If They’re Called the Black Hills, Then Why Are They White??

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Sooo…If They’re Called the Black Hills, Then Why Are They White??

Hey all! Carrie here.

So you know when you have a plan in your mind of how something will play out….and then the exact opposite happens?? Yeaaa…

Cody and I left Chicago on Sept 10^th with the idea of driving through the night to Keystone, SD. We’d get to Mt. Rushmore around time for sunrise and then spend the day hiking and catching up on sleep between two trees in our hammocks within the nearby national forest. What a lovely picture.

We made a few stops on our 15hr trek, including a brisk walk along the La Crosse river, bordering Wisconsin and Minnesota. As we got closer to Rapid City, SD, (20 min from Keystone) we were greeted by white fluffy snow! Snow?? On September 10^th? Yes. Snow. Later that day we’d come to find out we’d experienced history being made, as the earliest snowfall in Rapid since 1888. Needless to say we wouldn’t be hammocking. When 8am came around, we trudged through the snow to the very faint Mt. Rushmore. Both Cody and I had a picture painted in our minds of what it would look like, and both of us were a little let down. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredible, but I think pictures and movies make it look more extravagant. I found it very fitting that we were at a national memorial on the morning of September 11^th, and I suggested to Cody we have our own moment of silence. It meant a lot to feel that connection to back home from halfway across the country, and to think about the men and women who lost their lives that day, and the towers that once were seen from my backyard.

Needing to regroup and reevaluate our plan for the next few days, we went into the quaint and authentic western small town of Custer, SD. We spent some time at a coffee shop called, The Bank (formerly a bank…) , and there we met a new friend named Tom. He was in town because he owns a small cabin close by. We chatted about the area and shared some travel stories until he recommended a burger place to check out for lunch. Black Hills Burger and Bun did NOT disappoint. It was probably one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. It was a cute, local place with fresh organic ingredients and a friendly staff. We secured lodging for that night through AirBnB at a couples’ house in Basin, Wyoming, but before heading out of Custer, we took a drive through the Needles Highway… another suggestion from Tom. (Tom gets a 10 in our book). It was gorgeous. The mountains were spotted with conifers and needle shaped rock formations. On top of that, the whole scene was blanketed in 8-12 inches of snow that seemed to stick to everything like some sort of spray foam. It would have been a winter wonderland, but again, it’s still summer.

The sun started coming out on our drive to Basin, and made for a very scenic route with rolling snowy hills and snow-capped mountains in the distance. The kicker was the drive through Big Horn National Forest during sunset. Those beautiful mountains in the distance kept getting closer and closer….and then basically ate us. Our car climbed up to cloud and bird flying level! …and oh man the view!! The sun burned a red and pink color through the clouds and into the valley below. It was probably one of our favorite moments thus far.

We made it to Basin around 9pm and met our hosts for the evening, Suzi & Mitch. Everything closes fairly early in most of the towns out west, and by the time we arrived at their house nothing but gas stations were open. They knew this and were kind enough to cook up a late dinner with fresh veggies from their CSA. We all chatted and got to learn about one another while eating. Mitch and Suzi were both great people with various expertise that they could share. From fermenting their own Kombucha tea to teaching yoga classes, boarding and shoeing horses, painting, theraplate and laser therapy…and they have a sauna! It was never a dull moment at their place, even though it was truly just for the night. After a good night’s rest we woke up to a homemade breakfast, and a quick session of laughing yoga before heading off to Yellowstone. Our AirBnB experience with Suzi and Mitch added a whole other element to our trip that we wouldn't have gotten by staying at a cheap and grungy motel. We actually made new friends out of it!

We drove through a town outside of the east entrance of Yellowstone named Cody, WY. We made this town all about MY Cody and got a photo with him in front of the sign and visited a replica of the town layout Buffalo Bill had created back in the day. We stopped a few more scenic places along the way and then explored Yellowstone. Our experience was kicked off in full swing by being greeted by a bison while approaching the welcome center. Talk about a warm welcome. He just roamed around the parking lot like no one else was there. He almost blocked Cody and me from getting back into our car! We took a few trails to check out some hydrothermal pool activity and then hiked a trail around the upper and lower falls, known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. This was another picture perfect memory. We made it to Old Faithful just as the sun was going down and waited an hour or so for her to do her thing. Although it seemed like a shorter version of the eruption, the sunset made for some good pictures, and it was still very surreal to witness something you hear mentioned your whole life.

We’re realizing just how many cool and unique things we’re getting the opportunity to do!! It’s amazing!



While leaving the park and entering Montana, a blanket of stars started taking over the sky. It was the perfect ending to another perfect day. And to make it even better, we had no idea/plan where we were going next…and were totally okay with it.

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Photos

Snowfall in Black Hills South Dakota
This is what it looked like the morning we arrived in Keystone.

Black Hills, Red Clay
This is a small road we found off the main roads.

Visiting Mt.Rushmore in the summer.
Check out the Presidents behind us...oh wait, its pouring snow in September. It cleared up a little and we did get to see them, but it really looked like all four of them were sobbing because of the snow.

This is Bighorn National Forest
When we left SD and headed towards Basin, Wyoming. We came across one of the most majestic winter scenes we've ever seen.

Is he always there?
So this is the Bison I was talking about at the welcome center. Funny story, as we walked out of the center, I looked to Cody and said, "So..is he alllways therrre?" ..Cody responds with, "Yes, Carrie, it's just like Disney where characters work on shifts.."
=)

Bison number 2
This guys just trudged along side out car on the highway. We kept waiting for him to hit it.

Yellowstone's Grand Canyon
This is a shot from the trail we were on while we were heading to Artists Point. The jagged rocks and huge pine trees give you some scale of the size.

The Bank
Its a retired bank thats being used as a coffee shop now. We stopped here to organize and get ready for the next day.

Buffalo Bill Cody State Park and Reservoir
This was a cool place with some amazing views across the water. We stopped here before heading into Yellowstone.

Comments

[Suzi and Mitch]

Howdy from WY
Loved meeting you both! Thanks for the postcard. Goodluck in all your travels! Namaste