badlands

Badlands National Park - 15 February 2015

My Valentine's weekend trip to South Dakota included two days of snow and ice and one pretty day, so we took advantage of the sunshine and stayed on the road, first visiting the Badlands to the east of Rapid City. The residents were out showing off and posing for the camera on this Fee Free weekend.

brrr

I get these emails and texts that just say brrrr...

be prepared to stop

On the first day we arrived in Rapid City on the 4th of July we saw a sign warning of Bighorn Sheep - Be Prepared to Stop! 

The sign is right at the turnoff for the campground. We looked and looked but never saw any. 

Finally I asked Monty in the office about the sign. He said the sheep stay up in the high peaks all summer, but at the first cold snap they come down to the valley looking for food. He said they would stand in the road and congregate and sleep over in the Catholic Church parking lot across the street.

Well, since I left Rapid City while it was still warm, I didn't get to see any bighorn sheep. But Buddy found some yesterday after work near the campground! 

There are also a lot of Canadian geese looking for the Canyon Lake that has been drained, maybe also looking for warmth, but they may have to fly a little farther south.

Bighorn Sheep, check!

another day in paradise

Lake Park Campground

plug in the truck! works better than a blanket on the engine

cozy in the camper

Love's Travel Stop - opening soon! uh not...

The first substantial snow of the season, along with a bitter cold. Just a few closings - the airport closed for a few hours, Mount Rushmore closed, but everything else business as usual - schools, businesses all open. 

On the job, tractor trailer deliveries being made, the plumbers and electricians are working inside the building, just another day in paradise!

ready for winter

tools and supplies

plunder, pieces, and parts

Camping in South Dakota in the winter, a good idea?

We are in our winter campsite, one of the four campsites that are winterized and open all year. All the other sites will be closed down, the water lines blown out.

When we moved, we noticed our neighbor working on underpinning his camper with Styrofoam boards and plywood. So that got Buddy to thinking... He did some online research and decided he better do that, too. 

The roofer on the job was using 2-1/2" foam board insulation with fiberglass coating, and he just happened to have some left over, no really it was extra... So it came home on the truck and that is what we used, along with eye-bolts, washers, and lots of bungee cords.

Now we are in the trailer park mode, all underpinned and permanent-looking. We asked the campground owners if it was okay, didn't want to offend, but they said, 'do whatever you have to do to stay warm'.

Will let you know in the spring if this was a good idea or not :)

Heat tape on the water line, underpinning, gas furnace, electric space heater, electric blankets (one for bed, one for couch), extension cord to plug in the diesel truck. Still need to get a bigger propane tank delivered and maybe a snow shovel? yikes! 

Well, that is a list of the things that Buddy needs to survive the winter.

I have all I need, a plane ticket outta here!

It's been great, South Dakota, but I am headed to Georgia!


but wait, what is that you say? it is snowing in Georgia? oh man... it is supposed to be in the 70s here today...

Georgia

Rapid City

Mount Roosevelt

The Friendship Tower c.1919

spiral stairway to the lookout

Harney Peak

rock fields

Just north of Deadwood, follow the gravel forest service road to the sign - Mount Roosevelt picnic area. Take the 3/4 mile loop trail to the top where you will find a great view all around. We saw Bear Butte to the northeast, Harney Peak to the south, Belle Fourche lake to the north. It was hazy on the horizon on this day, but on a clear day you can supposedly see Devil's Tower to the west.

Mount Roosevelt elevation 5689'. The stone Friendship Tower was built in 1919 by Deadwood Sheriff, Seth Bullock, as a dedication to President Theodore Roosevelt, his close friend of many years. Bullock wanted to create a memorial of his friend’s life and a place where people could view wide open spaces that both Bullock and Roosevelt had become so fond of during their lives.

borrowed time

moving day

fall camping!

Buddy keeps saying we are on borrowed time, as far as the weather goes that is. The weather is unseasonably warm and dry, an excellent thing for building a job or living in a camper.

This weekend we moved to a new campsite, one of the four in the campground that is winterized (water connection is protected). 

neighborhood construction

As we were moving in and getting set up, we watched the neighbors working on their camper, adding an underpinning of plywood and Styrofoam board. So that started the wheels to turning, Buddy starting surfing for ideas on how to winterize a camper. He is eyeing some materials at the job that he might can use. 

Just a short walk away, the lake next door is slowly draining for spillway repair. The geese and ducks are vying for space on the dwindling water surface.

The cottonwood trees are spectacular! I would like to take some home to plant, I wonder if they would live in our neck of the woods?  

For now, the yellow leaves are falling outside my office window. The sky is blue and the breeze is warm. But we all know what is coming and we are all living on borrowed time...

wild

Bison can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. Historically, the animal played an essential role in the lives of the Lakota (Sioux), who relied on the "tatanka" for food, clothing and shelter. 

50 million buffalo roamed the west prior to European settlement. By 1890 the herd size was down to 2000. Now total buffalo population in the US is up to around 500,000. The herd size in Custer State Park is 1300.

buffalo rule the roads

spectrum

just a walk in the park