Black Hills Part 2

Okay, so I realize that this is a ridiculously long post. So long that blogger is forcing me to do it in two posts. And no one besides me and Steph will really care. But here I go, journaling away.

*If you really want to follow or journey through the Black Hills, start at the last post*

After Jewel Cave, we spent the rest of the day doing touristy stuff around Keystone and Custer. 

 

 

I was really excited to find out that there really was a Custer County Market. I wrote one into my book and thought I was totally making it up. Now I have to rewrite my book to make it match what’s really there. *sigh* this book will never be done.
 

We splurged and had an awesome sisterly dinner and made good friends with the waitress there all the while hoping that the weather would miraculously clear so we could go rock climbing on Saturday. 
 

Boo. 

It was the worst day. The cancelled our tour and refunded our money. That was seriously what we’d come to South Dakota to do. Everything else was just a bonus. We were there to rock climb. 6 hours with a guide to teach us everything about rock climbing. Boo. Boo. Boo.

We decided to go hiking on some trails that took us right up to Cathedral Spires. I was excited to get up close with them and see them again. 

This is what I found:

 

This was Thursday. 
 

 

This was Saturaday. 

Can you believe that fog?? You couldn’t even see them at all. Though I was disappointed about the weather on this trip, I would've been SO angry if the fog had been this thick the whole time and I never got to see the Spires at all.

 

The hike was still really cool - hiking through the snow-- The fog gave the whole place an eerie feeling and again made me feel like I was stepping right into my book. 

At the end of the trail, someone placed all the logs in a giant peace sign. 

The trail map marked this trail as “strenuous” Which, I guess it would be if you were a 400 lbs man with arthritis.  

 

This is me. Trying to look like I've been on a stendous hike. 

 

Stephanie does a much better strenous face.
 

See the top of that spire? That's some of our rock climbing friends. That's the closest we got to rock climbing this whole time.

 

On the day we had to leave, this is what we woke up to sunny, blue skies. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I guess we’ll just have to go back there and try to rock climb. 

It was seriously the most amazing trip EVER. It wasn’t a traditional trip like Disneyland or the beach. We just went to some random location and learned everything about that place and I LOVED it. 

On the way home, I took some NON-DROWSY Dramamine so I wouldn’t get car sick while I was working on my pictures - the label lied. I was so tired, I was loopy. I had to pull over and make Stephanie drive for two hours while I passed out. AGAIN: Greatest sister ever. A few days after , I found that she'd stolen my phone and took a picture of me sleeping - mouth open and drool running down my chin. 

I thought about posting it. 

But I won't. 

I don't love you THAT much Steph :)