Mark, Sandy and Kent on the Bus
Mammoth Replica
Mammoth Dig Site
Mammoth Tusks and Bones
Mammoth Skeleton Replicas Created from Uncovered Bones
Wind Cave Blow Hole
Mark, Sandy and Kent at the Base of Mount Rushmore with Washington Above
George Washington
Veterans and Gold Star Families
Mount Rushmore Illuminated at Night
The weather on this morning continued to be cold and wet. The previous day was one of the coldest dates recorded for the area with a high of only 56 degrees. This is in comparison to the 96-degree high a couple of days before.
On this morning we were joined by a woman by the name of Tiffany Robertson who presented the story of her and her husband, Tyler’s 5,000-acre cattle ranch. She showed us slides and explained about all the work it takes to raise cattle throughout an entire year. She discussed raising the cattle, feeding the cattle, branding the cattle, breeding the cattle and so` much more. The price of beef is up so business is good for them this year.
We then took a motorcoach to Hot Springs, South Dakota where we explored an active paleontological dig site called The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, SD. The site boasts the largest concentration of mammoth remains in the world. We took a journey back in time when Ice Age mammoths, camels, and giant short-faced bears roamed the Great Plains of North America. More than 26,000 years ago, a sinkhole collapsed and the warm spring percolating from the bottom filled it in to create an ideal watering hole for animals to quench their thirst. The sinkhole proved to be too slippery and steep for the animals to retreat, thus creating a death trap for large Columbian and Wooly Mammoths. The sinkhole is believed to have been at least 65 feet deep and 120 feet by 150 feet wide at the surface. The entire sinkhole site is housed inside a building with elevated walkways for you to navigate above the dig site.
We saw a short ten-minute introduction film and then toured the world’s largest Columbian Mammoth exhibit and research center for Pleistocene studies. We went behind the scenes at the Mammoth Site Laboratory with the museum’s docent to learn more about specific bones, fossils and the stories behind the Mammoth’s demise.
For lunch we dined at a local motel and restaurant in Hot Springs where the owner shared some photos and stories about the town’s past and present. Lunch consisted of white bread with cold cuts, potato salad, bean salad, potato chips, soup and homemade desserts.
After lunch we headed to the Wind Cave National Park located about ten miles north of Hot Springs, South Dakota. The park was established on January 3, 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was the sixth national park in the U.S. and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world.
The cave is notable for its calcite formations known as boxwork (a honeycomb like structure), as well as its frostwork (needle like growths). Approximately 95 percent of the world’s discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave. The cave is the sixth longest cave in the world with over 168 miles of explored cave passageways.
Above ground the national park includes the largest remaining natural mixed grass prairie in the United States and is home to many animals including elk, bison, coyotes, cougars, bobcats, red foxes, minks, prairie dogs and a free roaming and genetically pure herd of bison.
We did not enter the cave but instead took an interpretive walk to the natural opening of the Wind Cave to learn more about its origin and relevance to the local native creation story.
On our way back to the lodge we were able to stop by Crazy Horse and the weather was clear enough to see the mountain although not sunny. We also stopped at a turn out near Mount Rushmore where we could get a photo of George Washington’s face. By this time of day, the sun was beginning to shine and everything looked better.
After an Italian dinner at the lodge, we had a local expert who presented a talk on the natural history and creation of the Black Hills.
At last, the weather had improved and we were able to attend the lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore. The ceremony began at 9:00pm with one of the rangers giving a ten-minute talk on anything of their choosing. Tonight, the young man was discussing freedom and democracy. The National Anthem was presented in a film and folks sang along. Next, they showed a film about the contributions and accomplishments of the four presidents depicted on Mt. Rushmore. The presidents were then illuminated to great applause. Next, the veterans in the audience and any gold star families were invited to the stage to be recognized and to retire the colors. It was a beautiful and patriotic ceremony. We headed home about 10:10pm.