4-18-04

April 17-18, 2004

Hail to the Chiefs

For much of the past month, there had been the hope to make the journey to South Dakota in order to visit the Black hills and make the ascent of its highest elevation—Harney Peak. The weather forecast looked grim for the entire week before the trip, so I had all but written it off in favor of going to the Oklahoma Panhandle to try for Black Mesa. However, the night before the trip, I learned that there would at least be part of Saturday that would have desirable weather. The rest of the time would be uncertain. So, the risk was taken. Immediately after working the overnight shift, it was time to board the flight to Salt Lake City, change planes, and continue to Rapid City. As the plane descended into Rapid City, the forested Black Hills became visible. After renting the car, I had to make a choice between attempting Harney Peak late that afternoon or visiting Mt. Rushmore and hoping for continued good weather the next morning to make the hike. Since the climb would involve descending in the dark, the choice was made to visit Mt. Rushmore. The monument was a little smaller than expected, yet it was still a stunning place to visit. The 8$ parking fee was a little stiff, however it was the only way to get out of the car and clearly view the monument. The weather was still good at this point, so I took the obligatory photos and then drove to a viewpoint where the side profile of George Washington’s face could be seen. The road then led further into the scenic Black Hills. At one point, there was a quick glimpse of Harney Peak itself. The summit is recognizable due to the viewing tower on top. Soon, I entered Custer State Park and arrived at Sylvan Lake. This area contained the trailhead that would lead to Harney Peak. The lake was very scenic, because it had rock formations all around its perimeter. Since there would not be enough time to begin the hike, it was time to find a campsite for the night. The Sylvan Lake campground was not yet open for the season, so I drove south towards Custer. Just outside of town, there was a hosted campground available for a mix of RV’s and tents. After setting up the tent, it was time to drive to Custer to get something to eat. In town, there was a sign indicating that the Crazy Horse Memorial was only 6 miles away. So, I drove to it and took a look at it before it got dark. The size of the monument was impressive. This is and has been under construction for many years. No doubt, it will be an incredible work of art once it is completed. Back in town, dinner consisted of a Subway sandwich. Then, it was time to retire to the campground for the remainder of the night. It rained a little bit and later, I woke up and decided to see if it was still overcast. There were a lot of stars out, but flashed of lighting also lit up the sky from somewhere not too far away. I hoped that when morning came, there would be decent weather to make an early attempt of the climb.

April 18, 2004

Solitude and Grandeur

A little after 5AM, it was time to get up and clear the campground and take the tent down. There was no sign of rain, so the daypack was loaded and I readied myself for an early start designed to beat the bad weather that was forecasted for the region. Twilight was beginning as the car approached Sylvan Lake. There was an unmanned registration booth where one could pay for the parking permit and insert the fee in an envelope that would be stuck in a lockbox. At the trailhead, there was not another car or soul in sight. It was not light enough to begin the hike without having to wear the headlamp. So, I set off for the 6 mile trip that would take approximately 4 hours. Immediately, the trail led into a pine forest. The hike was generally not that steep at all, especially for the first couple of miles. An overlook appeared where the sun was starting to rise to reveal the majesty of the rock formations of this area. In the distance was the tower on top of Harney Peak itself. The trail again led into forest cover before revealing some more rock formations nearby. One of them was referred to as “Little Devils Tower”. This likely resembled the more famous one in nearby Wyoming. There were some rock needles interspersed along the way. The trail was very rocky in places, with granite, quartz, mica, and other minerals all over the ground. There were also lots of pine cones. The climb steepened somewhat and led to another lookout to where I could see that some considerable elevation had been gained. Higher up, another trail joined this one. There was then an area that had a place for horse riders to dismount and tie up their horses. Immediately after this, steps carved out of the rock could be seen. There was a small tunnel as well as a catwalk. I had read about the steps that made up the final part of the climb. Was I about to summit Harney Peak? The answer was yes, for there stood the summit tower directly in front of me. The peak was solid rock, so there were very few trees. This allowed views to be taken in all over the Black Hills region. It was certainly the most scenic highpoint visited yet. The rock formations were stunning. It was easy to tell that this was the top of South Dakota. The wind came in enough to make me want to keep moving and explore the summit. I looked at the tower and then walked to a nearby outcrop where the benchmark could be found. A small body of water with a little dam was also near the summit. I scrambled to the highest part of the rock at the base of the tower. This was the true highpoint. After a long look at the surroundings, I began to descend back to Sylvan Lake. During the entire hike, I never saw anyone else except for one time. That was on the return journey at the first overlook area near the beginning. Hopefully, the guy there would make it up before the weather turned on him. Already, dark clouds were forming overhead. The early start had paid off as I reached the trailhead a little before 10AM. Now was the time to drive back to Rapid City and try to catch an earlier flight out to avoid thunderstorm delays later in the day. After all, a misconnect would mean spending the night in Salt Lake City. The drive back involved descending down the very scenic Needles Highway. It had some great views as well as some interesting tunnels that a car could barely fit through (only one car could go in at a time from either direction). It would not be a good place to be in the busy summer season. Some wildlife could be seen. A mule deer was crossing the road around one corner. There were also some mountain goats, and finally some buffalo could be seen. Soon, I was back at the Rapid City airport where I did make it out earlier to avoid the weather. South Dakota’s Black Hills are certainly a great opportunity for seeing some stunning sights. It was nice to return to the outdoors. All of this makes me look forward to planning trips to the Rockies later in the summer.

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