On The Hunt

A tom in the yard that morning. 4.16.11

I knew it was going to be a great day when we woke up to find thirty or so turkeys in our yard. The tom's strutted up the street with their feather's displayed. Each trying to outdo the other. These were some of the largest birds any of us had ever seen. Three turkey's had beards that were so long, they stepped on them when they were eating. The tom's took their turns strutting and impressing us and after about an hour we still had them in the yard.

The same tom with two companions. 4.16.11

With our turkey's taunting them, Josh and our roomie, Nate, decided they wanted to go turkey hunting and invited me to tag along. I thought it'd be fun to  see the guys in action. We loaded up in the jeep and took off towards Nemo. Somewhere off of Nemo Road we cut into the National Forest on an old two-track. It lead us down into an area that was dense with new pine growth. Within 20 minutes the guys had spotted Elk on the port side. A bull and a cow stood fifty yards off and watched us for just a second and before I could get my camera out they were off. That was the closest any of us have been to elk yet. They're no moose but they're still pretty sweet.

After that road came to an end we wandered back and took a smaller side road. It was beautiful and it held a couple of surprises. It's a wonder how the forest divides to reveal a beautiful grassy meadow. We traveled that road until we couldn't go any further. At the end, we came across a house cat that never made it home. When we turned around and headed back out, we came across a cow that had died in childbirth. Both sights were gruesome. Where were we and what was going on here? The day was turning into an oddity. Turkeys, elk, dead cat, dead cow, what could be next?

Creepy Meadow. 4.16.11

It didn't long before we were on the road again and heading for the Experimental Forest Road. It's a favorite of ours and I think we've written about it before. Once you're on that road there's a variety of roads that lead out. Somewhere in there we came to a four-way and as we were crossing Nate saw something in the road. We stop and what Nate had seen was a pair of brand new Oakley's. Score! They didn't have a scratch on them. What was going to happen next?

At some point we turned off this road and headed into a long meadow. Josh and Nate saw some turkeys and when they got out to see if they could get one I hung out a the jeep. About 30 seconds after they disappeared out of my site the turkeys flew back my way, right over my head. I let out an audible laugh. If I'd had a shotgun of my own and I had been practicing skeet with the guys then I could have had two turkeys. Instead I shot some cool pictures.

Last attempt to call 4.16.11

We headed further into the meadow, went around a bend and just as we could see the entire meadow, Josh spotted a coyote. It blended perfectly with the meadow grasses and danced along the stream edge. We watched for a few moments and when we thought he had taken off we moved in. It wasn't until we were at a 90' with where the coyote had been that we realized that he hadn't gone anywhere- he had hunkered down. It was awesome. He sat just like a dog with his head held down watching us intently.

There had been a tom past the coyote deeper in the field, maybe that had been his intended dinner but with our arrival that tom was gone and soon the coyote had enough of watching us and took off, too. We meandered through the meadow and parked at the beginning of unused two-track. We hiked in over a couple smalls hills and the guys used their turkey calls to try to lore in either the coyote or a turkey. Neither were interested. We tried some more. Still no takers. So after tiptoeing around the hills for awhile we skirted the trees and headed back to the jeep. We tooled around for awhile more and tried calling again but didn't have any luck after that. It was starting to get later in the afternoon and we decided to call it a day.

Josh at White Rocks 4.16.11

Once we were back in Deadwood, Josh and I decided to pack up Wu and to hike up to White Rocks. It's a rocky peak that looks over town. There are dirt roads that go almost all the way up and we decided to explore those a bit. It turns out that you can drive the entire rim of hills around Deadwood. We parked at a radio tower and hiked about ten minutes to White Rocks. It was a fairly easy hike and Wu was anxious to lead the way.

Overlooking Burnham Hill from White Rocks 4.16.11

At the top we had a spectacular view of town. From up there our street, Burnham Hill, looked flat.  The view was 360' of beautiful. When we went to the actual top Wu had to stay behind and he did his best to keep his eyes on us. It's great to have a dog that wants in on every adventure.

We eventually headed back toward the Jeep, hopped in and kept exploring the roads along the rim. We took every turn we could and followed it to it's end. Unfortunately, the snow hadn't quite melted everywhere and there were still a few areas that we couldn't get to. That just gave us another reason to get back up there.

View of Lead, Homestake & Terry Peak 4.16.11

Then, from one viewpoint we were able to locate three old mines that had either been blocked off or were open but definitely abandoned. Suddenly we had a new goal. We are going to get to those mines.

Finally, we decided to to head home. We could only do so much and after the day's excitement we were completely exhausted. The day had started out with turkeys and ended with expansive views of the Black Hills. A perfect day. Let's do that again.

Box Canyon Revisited

This morning we set out to Rapid City for the 29th Northern Plains Outdoor Expo. It was the third and final day of the event which had started on Friday evening. There were lots of great booths and we acquired some priceless maps and bumper stickers. Josh found some great camo pants for his hunting adventures and eventually we left feeling quite satisfied but in need of more adventure.

The elusive Canyon 3.11

We headed South towards Keystone and Rushmore Cave with purpose. When Josh & I first met we explored nearly every cave in the Black Hills Region. On one of those adventures we had taken a dirt side road and found an awesome canyon. For some reason we didn't stop and explore it just then but instead marked it on the GPS and kept on adventuring. Somehow the waypoint was lost and we've been looking for it ever since.

In the last year we have taken to taking every side road that we could find in hopes of relocating that canyon. Josh had been South of Rapid City for work and that got our minds thinking that just maybe that canyon was further South that we had remembered.

Battle Creek Road, 3.11

There were four facts we agreed on; the road was dirt, there was a bank of mailboxes with a turnout just off the dirt road, that we had turned left onto that road and finally, that we had been caving that day. We actually couldn't agree which direction we were heading but we both knew we had turned left. Figuring those things out were a series of peculiar conversations. But since we had been caving that helped to narrow down the region. Keystone & the Rushmore Cave area was the only place that we hadn't searched.

When we went pass Rushmore Cave and didn't see it I think that we both started loosing hope. We drove and drove and every time we saw the jack pines giving way to prairie we would say "maybe it's up here..." but it really wasn't and we were just about to turn around when we saw a dirt road off the to right that seemed eerily familiar and when we saw that huge bank of mailboxes we started getting truly excited. Battle Creek Road. Of course.

Pass the mailboxes, onto Box Canyon Road, over the cut-out hill and just as you begin slowly coming down the hill the road will curve slightly to the left and Box Canyon will appear, as if out of nowhere, on your right. We saw that there were 'No Trespassing' signs posted so we took off to the nearest landowner house, the Bieber's. Mr. Bieber was home and was more than happy to let us hike with Wu for the day. He told us of his younger days when he ran a ranch and of his favorite horse. A very sweet man who, I think, was happy to have his day interrupted by two young kids in love and hungry to hike.

Box Canyon, 3.11

We parked our car in a little turn-around that the Bieber's owned and started off. We had been hoping that there would be an easy way to hike down into the bowl but from the start it was going to be impossible. The one place we had hoped would lead us into the canyon was actually a waterfall that dropped about 60ft to the floor below. That left us to hike the rim.

With the snow melt over the last week, there's not much left in the Southern Hills. As we walked around the edge we ran into very little snow. Wu sought out the few banks left to cool himself in. The yucca has already started to grow and the ground was dry enough to sit and enjoy the scenery. We walked until we realized that we had likely left the Bieber property and we still couldn't see the end to the canyon.

One of these at every spot, 3.11

After we had packed up and got back on the road we headed back towards Keystone and found a road called "Old Hill City Road." The train station was located just next to it and as it turned out the road followed the railroad through most of the canyon. It was beautiful- a quiet, steeply shadowed road that felt historic. It was easy to put ourselves in another era as we meandered through the curves. But sweet, little Wu brought us back to reality with his untamable desire for the window. That dog's a maniac.

We cruised home on all back roads, visiting spots we hadn't seen since before snow fell. Today was the kind of day that you daydream about. We immersed ourselves in all things outdoors, explored something new and then revisited the old. I don't think we can say it enough but "It's great to be home!"

He's pretty ridiculous. 3.11

The Mickelson Trail

Summer 2010,  Swimming off the trail

The history of the Mickelson Trail starts back in 1889 when the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was established. In the 110 miles the rail travels through the Black Hills from Deadwood to Edgemont there are 100 bridges and 4 tunnels. For nearly 100 years the rail ran, until in 1983 it was finally abandoned.

In 1989 it was submitted to be the first rail-to-trails project in South Dakota. Thanks to the SD Game, Fish and Parks and the US Forest Service,  SDDOT and (unexpectedly) the SD Corrections Dept.
the transformation from railroad to trail was completed in 1998. It was named in honor of the late Gov. George Mickelson who'd helped plan it's development.

Today, the trail is open to the general public for hiking, bicycling, horse-back riding, skiing and snowshoeing and even some snowmobiling. Josh and I have hiked around Deadwood, Lead and Englewood but never further south. For the most part it surface is crushed limestone but there are a few places where you have to cross grassy fields.

Sturgis 2010, Walking on the trail out of Deadwood

The scenery along the Mickelson is typical Black Hills scenery. High, jagged peaks with Jack pines that line the valley walls and the open forest beneath them that's carpeted with long, golden prairie grasses. Streams meander next to the trail. Each bow offers another breathtaking photo. So on and so forth.

The history here is young by the worlds terms but it is still very rich and alive. Not too long ago this was untamed country. It was the Paha Sapa of the Souix, a sacred place and that feeling still lingers. Then in 1876 miners flooded these hills in search for gold. Some found it. Along the trail there are the remnants of their abandoned mining towns that are left for us to explore. There is always something to see here.


Now, the reason that I've laid out all this background about the Mickelson is that Josh and I have decided that by 1 year from now we will have hiked, biked or snowshoed the entire 110 miles. Since we rode into town we have been talking about doing this. The time has finally come for us to get out on the trail. We are currently trying to map out which sections we'd like to hike, snowshoe or bike. We will be keeping track of our progress through blogs over the next few months.

And if you live nearby maybe you'd like to join us...

Trail starts in Deadwood & ends in Edgemont

Mule Deer Down

This year seems to be stating off wonderfully. We are back In Deadwood, SD and were lucky enough to get back into the house that we'd moved out of. To help out with the cost we are living with our two close friends, Nathan and Dan Hayes. They're brothers. All that is great but....

1.1.11 Excitement after the shot

On the 1st day of the New Year, Josh took down his first Mule Deer with his bow. He and Nate were scoping in the bows when they saw a doe feeding on the hillside. Josh threw on his snow shoes and headed her way with Nate and his camcorder in tow.

They crept up on her until they were 17 yards away. The doe had watched them approach and just stayed there watching. She wasn't spooked at all .When Josh went to let loose the arrow she saw it coming.

The shot was a clean, through-and-through shot to the lungs. She took off and only made it about 20 yards. With the fresh snow the trail she left was blazing. The boys watched as she reacted, ran and then ultimately fell. And they got it all on tape!

Of course the fun was just beginning. The boys got it back to the house and dressed it. Nate fed the dogs some liver and it turns out that Wu doesn't really care for such things. Tahquitz loved it! The sun was setting at this point and they set it up so the doe would last through the night.

1.1.11 The first Mule

The next day when Josh and I set tot skinning it I realized it's been awhile since I had a hand in such things. It was fun learning all over again with Josh. The dogs cruised around us like sharks in water, getting bites now and again. Priscilla, our neighbors' dog even got in on the action. With two of us it went pretty quickly. The hardest part was getting our scotch tape to stick to the freezer paper. It's something to remember next time; always keep freezer tape on hand.

When all the work was done and everything was packaged and labeled we were exhausted, exhilarated and very happy that we had a freezer full of meat. Now our biggest decision is what cut to eat for dinner! Or is it what to hunt next...

The Great North Woods

KI Road, East of Greenville, 10.12.10

We set out today to find Gulf Hagas. It’s a series of waterfalls that fall along the Appalachian Trail. Waterfalls and the AT! It seemed like a great idea. 

We headed east from Greenville towards Brownsville Junction on the KI road. About 20 miles in we came to a gate house and realized that it’d been shut down for the season. Awesome. We didn’t have to pay to get through. The road until now had been alright with occasional potholes. There had even been someone grating out all the washboards and bumps. But what we came to face was intense. 

At one spot Josh had to swerve so far back and forth across road so many times we both became car sick. The dog must have felt like a tennis ball. We finally ended up at Gulf Hagas. Prepared and psyched we started out. After about a 1/2 mile we came to a creek crossing that was mostly dry. We had heard that there was a stream to cross and we were lucky to have passed when it was dry. Or so we thought. 

Gulf Hagas, 10.12.10

After walking a bit further we came across the true stream crossing. Maybe 40 yards across. So, after sizing up our footwear I decided to go barefoot and Josh decided to try it booted. His boots are 12 inches high and waterproof. Wu was in it and thought it was the best day ever since we were in the water too. Several times he tried to take me down. The water was so cold that within a few yards I could barely feel them. Wu held me up a few times not realizing that we were actually trying to cross and weren’t playing. I made it most of the way before loosing my balance and dipping my boots and socks in the water. 

Josh made it about half way out before the water rose above his boot line. The moment it did he wished it hadn’t. After he got to shore and took them off he dumbed water out of each one. I did too, but not like he did. We hid our boots and set off even more determined barefoot.

We lasted about a half-mile. The ground was cold but not compared to what we had just endured with the stream. But we came to a sign and realized that we really had a long way to go and since we were barefoot maybe we shouldn’t risk it today. It was a great idea. Both of us trudge backed across the stream in our boots. And changed our shoes and began to dry out.

Katahdin Iron Works, 10.12.10

With that idea squashed for the day we headed east, again, for Katahdin Iron Works. It’s about 6 miles down the KI road. We expected to find another gatehouse but again it was closed for the season and we were free to explore. 

Across from the gatehouse was a Historic Site. We came across the old site of the Katahdin Iron Works mill. There was still an ore melting building and another brick outbuilding. They were awesome. The rock walls were all still standing and the area was well maintained. It was an unexpected find out in the middle of the woods. We walked and checked out every display board. Wu had a few leash training moments and after we felt that we had thoroughly check out the place we headed on back to camp. 

Acadia National Park

Cadillac Mt. 10.10.10

Acadia is one of our most favorite places. I’ve been going there all my life and finally last fall Josh and I ventured there together. So, when we were thinking about moving to Maine in the fall we knew that we had to get to Acadia for some “leaf peeping” fun. 

We headed to the east and followed the scenic Rt 1 along the coast. The leaves were turning vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. Each pine tree seemed even greener. Ever turn revealed another landscape that belonged in a travel brochure. Quaint isn’t enough. 

Our first stop was the visitor’s center. We bought a pass and stamped our National Parks Passport. After three visits Josh finally was able to get his. Wu was accompanying us and we asked a few questions about where he was allowed. Off-season is great when you’re traveling with a pet. 

Top of Cadillac Mt. 10.10.10

The island was bustling with tourists. The leaves here hadn’t reached the peak change and already people were flooding here. I can’t blame them since it’s absolutely perfect. After getting a couple deli sandwiches and bring Wu for a walk we hit the Park Loop Road.

First stop, Sand Beach. This was the first time that Wu had ever seen sand or the ocean and we thought that it’s something worth showing him so we brought him down to the shore. It wouldn’t do him justice to say that he went wild. A craze took over him. He was into the water and was planning a swim when he realized that a wave was coming for him. He loves the water enough to keep going back for more. He dabbled and tried a drink. I can’t wait to see what he’ll do when he’s off-leash on the beach. 

Bass Harbor 10.10.10

Once we had wrestled Wu back to the car we headed down to Thunderhole. The tide was out and there wasn’t much for action. No crashing of waves or thunder to be heard.  It was still cool to see it at it’s lowest point. 

Jordan Pond House was too busy to make it into. I was a little disappointed at how busy everything really was. With Wu we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the carriage roads because there were so many people. We headed up to Cadillac Mountain. Stamped the Passports again and bought a few postcards. The wind was gusty up at the top. It was cold and we kept moving to stay warm. A quick shot of us together and we hopped from rock to rock until we it was too cold to stand. 

Wu was ever glad to see us and I was delighted that it wasn’t him that we had heard barking harassingly. He was just chilling and we headed off the east part of the island. With his hopes to swim crushed we decided to stop at a small stream and let him swim. He fetched sticks and ran up and down the shore. And after a few short minutes we had a happy dog. Off we went!

Our final destination was the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. There are two short paths; one leads to the ocean and the other leads to the lighthouse. The ocean path starts with wooden steps then ends in a pink granite stairway. It ends onto the rocky shore and you can scramble across the rocks to picnic or play. The lighthouse path is paved and leads straight to the light. It’s tarred and an easy walk. After snapping a few pictures and taking in the sun behind the clouds we decided to head home. 

When we finally got home we were completely relaxed. We headed up to bed early because we were heading north. 

Acadia NP 10.10.10

The Road East

9.11 Effigy Mounds, Josh & Wu

We were facing a 30+ hour drive with our cat, TomTom and our infamous dog, Wu. It was going to be an intense and long drive but we were determined to make it fun. Josh and I planned out a few stops across the country that were in National Parks, Monuments and Forests. Why not see the back road beauty of our country as we make our way halfway across the nation?

The first night we planned our stop in Decorah, Iowa. Neither of us had seen Iowa before and this was a great opportunity. It looked incredibly similar to Nebraska or Kansas or Indiana until we came to the Mississippi River valley. The hills were green and the trees were just beginning their fall change.

As early as we could manage we were on our way to Effigy Mounds National Monument. It's located in Harpers Ferry, Iowa with the Effigy Mounds nestled along the mighty Mississippi River. The road was very country and wound for miles through the hills.

The National Monument, itself, spread out along the terrace overlooking the river. It cost $3 per person for us to hike the trails and after paying the fee we headed to the northern area. There are miles of walking paths that follow the course of the river and meander to various groupings of mounds.

9.11 Fire Point Overlook

We stopped at several overlooks and enjoyed the leaves which were starting to turn. The overlooks were breathtaking and our favorite was Fire Point. The Mississippi had risen above it's banks and from Fire Point we watched the water race through the drowning treetops. At each stop we had a bird's eye view of the Mississippi River and surrounding woodlands.

It's easy to see why this area has been sacred for thousands of years and why past peoples created the earthen mounds that populate this area. The most popular mound shape we saw was conical. There were numerous mounds in other shapes like bears and birds which could be found too. Most of the mounds are raised just a few feet and wild grasses are allowed to grow nearly unhampered on their tops. The groundkeepers trim up to the edge of the mounds and help to outline and pronounce the mounds shape.

9.11 Effigy Mounds NM, Iowa

Since their discovery several of the mounds groupings have been excavated but still there is little known about the people that built them. The mounds themselves can be dated to be 1000-1200 years old with the conical mounds being the oldest. Most of the time the mounds held the burials of several individuals but there's no way to tell if it's family groups or otherwise. The history here was very interesting and there's still so much to be learned!

The mounds were well preserved and as we followed the path through the forest it felt peaceful and serene. It turned out to be a beautiful morning stroll with the sun just risen and the air still crisp and we were completely alone most of the time. It's moments like that when I realize how lucky we are. 

The rest of our morning was spent exploring and we made sure to get checked in at the Visitor's Center. The Effigy Mounds NM was another stamp for our National Parks Passport. As our adventure here came to an end we packed up Wu and headed east with only 1400 miles left to go...