Category: Hiking

Wind Cave National Park

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Camping, Hiking, National Park, Wildlife

We camped one night at Wind Cave National Park just south of Custer Sate Park. We did some hiking, toured part of the cave system and were serenaded by the bugling of the park’s elk herd as we relaxed by our campfire. We were forced to turn back on our first attempt to hike because the bison pictured below would not budge from the trail and we decided ticking off a 2000 pound bison that can sprint at 30 miles an hour is just a bad idea! We were able to instead hike the Wind Canyon trail pictured below.

Wind Cave is the sixth longest cave in the world with 140 miles of cave discovered to date. The cave has three lakes at 600 feet below the surface. We toured with a park ranger and descended to a depth of 212 feet. This cave system is truely a maze with all 140 miles of passage contained within a square mile. The cave is also notable in that 95% of the known boxwork (photo below) in the world is contained within this cave system. 

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Calcite Boxwork

Black Hills, South Dakota:

by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Bike Trails, Biking, Boondocking, Camping, Coffee, Dining, Hiking, Kayaking, Scenic Drive

Iron Mountain Road and Mount Rushmore

Route 16A , also known as Iron Mountain Road, is a very exciting drive on a narrow winding road which climbs through and over Iron Mountain. The drive presents distant views of Mt Rushmore as you exit tunnels and from overlooks along the way.

Iron Mountain Road is only 17 miles long but has 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, three pigtails and three tunnels (pigtails pictured below).

Seeing this monument is far more impressive in person than the photos you have seen all your life. The history is just as fascinating as the entire genesis was to boost an ailing economy by creating a tourist attraction. During the 1920s the mining based economy in the area was ailing. Initially this effort was completely a private endeavor until President Coolidge became a supporter and pushed funding through Congress. Today the monument draws three million people annually so I would have to say that it was a heck of an idea. Fourteen years in the making and not a single worker fatality (obviously a former insurance underwriter)! 0040

Custer State Park

CSP is the largest state park in the United States and would stack up well against many national parks in regard to scenic beauty, wildlife and opportunities  for recreation (hiking, biking, horseriding, kayaking, canoeing and ohv). 0038,0039

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Mickelson Trail

Mickleson Rail Trail

This 109 mile trail runs through the heart of the Black Hills NF. The trail is the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad which came about as the result of the gold rush which started in the 1870s. This particular line was abandoned in 1983.

We biked several sections of the trail and were treated to many spectacular views and the opportunity to bike through rock tunnels and across numerous trestles. 0037

North Dakota Badlands

by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Camping, Coffee, Hiking, Scenic Drive

We were able to camp on the banks of the Little Missouri River while visiting Theodore Roosevelt NP. We camped and hiked in both the north and south unit. The south unit is in Medora which is about 70 miles due south of the north unit. Both units abound with wildlife. We saw prairie dogs, bison, feral horses, deer, pronghorn antelope and turkey as we hiked.  The south unit is in the heart of the badlands of North Dakota and our hikes presented tremendous panoramic vistas. We also hiked through a petrified forest area in the south unit that has a significant concentration of petrified wood that is estimated to be 225 million years old. The petrified wood now rests on the surface as layers of stone, clay and coal have been washed away over many millions of years.

Good coffee in short supply here (along with connectivity) but nonetheless a worthwhile segment of our first road trip.

Next stop is Custer Gallatin NF before traveling to South Dakota. 0033,0034,0035,0036

 

Sheyenne River Valley

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Camping, Hiking, Scenic Drive

Sheyenne River Scenic Backway – typical Lutheran church found in this part of North Dakota. Most of the Lutheran churches in the area were founded by Swedish immigrants during the 1800s. This church conducted services only in Swedish until 1917 when they added a second service in English. 0027,0028

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Kathryn, ND Pop. 50

Lunch Box Eatery, Fort Ransom, ND Pop. 130 Breakfast is serious business in ND!

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Redetzke Ridge Hike – Fort Ransom to Kathryn 

Sheyenne River

Sheyenne National Grassland

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Camping, Hiking

We camped a couple of nights in the Hankinson Hills Recreation Area which is part of the Sheyenne NG. Certainly not dramatic scenery but we enjoyed significant solitude with the exception of the occasional horseback rider or atv enthusiast. The night sky on the other hand was quite spectacular with the Milky Way galaxy clearly visible as it crossed the sky each night.

Heading next to the Sheyenne River Valley for some kayaking and hiking along the Sheyenne River. 0025,0026

U.P. Michigan

by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Camping, Coffee, Hiking, Museum, Scenic Drive

From Traverse City we traveled north on M31 and over the Mackinac Bridge onto the Upper Peninsula. Several coffe recommendations from Erik at Planetary Coffee paid off handsomely. Dripworks in Petoskey and Veladrome in Marquette featured below were outstanding! We also stopped in at Superior Coffee Roasters in Sault Ste. Marie while in town to watch lake freighters move through the locks.

We have been able to take full advantage of the Hiawatha NF camping along small lakes each night.

Additional highlights on the UP included visiting the Whitefish Point Light on Lake Suprior, a 4WD drive out to the beach at Vermillion Point and hiking to the falls at Tahqueamenon Falls. 

Western Michigan

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Bike Trails, Biking, Boondocking, Camping, Coffee, Hiking, Kayaking, Scenic Drive

Arriving in Traverse City marks our completion of the 117 mile long M22 which follows the Lake Michigan shoreline of the Leelanau Peninsula. The M22 is a beautiful scenic drive offering great vistas of Lake Michigan and the Grand Traverse Bay. 0014,0015 

Traverse City Coffee Scene: Higher Grounds + Planetary Coffee. We have been disappointed with a number of the coffee roasters/shops in Western Michigan. Arriving in TC has brought us a couple of notables with Higher Ground Coffee Roasters and Planetary Coffee (serves Half Wit beans). Erik Harms owner and barista (pictured below) at Planetary is a long time roaster having previously roasted at Higher Grounds and the well regarded Dogwood Coffee in Minneapolis. Erik has provided us with several recommendations for the UP which we are excited to try over the next week. 0015,0016

Biking the Leelanau Rail Trail TC-Sutton Bay-TC.  0015

Hiking the dunes at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Camping at Leelanau SP. 0014

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Kayaking on the Pere Marquette near Lake Michigan. 0013

Biking on the Pere Marquette State Trail. 0012

Pere Marquette State Trail

 

 

Pennsylvania

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Biking, Hiking, Scenic Drive

 

On our final day in Pennsylvania we hiked in the Hickory Creek Wilderness Area within the Allegheny NF. 0004

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Today we biked a portion of the 65 mile Pine Creek bike trail. The bike trail was formerly a rail line intially operated by the Jersey Shore Railway then a succession of failed endeavors until eventually taken over by Conrail. Conrail abandoned the route in 1988. 0003

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First Hike of our current road trip. East rim of gorge down and back. 0002