Day 296. May 29, 2014. Badlands to Black Hills

LOCATION:  To Black Hills, SD in far western South Dakota

WEATHER: Hot and sunny in Badlands. Cool and rainy in Blackhills

We took an early morning hike with Jenny, our friend from Nova Scotia.  The first part of the trail was rugged.....1/4 mile straight up.  We had to crawl.  It was slippery and scary.  On top, we took a 2-hour hike.  Then......we had to go back down on the vertical trail.  I was afraid of slipping, so scooted down on my bottom!  I didn't care how silly I looked!

We drove about 100 miles to Sturgis, famous for the motorcycle rally each summer.  It is full of bars.  We went to this one to use Wifi

From there, we drove about 25 miles to Deadwood.  It is supposed to be an old cowboy town, but unfortunately, it has been taken over by casinos.  We drove on another 20 miles, through Spearfish Canyon, part of Blackhills National Park.  It was just beautiful

We found a National Forest Service primitive campground.  It is next to the place where the movie Dances with Wolves was filmed

I'm standing behind the sign, so there is contrast through the stencil.

This area is beautiful and really off-the-beaten path.  As we drove into our campsite, we scared away a furry woodchuck.  We built a campfire and ate some peanuts in the shell.  When I returned from the water pump, I found two chipmunks trying to steal peanuts from the picnic table.  Cute! 

I had another interesting bathroom experience this evening...There is just one co-ed pit toilet for the campground.  As I started to enter, I found two young men sitting in the entryway cooking their dinner over a propane gas cooker.  It had started raining, and this was the only covered  area they could find.  I chatted with them, then went inside.  All quite strange!

DINNER:  I made a hearty omelette with some of smoked turkey and smoked Gouda left from the nachos I had made yesterday for the contest.  I drizzled some leftover chipotle in adobo sauce over it.  Quite tasty!