Custer, South Dakota

From Rushmore to our campsite in Custer State Park, about 25-30 min away. Passed the Crazy Horse monument* on the way, but held off on our visit in order to secure our campsite, get the tent up, etc.

That’s right – camping. We decided that time had come for us to use our tent/bags/stove/water jugs/etc. The setting was supposed to be magnificent and we had gotten tired of the recent string of crappy-but-expensive motels. In a somewhat hasty decision, we rented the camping spot for two days without checking on the weather. Very un-LVL and a semi-big mistake, as it turns out. Forecast called for showers/t-storms (60 percent likelihood) [Ed. note: And we have an easily-broken-when-you-don't-bother-to-check-the-forecast rule that we're not going to camp when the chance of precip is reported as 60% or higher.].

One way or another, we arrived at the site about 7 or so, with plenty of sunlight and no rain. Laura started working on the tent ASAP and had it up in pretty much no time. The site, though a bit crowded, was really nice. Fire pit with stove, clean bathroom with showers, even an electricity pad. A fire was a must (of course), so I ran to a store in Custer (about 10 miles away) to get some firewood. By 8:30 or 9, we had a great fire running (thanks I’m guessing to Laura’s early Indian Princess training). [Ed. note: We'll have to check with Mary and Ron, but while I think Chris was an Indian Guide for a bit, I'm pretty sure I went straight for the Brownie/Girl Scout enterprise. And we didn't do much in the way of fire starting. Crafting sit-upons and lanyards was more our speed.]

Though not super hungry, we had (had!) to use our new pots. Ramen** would provide a great test of our water-boiling skillz. Fire kinda died, water wouldn’t boil, and the noodles were cold, mushy, and mostly flavorless. Skillz = lacking. Rain no longer light, situation not too pleasant. Despite it all, we wolfed down the food while standing next to the picnic table, slickers on, umbrellas up. Choyd 1,*** Elements 0.

Braved the rain for a minute or two longer, then high-stepped into the tent, bringing just a little mud (our tent was set up on a dirt patch; no choice in the matter) and quite a bit of water inside. Raining really hard at this point. Choyd 1, Elements 1.

* 10 miles or so from Rushmore. Privately carved, privately managed, despite the federal government’s offers of financial support. In progress since the 1940s, with the original artist’s sons now working on it. No one sure if or when they will complete it.

** Judge me if you like, but I actually, really like Ramen. My fave: shrimp flavor, soy sauce, sriracha, green onion. [Ed. note: Blech.]

*** Chanin + Lloyd = Choyd

Decided to stay another night at the campsite and enjoy the sights. Lots to see and do in the Custer State Park and the Black Hills generally. Doing so would force us to forgo a trip to Devils Tower in NE Wyoming. Some things you have to save for later, I guess.

A sample of the sights and sounds overheard while picking up/packing up after our first night at the campsite:

What must be the world’s hairiest man working hard to manicure his considerable goatee in the site’s public bathroom.
Grandpa giving grandson some friendly guff about the preferred crispiness of bacon. They also had pancakes and other high-end, non-Ramen delicacies. Perhaps the version of “Jonny Appleseed” (…and so I thank the lord for giving me the things I need…) sung before breaky should have included a nod to grandpa and grandma (seen sweeping, wiping, tidying the camper and surrounding space).
A Canadian couple (Manitoba plates; he speaks with a heavy French Canadian accent, she a moderate Asian accent of some sort) rousing from what must have been a miserable night spent sleeping in the car. They didn’t want to stay at the site in the first place (from what we could gather [Ed. note: from overhearing the groundskeepers talk about them to some other campers], “too many trees, people too close.”), and were even later getting set up than we were. Something tells me they didn’t make it back for Night #2.

To Custer for some breakfast and camping supplies (e.g., a tarp, an oven mitt, better food), and then to hike to the Cathedral Spires, about three hours of “moderate to strenuous” work. On our way from the campsite to town we came pretty close to running over a turtle crossing the road. About 8” in diameter, with a long, spiky tail and neck outstretched. Guy stopped in front of us picked it up and moved it across the road.

Brunch at a cute place, Sage Creek Grill, on Custer’s main street. Buffalo burger (convinced by a note on the menu describing how fresh/local the meat was) for me, salmon melt for LVL. Both very tasty. On account of our aggressive afternoon hike, we decided to get dessert. Pot au creme. Rich, decadent, completely unnecessary, and totally worth it.

Midway through the walk back to the car it started to pour. Really pour. Ominous black clouds hanging over the Park, loud ass thunder every thirty seconds or so. After some very quick decision making, we rushed back to camp in order to pack up our stuff and get out of town. No reason to endure another huge rainstorm, especially in a tent. Stuff soaked and muddy despite our very hasty packing job.** By 1:30 we were on the road to Devils Tower, about two hours to the west.

Before getting back on the highway, however, we decided to take the scenic route through the southern end of the park. Great move. Saw several deer (white tail, prong horned, others), turkeys, prairie dogs set against the incredible black hills backdrop. And…in one pretty short stretch of road we had several wild burros come up to our car window looking for food (apparently, people have been feeding them for some time) and were able to watch a herd of buffalo graze about 10 feet from our car. Amazing experience, even with the constant heavy-ish rain.

**Managed to hear/see Grandpa RV and Grandson Bacon return from fishing with quite a haul. Gramps gave a dissertation on how to clean/gut a fish. The lecture included a bit about sushi: “Sushi is dead, uncooked fish. Some people find it a real delicacy. Not me.” Despite his editorializing, seemed like all the kids at the campsite were there to check things out. Fun stuff.