them hills

The fourth of July went of with some BIG bangs. We weren't really sure what to do or where to go, but we wanted to be on the move and find a campground. By this point, an electrical hookup for the ride and a hot shower were high priorities. But it was the fourth and despite seeing the works at Mt. Rushmore the previous eve, I was geeked to do something. We drove up north on I90 to get to the top of the Black Hills National forest and work our way down. It was approaching sunset and we got a tip from some people in Deadwood on a hot spot to check out the fireworks. So we strolled into a little town called Leads and went straight into the main hotspot. After parking in what was most certainly not a parking space we hopped on the roof and were given a jaw-dropping display of explosives in the most ideal setting. We thought we were sacrificing our chance to get to a campground, but I got on the phone before the show and secured a spot two miles away. We had a BBQ and showers and ventured on to the heart of the Black Hills.

Today was something else. We traversed far too many miles of bumpy unpaven dirt roads and arrived at our destination. It was nothing but a stank toilet, some parking spots, and enough mosquitos to have us fearing for our hides. Despite the bug barrage we had to survey this new-found territory. A mile down the road Wes and I spotted some terrain that looked steep, but do-able. It looked as though it would be an all-day climb. So today I awoke at the crack of 2 or 3 on fire to tackle the hill. Wes and I set out.. not knowing what lay ahead. 30-40 mins later I was looking down on some of the most majestic scenery I've ever witnessed. I'm not an experienced rock climber, so It's a good thing I'm a ninja. One false move and my ass would have been twisted food for the buzzards.