We went back and forth about going to Mammoth Site. We heard great things about it but for some reason we had it in our heads that we were leaving Custer, South Dakota on Monday. It was now Monday and I was beginning to tie up some loose ends to prepare for a travel day. While finishing up a few last loads off clothes at the laundry mat the employee made a point to tell me not to miss Mammoth Site. I didn’t ask about it, she just offered the information. She said that even as a local she has been there 18 times because the site is always changing and that if she had to pick one thing to tell people to see in South Dakota it was this. That sealed the deal for me, we must go to this active dig site.
I don’t always take peoples recommendations but in this case I’m sure glad we did. Mammoth Site was unbelievable! In 1974 a developer bought the land that is now Mammoth Site to put up a housing development. As the excavation began for the homes, large bones were discovered. Initially the developers thought there were just a few and began to keep digging. The more they dug the more they uncovered. They decided to stop the housing project and had paleontologists come investigate the site further. The paleontologists planned to be there for 3 days thinking that was plenty of time to complete the research but it didn’t take long for them to realize this was more than just a few fossils. The developer sold the property (for the original purchase price) to a non-profit organization set up just for the Mammoth site. Several years later an entire building is on top of the dig site allowing visitors to see the actual area where paleontologists continue to uncover the fossils or Mammoths and other animals. The active dig today still has hundreds of feet of soil waiting to be uncovered. Each time you visit the dig site will have changed and who knows what will be unearthed.
Mammoth site was formed millions of years ago when a sink hole was created here as a result of a collapsing cave. As it filled with water, it became a drinking hole for the animals in the area. The problem was many of them slipped in and couldn’t get out, in particular the mammoths which are not as agile animals for climbing up out of the steep walls. The mammoths would then either drown or as they struggled to get out, a short faced bear had them for dinner.
What was cool was that many of the larger bones and tusks were left in the original spots where they were found. This was so fascinating and we were all glad we decided to stay an extra day South Dakota for this awesome place.
The sign in the first picture reads; Mammoth Pelvis. The walkways are build to be moved around easily, as exploration continues. The large area in the middle of the last picture has yet to be touched by paleontologists.
Taking it all in…
What a day? If you ever find yourself in the Black Hills of South Dakota be sure to not to miss these 2 amazing places.
Needles Highway
Give yourself at least an hour to drive the 14 miles of Needles Highway. There are several places you will want to pull over to just take in the view and stand in awe of this fascinating place called the Black Hills. If you are into hiking there are also some awesome trails along the way. All the trails we found were a bit too long for the little one. The scenic highway ends as you pass through a narrow tunnel, in the area called the Needles, with the highlight being the Needles Eye. And although the eye of the needle was really cool, what I liked most was all the little nooks and narrow spaces that were just waiting to be explored. We spent a bit of time in this area.
Needles Eye
Sylvan Lake
My buddy, Jesse, at the laundry mat told us to check out Sylvan Lake. When I was looking at all the things we wanted to explore this week I wasn’t sure we would be able to fit in Sylvan Lake. So when we came upon Sylvan Lake by sheer luck, I was psyched. What a beautiful place! It looks like these rock formations are growing right out of the water. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. When a place looks this magical, the mile hike around it is a must! Instead of finding pictures in clouds, we were finding pictures in rock formations during our hike.
I have to quickly make a plug for the Lost Sock (I just love that name) laundry mat. The family that owns this place are great people. I had the pleasure of talking to Jesse, a 19 year old, who helps his mother run the business. He is super friendly and a great resource on local places. The laundry mat gave out free popcorn and lollypops which is great in enticing the kids to help with the laundry. Thanks to Jesse and the Lost Sock to adding to our amazing week in Custer, SD.
We showed up at Wind Cave to find that it was National Public Lands Day. On this day, among a few others throughout the year, all national parks and monuments have free admission. We have a national parks pass so our admission is always free but there would have been a charge for the cave tour but thanks to Nation Public Lands Day our tour was free!!
The most stunning and notable thing about Wind Cave is its display of boxwork. Boxwork is a calcite formation. Wind Cave holds 95% of the worlds boxwork. If I remember correctly the other 5% is found in the Ukraine and Australia. Wind Cave is the 6th longest cave in the world with more and more miles being discovered each year.
Boxwork
When we got to the van I looked at Jeff to unlock the car while he was looking at me to unlock the car. Turns out that neither one of us had the keys, with me being the last to have possession of them. The keys seemed to have up and vanished. I searched and searched because I am known for placing the keys, among other things, in places that are the absolute least logical place of all. For example, the van battery was just dead because I left the keys in the ignition turned part way on or the time the keys were in the hallway closet (that was when we lived in a house with a closet, no closets in the motorhome).
But the place we found the keys this time was a first; off the side of the wall on preserved land in Wind Cave National Park. While sitting down on the stone wall that lines the sidewalk of the entry walkway, the keys must have slipped off the edge. There they were glistening among this beautiful land. Ranger Andrew was called to the scene where he had to climb up the hill to retrieve our precious keys. He slipped a few times while he was climbing up but I held in my laugh as he was my lifeline to getting back to the campground. Thanks Ranger Andrew! I’m sorry that this once undisturbed land has now been left with a set of footprints.
We knew nothing about the Buffalo Roundup, we just so happen to land in Custer the Monday prior to the roundup which was on Friday. There was a lot of talk in town about the Buffalo Roundup. It turns out that this is such a big deal that over 14,000 people come into Custer to attend this. Some come just to see the roundup, others come for the buffalo auction, some come to attend the art festival, and many come for all the weekend activities.
So I kept asking everyone, “What is this Buffalo Roundup and is it worth the early wake up? We were told the gates to the park open at 6:15 and we should get there by then and still be ready to sit in a bit of traffic. We ignored this useful piece of information and thought that leaving by 7:30am would be just fine. And we sat in more than a bit of traffic. At one point Jeff and Koah got out to walk and if they had continued to walk I think they would have gotten to the parking lot well before we did.
We still managed to make it in time to see the roundup. We waited and then watched as 1600 buffalo, that typically roam freely in the park, came running over the hill in the distance being driven by cowboys. The cowboys then drive the buffalo into the carrels in the park. Seeing 1600 buffalo charging at full speed ahead over a hill is quite a sight. This event was not easy to photograph but here is a small glimpse of what we experienced.
Here they come (in the distance):
Slowing down:
After the buffalo are rounded up some of them are auctioned off. They are not sold to be slaughtered, many people come to buy buffalo to add diversity to their herds back at their farms, some as far as Russia.
I love this picture. Koah refused to look at the camera and I laugh every time I look at it.
