Black Hills Journal

...but a battle worth fighting, nonetheless

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:47:00 +0000

by LARRY MILLER

Every now and then we read something in the newspaper that catches our eye, and which we think is worth repeating.

That was the case this week, when Aaron Orlowski of the Rapid City Journal penned an article quoting a couple of folks about the Rocky Mountain pine beetle infestation that has devastated much of our beloved Black Hills of South Dakota. Flights of the pesky beetle are a recurring event and seem to plague the region a couple of times every century or so.

John Ball is a forestry extension specialist with South Dakota State University. He was quoted as saying, “Every 40 years we have this problem,” suggesting that the infestation is part of a natural cycle for the beetles. He noted that thinning the forest is one thing that definitely helps the situation, but that the Black Hills National Forest in recent years has had particularly dense stands of trees.

He said that the only way to slow tree deaths would be to kill 97 percent of the beetles, but that would be an "unfathomable feat."

Ball concluded by observing that mixed stands with different species of trees and different ages of trees will help the forest be more resilient, once the current outbreak has subsided.

Wisely, Ball said that doesn’t mean that we should give up and not try to combat the beetle. In fact, there have been workshops across the hills advising property owners about how they can fight the beetle and help protect their property.

It reminds us of another hot topic that Mother Nature has had on our plates since the beginning of recorded time: global warming. And global cooling. Fears of a looming “ice age” caused some concern back in the mid-20^th century – much the way global warming has stolen headlines in recent years.

Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle

I believe we have a better chance – slim though it might be – of sending the pine beetle into oblivion than we do of having any significant impact upon the climate.

Nonetheless, it’s wise to be good stewards of the resources we enjoy on our planet, and to do whatever we can to preserve and protect a healthy environment. So we’ll continue to engage in recycling and other environmentally-friendly activities.

And we're all for thinning the forest, making life a bit more difficult for the pine beetles, and maybe combating another hazard in Mother Nature’s arsenal: forest wild fires.

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:32:00 +0000

We'll be posting more information as the first Moon Walk approaches on June 2nd

Great Friends coming to Great Places!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Meeting up with old friends is a truly heartwarming experience.

And for the past decade or so, the authors of this website have been making a trek every April "back East" to some of the most beautiful country in America -- the Great Smoky Mountains, the Ozarks, and other locales. Our purpose has been to break bread, enjoy good conversation, and reaffirm friendships that have endured both time and distance. All the while, appreciating our surroundings -- the truly magnificent diversity and enormous beauty that God has etched across the terrain of our United States.

And now it's our turn to host this eclectic collection of friends who live in such diverse locations as Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, and North Carolina. To be sure, they've displayed more than a little apprehensiveness about such a long journey to "Dakota Territory."

Having now convinced them that we not only have Bed & Breakfasts in South Dakota, we also have revealed that we benefit from both running water and electricity.

All of our "April Group" have come to learn that it really makes little difference where we meet. Activities and sightseeing are always fun, but in the final analysis, it's a group of dear friends who are renewing and reaffirming their bonds with one another, while feasting on a variety of foods and stories. But the backdrop offered by Mother Nature is not without importance. We've mingled with bears in the Tennessee mountains and strolled along the white beaches of Alabama. Museums of every sort -- from cars and trains to Navy planes. And picking up local crafts and foods, while exploring new cuisines along the way.

In helping assuage our dear friends of any lingering "buyer's remorse" in making the decision to come to South Dakota next spring, we offer the following video. It's one of a series of excellent pieces commissioned by the South Dakota Department of Tourism. And we think it effectively illustrates the vast beauty of our adopted state.

We really do have Great Faces and Great Places....for Great Friends. See you next April!

The delights of Spearfish Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 07:08:00 +0000

As we enjoyed this leisurely Veteran's Day weekend, we were reminded of the many blessings that have befallen us -- in no small way the result of sacrifices made by men and women of our U.S. military over the years.

And we also took time to enjoy this little part of heaven called the Black Hills.

We often strike out to explore new and different areas of the Hills, but we keep coming back to one of our favorite places -- Spearfish Canyon. After all, it's nestled right in our own back yard and offers marvelous scenery throughout the year. We've peddled up the canyon several times to get an "up close and personal" view; but more often we drive the canyon, stopping here and there to enjoy the beauty it offers.

On our most recent trek -- in late October -- we took our camera along and captured a bit of video in Spearfish Canyon which we've posted in the right hand column of Black Hills Journal. Click on the movie link and enjoy the ride!

Another video you'll find down on the right-hand column is a short sampler of a program called Over South Dakota. It's a breathtaking High Definition aerial tour of South Dakota, scheduled to be broadcast on South Dakota Public Television in March of 2012. We're told by Fritz Miller at SDPB that the aerial work was done by an outfit named Skyworks, and it'll be well worth watching for it next spring!

Major league sluggers played in Deadwood

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:03:00 +0000

Babe Ruth excited Deadwood fans
...but local reporter was unimpressed

by Larry Miller

Babe Ruth played in Deadwood in 1922

The 1920’s hadn’t quite begun to “roar” yet, and the devastating dust bowl of the 1930’s was still a decade away. Baseball had become the national pastime, and for residents of the northern Black Hills, it didn’t get any better than a fall day in 1922 when the legendary Babe Ruth came to Deadwood as part of a nationwide “barnstorming” tour with Yankee teammate Bob Meusel.

Although Ruth had begun to ascend as a baseball star by 1921, it was an unusual season — his second year with the New York Yankees, and he blasted 59 home runs that season, helping the Yankees to win the American League pennant and face cross-town rival the New York Giants in the World Series. Ruth was injured in the second game of the series, however, hampering his performance for the remaining games. The Giants won the series.

It wasn’t long before Ruth was on the road in a “barnstorming” tour, which was a violation of the rules for world series players. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Ruth for the first six weeks of the 1922 season. Although he batted .315 that short season, it was rather a disappointing one for the Babe. It ended with yet another lost world series – again to the New York Giants.

The Deadwood Daily Pioneer-Times
printed this image of Mrs. Ruth, who
apparently was not with "the Babe."

We don’t know if Ruth was suspended for his 1922 encore barnstorming tour, but he surely delighted folks in western South Dakota when he and Meusel appeared for the seventh in a series of exhibition games across the west one day in late October. He and Meusel journeyed by train from Sioux City, Iowa, to Norfolk, Nebraska, and then on to Sturgis. There, they were greeted by an entourage of Deadwood businessmen who drove the big leaguers by automobile over the “Boulder Park Highway” to Deadwood.

The Deadwood Daily Pioneer-Times, in its October 19, 1922 edition, reported their arrival in great detail. “In honor of the event, practically all of the Deadwood business houses will be closed, most of the Black Hills will declare a holiday; the local schools and the Spearfish Normal will be closed this afternoon, and a general holiday will be in effect during the time of the game this afternoon between the hours of 2 to 4 o’clock.” Ruth and Meusel were “entertained at a luncheon” and then transported to the Amusement Park for the game.

An advertisement in the paper encouraged readers to “See Babe Ruth and Bob Meusel, American League World Series Stars, hit a home run in an exhibition baseball game at Deadwood Amusement Park today.” Ruth was selected to play with the Deadwood team, which had just won the 1922 Black Hills League championship, while Meusel played for the Black Hills All-Stars, a group of players from the other five teams in the league, Lead, Spearfish, Sturgis, Rapid City, and Aladdin. Both Ruth and Meusel would play first base. By all accounts, it was a good game, but the big league sluggers provided no home runs.

The newspaper reporter who covered the event seemed not terribly impressed by the two Yankees. “The high altitude or the background may have affected the sluggers. At any rate, those who saw yesterday’s contest saw nothing that should cause thirty-five thousand New York fans to stand in line from daylight in the morning until two o’clock in the afternoon to secure a ticket, permitting them to see these fellows perform,” he wrote. Meusel was an unimpressive one for four at the plate for the day, while Ruth was two for three. But it was the bottom of the seventh inning that seemed to especially delight the reporter.

Teammates Bob Meusel, Lou Gehrig and
Babe Ruth pose for this undated photograph.

“It seemed that he (Ruth) really did try this time to knock one over the mountain, but the balls had a tendency to cross the mountain at his rear instead of traveling toward the outfield hillside. Here it was that the fans, realizing that this would probably be his last time at bat, were in a state of great expectancy. The big “Bam” gripped his 48 ounce bat with a firm grip and prepared to do things. After two balls had been called, he fouled one and then let the third ball pass him. On the next one, he slashed mightily at the crack of his bat as it met the white horsehide sphere, resounding throughout the park but the ball went for a foul, number two. Six more fouls followed in quick succession, some of them going over the grandstand, some of them into the grandstand, and some of them out over the line of cars, but none over the outfield fence or even close to it. Finally after sending eight foul balls into the air, causing a happy uprising of merry yells which died out almost as quickly as they arose, he managed to hit a Texas-leaguer over second base for a trip to the second sack where he was left when the side was retired.”

Ruth and the Deadwood team prevailed over Meusel and the All-Stars, 4-2. And while there were no dramatic homeruns by anyone, everyone seemed to have a good time. The Pioneer-Times writer finally offered that “…It may be that the local pitchers, Gorum and Gill for the Deadwood team and Meade and Hedje for the All-Stars are not as back-woods in their ball playing as might be supposed by two star homerun hitters who have played before audiences 34 or 40 times as large as the one yesterday.”

After the game, Ruth and Meusel boarded the Northwestern passenger train headed south to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, for yet another exhibition game – and no doubt more thrills for local fans. Maybe even a home run for the Babe, which he was denied in Deadwood that fateful day in 1922.

Postscript: A 16-page card booklet was published for the special day that Meusel and Ruth played ball in Deadwood. Perhaps one of these rare booklets still exists somewhere? Please take time to drop us an e-mail if you know where such a booklet might be located.

2011 Moon Walks conclude at Gold Mountain Mine

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:23:00 +0000

For a few of the 150 people who wandered up a hill about four miles northwest of Hill City last Saturday evening (9/10/11), it was an opportunity to see just how much has been completed in the restoration and preservation work at an old gold mine. They had visited the site a few years ago on an earlier "Moon Walk" sponsored by the Black Hills National Forest. The Gold Mountain Mine was built long after the first rush for gold in the hills, but it’s likely to grow in popularity in coming years.

The mill frame and boiler building of the old mine were the focus of the final Black Hills National Forest Moon Walk 2011 series, completing another season of diverse and educational treks through various parts of the Black Hills.

Amy Ballard, Recreational Forester with the U.S. Forest Service has been coordinating the popular hiking series, which began in 1996 and has accommodated more than 12,500 participants in some 121 programs.

It was encore time for Forest Service archaeologist Michael Salisbury, who has served as project manager on the Gold Mountain Mine effort, a coordinated effort between the Black Hill Historic Preservation Trust, the U.S. Forest Service, and a bevy of volunteers who’ve donated their time and talent to the project.

Construction on the original mine started in 1924.

“They finished it sometime around 1929,” said Salisbury, “and it operated all the way up to the beginning of World War Two, and that’s when War Order L208 was enforced and all precious mineral mining in the United States was shut down, and all of that energy was targeted into the war effort and the manufacture of war goods.”

Like so many such operations that closed down at the onset of the war, the Gold Mountain Mine simply never reopened (but then gold prices weren't $1,800 an ounce either!).

In the years following, while the site was likely a popular destination for history buffs and weekend hikers, the property continued to deteriorate and became something of a safety hazard. Finally, in 2007, the old mine was scheduled for demolition.

But through the vision and hard work of the Black Hills Historical Preservation Trust, the U.S. Forest Service, and an energetic group of folks from the Passport in Time – who volunteered their time and many talents – this last standing piece of Black Hillsmining history has been preserved.

Last summer, more than 30 volunteers from Passport in Time participated in two separate sessions that first concentrated on replacing missing cross members and rehabilitating existing structural braces, while refurbishing the interior and exterior of the lower ore bin.

Then they rehabilitated the upper ore bin and the main roof, installed the iron “grizzly” ore separator and reconstructed the upper head house.

Salisbury noted that the Gold Mountain mill frame now looks pretty much as it did during its original period of activity before World War Two, when there were as many as seven steam engines operating on the site, providing much-needed power to the mining operation.

“Thanks to the countless hours of dedication and hard work of many, Gold Mountainwill stand as a glimpse into the past of an industry that was a primary driving force behind the settlement of the American west,” said Salisbury. He said he expects that interpretive signage will be in place at the mine by next August, capping a very successful join endeavor.

Volunteers who worked on the project “did not disappoint,” observed Salisbury.

And the same may be said about the 2011 season of the Black Hills National Forest Moon Walks. Amy Ballard and the entire U.S. Forest Service gang did a great job organizing and conducting these excellent forays into different areas and aspects of the Black Hills.

Want to know more about the 2011 Moon Walk season? You'll find narratives right here on Black Hills Journal and an abundance of photographs from the walks in our Moon Walk Gallery.

We’re already anticipating the 2012 season!

"On the Trail" with pack mules and the U.S. Forest Service

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:53:00 +0000

We may think of mules as homely and rather ornery critters, but as participants in the latest Black Hills National (BHNF) Forest Moon Walk found out last weekend, they’re valuable assets for workers on high mountain trails and other remote locations. And that includes the U.S. Forest Service.

About 60 folks showed up at the BHNF Tepee Work Center about 26 miles west of Custer for the August Moon Walk Saturday night (8/13/11), and a bit of enlightenment provided by Forest Service packer Glenn Ryan, who travels the western national forests using his mules to accomplish back country work.

Ryan’s been doing the work for some 21 years and shows no signs of cutting back on his wilderness adventures. And, of course, mules have been reliable pack animals for a long time. We've posted a couple of videos (right panel) illustrating their use during the Spanish-American War in Cuba.

Moon Walk coordinator Amy Ballard welcomed walkers to the well-groomed Tepee Work Center grounds by announcing that there would be no hike this month, since some of the archaeologists scheduled to be a part of the program had to rush off on another more important task: working the Coal Canyonfire some 15-20 miles to the south. That blaze, in the rugged range and canyon area northwest of Edgemont, claimed the life of one firefighter while consuming nearly 5,000 acres of grass and timber in the southern Black Hills. The fire is now (8/17/11) nearly fully contained.

Ranger Dave Pickford

Ranger Dave Pickford, who works out of the Hell Canyonranger office at Custer set the stage for this Moon Walk, providing a bit of Black Hills National Forest history, reaching back to 1892 when the forest “reserve” was created. Eight years later, the first sale of timber from a U.S. national forest took place near Nemo, South Dakota, when Homestake Mining Company was expanding its operation. In a sign of the times, Homestake paid a modest rate of 75 cents per thousand board feet. Today, according to Pickford, the market will fetch about $10.00 per thousand board feet!

In 1901, Deadwood resident Seth Bullock was tapped by President Theodore Roosevelt to serve as the first “supervisor” of U.S. forest lands. In those early years, two national forests were created in this area: the Black Hills National Forest was in the northern Black Hills and was headquartered in Deadwood; Harney National Forest encompassed the southern Black Hills with its headquarters in Custer. By 1954, the two forests were merged into a single Black Hills National Forest.

Just as modern transportation has transformed the landscape of education with the consolidation and closure of rural schools, it also led to the reduction of ranger district offices in the Black Hills from 20 to just four. They're located in Custer (Hell Canyon District), Rapid City (Mystic District), Northern Hills (Spearfish), and Bear Lodge District (Sundance, Wyoming).

The site of this Moon Walk, the TepeeWork Center, was constructed in 1936-37 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which created a lot of the infrastructure on public lands across the country – and certainly within the Black Hills. The four structures built on this site are still in use. Pickford said that, as with all CCC projects, three principles were followed: (1) use non-intrusive designs that blend with the environment; (2) use pioneer/frontier construction techniques; and (3) use native/traditional styles and materials.

City kid Glenn Ryan has found a career "on the
trail" with mules and the U.S. Forest Service.

Our “keynote” speaker for this Moon Walk seemed an unlikely person to end up as a packer. Glenn Ryan grew up not far from the teeming masses of Manhattanin New York. The day after earning his Associates degree in Natural Resources from Columbia College in California, he went to work for the U.S. Forest Service. According to his wife, Ryan had a few “sabbaticals” along the way, working as a cowboy, a stint with Hewlett Packard, and even some truck driving.

But his work with the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service, has been the most gratifying – allowing him to be a packer.

Ryan shared a brief bit of historical insight into working for the Forest Service.

“In 1905, the Forest Service “let” folks provide their own tables, chairs, their own houses, wood stoves, and even their own riding stock and pack stock. The salary for a ranger was $75 a month. If you paid more than $75 to feed your stock, you could submit a claim for repayment.”

He recounted that he had never read anywhere that those early foresters actually got paid for what they submitted.

While “packing” with the ForestService still involves long hours – and “some use of our own tack and stock,” Ryan clearly enjoys what he’s doing. In fact, earlier this year, during the Big Wyoming Horse Expo in Douglas, he taught a session on how you go about training a mule to be a pack animal -- sort of a Pack Mules 101 course.

“And we do get a bit more than $75 a month these days!”

“The mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse,” said Ryan, noting that the mule results from a jack donkey and a female horse.

“They’re stronger. Their muscles are more dense, and they can consume poorer quality vegetation than horses – and their digestive system is slower.”

Ryan was quick to observe that while people say the mule is stubborn, “they’re not stubborn, they’re more intelligent!”

The Rocky Mountain Regional Specialty Packstring led by Ryan does work mostly in South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. And while they conduct training and frequently represent the Forest Service at events like Cheyenne Frontier Days, parades and other events, most of their time is dedicated to work projects across the region.

“Tomorrow, we’ll be off to the Big Horn mountains to remove a bunch of old bridges.” It’s an on-going task over the past few years. They’ve hauled out 150 mule loads of garbage, and about 215 tons of soil. It’s the kind of work for which you’d expect a packer to use a strong and sure-footed mule.

“Mules usually carry about 60 to 80 pound loads per side, but they can carry up to 240 pounds,” said Ryan. “They carry a lot of fence posts.”

Ryan demonstrated how to tie the mules together in a train using a series of half-hitches, stressing that it’s important not to tie pack mules together hard and fast, because “you can kill them that way.” If they go over an edge, they’ll take another one with them.

And the most dangerous thing on the trail?

Bees.

Moon Walkers took a respite this month and
enjoyed a program all about pack mules.

Bee swarms can cause real havoc and – according to Ryan – are the most dangerous thing you can encounter. This observation from a packer who’s encountered lots of critters on the trail, including mountain lions.

Ryan acknowledged that mules can be a bit testy if they don’t know what’s going on. The absence of ligaments in their hind legs gives them flexibility to unleash lethal kicks sideways as well as to the rear.

“When mules have packs on, they can’t see what’s behind them. So when linking them together in a string, I always approach them cautiously and call their names and talk to them.”

He has admittedly grown fond of his mules over the years, and he has special monikers for them, usually choosing the name of someone with whom he has worked. There’s Rory, and Becky, and… well, several others.

When one of the Moon Walkers asked Ryan if he had a favorite among his mules, his wife Alice quickly retorted, “Yup, he has nine of them!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Note: You'll find additional photos and information in our Moon Walk Gallery.

The Alabaugh fire....revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 02:12:00 +0000

Al Stover (left-front) tells of the Alabaugh fire.

Extremely hot weather, tempered by a late afternoon thundershower and lingering sprinkles throughout the evening, did little to dampen the enthusiasm of about 65 Moon Walkers in the Black Hills National Forestlast weekend (7/16/11).

This month, it was a visit in the Whitney Preserve, located about 10 miles southwest of Hot Springs, in the vicinity of the old Brainerd Indian School. The property is now under the auspices by the Nature Conservancy, whose nature trail offers one of the finest hikes for birdwatchers in Black Hills. The preserve is located on the eastern edge of a large, undeveloped landscape, where elements of sage lands, pine forests, and mixed grasslands come together. It’s the convergence of those habitats that motivated the Nature Conservancy to push for its preservation. It was named for Nathaniel and Mary Whitney, South Dakotaconservation pioneers.

Mary Ellen Goulet

The focus of this Moon Walk was to explore the impact of the Alabaugh fire, which burned just over 10,000 acres across this region in 2007. For a photo account of this hike, vist Moon Walk Gallery.

The scene was set by area resident Mary Goulet, who shared a few of her personal experiences regarding the fire. She and her husband, Bob Lee, had retired to the southern Black Hills from careers in Minnesotawhen – at about 7 o’clock, on the seventh day, of the seventh month of 2007. – the the Alabaugh blaze engulfed their fire-resistant home not far from Cascade Springs. The fire ended up destroying 33 homes, claiming one life, and injuring two firefighters. Goulet was moved to write a book about the fire and its consequences for about 30 different families. She entitled the book Cascade of Flames, and in it she wrote about the heroism of the men and women who fought the blaze. In one chapter, she recognized the performance of the local sheriff in Fall River county. “The sheriff headed evacuation efforts, and he pretty much knew where all the people lived,” she told the group. Without that kind knowledge, the human toll of the fire could have been much worse.

After about a 10-minute presentation by Goulet, Bob Paulson of the Nature Conservancy led the group from the parking lot on the property to a nearby road where the hike began. Along the way, Al Stover of Wind Cave National Park and Cascade Springs resident Mac Lamphere offered additional insight into the event. Stover was formerly with the South Dakota Division of Forestry and served as incident commander for the Alabaugh blaze. Lamphere was among the many local folks who fought the massive fire.

July Moon Walkers on the climb!

Billed as a “two mile roundtrip hike,” the huffing and puffing of many July Moon Walkers gave rise to skepticism about the accuracy of the advertised distance of this walk.

“It’s at least four miles round trip” we heard one hiker observe while catching his breath midway up the side of a hill.

Organizer Amy Ballard of the U.S. Forest Service noted that she relies on the hosts and speakers regarding such matters – but participants were warned that it would be necessary for them to climb “400 feet in one mile uphill over uneven terrain to the top of the ridge.” And, indeed, we had been warned. Nonetheless, a mid-hike breather for all would have been good, and it would have allowed the group to stay together better.

Whether the difficulty of this hike was accurate or not, it was probably one of the more challenging hikes in recent years, but it offered some marvelous views and provided walkers with some good information about both the Alabaugh fire and U.S. Forest Service prescribed burns.

The Nature Conservancy, as they often have done, offered cookies, hot chocolate and lemonade to all participants following the walk.

Despite splendid views of a full moon just the night before, this Moon Walk was devoid of any such pleasurable lunar sight, leaving us to hope that we’ll fare better in August. That’s when Moon Walkers will next gather – on Saturday, August 13^th – for a hike in the southern Black Hills to learn more about the use of pack mules within the U.S. Forest Service.

140 hikers enjoy Wildflowers along Centennial Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:48:00 +0000

A beautiful evening greeted participants for the June 18^th National Forest Moon Walk that explored a variety of prairie plants and wildflowers in the northern Black Hills.

Botanist Jill Larson

Sponsored by the Black Hills National Forest and the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association, the walk started at the Alkali Creek Trailhead just a couple of miles north of Sturgis off of I-90.

Ballard introduced botanist Jill Larson of the Northern Hills Ranger Station in Spearfish who was the principal speaker and our guide through Bureau of Land Management fields included in the walk. A native of the Seattle area, Larson holds a B.A. from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and an M.S. in Botany from the University of Wyoming. She provided participants with a list of some 112 plants that might be found along the route. It included not only the common names of the plants, but their family, genus, and species – as well as the area of the walk where they’d likely to appear.

There wasn’t much time for using the list as a reference on this walk, but it’s a wonderful tool for returnees who want to take their time on a subsequent hike of the area.

The walk started northward from the Alkali Creek parking area along the Centennial Trail, and then crossed under Interstate 90 before winding its way toward a high meadow and the timber.

As usual, there was a very diverse group of hikers. This time, younger folks – in particular – enjoyed sharing samples of their findings with Jill Larson, who displayed keen knowledge of the plants. She usually was at the ready to give the official plant classification, only occasionally pausing to come up with its common name.

From soapweed yucca and poison ivy (yikes!) to blue larkspur and plains pricklypear, there was an abundance of wildflowers and a decidedly nice-sized group of people to enjoy them.

Timing is everything, and there was no full moon in which to bask on this hike. Had there been a full moon available, we had some beautiful weather to enjoy it!

As always, we captured a few photos on the hike. You’ll find them posted in our Moon Walk Gallery.

“This walk was dedicated to former Forest botanist Andrew Korth, who led a wildflower Moon Walk over Reynold’s Prairie last June,” said Amy Ballard, Forest Moon Walk Coordinator. Andy died in a boating accident near Belle Fourche the next day.

The next Moon Walk outing is set for Saturday, July 16 and will be hosted by the Nature Conservancy. They’ll be offering refreshments and a restroom for participants – and both of those items will be welcome additions for this somewhat more strenuous hike. It’s a two-mile trek that will climb 400 feet uphill over uneven terrain. The speakers will be May Goulet, author of “Cascade of Flames,” and Al Stover of Wind Cave National Park. They’ll discuss the forest and grassland ecosystem that has emerged since the 2007 Alabaugh Fire in the area.

To reach the Moon Walk site, travel south of Hot Springs on South Dakota Highway 71 for 8.2 miles. Pass the Cascade Springs Picnic Area at 7.9 miles. Turn right just past the main house parking area and travel .4 miles to the guest house parking area. Signs will be posted at major intersections to direct visitors to the site.

Walkers are encouraged to bring flashlights, water and bug repellant and to dress for unexpected weather and cooler nighttime temperatures. Long pants are recommended as ticks and rattlesnakes could be encountered.

After fires and pine beetles: new life in the Black Hills

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Mon, 23 May 2011 04:31:00 +0000

The first Moon Walk for 2011 took place near Horse
Creek Road south of Pactola Reservoir. 'Twas a bit
soggy, but mere rain isn't likely to cancel the event.

Despite drenching rains and brisk temperatures Saturday evening (5/21/11), a couple of dozen hardy souls braved the elements to help launch another season of Moon Walks in the Black Hills National Forest.

But with a surprising suspension of the downpour, Mother Nature delivered a rather pleasant evening for the Moon Walkers to learn about the Black-backed Woodpecker and the forest fires that provide the species with a habitat. The setting for this event was in a high meadow of the Horse Creek area southwest of Pactola Reservoir about a mile west of U.S. 385.

Recreation Forester Amy Ballard told the assembled group that this is the 16^th consecutive year of Moon Walks in the Black Hills, and she assembled a great cast of characters to guide the group through an informative evening.

USFS Fire and Fuels Specialist Chris Stover, who works out of the Mystic Ranger District, gave folks an overview of how prescribed burns and thinning projects help to improve wildlife habitat. Such burns help move the land toward a more natural condition and allow a more rapid regeneration of the ponderosa pine trees that are so abundant in this region.

“There are about 140 starts (fire starts) in the Black Hills every year,” said Stover. “Most of those are caused by lightning.”

He referenced two exceptional fires in the Hills: the 1939 McVey Fire, and the more recent Jasper fire, which destroyed more than 90,000 acres in just three days.

“Then there was the 1991 Horse Creek prescribed fire. We lost control of it – due to some unusual weather circumstances.” Nonetheless, the success of prescribed fires has resulted in a greener forest and improved habitat for animals.

“The Horse Creek area is now an ideal elk habitat,” Stover added.

Chad Lehman and a
Black-backed Woodpecker

Wildlife biologist Chad Lehman is researching the effects of fire on woodpecker reproduction. He observed that you can now see large patches of green forest, offering high quality forage for elk that now graze in the area.

“In time, we may see grouse in this area, along with additional stands of aspen trees.”

After a short uphill hike, Chris Rota from the University of Missouri broadcast a Black-backed Woodpecker bird call through a portable amplifier – hoping to lure one of the birds to the high outcropping of rocks where the Moon Walkers were clustered.

At first, there was nothing. Then we heard a response from a nearby woodpecker, but he only tempted us with his return calls – he (or was it a she?) wouldn’t hazard a flight to our location.

A doctoral student, Rota led our group to a nearby stand of pine trees, one of which had hosted a Black-backed Woodpecker nest, identified by a small hole about two inches in diameter. Rota’s graduate work has been focused upon this species, which he says are attracted to habitat created by wildfire and mountain pine beetle infestations.

“Our research seeks to understand the role prescribed fire can play to simultaneously create habitat for this species while reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire,” he said.

"Both the male and female woodpeckers participate in building the nest, which is simply a hollowed out area within the tree, usually at a fairly low level.”

“Squirrels are perhaps the greatest predator for the Black-backed Woodpeckers,” said Rota, “but the birds will fight back at the squirrels.”

Rota has banded many of the birds, often cutting a hole in the side of the tree right next to the nest. He can then reach in and band the smaller birds.

Chris Rota points to a nesting hole of a Black-backed
Woodpecker during the first "Moon Walk" of 2011.

“I’ve actually learned the genealogy of some of these birds; although we don’t know for certain what their life span is, some of the birds I banded back in 2007 are still around.”

The Black-backed Woodpecker is found primarily in western North America, but their range in Canada extends east to the Maritime Provinces. It is not thought to be a migratory bird. While not considered “endangered,” the bird is considered a “sensitive” species. Their populations are high in areas that have endured wildfires and the onset of pine beetles.

The Moon Walkers trek back down the hillside to their vehicles was not any to soon; more rain was imminent. By the time many of them reached U.S. 385 – less than a mile away – rains returned.

It was a fine start for another season of Moon Walks, especially since organizers were tempted to cancel the event because of the weather.

Normally, only lightning will cause cancellation of Black Hills Moon Walks, but this has been an unusual May. Heavy snow just a few days earlier left many folks wondering if the walk would go on as planned.

The next Moon Walk is slated for Saturday, June 18^th in the northern Black Hills and is entitled “Forest Wildflowers." The event is dedicated to the memory of USFS botanist Andrew Korth, who led a similar outing last year but lost his life in a boating accident the following day.

Details about the June outing will be forthcoming. Persons who want to be included on the e-mail notification list should contact Amy Ballard of the Mystic Ranger District..

Don’t forget, we also post additional information and photographs in our Moon Walk Gallery.

Rest in peace?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Undated view of Terry, South Dakota

With all the talk lately about the Terry Cemetery, which appears threatened by the planned expansion of gold mining near Terry Peak, we thought it might be of interest to post this photograph from the Lawrence County Historical Society archives.

The undated image -- probably taken at the dawn of the 20th century -- contains considerable detail. It is simply labeled "Terry." As can be seen, Terry was a formidable community, reliant upon the mining industry. Some of the old gold mining operations of an earlier era can be seen to the left in the photo. That's probably the main operation of the Golden Reward Mining Company, which was easily the biggest business in Terry.

Terry was also a stop on the Burlington rail line.

Calamity Jane

In her book Roadside History of South Dakota, author Linda Hasselstrom wrote that Terry was "home to a thousand people in 1893" and was one of the larger communities of Lawrence County.

If you click on the town photo above, you'll see a larger image, and you'll be able to more clearly see details of the old town, including the steeple of a church climbing skyward in the upper right quadrant.

By most accounts, Martha Jane Cannary -- better known as Calamity Jane -- died in 1903 at the Calloway Hotel in Terry. She was 51 years old. Apparently Jane had requested that she be buried in Deadwood near Wild Bill Hickok, which is exactly what happened.

Some reckon that Hickok probably wouldn't have been too keen on that arrangement. But for Calamity Jane, it was probably just as well. Otherwise, she might have been buried in Terry, meaning that she could be uprooted anyway, if Wharf Resources chooses to go after the gold they believe is underneath the old Terry Cemetery.

Terry Cemetery

Disturbing the old cemetery at Terry.......now THAT is something many folks might consider a real calamity.

There are at least 120 souls who "went to their final resting place" at Terry Cemetery. Although less than a couple of hundred yards away from Nevada Gulch Road (State Highway 473), the cemetery is hidden by a steep hill that runs adjacent to the busy road. Workers on their way home from a day at Wharf Resources -- and skiers on their way to Terry Peak Lodge -- are likely oblivious to the existence of this historic little cemetery.

If you have photographs or any information about the old town of Terry that you'd like to contribute, please contact us at Black Hills Journal.

2011 Moon Walk schedule announced

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:06:00 +0000

Terry Cemetery area targeted

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:29:00 +0000

With gold prices nearly double what they were 10 years ago, Wharf Resources indicates they're moving forward with plans to expand their mining operations near Terry Peak -- and that could have implications for the Terry Cemetery.

Although Wharf started its application process in September, it's been pretty much under the radar ever since. That is, until a story by Kevin Woster emerged last week in the Rapid City Journal. Woster wrote that the proposal "worries some nearby landowners and could force the relocation of more than 200 graves in the Terry Cemetery."

Above is a bit of history regarding the Terry Cemetery as depicted in the LCHS 1994 publication "Cemeteries and Graves in Lawrence County and Environs," edited by Irma Klock.

We suspect Wharf's proposal will gain additional attention in coming days as folks have an opportunity to comment on their plan. If you wish to be heard, you should act by Tuesday, January 11th. For a wealth of information -- and an opportunity to comment -- go to the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources web site.

As a sidebar, we are reminded of the appropriate steps taken some years back by Hershey Food Corporation when they discovered an old cemetery on land they were preparing to convert to a parking lot near their west plant in Hershey, Pennsylvania. As it turns out, it was an old Hammacher family cemetery, ancestors of many Hamaker families now living in western South Dakota and western Nebraska. Hershey stepped up to the plate and did the right thing by taking leadership in helping to preserve this historic cemetery. We believe their actions serve as a model of corporate and civic responsibility.

We hope Wharf Resources will display the same kind of leadership, but a public nudge in that direction might help.

West River History Conference recap

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:26:00 +0000

This summary of the 2010 West River History Conference was provided by Shebby Lee, its President.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Participants in the Eighteenth Annual West River History Conference were very pleased with the new venue according to the evaluations and feedback for the conference which ended September 25. The fully-equipped and modern classrooms enhanced the experience and were complimented by the lounge area with its cozy fireplace, and spacious ballroom where booksellers offered biographies and historic books for sale.

Presenters at this year's conference hailed from as far away as AZ, Texas, and NY. As always, attendees also came from the neighboring states of North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Minnesota as well as Kansas and all parts of South Dakota.

Attendance was also up over record-breaking 2009, and plans are already underway for next year's conference to be held Sept. 22, 23, and 24 at the Surbeck Center on the School of Mines campus in Rapid City, SD. Check our website often as plans are unveiled for another exciting conference in 2011.

2009 Award Winners

At the Friday awards luncheon, winners of the 2009 conference papers were announced. Winner of the best student paper was Emily Wicks of Faith High School, whose paper was entitled "Annie Oakley: Guns, Romance and Hardships". Second place went to Cassie Foster, Faith High School for her paper, "The Myths and Legends of Belle Starr, the ‘Bandit Queen'".

First place in the adult category went to Pat Moore of Chestnut Hill, MA, for her paper, "Answering the Call: Women Missionaires in the West, 1810-1900". Pat has donated her prize to the WRHC scholarship fund. Second place went to Jan Cerney of Philip, SD for her paper entitled, "Missionary Corabelle Fellows. Victim of the Yellow Press". Third place was awarded to Donna Fisher of Deadwood for her paper, "Pursuit of Art: Grace French, Pioneer Artist and Teacher". With so many excellent papers, the judges opted to award an additional Honorable Mention to Barb White of Herrick, SD, for "How Todd Lost His County (and Found it Again Out West)"

In addition to prizes for best papers, the conference presents awards to deserving promoters and preservers of history in our region. The Herb Blakely Award for outstanding contributions to local and regional history, a sense of American Patriotism, and efforts to further the concepts of good citizenship went to Mary Lewis of Wasta, SD. The Zoom Zoom award for outstanding support of local history went to Marcia Hill of Rapid City; and the Sandria Friske Helping Hand Award went to Grove Rathbun of Rapid City.

The conference was made possible with support by the South Dakota Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, Black Hills Corral of Westerners, International, the Society of Black Hills Pioneers, the Reptile Gardens, Keystone Historical Museum, Big Thunder Gold Mine, the South Dakota State Railroad Museum, Lewis Publishing and Dode Lee.

Fall colors in the northern Black Hills

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 05:47:00 +0000

With all the hype over fall colors across the Black Hills, it seemed prudent to sneak a peek before they fade and we find ourselves trudging through snow.

Well, hype it may be, but we couldn't help but get caught up -- as we always do -- with the beauty of our region. A bit later in the day than we wanted, we were winding through Spearfish Canyon beyond Roughlock Falls to Forest Service Road 222. A small side road offered the scene above in the waning moments of daylight.

This was a gentle reminder of why we chose the Black Hills as home.

Compared to Black Hills gold rush, "California was nothing..."

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:25:00 +0000

A nice-sized crowd showed up for the final Black Hills National Forest Moon Walk of 2010 last Saturday night (9/18/10) near the old gold mining community of Meyersville, located a few miles south of Rochford.

The remnants of Meyersville are typical of hundreds of villages that sprung up in the Black Hills following the discovery of gold in the 1870s. There’s not much left except a few timbers, stones, a few holes in the ground, and an occasional building.

The sun had already slipped behind the hills to the southwest by the time speaker Bill Swanson welcomed the group Saturday evening. A high school science teacher in New Underwood, Swanson was born in Deadwood and grew up in the northern hills – developing a keen interest in the history of this region. In fact, he’s the second generation of Swansons leading community education classes about history in the Black Hills – his father taught the first ones back in 1976.

After working on oilers for several years, the younger Swanson says he came back to the hills and is proud to carry on the tradition his father started. His folksy presentation was well-received by the group that gathered for his September presentation entitled “Mining Towns of the Late 1800s.”

Focus of this Moon Walk was Meyersville, a mining community that dates back to 1883, nestled in a small valley north of Deerfield Reservoir.

“It was never much of a town,” Swanson said, “basically a settlement and mining camp. Residents purchased supplies from Rochford , Lead or Custer.” Up the road toward Deerfield are the Yellow Bird and King of the West Mines, but those two sites weren’t included as part of this Moon Walk. Even in daylight, those two old sites are mostly hidden from view, even though they are right alongside the road.

Swanson led the walkers up a narrow path to a place where a few timbers and stones remain from the old forty stamp mill that once stood.

“This is the original site of what was later the Lookout mine and mill. It was here for about six month, but then the equipment and timbers were moved to Lookout.”

Farther up the hillside, hidden in the woods, were the leaning timbers of a house that was part of the operation. Swanson’s partner in researching and writing history articles about the Black Hills – Mart Krause of Rapid City – says that the leaning timbers that remain were once a part of the Frank Cochran mining headquarters, built in 1890. While the mining operation soon moved, the old building has remained all this time. As recently as the 1990s, the building was upright and an old safe was situated inside. It is now long since gone.

We trudged through the tall grass and negotiated a fence, finding yet another building in the woods that – even in daylight – would be hard to spot.

Swanson went to the center of the building, while hikers remained clustered around the perimeter of the structure, attentatively listening as Swanson gave further details about the defunct gold mine.

In his presentation to the assembled Moon Walkers, Swanson suggested “getting out of your cars, hiking to the sites, closing your eyes, and try listening back 130 years to what was going on. There were no airplanes. No 4-wheelers.” Walking along a path, Krause told us that he and Swanson always hike in to locations like this – they never use motorized vehicles that might disturb the site.

Swanson said other research has indicated that as many as 1,500 post offices were strewn throughout the Black Hills region during its mining rush.

“This was the last real gold rush,” he said. “California was nothing compared to this. Ore was still coming out of the Black Hills more than 100 years after it had been discovered.”

The price of gold has now busted above $1,300 per ounce, and you might expect to see a resurgence of mining in the Black Hills. But despite the continuing operation at Wharf Resources – and maybe a few more placer miners among visiting tourists – it’s likely that newcomers roaming the hills these days are in search of another valuable item, more untold history about these beautiful Black Hills.

And with this final Moon Walk for 2010, we were treated to plenty of it. We've posted a few photos from the event in our 2010 Moon Walk Gallery.

With thanks to all of the presenters – and the folks at the U.S. Forest Service, who have facilitated the Moon Walks – we’re already eagerly awaiting new topics and locations for 2011!

It's only a 'baby' rattlesnake...

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:13:00 +0000

Perhaps it was the absence of the wooded beauty of rugged hills punctuated by beautiful lakes and streams. Maybe it was the prospect of crossing paths with an irritated rattlesnake. Or it could simply have been serendipity.

Whatever the reason, the turnout of the August Moon Walk (8/21/10) to the rolling grasslands adjacent to Badlands National Park were a bit on the slim side. But the 50 or so folks who showed up for the Grassland Conservation program at the Double Bar Seven Ranch east of Scenic weren’t disappointed! The monthly Moon Walks are sponsored by the Black Hills National Forest and have become popular outings for hundreds of area residents. The walks take place monthly from May through September on the Saturday evening closest to the full moon.

Ranger David Slepnikoff stepped in for Amy Ballard this month, welcoming attendees to a Nature Conservancy ranch nestled just north of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It was an opportunity to hear about recent land acquisitions by the Nature Conservancy and learn more about their efforts to get ranching and wildlife entities working together.

Our principal guide for the walk was Bob Paulson of Rapid City, who is a Nature Conservancy Program Director. Bob has been involved with the conservancy for some 14 years. With an undergraduate degree from North Dakota State University in Fargo, he completed an MBA at Denver University, followed by a career as an industrial engineer and owning his own businesses in Denver and then Rapid City. Paulson told us that the Nature Conservancy has bought more than six thousand acres in the western Conata Basin since November of 2007 after working around the area for about six or seven years, getting to know the landowners and exploring possibilities. The Conata Basin, comprised of some 143,000 acres just south of the Badlands, contains what the conservancy says is one of the most “intact remaining grasslands” in the United States.

The land purchased by the Nature Conservancy includes more then 25,000 acres of federal grazing allotments, which are replete with black-footed ferrets – one of the rarest mammals in North America.

“The Conservancy’s acquisition of land in the Basin will help secure conservation of the rare black-footed ferret while providing grazing opportunities for area ranchers,” said Paulson, who proceeded to guide Moon Walk participants westward past the Double Bar Seven barn and into a field inhabited by prairie dogs.

Doug Albertson is the relatively new Lands Manager for the Nature Conservancy in western South Dakota. Among other things, he oversees the Double Bar Seven ranch, which runs about 139 heifers on the property. Albertson has extensive experience as a wildlife biologist at Badlands National Park and is extremely knowledgeable about both black-footed ferrets and the abundance of prairie dogs that have created colonies across some 5,800 acres on the ranch and adjacent allotments. That's Doug Albertson at right, underneath a nearly full moon.

Albertson shared a bit of history about the animal species that have been reintroduced into the Badlands since its establishment as a National Monument in 1939. They included bighorn sheep, bison, swift fox, and black-footed ferrets. The black-footed ferrets are the only ferrets native to North America.

While there were no ferrets believed to be in the colony visited by our Moon Walkers, we did enjoy seeing and hearing the prairie dogs vocalize.

“But we know they’re around. They’re nocturnal. In winter, with fresh snow and no wind, we can snow track them. They have distinctive foot prints, and their eyes shine an emerald-green. You can learn more about this fascinating little creature by reading "Return of the Black-footed Ferret.”

“Ferrets have a long association with native Americans, who made use of the hides,” said Albertson. Ferret history in the region was first noted in 1851. In more modern times – the 1960’s – ferrets were put on the list as being extinct. After a brief resurgence of colonies in Wyoming in the 1970’s and ‘80s, they again declined. Bubonic plague has negatively affected prairie dogs, which are prey for the ferrets. The plague has impacted colonies as recently as 2007-08.

The Moon Walkers then proceeded across a field to a rise overlooking a grove of cottonwood trees called Casey Springs.

Bob Paulson matter-of-factly advised walkers to stand clear of the are near the edge of the rise, since a baby rattlesnake had given warning that it really didn’t want to be disturbed. Most folks immediately stepped back from the area; interestly, a few folks had to come closer to inspect the snake – perhaps saying hello to its mama.

Paulson recounted just how difficult it is for ranchers in this region, one of the last areas of the country to be homesteaded.

“Homesteading was a pretty good deal in areas getting more than 25 inches of rain. Working the 160 acres of land for five years, paying a title fee, and the land was yours. But out here, that’s not enough land to make a living on…but out here, drought is the rule, not the exception, and many folks have moved away,” said Paulson.

He said there are just eight private ranches in the Conata Basin – some 32,000 private acres.

The Nature Conservancy is working to exchange some of its land for scattered parcels in Fall River, Custer and Pennington counties which are generally less than 160 acres and typically not adjacent to other Forest Service land. Trading land into national forest ownership reduces public-private boundaries and helps lock up the ownership in bigger ownership patterns.

Unlike some of our Black Hills National Forest Moon Walks, our August trek was blessed with a nearly full moon beaming over our path back to the ranch house.

It was a delightful evening, capped with cookies, cocoa, and cider. For more photographs and information, visit our Moon Walk Gallery.

Next month, Moon Walkers will explore some of the Mining Towns of the Late 1800s in the central Black Hills. It’s slated for Saturday, September 18th, and promises to be a fantastic finale for another year of memorable Moon Walks. See you there!

Moon Walk features prehistoric rock art

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:28:00 +0000

The southern Black Hills is steeped in archaeological sites, and July Moon Walkers had an opportunity to learn a bit about just a few of them.

Gathering in a field alongside U.S. highway 18 just a few miles north of Edgemont, participants prepared for the two-mile trek to Stone Quarry Canyon.

Archaeologist Michael Engelhart (shown at right) was the featured speaker for this Moon Walk. He works for the Hell Canyon Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest. A native of North Dakota, Michael shared his knowledge of prehistoric rock art, which seems to abound in this area. His two boys, Rueben and Isaac, joined us for the Moon Walk, too, as did Michael’s fiancée and fellow Forest Service employee, Ami. They live in Custer.

This was the largest Moon Walk of the year, according to coordinator Amy Ballard of the U.S. Forest Service, which co-sponsors the events with the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association.

“We had 263 participants Saturday night,” said Ballard.

“We are having a good year for attendance at the Moon Walks - 576 participants with two more programs to go!

While the 263 count is the largest for this year, it’s still considerably short of the record, according to Ballard.

“Our largest attended walks were the 1880 Train program in 2005 at 371 participants, and the Mountain Lion program in 2006 with 348 participants. Since December of 1996 we have hosted 114 programs with 11,985 participants.”

That averages out to about 105 participants per program.

This is a drawing of the main rock art panel at Stone Quarry Canyon. It captures well most of what one experiences in the Canyon. Linea Sundstrom published this drawing in her book Fragile Heritage: Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota, 1993, by the National Park Service through the South Dakota Historical Preservation Center.

Horizontal and vertical "hoop" designs were capture nets that were used to funnel and concentrate the game. This type of rock art is called "pecked realistic" and dates in the Black Hills From 2500-7500 years ago. It is the oldest type. You can click on this image to see a larger version.

In the center of the lower right is a stick with a diamond shaped object. This is an atlatl, a prehistoric hunting tool that predates bow and arrow.

One can notice humans (including pregnant woman, upper right) dogs, deer, antelope, and mountain lion in the petroglyph. The mountain lion has been interpreted as a sign of a succcessful hunt.

Visit our Moon Walk Gallery for additional photos and information about this and other Moon Walks.

The July outing was dedicated to botanist Andrew Korth, who led the June 26th Moon Walk about wildflowers near Deerfield Reservoir. He died in a boating accident the next day, along with Forest Service colleague Jeramy Rogers and his daughter, Sierra Rogers.

Our next Moon Walk is scheduled for Saturday, August 21st, east of Scenic, South Dakota. The Nature Conservancy will discuss the unique plants and conservation efforts of a recent land acquisition in that area. Find more information about Moon Walks and other Forest Service initiatives at Black Hills National Forest.

Forest Wildflowers

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:57:00 +0000

In the wake of the June 27^th accident that claimed the lives of Andrew Korth, Jeramy Rogers, and Sierra Rogers while on a canoe outing near Orman Dam near Belle Fourche, we have delayed writing a review of the June Moon Walk. Andy Korth, shown here at right, led the program about wildflowers.

But, as Moon Walk coordinator Amy Ballard rightly observed, “let’s enjoy the outdoors as they would.”

It’s time to proceed with information about another pleasant evening exploring the outdoor beauty of our beloved Black Hills.

The June 26^th event, “Forest Wildflowers,” was conducted just north of Deerfield Reservoir in the central Black Hills. Botanist Andrew Korth was our lead guide, and he – along with a group of fellow botanists – introduced us to the habitat, identification, and management of a variety of wildflowers. They had gone into this meadow earlier and labeled a couple of dozen wildflowers, allowing moonwalkers to amble along at their own pace, stopping to examine each of the flowers and ask questions, as necessary.

We were again blessed with beautiful weather, luring some 130 people to the rolling hills known as “Reynolds Prairie.”

Having grown up near the sandhills of western Nebraska, we were not surprised at the colorful diversity offered by wildflowers – but they seemed especially prolific in this year of abundant moisture across the Black Hills.

We took a few dozen photos on this outing, alternating between the diverse cast of characters who frequent Moon Walks, and the splendid floral offerings presented by Mother Nature.

Take a look at our Moon Walk Gallery and sample a few of the wildflowers that we enjoyed – along with the faces of a few of our fellow sojourners! You'll find images from all of our Moon Walks, starting with the most recent. Among the wildflowers we found was this Cressleaf Groundsel, shown at left. We’ve added some commentary and supplemental information that you might find helpful, too.

These Moon Walks are held monthly on Saturday nights close to the official full moon. The walks begin at 7 o'clock and generally last one to two hours.

The Black Hills Moon Walks are sponsored by the Black Hills National Forest and the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association. For more information about the Moon Walks and other activities in the Hills, visit the official web site for the Black Hills National Forest.

Moon Walk leader drowns in boating accident

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:15:00 +0000

We are deeply saddened to report the death of Andrew Korth, 26, the young botanist who led our Moon Walk in the Black Hills National Forest near Deerfield Lake last Saturday evening (6/26/10).

Andrew was one of three persons who drowned Sunday (6/27/10) after their canoe capsized near a diversion dam for the Belle Fourche Irrigation District. We learned only this morning about the tragic accident, which also took the lives of Jeramy Rogers, 38, and Sierra Rogers, 11. Another youngster, 8-year-old Isabella Rogers, survived the accident and was able to summon help. The incident was reported in the Monday edition of the Rapid City Journal.

Andrew Korth was a native of Humphrey, Nebraska, and graduated from St. Francis High School in Humphrey before enrolling at South Dakota State University, where he earned a degree in Wildlife History in 2006. He received a Master’s degree in Botany in 2008. Before joining the U.S. Forest Service in early 2009, Andrew worked for a short time on coal mine reclamation in Wyoming. He was single.

“When this job came open, I jumped on it,” he told me with a big grin, just before leading our Moon Walk group on a trek across Reynolds Prairie to inspect the wide array of wildflowers that he had helped identify and describe for the outing.

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families and close friends of Andrew Korth, and Jeramy and Sierra Rogers.

Owls topic of first Moon Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Moon Walks in the Black Hills National Forest continue to be a summer highlight for many residents of the region.

So it was not a huge surprise when – despite threatening weather – more than 175 people found their way to the site of an old CCC camp south of Pactola Reservoir on Saturday (5/22/10). Our short walk in the woods was designed to share information about owls of the region. Coincidentally, the old Horse Creek CCC camp was established back in 1933 on May the 22nd -- the calendar day of this Moon Walk. This was the first of five Moon Walks planned for this summer by the U.S. Forest Service in the Black Hills region.

Tour guide for this early evening trek was Nancy Drilling, a biologist from the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in Colorado. A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Drilling has been with the observatory for more than six years. She has a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota.

“There was a lot of speculation about the kinds of owls in the Black Hills, but nobody really knew,” said Drilling. That’s why she’s been conducting surveys in the Hills for the past two years.

“The surveys occur during March, April and early May, when owls begin breeding. They are the first birds to breed each year.”

Of course, it might have been a bit much for such a large group to expect to see an owl on this single outing, but we did hope one of the creatures might respond to the vocalizations that Nancy Drilling (shown at right) would play through a portable sound system.

After an easy walk down a two-track road for about a mile, Drilling gave an introduction to four common owls found throughout this region. They are the Great Horned Owl, the Easter Screech Owl, the Long-eared Owl, and the Northern Saw-Whet. She shared a bit of information about owls, including the fact that most owls are nocturnal. Their keen hearing and advanced night vision serve them well as birds of prey.

Owls seldom build their own nests, choosing instead to take occupancy in existing nests that are suitable. They love wooded areas, and some species will nest in knotholes of old trees. Interestingly, the female is larger than the male. Some owls prefer coniferous woods, while others make their homes in deciduous forest. A few even find their way into urban areas.

Persons wanting to learn more about owls in the Black Hills need only to contact the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department to obtain a free booklet entitled Owls of South Dakota, which Drilling says contains good information and pictures.

After introductory remarks, Drilling played a few recordings to familiarize the group with owl calls. Frankly, we were surprised at the diversity of the calls. The entourage then wound its way along a creek into a more wooded area. Once situated near a grove of trees, Drilling played the various bird calls through the portable public address system.

Thirty seconds of owl calls – followed by 30 seconds of silence. That was the vocalization routine for this Moon Walk outing.

While the technique may not have elicited responding owl calls, it did create great interest among the group. We suspect that many Moon Walkers will be back on the trail one day soon conducting their own exploration for owls!

During this pleasurable two-mile round-trip sojourn, we snapped more than just a few photographs, which you’ll find in our Moon Walk Gallery, along with a bit more information about the event.

Residents of the Black Hills region have been enjoying these Moon Walks since 1996. Well over 11,000 people have participated in these programs, which have taken walkers from old mining towns and secluded caves to the Badlands and beaver dams. It's a terrific way to learn more about the beautiful Black Hills region. The next Moon Walk outing is scheduled for Saturday, June 26th in the central Black Hills, probably near Deerfield Reservoir. Forest Wildflowers will be the topic, introduced by forest botanists who will tell about the habitat, identification, and management of a variety of wildflowers.

All walks are held on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. Directions to future Moon Walk programs will be posted here on Black Hills Journal, or you can go directly to the U.S. Forest Service website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills. You'll find an abundance of information there about a wide range of U.S. Forest Service activities in the Black Hills. Contact Amy Ballard at 605-343-1567 and request to get on the Moon Walk e-mail list!

Crossing the plains with Custer

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Mon, 24 May 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Veteran photographer and writer Paul Horsted never fails to entertain – and enlighten. Those traits keep him in demand on the speaking circuit.

His latest venue was today (5/23/10) at the Bay Leaf Café in Spearfish, where he led members of the Lawrence County Historical Society through the chronology and geography of General George Custer’s massive 1874 expedition to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Horsted, who lives north of Custer, South Dakota, noted that the Custer trek was “better documented than any other military expedition of the Old West.” Much of that documentation was assembled and edited by Horsted and his co-author Ernest Grafe for their 2002 publication Exploring with Custer – The 1874 Black Hills Expedition.

Today, Horsted employed a lively multi-media presentation to tell “the rest of the story” about that 19^th century expedition. Exploring with Custer dealt with the Black Hills area. His latest endeavor – Crossing the Plains with Custer – is a companion book that traces the Custer expedition from Fort Lincoln in north Dakota Territory to the Black Hills, including their journey back to the fort.

In his books, Horsted also uses his “then and now” display of historic photographs juxtapositioned with his contemporary photography from the same vantage point. It’s a powerful technique that has served him well – especially his book The Black Hills: Yesterday & Today.

Following his presentation, Horsted took time to answer questions and visit with folks who attended the gathering. Here, he chats with historian David Wolff (center) and Lawrence County Historical Society president Jerry Bryant (right).

For folks in the Black Hills region who've not heard one of Paul's presentation, we'd encourage you to be in the audience when he's in your neck of the woods. On Monday, May 31st, he'll be giving a free program in Custer State Park at the Game Lodge Campground beginning at 9:00 p.m.

In mid-June, he'll be sharing his presentation with attendees at the state convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Custer.

You can also visit his web site at Paul Horsted - Dakota Photographic LLC

The road less traveled...

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:42:00 +0000

The Main Street of North America is in the Heartland; home to hearty souls, colorful characters and more than one salty tale. And between Canada and the Republic of Mexico is a single ribbon of highway where a traveler will find it.

U.S. Highway 281 begins at the International Peace Gardens in North Dakota; then covers the ground that the Lewis & Clark Expedition traveled over in South Dakota; it takes those on the road less traveled to the world’s largest shamrock in Nebraska; and on to the Home on the Range in Kansas where the song originated; to the Indian Capital of the Nation in Oklahoma and finally to the famous wildflowers and cultural border towns of Texas

Now imagine that journey in song.

“Seeing it through your windshield is like watching an ever-changing canvas,” says western and folks singer/songwriter Kerry Grombacher of his Hwy 281 Troubadour Tour.

“The open range and farm ground of North and South Dakota, Nebraska’s Sand Hills and Kansas’ Gypsum Hills, the prairie of Oklahoma and the Hill Country of Texas.” Traveling the mostly two lane highway through rural America, Grombacher sees his role as one of a modern-day troubadour. “In taking stories in song from town to town, it’s a reminder to us all that there are others who have stories to share from places much like our own – wherever we might call home.”

The Heritage of the American West Performance Series will host the debut performance of the US Highway 281 Troubadour Tour, as Grombacher sets his sites on The Buffalo City (Jamestown, ND) to begin an 1,800 mile odyssey of exploring rural America…in music.

Set for Thursday, May 20 at the High Plains Western Heritage Center, Spearfish, the 90 minute live stage performance begins at 7 p.m., and also features a pre-show exhibit and reception beginning at 6:00 p.m.

A book signing with educator, historian and author Donovin Sprague will introduce his newest book in the Images of America Series, titled Ziebach County: 1920 – 2010. Sprague, a recent nominee to the prestigious USA Artist Fellowship, has also traced and recorded the histories of four Plains Indians Tribes as well as the history of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. In addition to the Ziebach County centennial edition, he was a contributor to the Timber Lake: 1910-2010 Images of America centennial edition.

The Heritage of the American West Hwy 281 Troubadour Tour debut performance and Images of America book signing will open its doors at 6 p.m. at the Heritage Center. Tickets are $7 for seniors/kids and $12 for adults. For more information, call 605-642-9378.

"WHO" is up first for 2010 Moon Walks?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:15:00 +0000

The following release comes from Amy Ballard at the U.S. Forest Service:

Join the Black Hills National Forest on Saturday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. for an educational walk featuring owls. This 2 mile roundtrip walk through an aspen grove on a forest 2-track road is located west of Highway 385 between Pactola Reservoir and Sheridan Lake.

The featured speaker is Nancy Drilling, biologist, with the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in Colorado. She is currently conducting owl surveys in the Black Hills and will bring her owl calls with her to the program. Ms. Drilling will discuss owl vocalizations, their habitat needs, nesting habits and biology along with survey results.

To reach the Moon Walk site from Rapid City, SD travel west on Highway 44 to the intersection of Highway 385. Turn left or south on Highway 385 and travel approximately 8.2 miles to Horse Creek Road (FDR 243). Turn right or west on Horse Creek Road and travel 2.3 miles to FDR 343.2J. Turn left and travel approximately .3 miles. Signs will be posted at major intersections to guide visitors to the parking area.

The Forest Service suggests that visitors dress for unexpected weather and cooler nighttime temperatures. The program will not be cancelled due to rain unless lightning is spotted. About 100 visitors per walk have been attending the programs so please arrive early to aid us in parking vehicles.

For more information about the program and summer schedule or if you would like to be placed on an internet mailing list to receive the Moon Walk news releases and directions please call the U.S. Forest Service at 605-343-1567 or go to http://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills

An invitation...

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Miller) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:06:00 +0000

Tours of the new Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center (HARCC) in Deadwood are being offered this spring.

Each tour is designed to give citizens of the northern Black Hills a better understanding of plans for the center.

Hear the history of the Homestake Mining Company archive collection—past, present and future. See the progress that has been made during Phase I and II of the construction remodel project. Learn what remains to be done to complete the project. Discover what has been done with the Homestake Mining Company archive collection and view select items from the collection. Find out what public programming and educational opportunities will be offered at the center.

Realize the many ways you can be a part of this project.

One more March tour will be conducted from 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

More tours will be coming up this spring and summer. If you are interested in participating, please contact Carolyn Weber at 578-1928, 920-8939 or e-mail her at Carolyn@theadamsdeadwood.org to make a reservation.

The HARCC is located in the former F.L. Thorpe Building at 150 Sherman Street, next to First Interstate Bank and Dakota Graphics. Ample parking and the entrance are located in the back of the building. For more information: http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/