Its a wildlife habitat management area (4100 acres) - winter range or grazing land set aside for the elk. In the winter they move from the mountains to the footlands. The lower edge is fenced off to protect the farm land - it is open for camping-free.
Our spot for the night - and its not in grizzly area!
Another beautiful morning.
The road in - and an elk-proof fence.
Devil's Tower
Black Hills - Wyoming
Several indian nations of the Great Plains share similar legends on the origin of this butte.
The Kiowa people say that eight children were at play, seven sisters and their brother. The boy was transformed into a bear. The sisters were terrified and ran, the bear chased after them. They came upon the stump of a great tree that spoke to them. They climbed upon it and it began to rise into the air. The bear tried to get to them but they were just beyond its reach. It clawed at the great tree and scored the bark all around with its claws. The seven sisters were lifted into the sky and became the big dipper.
On July 4, 1893 two men made the first climb using a 350 foot wooden ladder. Their wives ran a concession stand. Two years later one of the wives made the climb and became the first woman to reach the summit.
The tower rises 867 from its base and the diameter of its base is 1,000 feet, area of its top is 1.5 acres.
Prarie Dogs
fun to watch their antics.
Mount Rushmore
South Dakota
Each eye is 11 feet wide
Washington's nose is 21 feet long - the others 20
Washington's mouth is 18 feet wide
Carved 1927-1941
400 Workers
Cost $989,992.32
Dynamite was the main tool
Jackhammer was the drill
George Washington represents Birth - as the first president
Thomas Jefferson represents Expansion - for the Louisiana Purchase
Theodore Roosevelt represents Development - for the Panama Canal, Trust Buster & National Parks
Abe Lincoln represents Preservation for Saving the Union during the Civil War
... and now - on to ...
Wind Cave National Park
South Dakota
By now we were hot and tired ... and hot
but the temperature in the cave if a constant 53 degrees ... did I mention that we were hot?
We made it just in time for the last tour.
While formed by water, this is pretty dry cave - no water flowing through it and no bats or evidence of bats ever having been there.
Don't I look happy - remember - 53 degrees and we've spent the whole day in a non air-conditioned truck with outside temperatures in the 90's.
This shows the opening for the wild cave tour - where for 4 hours you can crawl around on your stomach and squeeze through narrow passages and and tight openings - at least there is no bat guano.
Wind cave has 116 miles of explored passages, making it one of the world's longest caves.
It has no staglatites or stalagmites - it has the world's best collection of boxwork. Boxwork is a calcite formation resembling irregular honeycombs.
Don't we look happy - remember, 53 degrees.
The tour lasted one hour and they tell you to bring a jacket or sweatshirt - we did, but we never put them on.
Spent the night at the campground in the park - the stars were spectacular!
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