· Wildlife Extravaganza!

Grandma got run over by an elk herd...

...not reindeer...

The excuse for taking a trip to the woods two days ago was that we had a huge bowl full of 'spent' chokecherries to return to the forest for the critters to enjoy. (Remember to look for chokecherries in the last paragraph.)

Following a narrow little-used dirt road where we have in years past collected wild raspberries, Grandma (that's me) was outside and in front of the car, jogging, when I caught sight of an elk herd (shucks no camera) and motioned the car to stop. Grandpa and our 10 year old granddaughter scrambled quietly over to see what I was so excited about, while our 16 year old granddaughter waited in the car. At least 20 elk were lounging, some grazing, up on the hillside at the left side of the road. After most of the startled herd had wandered over the crest of the hill, Grandpa and gd-10 strolled back to the car, full of happiness. I continued around the bend to the left and up the hill, waving them past so they wouldn't have to chug along behind me, and thinking the elk were long gone by then. 

Was I ever surprised!...Shorty gd-10 was driving (get that!)
all by herself, with Grandpa in the seat beside her, and she couldn't even see barely over the steering wheel. They advanced, quite safely, in first gear while I followed behind, fascinated at her staying centered on the dirt road.

Suddenly I heard a loud, intense and continuous clattering in the woods on the downside of the wooded hillside, at the left. 

The commotion wrenched my head in that direction. In the late twilight I strained to see what I already sensed was going on—STAMPEDE. The elk had spooked, either by us...or by perhaps a lion. There were many more than 20, racing wildly through an opening in the trees, parallel to the road. While internally browsing my predicament, I glanced at the car in front of me still pulling distance between us, and began shouting for them to stop. But they apparently couldn't hear me...and gd-10 wasn't looking in the rear view mirror either, as I began running in an attempt to catch them, and safety. 

When suddenly some of the herd bolted across the road in front of the car, I froze...but the car kept moving forward, though creeping. I kept my eyes on nearby large trees for shelter, if necessary. After what seemed an eternity, they did finally stop (both the elk and the car). Quickly I caught up and got in, the elk up on the hillside by then. 

Then the bleating (or whatever elk sounds are called) and more clattering began in ernest, as some of the mothers of the herd, we assumed, were calling to their young from whom they were separated by the road...and by us. From this disturbance on the upside of the hill at the right side of the road, several elk burst out and plunged downhill toward us in seeming desperation, but then abruptly halted...more bleating. By this time Grandpa had taken gd-10's place behind the wheel, not yet fully aware of all I had seen and heard. He was intrigued by the scene...while Grandma was anxiously trying to persuade him that we should move on. Sam said he counted 70 elk as they crossed the road...but there were more, those still hidden in the trees on the left side. 

So, that's how Grandma almost got run over by an elk herd. 

Ok...and then earlier in the week, August 6, on a joy ride through Custer State Park (the day we learned we could pick chokecherries in the Park, asking after having seen a plethora of them), we had the rare privilege of watching a huge MOUNTAIN LION bound across the highway about 200 feet in front of the car, two graceful extended leaps, a mesmerizing sight...until the beautiful animal dissolved into the dusky woods, leaving us with a wistful feeling for more, and something to talk about on the way home. Just another boring week in the life of Sam, Linda, gd-10 and gd-16. ...although gd-16 would be picked up at the airport the next day, August 7, and then the trip back to the Park for chokecherries. You guessed it, gd-16 missed joining the Mountain Lion Sighting Club, this time.

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfast hospitality inn
hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
convenient lodging location near
mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument
- crazy horse memorial - black elk wilderness
- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway
- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail
- historic downtown hill city - antiques

· Medicine Mountain Rd, Upper Spring Creek Rd

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast on facebook

Want to come along for a little adventure on a Black Hills Sunday drive with Sam and Linda?

26 photos...

Medicine Mtn Rd and Upper Spring Creek Rd

- The first five photos shown in the album were actually the last ones taken on our Sunday outing, taken where our day in the woods ended, by a roofless cabin on Upper Spring Creek Rd, at dusk. The cabin now houses aspen trees. We and relatives tromped around there a few years back...only it was Spring then. - Many of the remaining photos invite you for a walk with Linda along a two-rut road off Medicine Mountain Rd. This is when Sam fell into his much-needed nap in the car.

By:Linda Barnhardt Brown

· Waterfall Hike - Trail 14 Black Elk Wilderness

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast/facebook

Sam generously supported my desire to go adventuring with a friend today. "M" and I hiked in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve to see the seasonal waterfalls. We followed the creek along Trail 14, into the Black Elk Wilderness, stopping frequently due to the 90 degree temperature. We encountered backpackers along the trail, resting in the shade of an enormous rock (...enormous being the typical size of the rocks in this wilderness!) - The photos are in consecutive order. Click the map and enjoy!

Norbeck Wildlife Preserve - Trail 14 in Black Elk Wilderness

26 new photos

· Wake up, Hills!

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast (Black Hills Home Cabins) - On April 11, adventuring into a Sunday afternoon, we drove to Sylvan Lake to see whether the Needles Highway was open for us local Black Hills tourists. It was, to our joy. The album begins with that drive, and shows pictures ranging from early April 'weather' to a late April blooming bush. Enjoy!

(Click the first picture to enlarge...will take you to the album on facebook,

then click 'next' in upper right corner to continue through the album.)

Wake up, Hills!

15 new photos

· Beaches / Trails At Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake

Harney Peak from Palmer Gulch Trailhead

If you will be visiting the Black Hills in late June through August, perhaps early September, chances are you will find the perfect climate for outdoor swimming! Sylvan Lake has a beautiful small beach, which, if it were visible in the first photo above, would be found somewhere between the elongated granite mounds on the left. 

Sheridan Lake and Pactola Lake both have beaches. One of the lakes in Custer State Park has a somewhat larger beach, pretty as can be. In Hot Springs you will find Evans Plunge, which is an indoor/outdoor facility warmed by natural 'hot springs', and features waterslides. Hot Springs is in the southern Hills (about 45 miles from centrally-located Hill City). Hot Springs may be approached via a scenic drive through Wind Cave National Park, where you might want to take advantage of the cool underground caverns. No doubt there are other splashy places around here, too. You might try asking some of the locals where they go for a swim!

Back to Sylvan Lake, it is certainly a favorite in the near vicinity of Hill City (approximately 10 miles), extraordinarily picturesque. The water goes from shallow to fairly deep in the designated swimming area, so probably something agreeable for everyone regarding temperature, not excessively cold in the summer months. The beach is also in close proximity to a trailhead leading to the top of Harney Peak (second photo above), extremely popular with visitors and locals alike...about a 3 to 4 hour hike. Amazing views up there!

(The peak is not visible from Sylvan Lake.) Another spectacular hike can be found below the dam of Sylvan Lake. It is the Sunday Gulch Trail and descends between massive granite mountains on concrete and boulder steps, with supportive railings placed strategically. 

After swimming and/or hiking one might expect a bit of an appetite. Conveniently near the Sylvan Lake beach, a picnic area is equipped with tables and fire grates for grilling hotdogs and other grillables. On the opposite side of the lake a souvenir store offers a small take-out eatery and an outdoor patio for picnicking. There is a fine dining restaurant nearby as well.

· Mickelson Trail Near Hill City

Just south of Hill City along the Mickelson Trail,

here is one relic of laborious pioneering history...

Visitors may also discover similar sights while

strolling north along the Trail.

Two springtime guests, in the Bluma Madle Suite,

enjoyed a walk on the Mickelson Trail before breakfast.

A short distance from Hill city, going north,

they spotted a few foxes at early-morning play.

They were fortunately quick with the camera...

No, that is not a contortionist fox,

but rather it is two fox pups,

one diving in and the other wiggling out.

Some of the locals who live next to the Trail

are unabashed beggars for affection...

And below is part of a Breyer horse collection

belonging to a recent 11-year old guest, 

who found a vacant shelf useful for corralling the herd.

She and her grandmother stayed in the

Chessie Lee's Peas Suite for 7 nights. Delightful pair!

The grandmother is an experienced, energetic hiker

living in the Colorado Rockies—

and while vacationing here,

she kept herself fit on the Mickelson Trail.

· Your Relaxing Place

Yesterday a friend and I (Linda) had the opportunity to drench ourselves in the springtime beauty of the Black Hills Forest, along Playhouse Road. Intermittent light rain helped the sensation greatly, but certainly didn't dampen our spirits.

Sprinkles of rain scented the exhilarating mountain air with freshness, and enhanced intricate woodsy fragrances, as well as highlighted many otherwise subtle natural colors. My camera had not a minute of boredom, capturing the mellow sagey hues and lacy texture of lichen on moist rocks, as well as the brilliant green colors and spongy appearance of mossed-over logs. 

The picture below is a composite, featuring a lichen background and one end of a hollow oak log, in which the bear feels right at home... 

· George S. Mickelson Trail

Rain or shine . . .

The kind of happiness stirred up by the deep and high beauty of the wilderness Black Hills, by the pure invigorating freshness of it, can also be enjoyed along a more even plane. Whether out for casual walking with your friends (see mine above), or for brisk hiking or running, or for breezy bicycling . . . these are all much loved activities of all ages, all along the 112 plus miles of the easily accessible George S. Mickelson Trail, a trails from rails project, which gave the late 1800's railbed new purpose. The highly acclaimed Mickelson Trail can be enjoyed from Deadwood of the northern Black Hills to Edgemont of the southwestern foothills. The splendor of towering cliffs, granite mountains, crisp streams, wild flowers and wildlife along the way is only matched by the fragrance of pine-scented air which rejuvenates the lungs and refreshes the beating heart. 

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast, Hill City, is in the Central Black Hills, along the Mickelson Trail. Bicycles can be rented within a few blocks of the B&B. An added luxury for our Trail guests is that Mountains To Prairies is within easy walking distance of everything Hill City offers. Historic downtown provides a pleasing array of delicious foods, fine art and specialty shops, such as Jon Crane Art Gallery and Black Hills Institute of Geological Research (Everything Prehistoric Gift Shop); and the community has several nearby church denominations, which welcome visitors to participate in Sunday Worship Service or Saturday/Sunday Mass. 

Going north-northwest of Hill City along the Mickelson Trail, one may catch glimpses of traces of 1880 cabins or other evidence of once vibrant life, and one may hear the distant chuggings of the popular present-day 1880 Train like as if they were the pulses of energy and enthusiasm spent by the hopefuls who dwelt here . . . working such mines as the King Solomon, the Bengal Tiger and Lucky Tiger. About 7 miles out is the site of Redfern, showing very little but the skeleton of a vintage railroad car.

Railroad Bed Rememberings

Nostalgic sighs may resonate with the leaning pines

gently sweeping sounds through the heart and soul and mind

even involving those curiously passing by

who have no dim memory of such rugged ragged times.

Copyright (c) 2009 - Sam and Linda Brown

· Welcome to the Blog Spot of

Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast

bed and breakfast hospitality lodging

hill city, central black hills, south dakota

near mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park

- wind cave national park - jewel cave national monument

- mountain lakes - harney peak - norbeck scenic byway

- black hills playhouse near center lake

- george s. mickelson trail - the centennial trail

- historic downtown hill city - antiques

- all things bright and beautiful

If you were to vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota, what would be the most important part of your adventure? Would it be the local food, such as bison; would it be Mount Rushmore; hiking in the forest; climbing the towering granite rocks; fishing in the mountain streams and lakes; backpacking; caving; touring the beautiful scenic highways; enjoying the culture and art of the area; visiting Crazy Horse Mountain Carving; thinking, seeing, breathing and doing something different . . . What is important to you?