Wed Jul 17 2013 Badlands, South Dakota

Wed Jul 17 2013

Badlands, South Dakota


So many things to see, what first to show ?

Badlands

Another view

Tue, Wed Jul 16-17 2013 Badlands, South Dakota

Tue Jul 15 2013

Badlands, South Dakota

Started badly. Flat tire. Even so bad, that I
needed to buy a new tire. Solved in a few
hours, and on my way to the SD Badlands.

On the way passed "minute man". The nuclear
missile silo's of the cold war. 450 of them
are out of service due to the START treaty,
and  old technology. They still have more than
enough active ones, out of sight, to destroy the
world a few times over).

Within 2 seconds, even before leaving completely the
silo, this is supersonic for it's 6000 + miles trip

The Badlands, miles and miles of peaks and valleys,
gullies, buttes and wide prairies of delicately
banded colors that shifted in the sunshine.

Home of the bighorn sheep

The prairie dogs, the horn antelope, and of coarse,
the buffalo, rubbing his back in the sand.

Sun, Mon Jul 15 2014 Jewel cave and Wind cave.

Sun, Mon Jul 15 2014

Jewel cave and Wind cave.

A raining day, what do you do ?
Just go underground, in the caves.

Flowstone and stalactites.

And the popcorn

The caves are unique for there huge amount of boxwork

By now, they have discoved 167 miles
of caves in the limestone rock.
This is about an estimate of 5% of the
total area.  Jewel caves as discovered
by now, is the second longest cave in the world.

Then up to Wind Cave. 18 miles further away,
but they don't know if they are connected or not.

This time, I went for the 4 hour spelunking tour.
Crow-ling on hands and feet. pass-ways of less than
10 inches wide, 20 feet up or down. Each time,
the question, head first or feet first, and most
of the time, turn halfway. Good that they provided
the helmet, with head light (and 2 backups).
Knee and arm protection and especially the gloves.
We (the small group of 3 persons) had to leave
all wallets, keys and camera's behind. So, no
pictures of the special boxwork formations, popcorn,
frostwork that we could see from close by.

Another special visit was to the mammoth museum.
27 thousand years ago, one of the caves collapsed,
and formed a sinkhole and pool, with steep walls. This when
the mammoth's with the large tusks, where still
roaming the planes. The assumptions is that the animals
just slided in the pool looking for water , and could not
get out. The ages covered this with sand
and mud. Discovered recently, and now an active
side for paleontologists. With a toothbrush, examining
layer by layer, discovered now 62 mammoth skeletons,
among other animals as camels, bears, lamas.
 

Check out the large tusks,

PS: I was also at Crazy horse 15 years ago, and yes it looks
like nothing is changed. The face finished, and the hole under
the arm. But every week, they blast a few tons of rocks away.
Pure private project, mainly paid by the 9 $ income fees.
At this rate,  removing all rock around 500 ft high is enormous.
The 4 heads of Mount Rushmore fits in the head of Crazy Horse.
At this rate, still more than 50 years to go. 

PS:  On a side tour in South Dakota,  thanks Lukasz,  for the tips
in Glacier Park.

Sat Jul 13 2013 Custer park in the Black hills, South Dacota

Sat  Jul 13 2013
Custer park in the Black hills, South Dakota

Did a small (?) hike from Sylvan Lake to
Harney Peak. With real rewarding views
over the Needles

The needles hwy is special. Really build to
show the sharp rocks along the road.

Also, the tunnel I showed yesterday at the
pigs-tail bridge, was cut in the rocks, so
that it shows directly mount Rushmore.

Perhaps a smaller park, but beautiful.

And they dedicated already a memorial
for me ;-)

Fri Jul 12 2013 Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse memorial

Fri Jul 12 2013

Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse memorial

George Washington, 1st president
Thomas Jefferson, 3th president
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president
Abraham Lincoln, 16th president.

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, conceived the memorial
for the Sioux warrior Crazy Horse, who
defeated Custer in battle.
A 563 ft high statue
The white model, in front of the marble
rock in the far distance. Still a lot
of blasting is needed.

Can you imagine the completion of this work ?

An intense dance demonstration was
given by this Sioux.

Along the way, I was blocked by houndreds
of buffalo's.  And this was a small one
which starred directly into my car...
Could only wait until all where passed.

Ever seen a pigtail bridge ?

Coming out of the tunnel, you pass a bridge,
the road makes a complete turn, and you continue
under the bridge.
Several of these are passed on the Iron Mountain
road and Needles Hwy.

Thu Jul 11 2013 Deadwood, Black hills of South Dakota.

Thu Jul 11 2013
Deadwood, Black hills of South Dakota.

Another mayor historical center in the middle
of the gold fever.

Made very famous by the HBO series.

In this town are the graves of James Butler Hickok,
alias "Wild Bill" and Marta Jane Burke, alias
"Calamity Jane".

A visit to the Broken Boot gold mine could not
be skipped. But in the 1876 (the year of the gold rush),
they hardly could find any gold. Neither could I.

Spearfish Canyon Scenic drive byway, hwy 14A.

Wed Jul 10 2013 Eagle Butte Mine

Wed Jul 10 2013

Eagle Butte Mine open pit "truck and shovel"
coal mine, in Gillette, Wyoming.

They just have to blast, push or shovel a layer
of about 200 ft of 'dirt' (the light gray layer
on top), and then truck out the black layer of
about 100 ft of 'low sulfur' coal.

After removing the coal, the landscape is
restored, re-seeded, just 100 feet lower.
And quite some wildlife can be seen around.

99 % of the coal is then transported on mile
long trains to power plants all of the US.

The guide, was a women who had been driving
one of these 12 ft wheel trucks.
Not much discussion about environmental points
about coal plants, by lack of any numbers.
And the remark that there is one who wants
to shut done all the plants, says again something.

These trucks are large, 240 tons in one go
is quite something. Check out the size of the
guy, compared to the wheels.

Next stop, Devils Tower.
An amazing volcanic eruption created this hard
stulp, 2 miles under the surface. And millions
of years of erosion, shows now the top 1000 feet.
The lines, like a bear claw is scratching the rock,
is the sudden cool down of lava in hexa-diagonal tubes,
as a hard compact maze.
A home to the real expert rock climbers.
Up to you, to find out about the sacred crap.