Christmas 2025

 

The Traveler's Limbo at MSP

O-Dark-Thirty at MSP

A Calculated Retreat

Leaving the dreary hills outside Rapid City behind.

A Badlands Pivot

 The best-laid schemes o' Bison an' Rock Wren / Gang aft agley (with apologies to Bobby Burns).

The view at civil twilight: decidedly wet and rainy.

The Faces of the Black Hills

The iconic view down the Avenue of Flags.

A Moment of Peace at Horse Thief Lake

 After a few hours on the winding roads of the Black Hills, you start looking for a good place to pull over and just breathe. Horse Thief Lake is one of those perfect spots.

A peaceful scene with a hint of autumn color.

A Vision Carved in Stone

The massive carving rising above the Black Hills forest.

 It's hard to believe it has been over twenty years since I was last in the Black Hills, and my last visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. While the progress on the mountain itself is a deliberate and generational process, the scope of the entire project is what truly resonates.

Wind Cave National Park: A Surface-Level Visit

 

The landscape transforms upon entering the Black Hills.

From the Plains to the Hills

 The miles roll by easily on the plains. After crossing from Colorado into Wyoming, the landscape opens up into a vast expanse that stretches to every horizon.

A Leisurely Start Towards the Black Hills

 There's a certain quiet satisfaction to the start of a road trip, especially one that begins at a leisurely pace. We're not trying to break any land speed records on this journey; the compass is simply pointed toward Rapid City, South Dakota.