Four friends, one Jeep, lots of food, seventeen hours.
We left Grand Rapids mid day Thursday, arriving in The Badlands at 4:30 AM, bleary eyed and happy. Arriving just in time for a stunning sunrise, and cool morning hike through the incredible geological formations, with no one but Cliff Swallows for company. Every once in a while, we make plans that seem impossible, packing too many things in to a short amount of time, with too many moving parts and hundreds of possible ways for the plans to go wrong. And every once in a while God says: "Absolutely. Go for it - and I'll bless it with a few extra surprises along the way that will blow your minds. All because I love to give good gifts to my children." This is very different than what we often experience in life, which is frustrations, heartache and the general affects of a sin sick world. So enjoy those mind blowing moments, and "every good gift and every perfect gift [that] is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" James 1:17 Give glory to that good Father of lights, and live life to the very fullest.
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Hiking Sunday Gulch trail on Saturday, its winding trail includes the iconic granite boulders of Western South Dakota and stunning views overlooking miles of the Black Hills National Forest.
Sylvan lake is one of several lakes nestled into Custer State Park, with sparkling water that reflects those same iconic Boulders. Can I just say how much I love you, South Dakota? There is something about the mountains that makes you feel your smallness, and at the same time, feel God's greatness.
I think that is why I enjoy the mountains so much. Black Elk Peak is the highest peak east of the Rockies, and includes two iconic rock formations called Devil's Tower and Cathedral Spires. The day could not have been more perfect. The combination of blue Skys, white clouds, light air, cool breeze and warm sun made for ideal hiking condition, and of course the company was first class. Boy Scouts, motorcyclist couples, college students, and families were our trail companions along with wild roses, pine and birch trees, hawks and songbirds. What a day. To end quite possibly the best day of my life, we drove up to Mt. Rushmore.
As the storm clouds gathered, and soon broke into a downpour of rain joined with loud claps of thunder and a light show - we sat under the overhang of the parking garage, eating hotdogs cooked in the back of the Jeep. When the rain slowed down, there was a double full rainbow. We cleaned up and sat under GW, Tommy, Teddy, and Abe for a patriotic and historic ceremony. It was as dark as it gets at 9:30 pm in early July, but they turned the lights on these four former Presidents of the United States of America, and I don't think I have ever felt more happy and humbled to be an American. I slept so well that night. Thank God for this country and the men who have paved the way for our freedoms. Sunday included hiking Lover's Leap with hike, a very deceptive looking lake that turned out to be well below Michigan lake standards and yet another evening thunderstorm with a double full rainbow.
The wildlife loop included hundreds of Prairie Dogs, several Pronghorn Antelope and turning the corner to find a large herd of Buffalo. Creation speaks of the Creator! From the National Park Service website: "Bison, elk, and other wildlife roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of one of America's oldest national parks.
Below the remnant island of intact prairie sits Wind Cave, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. Named for barometric winds at its entrance, this maze of passages is home to boxwork, a unique formation rarely found elsewhere." An Independence day hike through the Canyon trail, a picnic lunch in the Jeep hiding from the heat, and an historic candle lit cave tour with one of the spunkiest park rangers - tales of Alvin McDonald and other early explorers. We ended the day with fireworks in Custer before an early morning and the long trek home. Happy and content and feeling quite patriotic. |
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June 2023
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