Black Hills, my old stomping grounds

[pcombe]

took a few days last week and ran over to the Black Hills with my old Friend Ron Rainbolt.

We both used to live in the hills and Ron was born and raised in Sturgis.

We stayed a couple nights at the best western- Hickcock house in Deadwood

I haven't been back to the hills for some time now and running the old haunts sure makes me realize how much I missed them being my backyard.

We went from Newcastle,Wy. up Highway 85 and of course had to stop at the buckhorn bar so Ron could get a beer.



These photos were taken on Vandurin road outside Sturgis. I see there are year round tee-shirt shops on main st. these days but other than riding down the street we weren't much interested. I haven't been to the rally for years.



These photos are taken in Spearfish Canyon below Deadwood and entering the canyon at Cheyenne crossing.



The canyon its self is deep with rugged walls towering above and Spearfish creek following the canyon and pictures don't do it justice.



The rock is mostly granite, I have packed in horseback on top of these walls and set up hunting camp in years past. The hunting is excellent take your pick on deer, elk are back in here also and I have ridden up to the walls to peer over the top into the canyon below.



I will make another post showing Bridal Veil Falls I cant load more than ten pics per post.

Here are photos of the two of us taken at Bridal veil falls.

God the two of sure aren't as young as we were back in the day when lived in them thar hills! Ron and I have been friends for over 40 years, back then I never dreamed we would be here with him using a cane and my oxygen machine sitting on my passenger seat waiting for the picture to be taken!:AGGHH:

I

More to come as time permits!

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Sure is great riding country.

 

[pcombe]

The next three shots were taken at Bridal veil falls in Spearfish Canyon. Downstream a ways is a place called devils bathtub with a series of pools the water has cut into the rock over time.



Ron's trike sure gets allot of attention, he is a chrome whore God bless him and has every possible piece of chrome available to the tri-glide plus some he has designed and made himself. I think he put the thundermax on it just to haul it around? :laugh:

It's a beautiful bike with custom paint.

Hotel in Deadwood

The next four photos are on the needles highway coming up from Highway 16 out of Hill City, SD. If your going to make the needles highway run followed by Iron Mtn road it is best to take this route so you don't miss some of the really nice features of the two roads.



Coming into Black Hills Nat. forest- Needles highway

Rock formations unique to the needles highway.



Coming up on the first tunnel. You can see the cathedral spires in the background



1st photo Gassing up in Sturgis.

2nd photo- Coming into Black Hills Nat. forest- Needles highway

 

[peteg59]

Looks like a good trip with good weather, & plenty to see along the way.
Keep the shiny side up & ride-on:clapping:

 

[pcombe]

Looks like a good trip with good weather, & plenty to see along the way.

Keep the shiny side up & ride-on:clapping:

It was a good trip and it only rained once at night when we were in the room for the night wich is unusual in its self.

:Coffee:MORE POST TO COME AS TIME PERMITS

 

[RcSuD]

Looks like a great time with an old friend. Enjoying it with you. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rick Kay]

What an awesome ride, Paul! Great photos, too! Thanks for sharing! ThumbUp

 

[irmagoo]

thanks for sharing your trip paul!!
great pics. !!
wife and I have been to black hills 16-18 times ,,, you just make use want to go again !!! a week would be great-not while Sturgis is going on,,, well ok a week of Sturgis and a week just to ride!!!
magoo

 

[pcombe]

Photos taken at the eye of the needle-needles highway

This photo is taken in the small area before you enter the main tunnel



Just the other side of the main tunnel toward cathedral spires.



Entrance to the main tunnel.



This shot taken just outside the main tunnel looking toward Custer SD.



Same view different angle.



Main tunnel



Main Tunnel



Locals know this as the phallus of the needles among other such colorful names I shouldn't say on this forum. I have seen some pretty raunchy photos of drunk girls over the years. Some say it fell off mt. Rushmore?:AGGHH:



Bottom left- the eye of the needle seen in the rock. I used to stay at the Sylvan Lake Hotel in December and cross country ski this highway in the winter when the road is closed.:Coffee:



Headed toward the third tunnel.

 

[Ed Hobgood]

Thanks for sharing your trip. Looks like you had a great time.

 

[Gorilla]

Nice pics enjoy

 

[pcombe]

Nice pics enjoy

more pics to come as time permits.

 

[Rick Kay]

more pics to come as time permits.

ThumbUpThumbUpThumbUpThumbUpThumbUpThumbUpThumbUp

 

[pcombe]

This photo shows distance and some of the vastness of Black Hills Nat. forest.



This is the third and final tunnel on the needles highway.


Don't worry there is so much more beauty to be seen before taking a left turn at the junction past the state game lodge and before turning left again onto hwy. 16-A and the Iron Mt. road


coming up? iron mtn. road and the main tunnel. here's a preview.

 

[DakotaTG]

Great pictures Paul!:10: Wife and I were down there June 11, 12, 13, coming back on the 14th. Actually we rode from Jamestown down to Wall, SD on the 11th with 1 other trike and two bikes with us. Stayed in Wall Thursday evening and then went thru the SD Badlands Friday morning then headed up to Black Hills HD which has done a big addition. Stopped in Sturgis for just a bit and then headed down to Deadwood and staying at Deadwood Station which is at the north end of town right where the road either goes to to Spearfish or to Sturgis. Did had a thunderstorm pass over Hill City while we were there but plenty of places to take shelter. This is the 8th year our HOG group has gone down there. We just leave on Thursday instead of Friday with the other 20 some bikes and trikes.

2011 Merlot and Black TG

 

[pcombe]

Great pictures Paul!:10: Wife and I were down there June 11, 12, 13, coming back on the 14th. Actually we rode from Jamestown down to Wall, SD on the 11th with 1 other trike and two bikes with us. Stayed in Wall Thursday evening and then went thru the SD Badlands Friday morning then headed up to Black Hills HD which has done a big addition. Stopped in Sturgis for just a bit and then headed down to Deadwood and staying at Deadwood Station which is at the north end of town right where the road either goes to to Spearfish or to Sturgis. Did had a thunderstorm pass over Hill City while we were there but plenty of places to take shelter. This is the 8th year our HOG group has gone down there. We just leave on Thursday instead of Friday with the other 20 some bikes and trikes.

2011 Merlot and Black TG

I know where your coming from I lived in the Black Hills for 16 years and never got tired of them.ThumbUp

 

[pcombe]

here are the last three posts for this trip.


Iron mtn. road aka the pigtail highway aka hwy 16-A



Iron mountain road as accessed through Custer state park.


This one of the must see highways in the Black Hills, It is a twisty scenic route that has Mt. Rushmore as one of it's outstanding features as well as lots of wild life which were conspicuous in their absence this time. The wild donkeys and Buffalo were no where to be seen. I did see a nice big antelope and nice buck whitetail deer but I'm hard pressed to be excited as the antelope outnumber people in Wyoming where I live. The unusual thing here is that the Antelope in Wyoming usually stay down on the plains.
This highway features tunnels, log bridges that double back on themselves and narrow split lanes that are particular to Iron Mtn. road.

This photo opportunity would probably be missed if you ran this highway from the other direction as it would be in your rearview mirror.

MT. Rushmore from 16 miles out.


This is the entrance to the main Tunnel from about 15 miles out.


I must apologize because these photos just didn't turn out! (to much light contrast and not enough zoom I guess?)
You should be able to see Mt. Rushmore centered the mouth of the tunnel.
Maybe this new GO PRO camera my friends wife just gave me might have picked it up?



After going through the tunnel you should see Rushmore through the gap in the trees. (perhaps if you enlarge the photo?)



Mt. Rushmore taken from the lookout at the summit of Iron mtn. road.
About 8 miles out.


Another scenic shot from the same location. I believe the high point you see is Harney peak? ( FURTHEST OUT IN DISTANCE) I have hiked to the top of it in my youth. It is the highest east of the Rocky mountains and features an old stone fire lookout station from many years ago. (do not attempt this hike if you are not in great shape,) Access it from Sylvan lake and the Sylvan lake Hotel it's four miles up and the last few hundred yards is exhausting. There is a trail and supplies were brought in on a pack train. The great part is that you could climb up there and see fireworks in three states.


Rushmore from the mouth of the second tunnel.


one of the log bridges that double back on themselves.


You can begin to see why the nickname for this road is the pigtail highway.

 

[pcombe]

Keystone SD. and mount Rushmore


Had to stop in Keystone so Ron could get a beer and give our old backsides a break.



One the 1880 stem narrow gauge track work engines. You can actually catch a 16 mile ride on the 1880 passenger trains that run between Hill city and Keystone.


Coming up on Rushmore from Keystone. We didn't stop as we lived in the Hills for many years and have been to the visitor center many times.



Had to do a little spin photo under George.

 

[pcombe]

This is the final post for this thread, I added three today and I hope you enjoy them.



Devils Tower, Wyoming


No trip to the Black hills would be complete without visiting the Northern Hills, amongst them is Devils tower Nat. Monument AKA mashed potato mountain.

The next three pictures were taken at Devils Tower



I had a little fun trying to create some photo wizardry, What do you think?
Hope they don't give you windowpane acid flashbacks?



Tunnel- Needles highway.

Needles highway.


Devils Tower.

Iron mtn. road

Almost forgot a photo of the 1880 passenger train taken in hill,city.

 

[peteg59]

Thanks for posting your trip pics. I'll probably never get to see the Black Hill in this lifetime, so seeing pics is almost as good as seeing the sights in person, almost.

"Hope they don't give you windowpane acid flashbacks"
I refuse to answer this under my 5th amendment protections