The Black Hills of SD

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Hot nights, hotter days.

I found a site last night around 2030, at Center Lake campground in Custer State Park, SD. I was headed from the badlands to Rapid City on Hwy. 44. I took this route because on the map/brochure I had it was labeled “Scenic.” Well, Scenic was actually just a town, the only town, between the Badlands and Rapid City on 44. It consisted of a couple of dirt roads (very popular here in SD). I think I may have seen 8 cars during the entire 92 miles of travel between the two places. About 40 miles west of The Badlands, I noticed my fuel was at about 1/8 of a tank and there was not a gas station in sight. When the gauge hit E (no warning light yet..but it should come on anytime), I began to get really nervous. Should I slow down to under 60 mph, maybe turn off the air. I can’t believe I let it get this low. I always do this and I have yet to actually run out of gas, but I could avoid all the apprehension if I just would have filled it up when I left The Bandlands. My mind started going through the scenario of having to get my bike off the back of the car (at least I have that) and riding 20 miles to get fuel, then 20 miles back to put it in the car. All this in 105 degree heat. Then, lucky me, a gas station, sort of. I passed it and turned around when I realized there were pumps out in front. It was actually a bar…mostly for bikers. There are a lot of bikers in these parts. In fact, when I pulled up to the pump there was a motorcycle blocking it. I waited patiently for the owner to arrive (I assumed he was inside paying his bill). After about 10 minutes he appeared and asked if I was angry that he was blocking the pump. I told him I was still celebrating finding a pump at all. After filling my tank, I drove into Rapid City looking for a nice coffee shop to sit down, get some iced coffee and look over the numerous campground guide books I have to find a place to camp for the next week. I had Frommer’s best campgrounds (I don’t recommend that one), The National Forest campground guide (that one kept warning me about all the mountain lions in the area) and the Western edition of free (or really cheap) campgrounds. Going down Main Street in Rapid City, I spotted “Heavenly Coffee” and went inside. Plenty of comfortable seating, no air (typical here) and coffee, so I ordered an iced soy mocha from the very flaming barista. As he was preparing my drink, I looked around and noticed some T-shirts hanging near the ceiling that were for sale. The one that caught my eye read “LOST?” My immediate thought was, oh a Lost T from the hit series. I went on to read “you can be found with Jesus.” What? Where am I? Then I saw all the Jesus cd’s and started noticing the “Help me Jesus” music playing on the sound system. This place was literally “Heavenly” coffee. The barista noticed all my guide books and inquired as to whether I was looking for a place to stay. I said I was and he said that he was raised in these Black Hills and the most picturesque place was Custer State Park. Centrally located to all the Black Hills sites. They do have some first come first serve sites so I thought I would give it a try. If I didn’t have any luck, I could always go to one of the remote National Forest campgrounds. The barista continued to give me other tips for the area. “Eat in Hill City at the Alpine Inn,” he told me. “To beat the 200+ people waiting to get the first seating at 1700, be in the bar at exactly 1600 and you will bypass all the others,” he assured me. “Order the large fillet mignon, about $9.99, (the small one is dry…that is all they serve) and don’t skip the dessert, it is the best bread pudding around.” Then “Also, go to the Sylvan Lake lodge (near Custer State Park), the food is nothing to speak of so just order an hor’derve and a drink and enjoy the beautiful view on the terrace.” Well, I didn’t end up doing either, but if anyone who reads this is in this area, you may want to take him up on his advice. I thanked him and headed for Custer State Park, passing through Hill City and Custer city. I paid my $5 park entry fee to the cute little summer working college girl and she told me that was good for a week. She also said there were some sites open at Center Lake campground. I found a site, right in the middle of everyone (fish bowl) and set up for the night since it was getting dark, figuring that in the morning I would look around for a better site. I awoke very early, 0530, and headed out, leaving my tent and stuff there, to take a tour around the Wildlife loop. When I started my car the low coolant light started flashing. Oh no! What is this? It went off after a couple of flashes, so I didn’t worry about it. The temperature gauge looked ok. I did the hour loop through the grasslands to see wildlife, of course. It is recommended for mornings and an evening since that is the most likely time wildlife will be out feeding. I saw some prairie dogs, elk, deer, turkeys and a couple of bison. I then drove around the park to find a better site. I found one right on the river (gotta love the soothing water sound while sleeping in the tent. This one also had flush toilets and hot showers!!! I have been here since. Oh, and I packed up and got out of my other site without ever having paid (I hope I don’t get bad kharma). After setting up at my new site, I headed out to drive the scenic Iron Mountain Road. On the way out of the park, there was a Buffalo crossing traffic jam. There were probably about 50+ buffalo trying to cross a busy road. They would get all confused and try to run between cars (which were all stopped at this point). They got so close to cars and motorcycles (boy, were they nervous..the biker’s that is). No one could move so we sat there idling. This is when I noticed my cars temperature gauge heading for the red! I had to turn off my engine and roll down my window. I was reluctant to do so because the bison were coming right up to the cars. I could reach out and touch one, but it was so hot that I had to leave my window down. Scary. Once I could get around any few remaining buffalo, I decided to take my car into Custer and get coolant. I checked my coolant level and it wasn’t low, so I took it to Leo’s auto repair to see if they could help. Paul, the owner, came out and looked at the car and left if idling until he thought the radiator fan should kick in, it never did. He suspected the fan and told me to bring it in first thing in the morning and he would test it out. The next morning, I decided I would drop off my laundry at the local Custer “Laundromat, video rental and tanning salon” before dropping my car off. I put my oversized queen goose down comforter in the big commercial washer and all my other clothes in one washer, started it up and headed over to Leo’s. Luckily, I had my bike, so I rode the bike back through town to the laundry mat. After my laundry was finished, I called Leo’s and he said it was my fan motor…dead. He was just getting ready to call the parts shop and see if they had one. I told him I would just ride down to the coffee shop and wait. I rolled all my folded laundry into my goose down comforter, packed it in my bike basket (a milk crate on the back), put my helmet on, threw my laptop over my shoulder and head back through town, looking like a real geek, I’m sure. In the middle of town, Paul (from Leo’s) pulled up beside me at a light (he was in his little pick up truck) and said they had the fan and it would take about an hour to fix it. I hung out in the coffee shop (thinking they had wi-fi….wrong) until it was ready, then rode my bike (up a pretty big hill with all my laundry) to the shop and picked up my car $178 later. What a rip. Jim could have replaced that fan motor for probably $30. Oh well, that is what happens when you are stuck in Custer, SD and there are not many options. I am just happy to be able to drive these hills without worrying about overheating.
Sorry this entry is so long. The rest will be shorter, I promise.

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Photos

My campsite
Custer State Park. Grace Coolidge Campground

Hedy overlook
This is where I have to go to get a phone signal

Buffalo Crossing Traffic Jam
In the small town of Custer

Tunnel on Needles Hwy
Custer State Park

Prairie Dog
Near Wind Cave NP visitor center. These crazy dogs just lay in the road.

Prairie Dog
Isn't he/she cute?