August 24th 2009: Archived Entry from the American Nomad Experiment
Woke up around eight a.m. to a blue sky and warm breeze. Monday looked to be another gorgeous day in Custer State Park. A few minutes after waking up, the Camping Attendants stopped by and we paid for another night at our campsite. For the next hour and a half my mom enjoyed relaxing at the picnic table, eating a breakfast of cereal and raisins. I also had a Diet Coke - I'm sorry, but I'm shamelessly addicted to Diet Coke with Splenda.
At a quarter to ten we decided to go on a nearby hike entitled the Grace Coolidge Walk-In Fishing area. The hike is named after President Coolidge's wife Grace. Senator Peter Norbeck, an advocate of Custer State Park and the SD Senator during the founding of Mt. Rushmore and Coolidge's tenure invited Coolidge to spent his three week vacation along with Grace in Custer at the State Game Lodge, which we will frequent later this week. Norbeck's goal was convincing the President of the importance of Mt. Rushmore and its need for funding.
Coolidge and his wife Grace fell in love with the Black Hills and decided to extend their three-week tenure in Custer to an entire summer turning the State Game Lodge into his Presidential headquarters "or 'The Summer White House" for three months. Needless to say Cool Cal was impressed enough to help push through Mt. Rushmore Production in 1927.
This trail follows Coolidge Creek from Center Lake parking lot trail head to the Grace Coolidge campground 3 miles away. It is a there and back hike (6 miles total), which is mostly flat. One thing I will say about this hike is that it is geared toward fishermen and you face many large creek crossings en route to the campground. Be prepared to get wet, as you will at times be faced with knee high water.
The trout stream offers a riparian environment - and is also an excellent trail to examine the mix of prairie meets valley meets water foliage. Beautiful wildflowers were present trailside along with thick underbrush. Large Boulders and Pinnacles of thick gray stone cradled the trail and added to the phenomenal beauty.
We hiked for a mile and half in before opting to turn around. Even though I had on water proof shoes I was in shorts and not particularly geared up for precarious creek crossings. I still thoroughly enjoyed what became a three mile hike.
After the hike we ate lunch at the Legion Lake Lodge. I checked my email and our bank account, which isn't in great shape, but we are on super-budget so we'll make it work. We split a bacon-cheeseburger and fries and drank water.
After lunch we went on another hike around nearby Legion Lake. The Legion Lake Loop is roughly a mile and a half and moderate hike (lots of steep inclines and Poison Ivy - yes Poison Ivy is fervent here). It loops around Legion Lake and offers great views of the surrounding area.
As we started to hike we saw two Bison crossing the road. I will be discussing Bison in detail in my next entry. Bison are North America's largest land mammal weighing over 2000 pounds and although they look docile they can run at speeds of 30 miles per hour. In my experience with Bison (which is a lot since I used to work at Yellowstone and had a bison sleep by my window every night nicknamed 'George') they are interested in humans and like humans otherwise they wouldn't frequent high traffic tourist spots (especially in YNP), however they deserve serious RESPECT. They will not attack you (Gore you) unless they feel threatened. They don't like to be approached or touched by humans. And can you blame them? How would you feel if some stranger at the mall came up to you and starting poking at you and pulling your hair - you'd push them away! Bison appreciate humans, but as wild animals they need their space. They don't mind a photo opt from afar, but they don't want an up close and personal head shot either. Stay at least 25 yards from Bison at all times - no matter what. If you see one on the road - keep your distance and let them cross. In parks like Custer and Yellowstone - the Wildlife is charge - you're in their HOUSE! Show some respect!
The hike cut across the Legion Beach to a connector bridge before ascending and descending the granite boulder ridge cradling the man-made lake (all lakes in Custer are man made, but they fit the scenery so well you'd never know it.) Steep inclines caused for a little foot maneuvering, but the views were worth it and we definitely got a work-out!
We finished the hike around three, and with the sun still out for another few hours we decided to go ahead and drive through the Wildlife Loop. This is an eighteen-mile loop, which takes motor tourists through a variety of topography from pine speckled granite peaks to the hot and dry open grassland of the Custer prairie. The Black Hills is a place of Grasslands meets Mountains and therefore the rich diversity of geology and topography is seen in extreme beauty here.
The trail is named for the fact that you have the opportunity to see an abundance of wildlife from Bison, to Pronghorn, Big Horn Sheep and even Wild Burros. Custer has a variety of Wildlife and you can see most of it on this loop. However, I will note one missing wildlife member from the Black Hills: Bears. No bears live in the area, which means Custer is one of the few places in the nation where campers can leave their food out at night without hesitation...
If you are interested in the Wildlife Loop follow me to my next entry!
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