Back on the road after leaving the Badlands. Heading west again across the plains in the morning, the sun in our rearview mirror chasing us in a race we’ll never win. The changes came slowly at first. The level horizon gave way to rolling hills. The hills started to get bigger and we started to see tree’s. Not just a tree here and there book ending  a farmhouse on the side of the road. These were Ponderosa Pines. A deep green standing firm against the blue sky. At first a few. Then, as the miles ticked away their stands got thicker, the earth became red, and the hills turned into mountains. Mountains with rock faces. Mountains with ravines and cliffs. The greens, the reds, the grey, and the blue sky the background on this beautiful canvas we get to see. These are the Black Hills, so named because the greens of these pines are so dark against the tan grasses that they shade that they look black. And there were forests now. Congregations of these beautiful giants, covering the mountains with spaces in between them that created expanses of grasses that the bison, deer, and prairie dogs covet. From there we headed through the Black Hills and into Wind Cave National Park which is located in the South Western corner of South Dakota.

We secured a campsite in a beautiful “gully” among the Ponderosas, grasses, and hills/mountains. A large grass covered hill ran up from the edge of our site. We walked Jackson up to the top only to find another behind that. Along the way we encountered a variety of wild flowers for the first time on our trip. Here there was more rainfall than on the plains and the earth responded by putting forth a potpourri of vibrant colors taking their space among the grasses and tree’s. When we got to the top of the second hill we unleashed Jackson. If you have ever wanted to witness unrestrained, pure, joy, it is to watch this dog as he immediately let out across the expanse of grasses that were taller than him. He embarked on a race with himself, leaping and bounding from one end of the hill-top to the other. Occasionally stopping on a dime in order to smell something that only he was aware of and just as quickly taking off again, his mouth wide open, his tongue blowing out the side of his mouth and the biggest dog smile you’ve ever seen. Both Laurie and I standing there watching him with the biggest human smiles. We love that dog!

Over the next two days we traversed the park on our motor scooter, getting the chance to observe a number of prairie dog towns as they scampered from hole to hole, sitting up straight letting out their sharp warning yelp if we get to close. And then there were the Bison. How impressive these massive beasts were. They were in the process of losing their winter fur which was falling out in large chunks. They were grazing, resting, and occasionally rolling around in depressions they created in the earth in their much enjoyed dust baths. Western squirrels visited our campsites as well as a variety of birds. As with many areas of our country, the park was also dealing with invasive species which include Canada Thistle, Smooth Brome, Hounds Tongue, and Common Mullein. To combat this invasion, the forest service has introduced a variety of insects that view these invasive as culinary delicacies, and have done a fair job so far of limiting their expanse into the park. The insects include the Flowerhead Weevil, the Canada Thistle Stem Gall Fly, and the Stem Mining Weevil. So far, these insects have not presented any evidence of making a meal of the natives.

One of the big differences between the Black Hills and the Badlands is that the Black Hills are really a combination of two ecosystems: it contains prairie as well as mountains and forests. The space between these ecosystems is called an Ecotone. It is a mix of both, yet different as well. There used to be less trees when the area was first being settled. I’m not certain why there are more tree’s now but the forest service does controlled burns of the grasses that in turn prevent the encroachment of the forests into the prairie areas by burning up pine cones as well as small seedlings.

The visit to the cave itself was pretty amazing. Over 140 miles of tunnels and passage ways under a 1 square mile of surface area and it is estimated to be only 5% of the tunnels that are actually there. The roof of many of the tunnels are covered with a calcite formation called Boxwork which is very similar to the bone marrow in our long bones.

We also got the opportunity to go on several hikes that took us into the back country with some great vistas. After two days, it was time to head out for the Rocky Mountains, but not before stopping to the Crazy Horse Monument which was about an hour north of us.

We headed north through the Black Hills. These are the Black Hills that are sacred to the Sioux. This is the land of their ancestors. The land where their ancestors are buried. The land they convey their history about through the spoken word. Their history isn’t written. It is passed from generation to generation via stories. Stories from the elders, stories about their people, stories about their beginnings, stories that convey the importance of the earth, the air, the water, and the buffalo. They speak of not owning the earth, but being a part of it. After 10 days on the road, 10 days of taking in the land, and the sky, and the water of this part of the earth we call our American Home, it has been nothing short of a religious confirmation that we are a part of this whole. It is how I have always thought. We are all inter-connected and inter-dependent. Together we make the whole. Today this is the understanding that comes to us through the study of Ecology. Every living thing and every non-living thing is interconnected and interdependent. This was understood by the Sioux as well as the other tribes that roamed the Americas. This was a quote by Chief Seattle that Laurie found in the Crazy Horse Monument center which was our first stop in the Black Hills.

“All things share the same breath: the beast, the tree, the man….the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. All things are connected. 

Chief Seattle.

Later, the great environmentalist Aldo Leopold said it again in different words, and maybe with the insight of protecting our ecosystems when he said:

“The sign of an intelligent thinker is one who saves all the pieces”.

Aldo Leopold

I don’t want to take anything away from Abe, Thomas, George, or Theo, but the Crazy Horse Monument was truly inspirational. It should be a stop on anyones travels through this part of the country. It is astounding in its sheer size, this portrait of an American Indian hero. It is yet to be completed but even in its unfinished state it is nothing short of inspirational. The visitors center is full of opportunities to learn about how the sculpture is being made as well as the history of the Sioux.

Now it was time to truly “head west”. We left South Dakota and started on a long drive through Wyoming, which was back to being a prairie. The Black Hills were only a tease on our way to the Rocky Mountains. It would be a long day of driving that took us to the south side of Cheyenne, Wyoming where we secured an RV site. It was July 1st but you’d never know it by the number of fireworks being shot off into the late hours of the night. It didn’t disturb us though as we were beat from a long day of driving and a much enjoyed barbecued rib dinner in the RV park cafe (a huge surprise and an excellent meal). After a good nights sleep, Colorado became a reality as we crossed in and through Ft. Collins on our way south down Rt. 25 and our arrival in the Rockies.