JOURNEY TO THE BLACK HILLS DAY 6 - MEDORA, ND TO SPEARFISH, SD

Well we made it to the Heart of Everything That Is, Paha Sapa, The Black Hills, but, just barely. WOW! These Dakota drivers are worse than Alberta drivers, if that's possible. 85 down here is a two lane road and people were going ninety miles an hour and passing anywhere they pleased. Over double yellow lines, dips with no visibility and narrow bridges. I've been napping a lot cuz the drives have been pretty boring but I was awake to see us nearly get involved in a head on. Some yahoo started passing us right into on coming traffic. Kinsey put on the brakes to try and give him more time but it wasn't enough. If there hadn't been a tiny bit of shoulder we all would have been crispy critters. The on coming car was able to get over far enough to let the bozo by. We were three abreast on our left fender. We would have been right in it if he hadn't squeaked by. It would have been one heck of a crash.

As Kinsey is often heard to say "Thank the Lord and praise the angels" we made it to Spearfish. Spearfish is the northern gateway to The Heart of Everything That Is. For those who may not know, the heart of everything that is, is what the Native Americans called the Black Hills. It is easy to understand how the Indians named these forested mountains, with clear water running through them, the heart of everything that is. It was literally an oasis in the center of their universe. A dark beacon rising up from the grasslands that could be seen from miles away.

We checked into the City Campground. Another WOW! The park is drop dead gorgeous. Spearfish Creek, which is a big creek, runs right out our door. Cottonwoods and lush green grass are the order of the day. You can walk into town or be at Spearfish Canyon in five minutes.

Spearfish Creek

Our first order of business was to go to the Visitor Center and pick up some information. The office was "manned" by a lovely, fifth generation Spearfish resident named Misty. I don't know what they talked about but Kinsey was in there more than an hour. She got a big bonus. Kinsey has been worrying about her Memorial Day BBQ ever since she discovered she had not brought along her Lawry's Seasoned Salt. She brought along a couple of $12 rib eyes to cook and without Lawry's she was prepared to leave them in the freezer. You can't always find Lawry's Seasoned Salt.

Kinsey had found a Safeway on Google and asked Misty how to get there. She also mentioned her mission. As it turned out they were sisters in the can't cook a steak without Lawry's camp. Turned out the market right up the street carried it. I don't know how she does it but she just seems to naturally go where she needs to go to get what she wants. It's uncanny. Kinsey is now salivating for that rib eye.

We took a short drive into Spearfish Canyon, as far as Bridal Veil Falls. It was lovely. We haven't seen clear  mountain water since we came across the Rockies to the east side. After being out on the plains this had to be a mecca for the Indians.

Bridal Falls

 Lots a places to take a walk here at the RV park so that's what we did before we called it a day. It supposed to rain tomorrow so that may hinder hiking opportunities. But, not to worry there is plenty to explore.

Spearfish Walking Paths

If you haven't already, you can read the story of why we ventured to the Black Hills here.

Ciao for now.
Molly Montana

Kinsey Barnard

JOURNEY TO THE BLACK HILLS - A JOURNEY TO HONOR RED CLOUD

Before I get started telling my stories about our trip to the Black Hills Kinsey has asked if she could preempt me to tell you why we went to the Black Hills. As you might imagine it would be hard for me to say no on so many levels.  Without further adieu I cede to Kinsey.

Thank you Molly for allowing me my little preamble.

Winters in Montana can be cold and snowy. It's a time for regeneration from the work frenzy that begins in the spring and doesn't let up until the snow flies. Winter is a wonderful time to curl up by the fire with a good book and I always do.

This past winter I read what, for me, was the best history book I've read The Heart of Everything That Is by Bob Drury and Tom Calvin. It's not often I find a history book a page turner but this one was. The book is about Red Cloud a Oglala Lakota Sioux warrior who was the only Indian to ever defeat the US Army. Yes, other warriors like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse won great battles but Red Cloud won his war.

The objective Red Cloud's war was to shut down the Bozeman trail and this he did. The Treaty of Fort Laramie 1868 gave the Oglala Lakota their sacred Black Hills (Paha Sapa). Unfortunately, the US government was only willing to give up what it didn't want. When rumors began that there was gold in the Black Hills (Paha Sapa) that was the end of the treaty.

Chief Red Cloud

Now the government wanted to round up the Lakota Sioux and send them to a reservation in Oklahoma. This Red Cloud could not let happen. He went to Washington to plead his case. Whilst there he saw that the whites were numerous beyond imagining. He knew to continue fighting would mean certain annihilation of his people.

Red Cloud prevailed in his efforts to keep his people near the Black Hills (Paha Sapa) and led his people onto the Pine Ridge Reservation about 65 miles away. Red Cloud died there at the age of 88. To have lived the life he lived, in the times he lived in, and reach such a great age is almost unimaginable.

After reading the book I knew that I had to go to Pine Ridge and pay this man my respects. I had to see with my own eyes that for which he fought so hard.

On this trip I learned that among his people there are two camps, those who think Red Cloud a hero and those who think him a traitor. I am obviously in the hero camp. He is thought by some to be a traitor because he led his people onto the reservation instead of continuing the fight. I think what he did showed great wisdom and courage. Had he not, there is no doubt his people would have been wiped out. Red Cloud was no coward. For him to do this thing surely took great courage because it went against everything for which he stood. Great leaders do the hard thing.

They made us many promises, more than I can remember. But they kept but one--They promised to take our land...and they took it.
Chief Red Cloud - Sioux

Over the past 17 days Molly and I have clocked over 2,600 miles (between Clementine & Shadow), seen many amazing sites and learned much. Mostly we have learned we were barely able to scratch the surface and we will be returning to continue our quest.

Starting tomorrow Molly will begin showing and telling of our fantastic journey to the Black Hills (Paha Sapa).

Ciao for now,
Molly & Kinsey

©Kinsey Barnard