Thursday, Sept 30:  Custer State Park (blue bell campground)

Today, David and Mali went on a hike to Black Elk Peak; I stayed back to get some things done without 6 feet in my way.

Weds, Sept 29:  Custer State Park (blue bell campground).

Today we drove the Iron Mountain loop (just part of it) and the needles loop/very interesting rock formations…in the jeep…some narrow roads and two narrow tunnels not for rv’s. From the campgrounds we passed, we decided Blue Bell (where we are staying is one of the nicer ones…well spaced and under the ponderosa pines.  NICE HOT SHOWERS.

Tues, Sept 28: Custer State Park (blue bell campground)

The wildlife loop in Custer SP…gave us some wildlife sightings up close and personal.  Big male bisons/2 that managed to avoid capture in the Buffalo Roundup; they must be smarter.  There was a group of Big horn sheep in the Horse Campground just hanging out there right in the middle not minding anything.  We took some of the gravel roads within the park and that revealed major fire damage.  The host told us it was December of 2018 that am electrical wire set it off.  Almost half of the park was burned.  They called in help to backburn to prevent the campground(s) from going up in smoke.  MANY firefighters were there to help out…crawling all over the place aiming to save it.  The bison were affected; their grasslands were burned so no food.  In came truckloads and truckloads of hay to feed the bison.  The bison never had hay and would not eat it for 3 days; then they gave up and ate it.  Next the bison ended up not wanting to go back on grass but of course, had to.  It was a hot mess.  The campground hosties are here from April 1 to November 1 and they are REAL hosties…meeting all campers and checking them in.  Asking them if they have any questions, etc. They do not have to clean bathrooms!  Someone else cleans bathrooms and they are CLEAN…the cleanest I have been to anywhere.  You also have to pay to enter this park…even if you are camping…humphr!

Mon, Sept 27:  Belle Fourche Reservoir to Custer State Park (Blue Bell cg)

We had a lot planned for today: Walmart restock (pick up and go in), Walgreens rx pick up, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse ending the day at the Blue Bell Campground in Custer State Park.   I didn’t sleep that well last night and was fried by time we arrived at Custer SP.  Mount Rushmore was very cool, Crazy Horse had a lot more stuff going on than I had imagined so we did not do it all and settled for what we could do in the time we had and called it good.  We were going to go dump at the dump station in the Custer SP but the campground hostie was kind enough to allow us fellow hosties (another park) dump in an unused volunteer site so we didn’t have to haul it tomorrow on the Custer SP road (narrow and up and down way more than we imagined). I spotted a BIG male bison laying down in a cool shady spot on the way in.   A nice dinner of steak, air fried sweet potato fries, and salad.  A NICE HOT shower!!!! At the campground and AC for sleeping all is good.  Early to bed just because!

Sun, Sept 26: Reva Campground, SD to Belle Fourche Reservoir (orman dam dispersed) 

 

We were BOTH really happy to have switched our campsite from the stinky one to the cool one on the previous warm night (but not where we were).  Our drive this morning took us about 1.5 hours on route 79 mainly…backroads with huge ranches, little cars and vast expanses of grazing going on.  We easily scored a free campsite at Orman Dam.  Our campsite was water front and due to the dry state of things, we could easily walk down to the water.  Dried footprints bogged in mud told us that some were not so lucky. We are only going to be here for one night as we have reservations at Custer State Park tomorrow for 4 nights.  Another time we will venture back here.  The autumn colors of the west (golds and greens) were in full bloom, nice!  This free campsite boasts trash dumpster (need that aabout now) and pit toilets/NO!

 

We took Mali down to play “stick in water”…the only real way to get her to “swim” and that was a huge success because the water was shallow so she could go out further than normal…leaping like a deer and then only swim a little (if David threw it/further).

 

Another HOT South Dakota freak? Fall day peaking at 91 degrees.  Running AC off generator and solar panels are sucking in power.

Sat, Sept 25:  Reva Campground, SD/national forest service

This morning we did a hike around The Castles…it was getting hot (85 degrees today) so we didn’t stay as long as we would have and Mali/black dog was panting.

We could see the goat people with their goats hiking off into the distance…a hot proposition.  A pretty neat place especially for South Dakota.  Avoiding the hot sun today. Enjoying the fall Wild West colors greens/yellows/golds (no reds but still great).

 

When we arrived at this campground there was a note on the picnic table telling us there was an antelope carcass up on the hill.  I went up and looked and it looked to be mostly fur but I didn’t get close to investigate/shrubby tick land.  I marveled at how it didn’t stink at all.  Well tonight it has begun to have an odor and the wind must be right so I hope it doesn’t get too horrible  and come in my window at night. We are leaving tomorrow so not a big deal for us.  I did call the forest service to inform them it was there.  They were appreciative but told us they would not come to pick it up; I did not care at the time.  If I were staying longer I might.  He said the coyotes would take care of it and I expect they will.  Maybe we will hear them sing the song of their people tonight.

 

UPDATE: After taking a walk after dinner tonight, we found a COOL spot (hot today and tomorrow and not cool enough for me tonight) down by the day use area…like noticeably cool.  With the STINK of decomposition, I am not opening my window in that rv spot.  We made the decision to move down to the day use area and the cool stinkless air.  It is open more open area as well and we could hook up jeep for tomorrow’s departure.  So back to campsite we went and quickly packed up. We went back to campsite and quickly packed up and drove to the picnic area for the night and a cool breeze was ours !  Problem solved!

Fri, Sept 24 – Picnic Spring Campground to Reva Gap Campground

The drive was only about one hour away…but got us closer to Custer SP.  Upon arrival it was not looking promising at first as we were seeing hunters…which tend to set up camp and not leave.  But we found a neat keyhole type site (slender drive and opened up in back)…our small c was able to twist around and leave enough room for Mali dog to be tied up and explore.  We even managed to have some cell service.

 

David reports that there is a backpacking goat convention here…his words.  People who backpack with goat as the carriers.  We did see some BIG ones coming in and guy trying hard to handle one of them…again pretty big.  UPDATE; there are at least 3 campers with goats…BIG goats like dad waste high at their back…not dwarves and a bit stubborn.  Mali managed to sample their poop…

 

Walk around campground to scope out the neighbors (skoolie with a wood stove) and take short walk to see The Castles.  I really nice park that is free but doesn’t give you anything (I don’t count pit toilets)…not even trash; I am okay with this. Scenic, some great sites (and not so great).

Thurs, Sept 23 – Picnic Spring Campground SD in Custer National Forest

Today was a lazy day of enjoying the pines, walk around the campground, drive the area to see what is around.  We are on a mesa or sorts…flat top.  Saw some deer last night. Two sites still left in campground and very well spaced!  David played with his drone.  Mali found an old deer antler that I let her have for about 1 minutes as it turned out to be flakey/too old.  We can make calls here and receive texts for Verizon service but two bars makes it slow on internet usage.  David scored us 3 nights in Custer State Park (warm weather coming and its closer to everything) for next Monday to leave Thursday.

Wednesday Sept 22 – Buffalo Gap National Grasssland to Picnic Spring campground in South Dakota

Could hear the highway when I was waking up in Buffalo Gap but other than that it was not bad and we were the only one on this side of the loop.  Early departure.  David wanted to hike up to the highest point in North Dakota before we left so we aimed for that.  Nice gravel road in; we went slowly and were able to turn around the class c and Jeep toad at the end.  I did not read the trail description and he didn’t tell me much. I sent him off ahead knowing I would catch up.  I did not…maybe I should not have given him the naproxen sodium this morning for his knees!  I made it about ¾ of the way up and it was not really marked…just went by foot prints and made some of my own (!!!!) as I attempted to navigate my way up.  I did not bring water (thought I would catch up to his water) so decided that there was water in the rv and went down.  Nice views though.

 

The afternoon brought us to Picnic Spring Campground (national forest).  Amenities: pit toilet which doesn’t really count.  BUT BUT BUT, it was camping under ponderosa pines and I LOVE pines.  So we are here for two nights/gratis!  There are not many sites spread out rather widely on the campground road; they could have really squeezed in more and most times they do.  Pleasantly surprised!  One other rv here and the other few are tents.

Tues, Sept 21 – Juniper campground to Buffalo Gap National Grasslands campground.

  

Today was errand and move day.  Dickinson ND provided us with propane, gas, Laundry, Walmart and then on to find a place to stay for the night.  These errands took pretty much the whole day…along with Qdoba for lunch.  Secured a $10 old guy pass at Buffalo Gap  National Grasslands…fed park right next to route 94 but our site was spacious and really not annoyingly noisy because a hill helped block some of the noise (not so in the other loop of the campground).  Walking after dinner/SHOWERS!  Nice LONG hot showers that were free with a tinge of sulphur smell in which I got over it really quickly…but SOFT water that made it hard to remove soap and shampoo…also over that.  Nice to not have to take an army shower.  This campground boasted free showers, dump/water.  NO TRASH.   I really like North Dakota with its rolling grassy hills, cows, sunflowers…but with the cows comes FLIES.  They seem to be everywhere…not biting flies but annoying flies.

Mon, Sept 20 – Juniper Campground, ND day 2 

 

Rain last night here in North Dakota.  I should point out that our Verizon service here very spotty.  We also have a booster and NOPE or sometimes if it feels like it.  Pretty park but we will leave tomorrow.  This morning we went in search of Bison (NOT BUFFALO) to photograph.  We found a couple of manly ones to photograph and one even entertained us by peeing and then rolling in it.  It seemed like a guargantuan effort for him to heft all that bulk back up on his feet.  He was very close (too!) and we had a red jeep….

 

The afternoon was spent doing some walking and hanging in campsite.  Most everyone that came in with us had left….  To the 75? Year old women (who used to live in NY) bravo for you for living full time/alone in an Escape (like a 16 foot casita) because you CAN!  Late afternoon the entertainment began, people coming in and trying to decide which site they want (first come first served only)….so round and round they went trying to find the perfect site before someone else does and sometimes a few coming in at once…as everyone jockies for a spot especially as it got past dinnertime. Rain late afternoon also…just after we had put everything away except solar for tomorrow mornings early bug out.

Sun, Sept 19 – Scoria Pit, ND to Juniper Campground in Teddy Roosevelt National Park (north section)

  

We got moving early to drive the 75 miles to the North Section of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and try to score a camping spot in the Juniper Campground (first come first served only/no reservations).  We arrive approximately 10:45am and found that there were several that we could choose from…WHOOPIE.  I was very happy about that because we get dump station, trash/recycles, potable water for $7 with the Old Guy National Park pass.  We booked in for two nights as Mali cannot hike on trails here. The sites are mainly pull through sites (like a half circle off the campground road) for Rv’s but there are some back ins.  In the afternoon we took a ride on the road. Saw bison on the way in (up pretty close but did not take picture because we figured there would be more.  We did see herds of them.  Walk the campground several times in evening.  DID see two Lazy Daze rv’s here (both older models).

Sat, Sept 18 – Scoria Pitt, ND

DEADLY HOT TODAY and cannot get much further north so we stayed and dealt with it.  97 degrees and I don’t do heat well.  In the morning we took a ride to Petrified Forest and David did a short walk there while I walked Mali around the area…not allowed on trail even on 6 foot leash even though cow poop all over the place.  Not fair.  Yeah, I get it she could disturb wil It was 7 miles up the dirt/gravel road from our free camping spot.  By midday it was pretty hot and there was not much wind.  I took a nap; David researched next areas to explore.  By 3pm it was hot and I lounged outside in the shade of the rv as there was not much else in the way of shade around our campsite and the wind helped marginally outside the rv.  By 4pm we were driving in the AC jeep to get ice cream to cool us off and Mali dog.  Dinner was that ice cream and a salad…not m aking any heat in the rv! By 5pm the generator was running and the AC was on to cool the whole rig down.  I did not need to suffer…lol!

Fri, Sept 17 – Scoria Pit, ND

A late start but we took a ride around the loop in Jeep at the South part of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  We DID see buffalo which my goal for today…several herds of them, wild horses as well in BEAUTIFUL colors like I’ve never seen before. 

 

After dinner drove the 3.5 miles to get ice cream in Medora.  Nice sunsets here.