West Woman 1... Trip overview

“Alrighty, I’m back from the 1.5-week expedition to South Dakota, Wyoming and – mostly – to northwest Nebraska, which definitely qualifies as WEST.

Questions for the trip:

1. Does the wind always blow obsessively out west?

2. Was it just because I visited that they got three days of unseasonable rainy and foggy weather?

3. Wouldn’t it be good to know what agates look like when you’re hunting them at a world-renowned agate bed?

4. Why is my sleeping bag still in Soldier Creek Wilderness?

5. Why would a person camp in wet, clay, mucky site at Sage Creek Campground at the Badlands? (and what is the best way to remove said, dried clay from tent?)

6. Who knew cowboys still hobble (is that the right word?) horses when the men are off to do the footwork of a roundup in a corral?

7. What caused the cool Pine Ridge that runs through the tri-state area?

8. Why is the best pizza in the world at The Pizza Place in Lusk, Wyoming?

9. Why are antelope/pronghorn prone to graze by roadside at dusk?

10. Why did all the “antiquis” buffalo die in one event, shown at the Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed? (The hail theory is fun)

11. Why did the cool relic we found on the PIT (U.S. Forest Service "Passport in Time") project – in the area where we thought the 5th U.S. Cavalry camped – have to end up apparently being some kind of war memento from the Spanish-American war – and NOT something from the 5th Cavalry?

12. Why did the rattlesnake lie still when I reached over it? (Lucky me!!)

13. Was that a badger whining under the tree root in the gully?

14. Where did the big, cement steps go at Wounded Knee?

15. Why do South Dakota patrolmen just smile when you drive by them 5 MPH over speed limit? (oh I forgot…. They APPRECIATE tourists!) lol…

More to come………… But here is a favorite slogan seen on a truck in Lusk: "Save a horse... Ride a cowgirl"

Ahhhhhhhhhh yes... THE WEST! :-)”

“Answers at 11.

Are you now planning to take lessons on how to be a cowgirl, lizs?”

“I don't need no stinkin' lessons to be a cowgirl, ski. Why I had a horse as a youngster, complete with cowboy hat, boots and attendance at trail rides most Sundays.

But, no, I never ran into the truck owner. LOL

The trip did have a "western" theme. After my first overnight at Sage Creek Campground -- surrounded by buffaloes and also sitting in their crap -- I next went on backroads to the town of Scenic (which is anything but).

Immediately west of there sits Indian Creek on the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, an area being considered for wilderness designation (and the first such grassland for such consideration).

I grabbed the De Lormes and found my way there, down the "forest" road through a pasture with cattle... on to the edge of a hill, where two trucks and livestock trailers were parked. Also a portable corral.

I looked down on the Indian Creek valley. Wow! Awesome view! (and I later found out I was at the top of the primitive road known as "Cardiac Hill." It goes down to the stream and, not known to me at the time, it follows the stream southeast, crossing it countless times.)

Down below what did I see but COWBOYS! They were rounding up horses that must run on leased land there. With a few "yee-haws" they headed them up the hill. It got interesting when a few went cross-country instead of up the road.

There must have been around 5 guys. They got the range horses into the corral and then hobbled their own riding horses, which were nibbling on the grass.

I asked one cowboy what the road was like, cuz I was itching to drive down it. He said, "Slick." (Which would have been true because of the rain the night before.) Then, quickly, he was off to help the herding in the corral.

The horses belonged to a big, fat guy with gut hanging over his belt. The one guy told me they were getting the mares out.

They all wore chaps and had on spurs. I was just amazed I was seeing actual COWBOYS! And in action! lol

(where is Om?? She would like all this cowboy talk. LOL!)

Then I was off to other locals, barely missing a Rapid City Sierra Club trek to the same spot at Indian Creek for National Trails Day. I did meet a ton of their cars heading in as I left.

Next up? I was part of a cattle herding operation. LOL! (This was to be the theme of the trip??) They were being moved right down the highway, again by people on horses -- although they didn't have the full cowboy gear on.

I did my part by herding them off the middle of the road and moving on SLOWLY -- that is, as soon as I realized this operation wasn't going to be done any time soon.

Yee haw, baby!”

“Sounds like a great trip, lizs and asked all the right questions.
You caught the "essence" of the West; lots of driving, bad weather, wind, cowboys and animals along the road.”

“very cool! so was this a work trip, or totally for your own amusement, Lizs?”

“..or our amusement?”

“ha!”

“I'm amused, is anybody else?”

“I love the wind in the West and the "Open Range Ahead" signs - nothing like the first sighting of cattle crossing a road because, well, because they can.

I think I was a cowboy in a previous life. Probably gunned down thinking I could beat somebody in a quickdraw.

Lizs: So, the relic you found was from the Span-Am War? That would still be a cool find.”

“Eons ago I was driving a van of church youth down a highway in Manitoba, heading home after a youth event. I saw on the horizon this big black blob. I was thinking what is THIS? When we got closer I realized it was a heard of cattle. (Never saw this on the road before.) I was trying to inch forward, but finally stopped, waiting for the small herd and riders go by. Strange for this city boy.”

“MOO!!!!!!!”

“You should have pressed on a bit farther west and north, Lizs.

[url]http://www.bigskymagic.com/Duckboy/3-Jerky.htm=Where jerky comes from in Montana[/url]”

“let's try that again:

http://www.bigskymagic.com/Duckboy/3-Jerky.htm

this is from the famous duckboy collection: Where jerky comes from in Montana”

“Ahhhh... lots of photos and writing to come.

I was part of U.S. Forest Service "Passport in Time" program. North of Crawford, Nebraska (about 25-30 miles from South Dakota border and same from Wyoming) we went to what WAS the town of Montrose. Just a church and cemetery now.

A couple rounded hills maybe a half mile north of Montrose mark the Warbonnet memorial. Warbonnet is a creek there. And there was a small battle there back in the Indian war days.

Cheyenne Indians left their agency near Fort Robinson and headed north to meet the Lakota in South Dakota (whom were just victorious over Custer). The 5th U.S. Cavalry was brought in to stop them and send them back.

They camped in a field near the hills and scouts looked south, eventually seeing Indians coming north. (This was told to us, on the site, by researcher and Nibrara National River park superintendent Paul Hedren -- not sure on last name spelling)

Buffalo Bill was with the cavalry, POed over the loss of the 7th unit at Little Bighorn. Ends up when Chief Yellow Hair was spotted that he and Buffalo Bill went at it one on one.

Lets see if I can recall how Paul told it. They were around .25 mile or less apart. BBill shot and the bullet went through Yellow Hair's leg and then killed his horse. He shot at BBill and missed. But as BBill charged, his horse fell, apparently tripping in a hole of a gopher or prairie dog.

So both men were on foot. BBill shot again and killed Yellow Hair. Then, cuz he was so angered over Custer and crew's death, he scalped Yellow Hair and had the scalp in his Wild West show for a few years.

As Paul told it, BBill later regretted the incident, since he was friends with Indians from the Pine Ridge Reservation and also worked with them in his show.

Sounds like BBill had this tale in his show for maybe one season, then thought better and took it out. However, he is well-remembered for the incident.

We looked for any type of remains from the cavalry in their potential campsite. It is still a guess, even today, where they camped. We found more things in a couple sod dugouts, like crockery remains and that pin or small badge. Also we found lots of barbed wire, wooden posts, pieces of farm implements, etc. (and RATTLESNAKES! I'll have photos, including one pretty decent one of the three snakes I saw)

We did a "pedestrian survey" of many gullies etc. Put on around 5-7 miles a day just walking, looking at the ground. It was hard to see, since there was fairly long and/or matted grass most places.

The other half of the volunteers worked with a second forest archeologist at the townsite, recording what they found there. They found a lot, but again, the kinds of things you'd expect.

Also, we had educational and fun things to do in "off" time:

1. The first night we ate at a new "old-time" restaurant in the area, in a little Western town that is being formed. (We laughed and said, aha, this is where the buildings from Montrose went! lol)

2. We took a guided tour of the Fort Robinson Museum at Crawford. Very interesting and a great guide with the State Historical Society of Nebraska.

3. We got the tour at the Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed site, where we also camped. (We were in an area where students from Colorado State University camp. They work there at field schools.) A ton of very old buffalo died in one event at this site. The cause is still a mystery.

4. We heard from the first gal hired to be a paleontologist with the National Forest Service. Now there are three total. It's a totally new field, finding and then protecting the fossils in national forests and grasslands. Two Forest Service law enforcement guys have to "patrol" over 1 million acres in NE and SD. It was an amazing topic! While archeological things are protected by a federal law, there is no all-encompassing law to protect the fossils from fossil poachers!

The talk was very interesting. Might have to take it into a freelance article.

Then the gal, Barb, took us on a guided tour of Toadstool Geologic Park.

5. For those who wanted, on Friday, they put up (or attempted to put up) a tipi at Fort Rob, for an Indian celebration this past weekend.

Full week, plus backpacking and more before and after!

Lyra, so it was for fun, but could potentially work its way into stories and photos to help pay for the trip.”

“Lizs - sounds like you had a great trip, a little more than just backpacking. Thanks for the heads up on your return to Minnesota. The Wisconsin Border Patrol cut down on overtime for our State Troopers upon learning you were far removed. Now that you've returned, I've got to advise them so they can beef up again.”

“HI Liz !

Thanks for the report !”

“When you gonna post the pictures?
Any good butt shots? ;-)”

“you like cowboy butts SS?”

“lizs' behind, Y2. lizs' behind.”

“ohhhh, now I understand SS. Yes butt shots lizs, put my name on the e-mail lost for those will ya?”

“Dang I wish i could type and just let my thoughts flow like you do lizs--nice report.”

“Oh there's LOTS more to come... heheehee

I've got to get them better organized. Look for:

1. "WestWoman2... The Trip Out"

2. "WestWoman3... Backpacking Soldier Creek Wilderness KICKED MY ASS" (speaking of butts!)

3. "WestWoman4... The PIT Week"

4. "WestWoman5... The Last Weekend and Trip Home"

Yup, get ready for INSTALLMENTS!!!! lol (specially if'n ya need reading material at night. lol)”

“This is a great trip report and sounds like a great trip!!!!”

“So in other words, I should be able to rewrite into about five weeks of newspaper columns. ;-)”

“Lizs, they're great reports. What you also want to try and do is get on the mailing lists for all the tourist boards of the different places and countries. I've had some fine free trips like that, all they want is a nice little write up. :o)”

“Woo Hooo...you go girl!!!!........sounds like a really great time!!!”

“come on lizs! . . . quit dreaming about writing for bpacker mag and get this trip report written . . . ALL of it . . . not these darned segments . . . LOL!!

oh, and . . . good report . . . so far :)”

“Actually, I just finished watching a half-hour PowerPoint presentation on the 70th anniversary of a local golf club. Wish I knew how to get into the slide show and grab some photos for a newspaper article. The really old ones are pretty funny. But the newer ones, a lot of them blurry, put me to sleep. LOL!

oh yeah and maybe I WILL dream of writing for an outdoors magazine. ;-P LOL!

Mr. Galore, and I have all of my OWN photos to go through. This project will take all week, I'm afraid......... stay tuned!”