Roaming the Black Hills

Jan here, with another virtual hike in the Black Hills!

Last week we hiked the Lover's Leap trail in Custer State Park. The legend is that two Native American lovers leaped to their death from this spot, the highest point in the trail, but legends are legends. You can judge if the story is true or not!

The trail's route has changed since the first time we hiked it several years ago. In November 2017, the Legion Lake fire went through this area, changing the landscape and destroying many of the trees...but not all of them. As part of the clean up after the fire, the park staff rerouted the trail and lengthened it from three miles to four miles.

Now that we know the route, it's time to tie on our hiking boots and set out. Be sure to bring at least a quart of water per person!

We'll start out on the lower part of the trail, along the stream.

These bridges make the many creek crossings easy!

We need to watch out for a couple dangers along the way...

Poison ivy abounds in the undergrowth!

And you always need to look up, too. This windfall branch is right over the trail, and it will come down in a windstorm someday...hopefully when no one is underneath it!

We start climbing up onto the ridge at about the half-way point on the trail. The terrain is drier, steeper, and rockier.

We also see evidence of the Legion Lake fire.

I thought this tree was so interesting, with the bark only covering about half the trunk all the way from the ground to the crown. But it is still alive!

Finally, we reach the top! We've gone about two-thirds of the way, and it's time for a break and a snack while we enjoy the view...and get our sanity back again.

The park has also set these medallions along some of the trails. I think there are about ten of them. The idea is to do a rubbing of the medallions, then turn the set in at the visitor's center for a prize.

We need to remember to take paper and a pencil along with us on our hikes!

From here, we amble along the top of the ridge, and then back down to the trail head. Still a lovely hike!

Some hikers build cairns along the trail. 

If you've been around the Cafe for awhile, you know that I can't get enough of Custer State Park. Since we moved last summer, we're now only a twenty minute drive away. So Friday evening we went for a drive along the wildlife loop.

I didn't get a picture of the baby burros (cute as could be!) but I did get a great photo of this little one. Cinnamon is my favorite color this time of year.

Don't worry - mama bison wasn't very far away!

This time of year, last year's calves also stick close to their mamas, and you'll see trios like this within the larger herd.

But our biggest surprise was when we were on our way out of the park and we came across the tail-end of the park's elusive elk herd.

One even posed for a photo op.

I hope that you'll have the opportunity to visit Custer State Park someday. It's worth the trip! We'll go hiking together. :-)

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and growing-fast border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.