This site is absolutely incredible. Limestone deposits beneath the earth’s surface dissolved in water from underground springs. The land then collapsed and the resulting sinkhole filled with 95-degree water that lured mammoths to drink or feed on the vegetation. The mammoths could not get back up from the slippery steep incline, so they died by starvation or drowning. Along with the mammoths, remains were also found here of giant short-faced bear, white-tailed prairie dog, fish and other fauna. These bones lay undisturbed for over 26,000 years until 1974 when excavation for a housing project revealed the mammoth bones and tusks. All the bones you see in these pictures are real mammoth bones and tusks. It is a large ongoing archeological site. There are specific explanations for each of the bones and tusks in these pictures, but I will not explain them. You can easily see them.This is really cool. The lines dipping down under the green arrows are actually mammoth footprints!More mammoth footprints.Some tools used by the archeologists on site.
Buffalo Statues
Custer SD – September 2021
The town of Custer SD has buffalo statues placed on many of its corners. Cool artwork on all of them.
Wind Cave National Park includes scenic areas like this. The caves are below this ground.And of course, there are many buffalo within the park!This is the original natural entrance to the cave.Wind Cave got its name because of the wind that blows out of the natural entrance. The park ranger demonstrates the wind here. Depending on air pressure inside and outside the cave, the wind also blows into the cave.The stairs down the cave were narrow and steep.There are interesting holes and formations throughout the cave.Wind Cave is most famous for its boxwork formation. The origin of boxwork remains one of the biggest mysteries of Wind Cave. Boxwork is made of thin blades of calcite that project from cave walls and ceilings, forming a honeycomb pattern. The fins intersect one another at various angles, forming “boxes” on all cave surfaces.This is the largest room in the cave that we visited. It is 200 feet underground. The ranger demonstrated total darkness by turning off all the lights for a couple minutes. It was kind of disorienting. Excellent tour.
Custer State Park is a beautiful drive. Lots of scenic vistas, and most famously – a lot of easy-to-see wildlife!Sunset on the Black HillsBuffalo in the distance. They are on the road a lot, but not for us on this trip.White-tail deerWild donkeysMule deerHerd of elk in the distance. More elk. They were off in the distance a bit, but this was a very popular spot for the tourists. The road was jammed with people getting a glimpse of the elk. It was pretty cool.
Sylvan LakeNeedles Highway is an incredible road – hairpin turns, dramatic granite formations, tremendous overlooks. This highway is not very long, but the tight turns and awesome sights are worth the slow driving! These granite towers are on both sides of the road, sometimes just one side with views of the Black Hills on the other side.Driving through the “Eye of the Needle”, a tunnel through the granite. Very tight for larger vehicles.Mary Jean was here as a child. We have a picture of her at this tunnel from 1954.The Black HillsCathedral SpiresThis was the inspiration for Mt. Rushmore.
Crazy Horse MemorialAs designed, this is what the Crazy Horse Monument will look like when complete. The effort is dependent on sufficient funding, which is not available at this time. Projected completion date is undetermined.There is an Indian Heritage museum at the Crazy Horse site. It contains many artifacts. These are a pair of moccasins hand made by Grandma Lone Wolf from SD in the 1920s.Conchita Pueblo Drum by Red Bird from NM.Beaded Buckskin dress from the 1890s.HeaddressBirch bark canoe, sealed with pine pitch and treated with pine pitch.Thunderbird and Killer Whale Totem. The legend goes that the killer whale (orca) swam into the bay one day and scared off the salmon, so the people began to starve. The people called out to the Thunderbird for help. The Thunderbird swooped down and picked up the killer whale with its claws and took it out to sea. The salmon soon returned and the people were no longer hungry.
