed…)

My blogtographer laughed his blooming head off at my wussiness and sauntered along behind to capture the images of me actually getting close to the beast……(Editor. I have waited many years to capture her ladyship and a bison in the same frame.)