ON THE TRAIL OF THE EARLY PIONEERS CROSSING SOUTH DAKOTA TO NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING 

August 26-28, 2015

After leaving the Black Hills in South Dakato,  Wounded Knee Massacre Historical Site was our next destination stop ahead before heading into Nebraska. It became a rather long boring drive across miles of prairie land to reach the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation where the site is located. We had no specific GPS address for the historical site other than a AAA map point indicating its location. the massacre site of Big Foot’s  Sioux Indian tribe of 300 by the 9^th U.S. Calvary on December 29, 1890 was supposed to be outside the reservation town of

Wounded Knee seven miles southeast near Batesland, SD. We missed the mark lost, passed through more and more miles of prairie land, never turned back, and rerouted south through Nebraska to another landmark. Having seen the historic exhibit about the winter massacre of Big Foot’s people while visiting Wall, SD on our way to the Dakota Badlands previously it wasn’t like that piece of South Dakota Wounded Knee history had been overlooked.

Big Foot was ill and came to sign a peace treaty. After General Custer and his regiment had been killed
U.S. troops  feared Indian retaliation and at Wounded Knee sadly the massacre of women and children
left to die rested in the snow for days

Wounded Knee Massacre Burial Site is sacred ground on the PineRidge Indian Reservation today. Some say the cries of Ghost Dancers can still be heard.

Chimney Rock

By 5:00 p.m, as tired road warriors that gray skied hazy day, we pulled our rig into Pioneer Crossing Campground at Bayard, Nebraska. The view of Chimney Rock just out the front window a mile away made the day’s prairie crossing a milestone. Much like the early wagon trains between 1812-1866 along the California and Oregon Trails heading west the landmark of Chimney Rock was a welcoming site for the night. In the 1800s a covered wagon considered it lucky to cover seven to ten miles per day. Our triple tow modern day wagon crossed 325 miles of prairie grassland in a day.
Bet those emigrant pioneers of long ago would have pined for a cold beer and soda with  homemade tacos like our supper as their wagon trains circled up for the evening.

                                                Along the 1849 Oregon Trail on a Wagon Train 
                                                                          OR 
                            Perhaps even consider the Buckingham 2015 Triple Tow Wagon Train

Chimney Rock is impressive in its own right...stretching up for about 250 feet on top of a hill. I was a bit mesmerized by this geological wonder even though it was at a much smaller scale than previously envisioned. Camped nearby I went outside in the darkness before twilight with my camera to catch a photo at sunrise, and was amazed to find that Chimney Rock was also lit by floodlights at night. What a sight! 

The Visitors Center nearby that following morning really helped to flesh out the story, telling us how early settlers saw this as a landmark on their journeys. We read the rock was actually taller than what we currently see, that erosion has eroded it down over 150 years to what it is today. 

I was impressed by the warning signs all around the building that read "Caution: This is rattlesnake country. Stay off the grass". The pioneers dealt with many hardships...how soft we are nowadays !

Chimney Rock's landmark was a sign that those partaking on the Oregon Trail had come 1/3 of the way, but that they still had the mountains and 2/3 more of their journey. Ironically today marks 1/3 of the way on our 2015's three month trip, and we still have the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and 2/3 more of the way to go on a different trail.

Crossing half of South Dakota and Nebraska in a day wasn’t too bad,  but in contrast to our modern highway travel the pace was painfully slow, hot, dusty and dangerous  for tens of thousands of emigrant wagons  coming west in America. However, that’s a story for another time.

Seventy-three miles west later in the afternoon our modern day wagon train arrived to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Fort Laramie was a major trading post for early trappers and traders from 1825-1841. The demise of the buffalo trade ended stop on the way west for tens of thousands of settlers as a trading post and later became a military outpost. The problem is that it has a perception issue because it does not look nor did it ever look like the Hollywood version of a western fort with high walls and a large gate with cavalry troops riding out of the gates to fight the Indians. Settlers heading west used the fort as a place to rest and refit. The fort was a strong point to handle Indian problems when necessary. However, more people died of cholera disease at the fort than died in battle. The Lakota, Cheyene, and Arapahoe tribes in the region through the 1820'3 and 40's were peaceful traders so travelers were relatively safe from attack.  

Captain's Quarters for company-grade officers

Not exactly roughing it in the fort Captain's Quarters

Time for resupplies at Fort Laramie before moving along the North Platte River 

Fort Laramie became a military post by the 1850's when emigrant traffic on the overland trails mushroomed and tensions
began to escalated. This building at the fort adding housing during the Indian Wars
for the Calvary in 1874

Many of the buildings at the fort are original or are well restored. We saw numerous buildings of varied material from wood, stone, and adobe surrounding a large grassy parade ground area.
 

Surgeon's Quarters

When you consider that Fort Laramie was one of the major stops for settlers heading west in 1841, it is definitely a place worth visiting even though it is different from what you expect of a western fort.

ENJOYING THE SIGHTS AT MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MONUMENT

August 23, 2015

Taking Rte 244 northward bypassing Keystone Tom accompanied us for the evening and  drove the scenic route climbing through the Black Hills winding over several pigtail wooden bridges which allowed us a glimpse of Mount Rushmore through three tunnel frames along the way.

The entire memorial covers 2 square miles and is 5,725 feet above sea level

Mount Rushmore is one of the largest sculptures in the world and one of the few truly patriotic places in America. It features 60-foot sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt. and Abraham Lincoln carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

Originally there had been controversy over the selection of the presidents who should go upon this shrine of democracy. Each presidential figure head represents one of the important time periods in the nation’s history:  birth, expansion, development, preservation.  

One can’t help but marvel at the boldness of the dreamers at the beginning of the 20th century when they saw a vision and created greatness from nothing. It is truly one of the world’s most spectacular artistic and engineering achievements, not only to our national pride, but to patriotism and determination of the sculptor and the miners he guided in carving a mountain into a work of art.

Apparently the initial idea originated by Doane Roninson was to sculpt in the Needles mountain peaks to the east. However, Gutzon Borglum, the 60 year old actual sculptor, rejected the Needles site because of the poor quality of the granite and strong opposition from Native American groups. They settled on the Mount Rushmore location, which also had the advantage of facing southeast for maximum sun exposure. Robinson who conceived the idea to carve the mountain wanted it to feature  western heroes like Lewis and Clark, Red Cloud, and Buffalo Bill Cody, but Borglum decided the sculpture should have a more national focus and chose the four presidents whose likenesses would be carved into the mountain. After securing federal funding patron, construction on the memorial began in 1927 with Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers and the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. Upon Borglum's death in March 1941, his son Lincoln took over finishing the project.

While most visitors travel to Mount Rushmore to admire the enormous sculpted faces we found there are numerous other ways to experience the site and immerse ourselves in the history.  

Walking the Presidential Avenue of American flags at the base of Mount Rushmore, touring the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center below the Amphitheater and the Sculptor's Studio

, and visiting the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Heritage Village to learn more about some of the area's original residents add further attractions and incredible history at the site.

There was an evening light show and ceremony that ended by honoring all veterans. It was truly a humbling experience well worth staying to view at night. Seeing the faces lit beneath a clear night sky filled with stars and a full moon was awesome. Every patriotic American should make the pilgrimage to Mount Rushmore to view the majesty of it.

 It might be fun to watch the Alfred Hitchcock film North By Northwest before you visit. They actually did film here. Bet you didn’t know that the figure of Thomas Jefferson was originally started on Washington's right side. After 18 months of carving the figure of Jefferson had to be blasted off the mountain and restarted on Washington's left side. You can figure that one out as to why

CUSTER STATE PARK ABOUNDS WITH WILDLIFE IN SOUTH DAKOTA

August 23, 2015

Custer is probably the best state park in the country we’d say. Located in the Black Hills it encompasses 71,000 acres (approximately 78 miles) of spectacular terrain and is home to an abundance of wildlife that roam free and protected. JR and I like to travel on the gravel side roads. They were clearly marked on the park maps, and circled through the center of the park. Traveling closer to early morning or towards evening we were able to see wildlife up close. 

We did not see very many animals from the paved road, but once JR and I took what Robert Frost refers to as the road less traveled by (the dirt gravel roads) we are able to spot more wildlife up close.

Our early morning drive along the Wildlife Loop Road brought sightings of 8 pronghorn antelopes, a herd of bison crossing the road, a hawk resting a top a telephone pole, mountain blue birds, black birds, a coyote on the run, old lone bison bulls, prairie dogs galore, and three white tail deer.

Late September 2015 marks the 50^th Anniversary of the Annual Buffalo Round Up at Custer State Park. Often bison drift into an area of their own. That is where volunteer cowboys on horseback and park staff come into play. The number of buffalo the park grassland can support depends upon rainfall and the available rangeland forage. The park does not supplement their food. The annual buffalo roundup is to allow for inventory to ensure the herd does not exceed 1,450 buffalo on the range per year). The roundup has been in conjunction with the fall auction sale to manage the size of the herd and to provide an opportunity to brand and vaccinate the calves. 

It must truly be a sight to see--- a herd of 1,300 buffalo rumbling across the plains driven by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback into the buffalo corral complex. It takes one back to days gone by and lets viewers catch a glimpse of old west history. “Rawhide, keep them doggies movin”,  the whips will crack. If we were still here on the last Friday in September seeing 1,300 buffalos stampede would be exciting.

Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota

August 21, 2015

Five miles north on Hwy 16 N between Custer City and Hill City lies Crazy Horse Memorial. It is NOT a federal or state project. When Mt. Rushmore was carved, Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear in 1939 asked sculptor Korezak Ziolkowski of Polish descent to come to the Black Hills and carve a mountain “letting white man know red man has great heroes also.” Ziolkowski accepted the invitation to carve Crazy Horse Mountain knowing the non-profit project would span several generations. Work began carving on the mountain in 1946. His family of 10 children and his wife Ruth have carried on the family legacy after his death in 1982 to see Ziolkowski’s work continues on sculpturing the world’s largest mountain carving in progress to honor Native Americans.

A 1/34^th scaled white marble model display showed what the finished sculptured Mountain will look like when it is completed. The mission of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation as a non-profit organization establishes the site with several primary purposes in mind: completion of carving the mountain, operating the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational and Cultural Center, and overseeing The Indian University of North America in the Black Hills. 

The display exhibits of Indian artwork, beadwork, regalia, etc were absolutely amazing.

Buffalo hides will sometimes be used to  relay a tribe's history or story through art designs on rawhide .
At the Crazy Horse Memorial Restaurant the two of us grabbed a buffalo burger for lunch. The meat was very lean with virtually no fat and tasted much like hamburger. 

A Lakota Indian in full beaded regalia spoke  outdoors and invited folks from the audience to come forward to join in a friendship dance known as The Snake Dance.  JR motioned for me to go forward and join the group. The Indian stepped down and took my hand as if he were Crazy Horse himself. The two of us led the line weaving in and out like a snake below the great carving underway on the mountain It was a good thing my dancing feet kept up to the rhythm of the drum beat behind him.