We wake to a very bright and crispy November morning. When we arrived last night it was very dark but in the morning you can see how wonderful our setting is. We look out across the fields where the deer savour the quiet morning (it is hunting season so it is better for them to run off) and horses and cows quietly feast in the fields. For breakfast we leave our cosy bunk house and trek across to Rick and Judy’s house: waiting for us is the most wonderful breakfast which we readily tuck into. Rick and Judy join us for breakfast and we have a great time chatting to them. Jack and Emily are somewhat bored by this adult conversation and go off to play with the Vee’s dog, a very lively Jack Russell.
After breakfast we head on out. Our first plan for the day is to visit Mount Rushmore – the main reason for heading out this way. We are told to take the scenic route that takes you up through the rugged mountains of Dakotas’ Black Hills. On this crisp (euphemism for cold) morning it was beautiful, with tunnels carved into the mountain through which you get framed glimpses of Mount Rushmore. It is truly beautiful, and the winding switchback roads take you through rough craggy granite peaks and lush forests of Ponderosa pines. The Black Hills rise out and high above the Great Plains, formed by the primordial effects of ancient volcanic action as the continental tectonic plates brushed together. They get their name from the Ponderosa pines which look black as you approach them from the plains. This road has a number of switch backs which are amazing feats of construction, curling back on and under themselves, hence the naming of one called “Pigs Tail”.Mount Rushmore is a relatively recent creation, and started as a concept by state historian Doane Robinson in 1923. The choice of artist was Gutzon Borglum, a radical sculptor with a sense of scale and outlandish ambition. Work started on the Washington head in 1927 with the final 60 foot head, Teddy Roosevelt, being dedicated in 1939. The visitor centre gives a fascinating insight into the fantastic achievement and skills that went into sculpting the heads of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. 90% of the sculpting was actually done by using explosives, with the rest being done with jack hammers, chisels and assorted other tools. The bottom of the mountain lays testament to the amount of material that was literally blown away over a 13 year period. The design itself changed several times through the work to take into consideration of the imperfections in the rock.
After a chilly but wonderful couple of hours at Mount Rushmore we set off south. I had also wanted to visit to visit Crazy Horse mountain – another monumental mountain sculpture project. The project was started in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear and so far the progress has a sculptured out face. When we drove up we were somewhat put off by the entry price and by the fact we had another place we wished to visit. So off we went.
After a chilly but wonderful couple of hours at Mount Rushmore we set off south. I had also wanted to visit to visit Crazy Horse mountain – another monumental mountain sculpture project. The project was started in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear and so far the progress has a sculptured out face. When we drove up we were somewhat put off by the entry price and by the fact we had another place we wished to visit. So off we went.The Mammoth Site Museum in Hot Springs, South Dakota had been recommended to us ,so that is where we were headed. To get there we passed through the town of Custer and then on through the Cave of the Wind National Park. The rolling hills of the park were stunning but what amused us most was our first site of prairie dogs, as around here there are thousands living in prairies dog “towns”, many by the roadside. Emily in particular was fascinated but these little creatures.
Hot Springs itself is an interesting town, with small boutique shops and restaurants. The Museum is as a result of an accidental find during a housing construction project. What they found was an ancient sink -hole into which a large number of mammoths had fallen into to their deaths. Over the years sediment settled on to these poor creatures who were perfectly preserved. The digging is unusual in the sense that as the excavation work has exposed the mammoth bones have been left in situ, which can be view by visitors from raised walkways. It is a most unusual exhibit and amazing to see the work in progress. They have found the remains of 115 mammoths – these are the original bones as the sediment has preserved them in an un-mineralised state. At the end of the tour we are allowed into the basement to the lab areas where you can see them working on the bones from the excavation. We get talking to one man, who is a volunteer, working in the labs along with his wife.
They had moved to a smaller house five years ago in the area so that they could be part of this project as volunteers. They were so dedicated that the work was helping them live with the knowledge that the gentleman had terminal cancer...their driving force had become uncovering an ancient life form!They were very gracious.
Hot Springs itself is an interesting town, with small boutique shops and restaurants. The Museum is as a result of an accidental find during a housing construction project. What they found was an ancient sink -hole into which a large number of mammoths had fallen into to their deaths. Over the years sediment settled on to these poor creatures who were perfectly preserved. The digging is unusual in the sense that as the excavation work has exposed the mammoth bones have been left in situ, which can be view by visitors from raised walkways. It is a most unusual exhibit and amazing to see the work in progress. They have found the remains of 115 mammoths – these are the original bones as the sediment has preserved them in an un-mineralised state. At the end of the tour we are allowed into the basement to the lab areas where you can see them working on the bones from the excavation. We get talking to one man, who is a volunteer, working in the labs along with his wife. Our return to Hermosa is through Custer State Park. By this stage it was getting dark but this was an excellent time to see the deer … we see absolutely hundreds of them. The night is rapidly descending and we peer into the gloom to spot the 1300 or so bison hidden amongst the 100s of acres. We do spot some and as we leave the park we get to see a herd close up and even get to see a few rutting bulls. All in all a great day.
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