August 17, 2022
Sturgis is done for this year so we can head back to the north. We decided that today would be a good day to visit Spearfish Canyon and then on to Devil’s Tower. Instead of taking a familiar route we opted for a different way. We took US 16 out of Custer past Jewel Cave and on to Newcastle, Wyoming. In Newcastle we picked up US 85 and then US 14A into Spearfish Canyon. The Jewel Cave pictures are of some of the stunning scenery we saw on US 16. The Wyoming photos show the difference in the landscape between the Black Hills and the prairie of Wyoming. Beautiful sights.
Just before we arrived at the Spearfish Falls, we passed a fire station. I had to get a couple of pictures. I have noticed that the majority of the fire departments here in South Dakota are volunteer. We arrived at the Spearfish Canyon Lodge. Across the street is the Latchstitch Restaurant. To one side of the restaurant is the trail that takes you to the lower observation deck. There is an upper deck but you really can’t get much of a view. It is a 1.5 mile hike round trip to and from the lower observation deck. I am pleased to say that Nancy and I made the trip down and back. I actually enjoyed the hike. It was well worth the effort. Bree had a good time also. I wasn’t sure that she wasn’t going to jump in at times. But of course at the end of the trail was a good lunch and a tropical blend ale. Very good. We were able to get our lunch eaten on the Puppy Patio in time before it started to rain. We drove across the street and up to the Roughrock Falls. It is smaller than Spearfish Falls and also had a trail. One trail for the day is good for me. We were able to see it from an observation deck but did not hike down. One cool thing was a pool at the top of Roughrock and the water was so clear you could see the spotted trout swimming around. On the way back down we stopped at the Lodge, and looked around the gift shop. The lodge was beautiful. Loved the stone fireplace and the various wildlife hanging on the wall.
The next stop is Devil’s Tower National Monument. It is located in the Gillette, Wyoming area. Devil’s Tower was the first national monument. National parks actually takes an act of Congress. National monuments can be declared by the President and then later become national parks. The fun factoid about Devil’s Tower is that there are no horizontal strata. They are vertical. Devil’s Tower is full of myths and folklore. This ground is very sacred to the Native Americans. It closes at various times throughout the year for certain ceremonies. People are also allowed to climb the Tower at certain times. It seems to be very popular for climbers. It also had a concrete trail leading to the base of the Tower. We walked around the Vistor’s Center for a few minutes and the gift shop just before it closed. The day was very long but great. We mapped a different route home. It was a little after 8:00PM when we reached Custer. Being tired we decided to stop at the Begging Burro for dinner. Another day of sightseeing and exploration in the books. So much more to do and only 6 weeks to go.
