Blue skies and white faces

Day 4
Friday, June 18, 2010
Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore National Monument

Frank fired up the propane furnace at about 4:30 AM when the temperature plunged to 42 degrees inside the trailer. The wind was absolutely howling. What must this place be like in winter?

Custer is the largest state park in the country, with majesty and beauty worthy of national park status. Simply put, this is a special place. There are more than 3,000 buffalo in Custer, making it home to one of the largest herds in America. One of the highlights of our day was a chance encounter with about 200 bison, including numerous calves sporting their light brown fur. Bob had a great time photographing and videoing them as they passed along the shoulder of the road. He had never seen a buffalo before, not even in a zoo! We learned today that at one time the American Bison population dipped to just 85; an astonishingly small number given that some of the largest Great Plains herds numbered more than 4 million strong at one time. Clearly humans averted an ecological catastrophe when they saved the buffalo from extinction. Watching them roam free is a very special experience. Bob said he wanted to catch one and keep it on a leash. Total city kid!

We got an early start on a day of sightseeing. We were told that Mount Rushmore would be more dramatic in the morning light, so we chose to go there first. It is hard to grasp the scale of the sculpture without something familiar to compare it to. Huge!

We learned that the project was named after Charles E. Rushmore, a wealthy architect who contributed $5k to the cause and was thanked by the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who renamed what was previously known to the Lakota Indians as Six Grandfathers Mountain “Mount Rushmore.”

Borglum picked the presidents he sculpted because of pivotal roles they played in our nation’s history. George Washington represented the foundation of our nation. Lincoln was selected because he preserved the union. Jefferson was included because of the role he played in expanding America. And Teddy Roosevelt was chosen because of the impact he had on the development of our country.

By midday, the sun had brought up the temperatures to a more comfortable 70 degrees. Bob noted that the weather here was like the most perfect fall day in Maryland—crisp and clear with that cool bite to the air.

Frank became reacquainted with the jet-engine-like sound that wind rushing through ponderosa pines makes and the conifer-blended-with-vanilla scent that they give off. Great stuff!

We took a drive along the Needles Parkway in Custer State Park, named not for the conifers that dot the landscape, but for the granite spires that protrude as high as 300 feet out of the ground.

We drove past Crazy Horse Mountain but decided not to stop before going to Custer where we did some grocery shopping in the LakotaMart—a quaint cultural experience to be sure.

Although we drove more than 80 miles today, it was nice to take a break from the all-day treks that we made the first three days. The extra free time allowed us to have our first campfire. We picked a good night for it—tonight’s low temperature is predicted to be 39 degrees with a “real feel” of 33. Bob said he wasted his time bringing his Speedo swimsuit!