June 23 - Rushmore/Crazy Horse

I packed up my site and went for a hike.

	Shots at sunrise.
	I packed up my site and took a hike around the monument. There are two trails, the first is an outer trail the is two miles long. I took that first and didn't see anyone. Then there was the inner trail at around 1 mile and it was crawling with people. Then, off to the north there was the Joyner Ridge Trail. It was two miles. As I finished and was leaving two people drove up to the trail head. Otherwise I didn't see anyone. This is the first shot at the start of the trail. In shadow from the monument.
	Shots from the outer trail. This is a sacred place for Native Americans. All along the trail, prayer cloths were tied to trees. I found one place where there was a dead rabbit, fresh, probably from the night before below a prayer cloth. There is a voluntary climbing ban during the month of June. Native Americans would rather you didn't climb anytime. It doesn't seem to make any difference, this was June 22 and I could see two people ascending the monument. Why do people have such a lack of respect for each other?
	Some shots from the inner trail.
	These are taken from the Joyner Ridge trail.
	Right next to the camp ground was a Prarie Dog Town. I looked at this the night before but everyone had called it a night. I stopped on my way out and took a couple of pictures. Fascinating creatures.
	From here I was driving to Rapid City to change spark plug wires, then on to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. If there was still time in the day I would drive to the Badlands. Otherwise I would camp in the Black Hills.
	This must be a common shot people take, but I like the way it came out.
	This place sort of depressed me a little. I feel such a lack of integrity in American politics today that seeing the way these men ran their office with such honor was actually a disappointment.
	Crazy horse is amazing. Rushmore would fit just on his head and hair. The museum and shops around this site were nice. Some of the most tasteful and least touristy of the places I had visited.
	This is a shot of a completed version in the foreground with the current project in the background. This is after over 50 years of work. I wonder if I'll see it completed in my lifetime?
	This is the last shot from the parking lot as I headed for shelter in the Black Hills.
	The camp ground I came to was a junker. I was starving and finally realized I had not had a proper meal since just after leaving Bears Lodge. Basically, the campground was $17 for an outhouse. The site was graded for an RV and tent space was an afterthought. Not that I cared. I got my tent setup and had a big dinner. then crashed. This was one of my longest days.

I wrote this poem while driving. On the Wyoming-South Dakota border. It's basically just a bunch of scratches in my journal as I was also trying to keep the car on the road!

Lonely Eyes -

Oh what these lonely eyes have seen
The stone worn by water
Mountains mirrored at water's edge
Water interrupted by rock

They've seen ice and snow
pelting down
Warm days relaxing
with the heat of the sun.

They've seen animals living
in time immortal.
Seen the beast up close
Let's just walk don't run.

They've seen providence
at every corner.
Your grace
standing right behind me.

These lonely eyes now know
I am never truly alone.

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