Custer State Park...Work Camping

Hi all.........

We're back in Custer State Park, doing some work camping. After talking it over we decided to give it a try. We love this park and it's wildlife is amazing. The day before we got back here, the buffalo were in our campground, as we could see by their "calling cards" if you know what I mean. They were everywhere. We got all set up and talked with our manager today.

In exchange for working in the park for the resort, we get a free campsite with full hook ups, 3 meals a day, uniform shirts to wear, and a small wage. While we won't get rich, it's a great opportunity to meet new people our age who are doing the same thing. This is one of the few places that love retirees. The entire park is staffed by them. We also get to do any of the activities in the park for free, including trail rides, chuckwagon outings, and Jeep excursions. We also get a VIP pass to do any activities outside of the park in the
surrounding area.

We start on Monday, the 28th.........I will be working at the front desk of Game Lodge and Tony will be doing maintenance for Game Lodge..........wherever they need him. We will be here for two months, leaving on Oct. 1. At that time we'll head over to Yellowstone for a few days, then south to the Tetons for a few more. We'll have no time to waste by then as winter comes early to the mountains and we don't want to be caught up there . Our plan then is to head south thru Utah and probably be in Arizona for the winter.

Of course, plans change and we try to be flexible, as circumstances dictate. But that's on the agenda for now. I'll blog again, after I get some new pictures of our goings on here. That's it for now........we'll see you down the road.

Love.......Kathie

Big Horn Mountains..Buffalo, Wy.

Hi all......

We're in Buffalo, Wyoming, land of cowboys and Indians. We're in a campground at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains.......and some are still snowcapped in the middle of July.....can you believe it? They are just beautiful.

The campground owners here keep mules, for packing into the mountains. They go on hunting trips up there, and he feels they're much tamer and easier to work with then horses. They sure are nice and friendly.......we enjoy feeding them some hay and just watching them.

There's lots of history here. The Bozeman trail runs thru here, and you can still see some
of the wagon ruts on the mountains. Fort Phil Kearney was built here......this fort was
attacked many times by the Indians. Chief Crazy Horse and Red Cloud fought their
battles here with the soldiers.

While we were here in Buffalo, a motor home burned up his brakes coming down the mountain, and crashed into a building at the bottom of the hill. Sad to say, but the driver was killed, and his wife, while she survived, incurred a broken neck and pelvis. She was airlifted to Casper Wyoming for further care. These mountains can be treacherous in so many ways.

We watched deer come into the campground many nights. At one time, we saw four bucks and two does. They were wary of us and kept their distance, but were neat to see.

We're considering going back to Custer State Park to do some work camping.....we heard from the HR manager there and he has jobs for us. Lots of people our age do this work camping for a couple mos. We'll let you know what we decide.....either that, or on to Yellowstone.

We'll see you down the road.

Love.........Kathie

Devil's Tower....Wyoming

Hello all..........We're in the wide open state of Wyoming.......home of dude ranches, rodeos, and massive tracts of property. You can't even see a house or ranch on these......I don't know where they went. We saw quite a few antelope on the slopes......all with nice racks.

We had to pass thru a couple of tunnels on the way here.......one of them had only inches to spare from our mirrors. We knew this one was coming, so didn't have the fifth wheel with us. I could see people on the other side standing there watching us........I think they thought we weren't going to make it. I was beginning to wonder myself.

We stopped to see Devil's Tower, on the way here to our campground. It's in the northeast corner of Wyoming. The tower is a geological monolith which rises 867' from it's base and stands 1,267 ' above the river and 5,112' above sea level. The area of it's tear-drop shaped top is 1.5 acres, and the diameter of it's base is 1,000'. It is so beautiful to see when you get up close to it.......if you look closely at the last picture here, you can spot
two tiny rock climbers on their ascent. Records of Tower climbs have been kept since 1937. Approximately 5,000 climbers come here every year from all over the world to climb on the massive columns. More then 220 routes have now been used in climbing the Tower. Climbers must register with a ranger before starting their climb and on their return. You can walk a paved trail around the base of the Tower..... and sit on the various benches around the trail to gaze up at this wondrous act of nature.

We're now in Buffalo, Wyoming. Our campground is at the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. They're truly a sportsman's paradise for hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking, snowmobiling, skiing and sledding. There are numerous scenic byways with breathtaking mountain scenery. We plan to start exploring the area tomorrow after a good night's sleep. We'll see you on the road.

Love.......Kathie

More Custer State Park pics!

Good morning all.........

Here is a sample of "9 am morning rush hour" here at Custer State Park. We were going around a curve and there was the herd.....in no particular hurry, I might add. Bulls, cows, and babies......everywhere. The herd moves at random........where and when they want.
We just sat there for 15 min or so, with our motor turned off.....enjoying nature at it's best.
These animals are huge.......and it's just a wonder to get so close to them and observe them
doing what they do best.........pulling up grass, snorting, and wallowing in the dust. The
babies are skittish and stick close to Mom. But not a one was in a rush...and neither were
we!

Part of the park still shows signs of the terrible forest fires which raged thru the west in
1988. It's been 20 years since then, and still the land struggles to recover. Yet new
growth is apparent in the green underbrush and grass and small trees. Most fires out here are started from lightning. The undergrowth here is managed by the park; it is gathered in large bundles and burned when it's dried out.......thereby keeping fuel for a fire at bay.

We've seen many wonders today. Big horn sheep grazed on a rocky hillside.......four rams keeping close company. Their horns looked too heavy for their heads, but they didn't seem to mind. They can traverse a steep rocky mountainside like we would a road, with nary a misstep.

Many deer were out today..........keeping a close eye on their surroundings. They look so delicate as they step over a log or duck under branches. Yet with a flick of that white tail, they're gone.

We've talked with many full time RV'rs here who volunteer their time at the park. In exchange for a committed amount of time, such as 3 mos, they receive a free campsite with full hook-ups, 3 meals a day, free activities in the park such as horse back riding and jeep safaris, and a small wage. Many of them told us we should do it. We did look into it today, talking with the HR manager of the park. He would like us to start Thurs, the day we're slated to leave here! While it's certainly tempting, we still want to see some of the other great parks our country has to offer, such as Glacier, and Yellowstone, and the Tetons. We may do some work camping at some parks down south over the winter, we'll have to see what we can find out about that. For now though, we'll just travel, and file away what we know about this new way of camping. I can see though it would be a great way to help with finances, and make some great new friends, all doing the same things we're doing. To me, the best of both worlds.

Went on another 3 mile hike today to "Lover's Leap" lookout. It was a loop trail,
traversing the same creek a number of times.......challenging at times, but always fun to try and figure it out. The trail was labeled moderate/severe..........I think I'm a "moderate" type of gal after this one. It was so high going up, and rocky, I thought my legs had turned to jello. But what a view......all worth it. The trip down was just as slick as could be.....I only had one mishap which ended up in a scraped knee and elbow......and that was with walking sticks! A mountain goat I am not.

We have one area of the park yet to see tomorrow, and then we're off to Wyoming on Thursday. We'll see you on the road.

Love........Kathie

Custer State Park

Hi all.......

Whew.......what a day. We went on a 6 mile hike today. It was just beautiful. We went into a walk in fishing area........they call it a walk in area, due to the fact that it's the only way to get into these small pools and eddys from the creeks. They have trout in them....we talked with one angler there who had one in the bag. It was a nice rainbow....he caught it 5 min after he got there. The woods were beautiful as we walked ...... we had to cross the same creek at least 1o times....sometimes on rocks, others on tree brances laid across the creek. Very fun. We were so glad we had our walking sticks with us.

This afternoon, we panned for gold on one of the creeks here. While we had no nuggets at all, it was sure fun to imagine......and try. We had bought a couple of pans to use......and watched a demonstration at the ranger station on how to do it. Still........no luck! Another day.

Tony took a picture of a tree growing out of the rocks. How the heck can they do that, you have to wonder. Some places there is no soil at all.......just rock and yet you see bushes and trees, stunted but growing. Unreal.

We are in awe of this area. The ruggedness of it.....the immense lands full of wildlife, all in a beautiful park. It is a joy to drive around and see it all. We were up on an overlook today, and could see for 100 miles......even to the Badlands. We had a God's eye view of the land.......and it is good.

We have two more days in this park....we hope to ride some horses and go on more hikes. Maybe take in a boat ride or do some fishing. It really doesn't matter much what you do, only that you do!
See you on the road.

Love.......Kathie

Black Hills ....Custer State Park

Hello all.........

What a beautiful park.....Custer State Park. It is massive....71,000 acres in the Black Hills. There are roaming bison, wandering burros, pronghorn antelopes out on the flats, and scenery that needs to be seen to be believed.

We will spend a week in this park. There are trails to be walked and roads to be traversed. There are four lodges in the park and seven campgrounds. We will be staying in the Legion Lake campground. Right in the middle of everything.

There is a bison herd of 1500 which roam the prairie. One walked right down the road we were on.......we had to move over, we didn't want it to ram our car. There were many with babies out in the fields. These animals are huge.....males often weigh up to 2000 lbs, but can run 30 mph.

There are "begging burros," curious critters who love to poke their noses into cars traveling the"Wildlife Loop". They trace their roots to a herd that once hauled visitors to the top of Harney Peak, here in the park.

The Wildlife Loop road is an 18 mile loop which passes through grasslands and rolling hills that harbor many species of wildlife. You're almost certain to see bison, as they stop traffic...literally .... as they saunter to their next grazing spot. You're also likely to see pronghorn bounding gracefully across the prairie.

Activities in the park range from rock climbing to horse back riding, to hayride/chuckwagon cook-outs. Anything goes. Biking, hiking, swimming, fishing.......you name it, you can find it here. We expect to fill our days.

We plan to visit the city of Deadwood tomorrow, the city which gold, gambling, and gunpowder created. Wild Bill Hickok, and Calamity Jane lived and died in rambunctious Deadwood. They are buried at the Mt. Moriah Cemetery high above Deadwood. Hickok's killer, Jack McCall, did not escape. In fact, visitors still enjoy street shoot-outs every night when vigilantes capture Wild Bill's killer, and drag the assassin off to the rollicking Trial of Jack McCall. I hear it's the most unconventional murder trial you'll ever see!

Golden wealth is still in Deadwood. The number of gambling halls in the main gambling district has leveled out at about 86 businesses. Most of the parlors are Old West saloons where the energy level is high and the atmosphere is relaxed. The dress code is come as you are, and with a bet limit of $100, you won't feel out of place among the the high rollers. As for us......we're more into the nickel and quarter slots....that's more our style!

That's it for now.......we'll let you know if we strike it rich. We still want to try panning for
gold.....but that's another story. See you on the road.

Love........Kathie

Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse

Good morning all.........

We're in Custer, SD now.......lots to see and do here. The weather is hot, hot, HOT...... we were 105 degrees yesterday. Man oh man!

The topgraphy has certainly changed. There are big mountains now.....with trees! We haven't seen those in a while. The country side is beautiful......very hilly with lots of Spruce. All of this area is called the Black Hills. There are lots of rodeos going on in different towns. And festivals......everywhere. People are celebrating summer, that's for sure.

Mount Rushmore was our first stop yesterday. While we've been there before, the awe factor comes right back, when you see the mountain debri below the carvings. It's just unbelievable that it could ever have been done. They have a beautiful monument there,
with and auditorium and movie telling the story. Absolutely amazing.

Then........about 17 miles away is Crazy Horse. The bottom picture here is a plaster replica of how it will look when it's done. As you can see from the mountain, it has a long way to go. The original sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, passed away in 1982. He knew at the outset that Crazy Horse was much larger then one person's lifetime; so he and his wife Ruth, prepared three books of detailed plans to be used with his scale models to continue the project. That work is carried on to this day, by his wife and seven of his 10 children. You can see the blasting and moving of rock on a daily basis. Crazy Horse is not a federal or state project. It is a nonprofit, educational and cultural project financed primarily from an admission fee, which for 2008 is $10/adult.

Korczak was originally invited to the Black Hills to carve Crazy Horse by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. The Chief wanted the white man to know that the red man has
great heroes too. He learned of the sculptor when Korczak's PADERWSKI: Study of an immortal won first prize, by popular vote, at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Korczak arrived in the Black Hills on May 3, 1947. Wehn he started work on the mountain in 1949, he was almost 40 and had only $174 left to his name. Over the decades he battled financial hardship, racial prejudice,injuries and advancing age.

There's really a lot of fascination history in this area. Today, and for the next couple of days, we'll be in Custer State Park.......home of the largest bison herd in the US. We plan to bike, and hike, and take pictures. We'll see you on the road.

Love.........Kathie

More Badlands pictures!

What a beautiful day today. Hot and sunny......traffic is down, we're told....most likely due to high gas prices. Good for us! The traffic I mean!!!!!!!!

The scenery has been fabulous. Every turn in the road produces more beautiful rock formations. We took a 3 mile hike today.......up a canyon to an overlook. Fantastic. But hot.......I sure used our camelback backpacks today. These pictures don't do this area justice.......it's just so beautiful to try and capture on a photo.

We saw buffalo out on the plains here........acres of land to graze on......these wonderful animals can come and go at will. The way God intended. And the praire dogs......aren't they just the cutest little creatures? There are tons of them everywhere.

Tomorrow, we head out to the Black Hills. We'll be staying in Hermosa, SD. I'll be back then.....see you on the road.

Love........Kathie

Badlands.......South Dakota

Wow.......all I can say is.....WOW! It's so beautiful, and rugged, and desolate, and lovely. How can it be all that? It is.....and more. It's like another world. There are miles and miles and miles of beautiful spires of rocks. Multi-hued in colors......and so steep you just can't imagine that it could support any wild life. Yet.......we spotted thru our binoculars two momma bighorn sheep with their babies.....surefooted as could be as they lept over crevasses and steep outcroppings. Unbelievable to see yet there they were.

A variety of creatures roam this area. They include : prairie dogs, porcupines, cottontails, snakes, prairie rattlers, antelope, deer, eagles, and coyotes. We saw antelope roaming singly and in herds. We saw hundreds of prairie dogs and their mounds.

Tomorrow, we plan to hike the areas......there are so many places to pull over and take pictures or hike if you like.......and we like! We have our camelback backpacks and will be on the lookout for more wildlife.


The Badlands were originally named by the French trappers who explored the west in the early 1800's and called the area a "bad land to cross." The Dakota Indians also labeled it "mako sica" meaning"land bad."

We stopped at Wall Drugs, in Wall SD after we got here today. It's about 30 miles from the Badlands and a must to see. You see the signs for it for the last 50 miles that you've traveled on the interstate. It actually was a drug store that was bought by a young couple back in 1931. It was in such a desolate area, that no one ever stopped there. In 1936, the young wife had the thought that travelers traveling across the hot prairie were thirsty. She and her husband got the bright idea to put up signs on the interstate offering free ice water. Before they got back to the store after putting up the first signs, people had already begun showing up for their ice water. And history was started for the biggest drug store, blocks long, with every imaginable trinket, t-shirt, homemade pies and doughnuts and......free ice water. See you on the road with more tomorrow.

More pics from Lake Oahe, Pierre SD.

Hey Everyone........ this is the last of the pics I'm sending from here. You can see that this reservoir is huge. I made an error in reporting the shoreline in the last posting....I said 200 miles of shoreline and it's actually 22oo miles! So you can just imagine.......

We've had a terrific time here. We went out fishing with a great couple we met here. Mac & Joyce live in a small town, called Chugwater, Wy. They enter walleye tournaments together as a couple and we just had so much fun with them. It's fun to go out fishing with people like us....fishing fools! Anyway we picked up a neat tip from them we call the "MacKenzie zip". It's a way to pull apart a fillet to get the bones out......we've fished a long time and never knew you could do that. You can always learn from other people. This walleye pictured here was actually Tony's........they are such a good eating fish. Man oh man!

We leave here in the morning for the Badlands, to a place called Interior, SD. A guy here
told me that while you're not at the ends of the earth, you can see it from there! Whatever that means......I'm not sure! I guess we'll see for ourselves.

From there, on to the Black Hills, where we'll spend a week. Lots to see and do out there...we'll report from there and see you on the road.

Love........Kath

.

Pierre South Dakota

Greetings.........and a happy 4th of July to all. We are in Pierre, SD......wide open lands of cowboys, pheasants, and good hunting and fishing. We've been here for 5 days now.

This campground we're on is called the Cow Creek recreation area. It's on a huge reservoir, and I mean huge. There are over 200 miles of shorline.......it's really beautiful. Lots of walleye, smallmouth, and pike. The lake here is called Lake Oahe, and it's heavily fished. All the guys here have large Lund boats.......you see them everywhere. It's really big water out there, so you have to be careful. We're going out today in our little 10' porta bote.......it ought to get a few laughs, but hey.....it lets us get out there. We just won't go too far as it's a bit windy today.

We spent the 4th going into the town of Pierre. It's the capitol of South Dakota, so we stopped at the Capitol building and went thru it. Absolutely gorgeous......with inlaid mosaic tile floors, crafted by 65 different artists. Just stunning. The dome had beautiful stained
glass and sculptures that were too many to list. The surrounding grounds had veterans parks and more sculptures of horses and wars fought. Very pretty.

Then........it was off to the rodeo for a fun afternoon. What better way to spend the 4th of July in a land of cowboys and horses. And were they ever good. I have always appreciated the wonderful riding of these young men and women. There was bronc riding, bareback riding, calf roping, bull riding, and steer wrestling. It was all just a lot of fun. Those cowboys sure could handle a rope......how in the heck can they rope the back legs of a running calf, while riding pell mell across the arena with one hand on the reins and the other twirling a rope? Although it is nothing I aspire to do, I watch in admiration at their prowress.

We're going out fishing today, so I will add some more pictures to this same Pierre SD area.........hopefully there will be some fish to show!

We'll see you down the road!

Love.........Kathie