animals Archives

I woke up really excited today. Wild horses have been running through my dreams all night. All of the stories and movies I’d ever seen or heard had my anticipation at a fever pitch.

It didn’t take us long to finish our Jimmy Dean breakfast, I confess I was nearing the end of my tolerance to JD sandwiches but they were fast and free, and then we were on our way.

We no sooner made the turn off RT 44 onto RT 79 South than we spotted 2 beautiful pronghorn. They were just standing there as though watching the traffic go by. Heads up, they made a beautiful picture in the early morning light. Sorry, it’s only in my mind, I was driving again and couldn’t stop, although I was really tempted to try.

Wild Turkey

We made good time, even stopping to get a picture of a turkey in full display and of a deer peaking out of a ravine.

Deer

The entrance is marked by a really attractive sculpture of running horses. We stopped for that picture for sure.

Wild Horse Sanctuary entrance

Then we drove down a well graded dirt road. We passed horses that were behind a fence and then spotted one on the outside of the fence. As we continued on we went up a small rise and then back down a rutted portion of the road. Not too much farther on we saw some buildings and there were cars parked in the dirt parking lot. I think we have arrived..

Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctruary

We went into the building which we learned was one of the original homestead building. Now that the property was a sanctuary, the building was converted to the welcome center.

Visitor Center

It was about 9:30 am and our tour was for 10:00am so we had half an hour to look around and get checked in. I got my “Kitty Fix” when we met the Sanctuary Cat. When I travel I do miss my pets but I always seem to connect with at least one cat on each trip…I call that connection my “Kitty Fix”.

The Sanctuary Cat

Right on time our guide came out to meet up. This time our guide was a personable young lady named Krista who also happened to be one of the sanctuary photographers. That was great because she said she’d help me find some good shots. The tour was billed as “semi-private” but Sandy and I were the only ones on it so as far as I’m concerned, it was private. That gives us much more flexibility.

We told Krista about the horse we’d seen on the outside of the fence and she went back inside to tell one of the wranglers. Soon after we saw someone heading back up the road. Krista said he would round up the horse and get her back where she belonged.

Krista showed us the yearling paddock and explained that in order to manage the herd size, some of foals that are born on the sanctuary are rounded up and sold to offset the operating costs. She said that for the most part the herd size is managed by separating the stallions from the mares to prevent too many foals. South Dakota has been in the grips of a drought the last few years and if the horses had been allowed to breed, many animals would have starved even with human intervention. The horses are truly wild and are left to fend for themselves against the elements and predators. It sounds cruel at first but it’s really just nature’s way.

Yearling Sculpture

Krista soon had us in a large 4 wheel drive SUV and we were off. As we climbed a dirt road we asked about a statue of a black and white horse on the side of the road. Krista stopped the car and while I took pictures told us this was their “Little Horse on the Prairie”. We got a chuckle out of that and the joke let us know that our guide had a sense of humor.

Little Horse on the Prairie

The first stop on the tour was an overlook that Krista told us was used to film the ranch for several western films including Crazy Horse. Before we got out Krista checked the area for rattlesnakes.

Ranch Overlook

Several more stops followed where Krista pointed out the flora and fauna in the area, explained about sage plants and flowers and in general set the stage for the main event.

At one stop we caught up with another tour. One of the women was upset because her camera had stopped working. Both Krista and I looked at it but we couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. I had 2 point and shoots with me as back up for exactly this reason. My DSLR hasn’t ever given me a problem but I have heard many horror stories of camera’s dying at the worse possible time so I always throw in a P&S or two just in case.

I offered to let the woman borrow one. I told her to just take the memory card and leave the camera with the front desk and I’d pick it up when our tour ended. Their guide was witness so I wasn’t too worried about the camera being stolen.

As we continued with our “nature “ tour, I admit I was getting restless for the wild horses.

It was worth the wait so I think I’ll let you wait another day too. I’ll tell you about the horses in another post. J

I don’t know about Sandy but I had a good night sleep that night and we were both up in plenty of time to get ready to head to Hill City to catch the 1880 Train. The railroad runs from Hill City to Keystone and back. The engines and cars are so authentic that many film companies use footage for movies and TV programming, Some of this programming includes Gunsmoke, Orphan Train, Dakota Woman, National Geographic , PBS, and the BBC.

The total round trip is about 2 hours but we planned to get off and explore Keystone a little before catching the return . We weren’t under any time constraints except for the train schedule as this was the only “planned activity” today.

After grabbing our Jimmy Dean sausage breakfast sandwich it was back in the car and heading out RT 44. On the way to the junction of 385 south we passed signs for Thunderhead Falls. This is billed as an underground waterfall. That went on our “possible” list.

All of the roads were nice and wide and well paved. We were making good time when I spotted something on the left side of the road. Sandy didn’t see what had caught my attention and I was too busy making a U-turn to explain. With any luck she would see soon enough.

Completing the U-turn I pulled off the road to the shoulder and was rewarded with a great look at more wild animals. I wasn’t sure what they were. I thought they might be big horn sheep but none of them had the distinctive curved horns. It took some research and asking around before I settles on an ID of Big Horn juveniles and ewes.

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We were soon joined by other cars which were pulling over and taking pictures. Finally the whole herd started across the road. I held my breath because the cars were really flying down this wide highway but I shouldn’t have worried. As the little parade crossed the road the on-coming traffic stopped and waited until they were safely across the road.

Then it was back on the highway for us in order to get to Hill City in time for the Train.

Water Tower Hill City

Hill City Station

Once in Hill City the Train Depot was easy to spot and we arrived with time to spare.

Lines for Train, Hill City

We picked up some snacks and soda at the snack bar for the train ride and poked around the gift shop before taking our places in a very long line to board the train.

The trip was narrated by a retired gentleman who said he was a “Workamper”. He and his wife were full time RVer’s . They travel around the country in their RV and find part time seasonal work at the various State and National Parks. His wife was working in the gift shop. This gig gave him 3 days on the train and she had 3 days in the gift shop. They would stay until the season ended and then move on. It allowed them to see the country and gave them a little income to support their retirement. Kind of a modern day gypsy.

From this very personable interpreter we learned about “summer” cows. As the train passed a herd of cows he announced that if we looked to our left we’d see a herd of summer cows. I looked and saw a plain old herd of cows. So I had to be the one to ask…what do you mean? Well he drawled, some are brown and some are black and some are spotted…“some are” (summer) cows…ohhhhhhhh!

I also found out that he suffered from CRS….I should have known better but I hadn’t learned my lesson. I bit…what’s CRS? Can’t Remember Stuff.

One thing he did tell us seriously is that the name “Black Hills” comes from the Lakota words Paha Sapa which means “hills that are black”. Seen from a distance the pine covered hills appear black.

We saw a lot of deer and pronghorns. It was fun trying to decide if they were mule deer or whitetail and then we were pulling into Keystone.

RR Station, Keystone

As soon as you exit the train you see a sign welcoming you to “Historic” Keystone. We explored up one side of the street past homemade fudge shops and souvenir stores then

crossed to street to more T-Shirts shops and every kind of souvenir stand you can imagine. Mixed in were little restaurants and fast food eateries. We found one that offered a buffet and settled in for lunch.

Following our lunch break we continued down this boardwalk investigating each of the stores and emporiums along the way. It had clouded up and before too long it started to rain. A gunslinger came out of the “saloon” and began trying to drum up business for the afternoon vaudeville show. He was soon joined by a 2^nd cowboy , this one cracking a whip. I don’t know how much success they had because we had to skip it. We needed to get back to the station for the return trip to Hill City.

She's comin' 'round the mountain

On that note I will leave you with one last gem form the train narrations. Upon complaints from a miner’s wife that none of the family mines had ever been named in her honor, her husband complied and named one “the Holy Terror!”.