Movin' On Down the Road

We were more than ready to depart Gillette today but only because we have been in one place too long. We met a lot of nice people at this rally and especially the folks from Missouri and Arkansas. After getting the coach weighed, we headed toward Buffalo, WY, then north past Sheridan and onto Scenic Hwy 14 into the Big Horn National Forest. It seems a lot of the Newmar folks are going to either Yellowstone or Glacier National Parks. We met one couple at a rest area and ended up visiting with them for about 30 minutes.

About 2 pm we found a campground that wasn't full so we pulled in. We were really afraid that we wouldn't be able to find a spot as it is Saturday before the 4th of July. It was a nice camp except that two miles down the dusty, gravel road was another camp for people with youngsters who love to race their 4-wheelers up and down the dusty, gravel road! To escape the noise, we followed the creek up stream, then crossed to hike in forest and high meadows. We saw no wildlife but lots of wild flowers. Tonight we built a big fire as a fire ban goes into effect tomorrow and we won't be able to enjoy one for awhile.

Eagle Butte Mine

It was pretty nice out this morning so we decided to walk to the nearby Gillette Golf Course. Well, not really nearby when walking, but nearby if driving. We walked almost 6 miles and the nice morning turned really hot, really fast! I tried drinking out of a city water hydrant but spit it out when it didn't taste very good.

After the ice cream social at 1:30 we made a beeline to the visitor center where we caught the bus for the Eagle Butte Coal Mine tour. While on the tour, the rally had their closing business meeting and pulled a name for a $1000 door prize. Good thing our name wasn't drawn! The tour was given by a young lady who is a teacher during the school and a former coal mine truck driver. She was very animated and, of course since she had worked at the mine, she really knew her stuff!

35% of the nation's coal comes from Wyoming and 99.99% of that coal is used to produce electricity. There are 13 mines around Gillette. The one we saw is one of two owned by the same company and employed 650 people. Coal is dug from the pit mine 24 hours a day 365 days a year. All the land mined is reclaimed by putting the soil back, planting trees, sagebrush and native grasses; creeks are put back in the same place and animal habitat is created. There is enough coal in the Powder River Basin to last us another 200-300 years.

They blast the coal out of the pit, then haul it to a silo where it is then put on trains that take it to 36 states in the US. The trucks used to haul the coal out of the pit will carry up to 240 TONS of coal. There are 115 - 140 coal cars on one train (1.5 miles long). There are 5-6 trains out of the Eagle Butte Mine and there are 85 coal trains out of the Powder River Basin, each one carrying 15,000 - 20,000 tons of coal every day.

That's probably more information than you wanted to know.

More Newmar Rally

Yesterday and today were spent doing more Rally stuff like shopping for and buying a new end table for the RV, making an appointment to get the RV weighed and checking with the service department about an odor issue we are having. John also has had some discussions with the service people about an engineering problem that he sees with the Newmar Coach engines. He actually got a call back today where they said "You are right! We will see that it gets changed. Thank you."

We rode our bikes into town yesterday, about a 10 mile round trip. We rode around a display of coal mining equipment from the past such as huge buckets and train engines. We also stopped in a nice cheese shop. The owner was pleased to see us, especially when we bought some cheese!

We spent a lot of time today doing nothing which was rather nice for a change. This evening we had dinner with our group from MO. When we came back there was some type of horse event happening on the fairgrounds so I walked over to check it out. A young lady told me it was an every Thursday evening cowgirl event called a Gymkhana (?). The young ladies (and a few very young lads) barrel race and pole race on huge horses, or at least, that is what they look like to me. It was interesting to watch.

We have had a couple of nice cool nights since the front went through but the days have gotten really hot again and the wind blows all afternoon and evening!

Rally Functions

Today we are starting to participate in some of the things this rally has to offer us. One item was to get a few minor glitches fixed on the coach which Newmar will do on site. We also wandered among the different vendors collecting information about LED lights, satellites, & weighing the RV; we checked out an RV sized end table with variable adjustments, bought some Newmar t-shirts, and explored all the coaches on display. It was fun wondering thru the luxurious coaches to see what was available but also to compare our coach with the newer models to see what upgrades they have done. Sometime we thought what they did was better but usually we are just happy with what we have. This one fits our life style just fine!

We spent a lot of time waiting for the repairs to take place, making new friends and going into town to run some errands.

The wind and heat is much worse today so it feels like stepping into a blast furnace every time you open the door. The forecast says the wind will change directions and bring cooler air tonight. I hope so!

Brutal Weather!

I know most of you back home are experiencing some really hot weather but so are we. For some reason I was thinking that if we traveled northward, the temperatures would be cooler but I guess Mother Nature has other ideas! It is still hot in Wyoming but we have to add in the very high winds -- up to 40 mph!

Today we played golf at Bell Knob Municipal Golf Course. It was a scramble and we teed off about 8:30 when the day was relatively cool but still windy. As the day wore on, the wind increased and so did the temp. We were worn out by the end of the round. The fun part of this scramble was that about every other hole only one player teed off. He/she was selected by hair length, hand size, age, oldest motor home, height, etc. And the most memorable part of the game was playing around the Prong Horn Antelope! We teed off over their heads, 6 were sleeping on the black tee box and some had to move so we could hit our balls and then they moved back to "their" spot! They were all over the course. You would have thought they belonged there!

The couple we played with were about 6-8 years older than us and we discovered that the lady used to work for a friendly competitor of John's. We have experienced that several times already this trip. We were looking at the new Newmar coaches on display and a man comes up to us wanting to know where we lived. Turns out that he grew up in Sedalia! And one couple in our caravan is good friends of one of my sorority sisters. Small world.

After golf we attended a new attendee's meeting, then the opening ceremonies then the entertainment for the evening. During that time a huge rain storm swept thru the area and cooled things down considerably. We couldn't wait to get back in the coach for dinner and showers!

Newmar Kountry Klub

We left Hill City at 8:30 AM Saturday morning and caravanned with 8 other coaches to Gillette, WY where the Newmar International Rally is being held. Not much to see along this route except for Devil's Tower way off in the distance and then it was only a glimpse.

We are camped in the Cam-Plex Multi Event Facilities which is a huge fairgrounds-like place. They have 6 separate campgrounds, two areas with numerous horse stalls, a race track with grandstands, and about 5 air conditioned builds for meetings of huge numbers of people. The Missouri caravan are all parked together, and by that I mean we are very close. In fact, our awning nearly touches the unit next to us. We have to walk or drive 2/3 mile to reach our meeting places.

As it is all over the middle part of the US, the weather here is very hot and very windy. Today we drove back to Devil's Tower and our Jeep registered 109°! The wind is rocking our coach and blowing dust. Even if it cools down tonight, we will leave the AC running to prevent a dusty rig.

Devil's Tower is awesome. It is caused by magma being pushed toward the surface, but not quite making it all the way. As it cooled, it cracked. Then erosion exposed the tower and started wearing it away. The Tower is 867 feet from its base, 1,267 feet above the river and 5,112 feet above sea level. The flat top is 1.5 acres. We took the 1.3 mile walk around the base. It is a popular place for climbers, a sacred place for Indians, and a tourist trap for the rest of us. In 1906 it was declared the first National Monument by Pres. T. Roosevelt.

Spearfish Canyon

I packed a lunch and we went out for an all day drive. Our first stop was at Pactola Lake where we got some information about the canyon drive. We stopped in Lead (as in leader) to tour The Homestake Goldmine which started out as a huge pit but later they dug 138 miles of tunnels and shafts under the pit and the town. The name "Lead" is a gold miner term for a place in the rock that leads to a vein of gold. We got a tour of the town along the way, some of which had to be moved back away from the mine because the land was starting to sink into the mine. We also toured the building housing the equipment needed to service the Yates shaft. This winch lowered equipment and miners into the Yates shaft and down almost 8,000 feet.

We did a quick drive through Deadwood before starting down the Spearfish Canyon Drive. It travels northward to the town of Spearfish along Spearfish Creek for about 22 miles. There were many places to pull off and take in the canyon, waterfalls and vistas. One waterfall was a one mile trek off the road. It is called Roughlock Falls. Roughlock was a way of fixing wagon wheels in place so they would not turn as the horse or mule was pulling the wagon up a very steep and rocky hill which they did to reach the water source and to go over the mountain.

To complete the loop and head back to Hill City we drove on the interstate through Sturgis and then back down the Vanocker Canyon Road. This was not nearly as tall nor as closed in as Spearfish Canyon, but it was very scenic.

We had supper at the Alpine Inn with most of the Newmar Caravan we met here. The menu consisted of two dishes -- steak or veggie. The kicker was the desert menu with over 25 items like ice cream pies, cheese cake and waffle cakes. We met almost everyone in the Newmar Caravan tonight. Seems like a really nice group of people.

Mystic Road

Early this morning we woke to light frost on the Jeep but it warmed up quickly. We were on our bikes on the Mickelson Trail by 9:30 AM. We rode the 2.5 miles into Hill City then as we registered to ride, John noticed that one of our lock cables had fallen off of my bike. Being a 'little' frustrated with me, he took off back up the hill towards camp to find the cable. Luckily it was only about a mile back.

We rode thru town then exited near the road to Mystic, SD which we paralleled most of the day. The bad part is that this part of the trail is all UP hill. The good part is its a really pretty ride thru lush fields, pine forests and past streams and ponds. The weather is a little on the cool side but the sun is shining and the wind is at our backs. We stopped a couple of times to take pictures or to rest but that did not help me much. My thighs were still tired from our 26 mile ride two days ago. I started walking more than I was riding and then I couldn't even do that. At about 8 miles from town we stopped for lunch and I turned around and rode home -- down hill!

We had visited with a couple riding recumbent tricycles and they told us that the top of the hill was just about a mile more from where we were and that the down side was really pretty and it went thru two tunnels. So John rode on but it was more like two miles to the top of the hill and as he rode down the hill he kept thinking about the ride back UP so only went another mile and a half before turning around.

I got back about an hour before he did. I had ridden 18 miles, John rode 26 miles. After naps and showers we drove into Hill City and cruised the two block business district before stopping in the Bumpin' Buffalo Bar and Grill for a Moose Drool brew.

We met another couple from the Newmar group this evening and had a nice visit with them and a couple from Canada.

Black Hills Tour

The rain, sleet and hail lasted most of the night and again this morning. John did some work on the computer while I did the laundry. We then broke camp, parked the RV in town and began a scenic drive throughout the Black Hills.

Many of the scenic by-ways through the mountains are very narrow, winding and have tunnels so they recommend that RV's take alternate routes. And after our tour today, we know why. We first traveled toward Sylvan Lake then over Harney Peak which is the tallest spot east of the Rockies at 7,242'. We then went west on a very curvy road toward Mount Rushmore National Memorial. We had decided that we would not stop since we had been there before and when we drove past, we were happy with that decision. They have underground parking garages for all the people who come there. What was really neat, though, was we found a view point just past the memorial where we could see the presidents' heads from a totally, natural setting.

Look close you can see Mount Rushmore

We zipped up to Rapid City to get a prescription filled and then came back via another scenic by-way called Iron Mountain Road. This road had several tunnels that we know for a fact our RV would never have gone in. But what was neater was the spiral roadway that curved over itself three times and then entered a tunnel. They call these spirals 'pig's tails'.

It one spot as we are traveling up hill and around a curve, 3 motorcycles were coming down the hill when one missed the curve causing him to drive into our lane. John did a very quick zig zag and missed the cyclist. The motorcycle guy did not fall and rode on. The adrenaline ran high in both of us.

We took a power nap upon our return to the RV then drove the 13 miles to Hill City where we met up with the Newmar Caravan from Missouri. We met some of the people, ate supper and then took an hour long walk to loosen up the biker's legs.

Mickelson Trail

The George S. Mickelson Trail is a rail to trail biking, hiking and horse back path that runs 110 miles from Deadwood south to Edgemont. It cost $3.00 a day but the path runs thru some beautiful Black Hills Country.

We rode our bikes into town and then got on the Mickelson Trail in Custer. We rode north towards Hill City for about 11 miles and then turned around. We went past the entrance to Crazy Horse Memorial so had a good view of the unfinished sculpture. The Indian's face is completed and we could see the hole in the rock that is the start of the outreached arm of the Indian. The face is 9 stories tall so you can imagine how big the rest of the piece will be.

We saw some deer along the path and ate lunch with a chirping chipmunk. The ride back was a grueling 3 miles UP hill then 7 miles flat and down. But the reward was a great blackberry pie and a blue berry pie ala mode from the Purple Pie Place. We rode slightly over 26 miles.

The weather was in the mid 70's today but tonight it is thundering and raining and cold. Glad to be inside and hope to sleep well!

The Black Hills of SD

As we left our campsite and started to drive to Chandon to do some grocery shopping I hear John go "Uh Oh!" That is never a good sign! The driver side rear view mirror on the RV was rotating away from him! Luckily it was an easy fix once he purchased the right size allen wrench.

We then headed for the Black Hills of South Dakota hoping to camp in a state park. Along the way we stopped at Wind Cave National Park where we walked through Wind Cave. The cave itself is located within a one square mile of earth but goes deep enough that it has over 138 miles of tunnels and caverns. It is considered the most complex cave in the US. The prairies of the mid west were once covered by a vast, shallow sea. Limestone, sediment, sea creatures, and calcium collected on the bottom. Then 60 million years ago the earth heaved, allowing the water to drain away dissolving the limestone and leaving behind a boxwork formation on the ceilings and a complex maze of passages. It got its name from the air that moved into and out of the cave's only small entrance based on atmospheric pressure changes between the cave and outside, creating a 'wind'.

After warming up from the chill of the cave, we drove to Custer State Park where there were NO campsites available. A few phone calls later and we were parked in a secluded, pine covered, hill side, commercial campground. Actually its almost like camping in a state park.

We had dinner in the town of Custer trying some new beers, and a wine tasting at the Naked Winery followed by John's version of shopping (only walking along the sidewalks of the shopping district).

Soldier Creek Wilderness

The weather has turned really HOT! We tried to get away early this morning but didn't manage to leave before 10:30 AM.

We hiked the hillside and canyons of the Soldier Creek Wilderness. The US Forest Service manages this area as part of Nebraska National Forest. But the forest in this part of the park was destroyed in 1989 by the Fort Robinson Fire which took out 48,000 acres of forest and grassland. The Ponderosa Pine were burned at such an intensity that the seeds were also destroyed and the area has not seen any renewed growth of trees. Most of the hill sides are covered with dead and rotting trees.

Our hike took us to the top of a ridge, then we went for awhile along the ridge before going down and then up another hill. The path was a single rut used more by horses than by man and was almost overgrown by tall grasses and weeds. The wind was blowing about 20-30 mph all day and the heat got up to near 100°! We lost our trail after about 4 miles but found an old road bed and followed it back to the Jeep. We estimate that we walked about 6 miles in 2 1/2 hours. We were glad we had our hydration packs and wore our sturdy hiking boots.

After naps were went thru a couple of the Fort Robinson museums, took a short drive and then came back to the RV to try and cool off! The A/C is struggling in this heat!

Cowboys and Indians

In 1868 the Red Cloud Agency is established near the WY and NE border by treaty to supply the Sioux Indians on the reservation with food and supplies so they can work the land. The Agency is moved to the White River near Crawford NE in 1873. The area eventually become Fort Robinson, named after an Army lieutenant who was killed by the Indians. Many raids, ambushes, and Indian wars were fought around here from 1874 to 1890, then in 1906 the 10th Calvary intercepted escaping Ute Indians and turned them over to Fort Meade. The Fort became the headquarters for the calvary post and since then it has housed, trained and bred horses, mules, and war dogs. The 9th and 10th Calvary (black soldiers) were housed here, an Olympian Polo team trained here and it was a German POW camp in 1943.

Today, Fort Robinson is a state park with museums, lodging units, stables, and camping. Former officers' quarters and army barracks have been turned into places to rent for overnight or extended stays. Many of the cabin units or houses will hold up to 20 people with full housekeeping amenities. The horse barns can be rented for your horse or you can trail ride on theirs. They also offer stage coach rides, hay wagon rides, and jeep rides, tubing or kayaking on the While River. They have tennis courts, an enclosed pool and a Post Playhouse with five plays running thru the season.

Today we rode our bikes around the Fort grounds and logged in 5 miles. The place is that big! Later we rode the rails to trail route into Crawford and explored the town. All told, we rode 16 miles on our bikes. After supper I attended "Godspell" at the Post Playhouse. A great production!!

Skirting the Fires

We left Conifer this morning and headed north toward Crawford, NE where we will spend a few days. The drive took us east of areas that are burning in CO and WY. We saw some smoke and it was very hazy but we were not close enough to see fire.

As we passed through Torrington, WY we encountered some pretty nasty looking storm clouds and no, we could not outrun them. When we headed eastward to Crawford, NE we ran right into the storm, then out of it and then it caught up with us as we were trying to unhitch the Jeep and set up camp. Of course, the area is really needing the rain so we didn't complain too much.

The Colorado Trail

Today we hiked a small part of the Colorado Trail.   This is Colorado’s premier long distance trail that runs for almost 500 miles from Denver to Durango, through the Rocky Mountains, at times along the continental divide. Trail users experience six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges. We encountered bikers and hikers and saw evidence of horseback riders on the trail. Our walk was only about 6 miles round trip along a fairly easy stretch of the trail. The forest and rock outcroppings were so pretty and peaceful.

Last night was an interesting night. Around 2 AM we were awakened by a noise that sounded like someone or something jumped on the front deck of the house and then ran down the driveway past our RV. Then a short time later I thought something was trying to get into the RV thru the screen by my head. The people and dogs inside the house also heard noises so the dogs were barking and Ray had a flashlight shining over the porch and drive. When we compared stories this morning, we concluded that it had to have been a person because Ray and Judy heard three knocks on the door and John heard what sounded like a two legged creature running. Later Ray discovered that the cover on his boat had been pulled up in one spot. Curious!  

Then at 6 AM both of our cell phones rang. It was the alarm company letting us know that the burglar alarm was going off at our house! The sheriff's department sent someone to check the outside for forced entry and they found none. Our neighbors went inside and found the door that supposedly set off the alarm was closed tight. So now we have to get the alarm company out to our house to fix the faulty circuit.

Good thing we had a hike, steak dinner, wine and tiramisu to calm our nerves! Ha Ha!

Here We Go Again!

We have started a new adventure for this summer. Our trip will take us to CO, WY, MT and possibly ID and UT. We left home on Monday morning after waking to a thunder storm. We waited as long as we could for the roads to dry so that we would not get the new RV too dirty driving on wet roads.

Oh, yeah, if you hadn't heard we traded in the Born Free for a Newmar Bay Star Class 'A' motor coach. It has two slides and is is 31' 11" long and 13' tall. We can fit all of our belongings in the RV and don't have to carry anything in the towed Jeep. We love it!

The drive across Kansas wasn't too bad. I drove the RV for the first time and didn't drive off the road or run into a passing semi! Ha! We had some pretty stiff cross winds for a while but this RV handled it well. BUT the gas milage is horrible!

Our first stop is in Conifer, CO where we are staying with our friends, Ray and Judy. They took us for a short hike on Tuesday afternoon to get all the kinks worked out of our legs and backs. Today we hiked Meyer Mountain in the Jefferson County Open Space. We then drove around looking at places where wild fires had ravaged the land. One 5000 acre fire was just over the ridge from our friend's home. It is amazing how much grass and bushes have grown back in only a month's time. Another area burned by the Buffalo Spring fire about 12 years ago looks much more desolate and less recovered.

Our drive took us along the South Platt River to Pine Grove, CO and then a mile up the mountain to Sphinx, CO where we had a beer at the Bucksnort Saloon. This place has been around a long time and it shows with carved tables, uneven floors and dollar bills or business cards tacked all over every wall, beam and post in the building!

Ray and Judy have been wonderful hosts, allowing us to park in their driveway and feeding us great dinners!