We arrived in Hot Springs, SD on June 2nd. We stayed at a campground north of town but south of Wind Cave National Park. The park is where the southern end of the Centennial Trail is located. Judy started hiking the next day. |
Wind Cave
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While she was hiking I went on one of the cave tours. Wind Cave is one of the longest caves in the US. It has 109 miles of charted passages and they estimate that they have only found 5% of them. This is the original entrance to the cave. They call it Wind Cave because of the wind created by atmospheric pressure differences between the cave and the outside. It has been clocked at 75 mph. The Ranger is demonstrating the wind in this picture. Just after I took the picture a rat appeared on the ledge under the sign, looked at him and ran down into the hole. |
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Mammoth Site
In 1974 while leveling for a subdivision, they found some bones. It has now become one of the world's greatest fossil treasures. More then 54 Columbian and woolly mammoths have been unearthed in this ancient, slippery-sided sinkhole, now an internationally renowned paleontological site/museum. They have constructed a building over it with a museum and a laboratory for analyzing their findings. |
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The second day as Judy hiked in Custer State Park, she got blisters on the ends of her toes on both feet. She kept walking and ended up with a mess. The blisters peeled the skin from the center toe on each foot. She had to take a couple of days off from hiking so we went sightseeing. |
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Mt. Rushmore
We visited Mt. Rushmore on the same day that Abe did. We had lunch in the dining room while it rained and then walked the trail at the base of the mountain. Mt. Rushmore was completed in 1941 and was all government funded. |
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We then drove to Crazy Horse Memorial.
This photo shows a model (and Judy) in front of the mountain. (1 mile away)
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Judy has now started hiking again and has just left the northern border of Custer State Park. It has rained sometime every day and all day yesterday. She did see a family horseback riding on the trail and we met another hiker at lunch in the Legion Lodge. |
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We are now staying at this campground just north of Custer State Park. We will be moving north to Silver City on Tuesday 6/10. |
Platy has not been happy with the weather here. It has rained every day and it has gotten cold. Last night it was in the 30's and they reported snow on the Volksmarch to the top of Crazy Horse. He has been sleeping in his sleeping bag at night. It's really a knit hat. We haven't told him what the writing is on it. |