Big Heads

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Did you know that KOA camp grounds have Wi Fi?... No? We didn’t either… But as of writing this we are sitting in the back of the truck connecting to the WWW from a camp ground next to the White River near Bandlands National park in South Dakota, aka the middle of nowhere!!

Statistics

Starting Destination: Keystone, South Dakota
Ending Destination: East of Interior, South Dakota
Ending Destination GPS: N: 43° 41.566’ W:101° 56.174’ Elev. 2335’
Miles Driven: 126
Number of Bike Miles: 17.78

Big Heads, in more way than one…

Today we got up and went directly to Mount Rushmore… I guess from one perspective it was impressive and awe inspiring—the sheer immensity of the task, the size of the “heads,” the construction obstacles that needed to be overcome… But, was it worth the price? From what I could see, Mount Rushmore was a commercial enterprise from the very beginning… We couldn’t find anywhere the story behind why it was called Mount Rushmore—except for the fact that someone named Rushmore donated the first $5,000 to get the project started. The ego of the sculptor can only be described as colossal—he, from humble beginnings, was determined to leave his mark on the world. To the rampant commercialism of the site—The National Park Service being strapped for cash, allowed a third party to construct an amazing visitors center, complete with the usual over-priced concessions and an entrance fee that goes not to the National Park Service, but to the third party… And this is all before you get to ask any questions about the environmental impact. So, did we like it you ask… Yes, it was impressive. As an added bonus we were able to crash a local high school reunion for the local class of 1956 in the outdoor amphitheatre!

The Black Hills

After our Rushmore experience, we traveled through the Black Hills making our way towards Bandlands National Park… We took this very interesting road that had “pig tail” bridges—basically bridges that curve around upon themselves. As best as I can figure out, these were constructed as an ingenious solution to widening the road. The original one lane road contained 3 tunnels; however, the altitude difference between the tunnels was too great and the terrain too difficult to connect the tunnels directly so they made the road so that it curves around upon itself anywhere from 270 to 360 degrees. Fascinating, I guess, if you are an engineer!! We were happy as we managed to see the types of scenery that we missed the day before during our great “fog” adventure!

Biking in the Badlands

Our next objective was Badlands National Park… We decided to take the road less followed and followed Route 44 to the ‘Back door” of the park. From this vantage point we were able to see much of the park from the bottom of the “Wall.” The “Wall” is the name given to the escarpment that forms much of the East West portion of the geological formation. We stopped at the visitor center and then traveled further into the park and stopped at several of the scenic overlooks… However, we were rather rushed as our main objective was to get to the camp site and then re-trace our steps on the bikes… Which we did!! All-in-all the trip was only about 300 feet in elevation change from the camp site on the White River to Cedar Pass, however, there were times when it felt twice that far!! It was amazing the different perspective you gained traveling at the slower speed (going up) and sitting not quite as high as the truck. I must admit that there was a certain sense of satisfaction in being able to exceed the speed limit by over 5 mph and out run the truck behind us on the way down! Thankfully Carl did not run off and leave me on the way down—I might be able to ‘kick his butt’ on the way up, but he can definitely return the favor on the way down!! We got back to camp just in time to take advantage of the last light to re-arrange things in the truck and set up for dinner. We were able to use the camping stove outside this time!!

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Comments

[Bonnie]

So FAR!! so Good....
Everything sounds so WONDERFUL!! Keep up the great travel blog. It is a pleasure to see a posting when I check my e-mail each day. Great Pictures too -- Carl!! Try to visit this wonderful pass if it is not already in your itinerary...."The Beartooth Highway is one of the most spectacular National Forest routes on this continent. To many, it's known as "the most beautiful highway in America." From its beginning at the border of the Custer National Forest to its terminus near the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park, the entire Beartooth Highway (US 212) offers travelers the ultimate high country experience as it travels through the Custer, Shoshone and Gallatin National Forests. Since its completion in 1936, the Highway has provided millions of visitors a rare opportunity to see the transition from a lush forest ecosystem to alpine tundra in the space of a few miles. The Beartooths are one of the highest elevation and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation. Glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet in these mountains. Recreation opportunities are abundant in the..." Happy (bike) Trails to You....