The Black Hills....Day six, Custer State Park

After having been in the area for the better part of a week, I now had a better idea of what Custer State Park is and was excited. It's a wildlife sanctuary with a strong emphasis on conservation. Right up my ally! The people we met at Crazy Horse, the ones with the kids who played with Luke, had been there earlier that same day (that would be Friday, remember?). They shared the pictures of the big horn sheep, buffalo, antelope, and rattlesnake they came across. That made me know, without a doubt, that we'd be seeing some very cool things.

Dad was excited about this day, too. Mom kept snickering at us, "why are you two SO excited?" She knew, of course, but wanted to have a little fun teasing us.

So, after breakfast we set out on our way. We had mapped the way last night, a way that would offer more of the spectacular scenery without scaring mom half to death. She's a little afraid of heights, so some of the mountain roads concern her. Kind of funny considering she lives in a mountain valley. Anyway, we loaded ourselves into the mini-van and took off. In the wrong direction.

Silly us, since we mapped it out last night we didn't bother to look at the map again this morning. Everyone on the face of the earth is fully aware that's a fool's move. Oh well. What we did do was take the longer route. I'd say scenic, but in this land, EVERYTHING is scenic! Instead of going straight down into Custer (not to be confused here with the town of Custer, but I'll abbreviate it the same), we headed into Rapid City. Not far, but just enough to get some fuel and make our junction South. Funny thing about it, though? I went into the gas station to make sure we were correct in our route when a fellow customer asked where we were staying. I told her and she gushed about a particular restaurant with skinny fries that were "to die for!" Then made her way out to hit the road to Billings. I found it rather comical.

Back on our way we set. Another 20 minutes and we were there! Yippee! It's strange how animals seem to know when they're in safe haven. We rounded a curve and came nearly face-to-face with a couple of antelope bucks. Now, we have antelope in Pueblo West, but they're small, light-boned, and don't carry much meat. These antelope were stunning! The size of a small white-tailed deer, nice, thick coats (still in winter fur), and so very fat that it would be unhealthy for a domestic animal. I love it!

After gawking at an animal we see on a fairly regular basis (Utah, too...even near Salt Lake), we moved on. Rounding another bend we saw cars stopped on the road. Surely another beast! Oh my, yes, it was! A magnificent herd of eight bison! All bulls. As they were right on the road and the park service (that would be South Dakota, not national) was using bull whips and trucks to move them back, we figured the rangers were concerned about people getting their cars smashed. What was funny was the buffalo were obviously unconcerned and very slowly lumbered back away from the road at about...oh...maybe a half mph.

This was also right in front of the visitor center, so we pulled in. It is the place to get all the information one could want, you know. It was also a good place to have a closer look, at a safe distance, of the buffalo. At this point, Luke was just happy to have a romp in the grass. Good for him to listen to momma when she said to watch out for buffalo chips! Makes me proud!

We learned the reason the bison were being moved was because of a ranger conducting a session on panning for gold. Never one to turn down a challenge, I said I wanted to go have a try. Bless my mom, she was babysitter while dad and I grabbed our pans, filled them with dirt, and plopped into the creek. If anyone has paid attention, my son absolutely loves water, so my dear mother had her hands full.

There was one young girl who did actually find some gold dust, rousing a round of cheers from all of us. Good for her! Too bad she doesn't get to keep it! The rest of us found...rocks and mica. But it was still fun! When I was finished with my panning, I took Luke from my mom and let him splash around in the creek. Good thing we had a spare set of clothes in the car! Oh, if you haven't figured out by now, it was a lovely and warm day. Otherwise Luke wouldn't have been allowed near the water.

Back at the mini-van I changed Luke's clothes and we piled into our seats. We stopped for a bite at one of the lodges (that's right, there are hotels, cabin lodges, and camping sites in this park), then headed for the road called the "wildlife loop." Our first encounter was with a couple of turkeys and an antelope doe with her baby. The turkey is of significance because these particular ones are said to be shy and not spotted very often. The baby antelope was just cute. For quite a while these are the types of animals we saw...along with military convoy vehicles. Those are animals, too, you know (chuckle).

Then we crested a ridge and were greeted with the magnificent sight of over 400 buffalo cows with their babies. I've never seen such a beautiful sight! Pictures in history books are the only rival. I could have sat there all day and listened to the grunts, watched the interactions, and reveled in the peace. Not to mention the thousands of pictures I could have taken. For someone who is a little afraid of cows (what??? No, really, I'll fish with a black bear in the river, but a few cows show up and I hightail it) and isn't overly fond of them (not to say I'm not fond of them, they're just not my favorite thing in this world..Jersey cows excepted because they're so pretty), I'm completely taken with these H U G E bovine beasts!

Back on the road and we kept our eyes peeled for more wildlife. Here and there were more small herds of bison cows and calves. Quite a few more of those oh-so-healthy antelope, numbers of deer (both whitetail and mule), marmots, a coyote, more turkey, a bull snake, plenty of birds. No sheep.

I was hoping to see the big horn, but that wasn't in the cards. The original species was the Audubon Bighorn, but they're extinct. The Rocky Mountain Big Horn was introduced in the last century to help equalize the ecosystem. But there are only about 35 of them in the region, and they're nomadic. So, while they were there somewhere, they weren't showing up today. Two days prior three rams made their way through the park down one of the main roads. Darn!

But the one thing I was expressly hoping to have a visit with? The burros (donkeys). Yes, yes, I'm a dork. But the burros are just adorable, and I have a special affinity for them. These particular ones were used for packing tourists to the fire tower at the top of one of the peaks. When that attraction shut down, the burros were released. They have remained. There might be one or two that are from that actual attraction, but the rest are most clearly the descendants. There is a very steep fine for feeding the wildlife, but the burros are kind of exempt. They see a vehicle stopped and come up to beg. It's just how it is. So, we were given a couple carrots from a neighboring vehicle and pulled out some granola bars to feed our visitors. Can you believe that I, of all people, actually didn't even think to bring some treats for these creatures?? Word to the wise, if you visit an area with wild burros and are allowed to feed them, stop at the feed store and pick up a small bag of horse treats before you head out. Seriously! They're inexpensive (as in you can find them for around $5), won't harm the creatures, other wildlife can feed on what's dropped, and you don't have to worry about how to store them!

It broke my heart to leave the one little painted donkey. She was so adorable, and old. I'd guess she was in her thirties, just looking at her body structure and feet. The most gentle little equine I've ever experienced feeding. And she seemed to enjoy her face being stroked. When it was time to leave, I had to shove her head out the door. Then the poor little dear trotted next to us for a bit before giving up. I wanted to cry!! I turned and watched her sad little face watching us. I'll never forget her.

We finished our little drive by circling back to where we began. The bulls were still there, but moving again. One of them started across the road, but the car he was going in front of was watching the other bulls and either startled this guy, or bumped him. Thank goodness we were all going about 3-5 mph!! Anyway, it prompted him to pick up a canter and scoot across the road. Wow! Just wow! The father and two boys playing a game of catch on the side he crossed to had no idea. I hollered out the window a heads-up and they scooted up the hill rather quickly, though realizing their backpacks were between themselves and the buffalo. At that time a ranger came out of the visitor center and shuttled them a little further up the hill and away from the bison. The bags could wait. Big bull sauntered into a stand of trees and past a wallow, but he left a big impression on us all.

We decided to head back to Keystone via the route with the tunnels. The same from the other day. That would be our best chance for seeing the sheep. We didn't see any, but I saw a fox that I couldn't point out in time, we saw two more young donkeys, many more antelope, and another number of buffalo. It is such a beautiful drive.

We chose to eat at the restaurant recommended by the fellow tourist in Rapid City. We knew of it, and the time seemed right. She was correct, the fries were fantastic. If ever you get the chance to visit, the food at the Gold Stone is worth the stop.

And it saddened me to think tomorrow we would be going home. I love my home, and I was anxious to get there and see my remaining family; to hug my husband and pets. But this place did something to me that only one other place has done, only bigger. It completely stole my heart and soul. It is now a very, very special part of my life, my favorite place on earth, and where I hope to live my days at some point. If it's the Good Lord's will.

There is a line in "Dances With Wolves" where Kevin Costner's character, John Dunbar, says about the Black Hills and South Dakota plains: "It seems everyday ends with a miracle here, and whatever God may be, I thank God for this day."

I couldn't say it any better.....