Five National Parks in Five Days (Days Three-Four)

Day Three: Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Although Wednesday’s drive to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was the shortest of all, it would begin the longest stretches of the marathon trip. I checked out early, then cleaned and reorganized SB’s inside so that I could more easily find and access supplies.

Beyond the visitors center, there was some limited scenic driving and a steady stream of vehicles taking advantage of it. However, this was a park that had more to offer for the hiker. Fortunately, the weather was sunny and warm enough to wear one of my national park shirts, the one with each park printed on the front that allows me to use a magic marker to check off a park as I visit. I viewed the visitors center exhibit and did my usual purchase of a hiker’s medallion and park-themed refrigerator magnet before taking the scenic route. Below are some of the pictures I took:

The rest of these pictures are located at https://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/5Parks-in-5-Days-Day-3-Black-Canyon-of-the-Gunnison-052125.

I started the long drive towards South Dakota and realized that I would come close to Pike’s Peak, which I believe I’ve missed in the past (or I drove right by it without realizing it). So, I made the decision to see it.

I got this picture on the road but got to the entrance after closing. Interesting, though, there was a store (shop?) called the North Pole.

Day Four: Wind Cave

I pulled into Wind Cave National Park outside Hot Springs, South Dakota, so early that I had to use SB’s headlights to illuminate the park’s sign so I could take a picture. Yes, I had driven all night and hadn’t had any breakfast, but I decided to wait for the visitor center to open so I could get a ticket for the earliest accessible cave tour. After getting a ticket, I used the two hours waiting time to drive to Hot Springs, get some breakfast and freshen up.

The park focuses on two things: its cave system and the animal preserve. The ranger mentioned that the numerous free-range bison were considered to be–along with those at Yellowstone National–the closest to purebred. The animals, including a wild turkey, roamed freely. Whenever I stopped to take a picture of the bison, I quickly got the shot and immediately moved on so that they didn’t get any aggressive ideas. This was especially true after I saw two male bison in combat and another rush a pickup truck that it must have thought was hanging around too long. The park newspaper had an interesting drawing of a bison entitled “Wildlife Petting Chart” with the general message of giving them space.

The main event for me was the tour of Wind Cave. They have an elevator building with an elevator that took our small group to the lower floor where a ranger talked about the cave system history, its history with the Lakota, and the history of its “discovery” in the 1890s. During the 30-minute tour, we stayed in the same “room” throughout, but I still got some interesting pictures.

The pictures from Wind Cave are available at https://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/5Parks-in-5-Days-Day-4-Wind-Cave-052225.

As always, I thank the Lord for granting me the stamina to make the trip, the damn good reflexes to steer the Silver Bullet (SB) as she needed to be guided, and the ability to enjoy His handiwork as it whizzes by my windshield.

So far, so good, but the longest leg of the five is to come. I’m pulling SB and myself to get to Michigan by Friday morning’s boat launch.