June 25, 2013 Wyoming/South Dakota

To bag the low point of Wyo we had to drive to South Dakota and double back. Took a couple tries. The GPS could not get us to the point, so we had to go back into Belle Fourche, SD first to the visitors center and then to the BLM to get the directions. We then drove within a mile  on a dirt road and hiked.

Welcome to South Dakota. A memorial in front of the Belle Fourche, SD visitors center.

Buckskin Johnny’s house at the visitors center is a museum. It was the first building in Belle Fourche.

John standing on the geographical center of the USA  monument at the visitors Center. It used to be in Kansas, but when Alaska was added to the union the center moved north and west. The real center is 20 miles out of town, but this is the closest town to it.

Off to the low point. Cows observing from the side of the road.  The low point is in the Belle Fourche river valley at the border between Wyo and South Dakota.  What a beautiful valley. I love when the plains are so green.

I scared up a bird walking through the cactus and found this next on the ground among the cactus. Sunflowers, or black eyed susans, not sure which.

John at the low point of Wyo, by the Belle Fourche river at the border. He  slipped on the mud trying to get lower and almost fell into the river.

On the way back out of the Belle Fourche River valley.

Up on the ridge. Aladdin is the first town you come to from South Dakota on highway 24. It is mostly this building. It is a 110 year old building. Also has the post office.

Seen at the Aladdin store. The two bottom photos are John. Devils Tower is an awesome sight. You can see it raising up above the plains for miles before you come to it.

The Indian legend says that some Indian maidens were being chased by a bear, they climbed up onto a rock and prayed. The rock raised up higher and the bear kept trying to climb up, clawing the sides. It is a sacred spot for the Indians. There were many of these prayer bundles tied to the trees around it.

The Belle Fourche river from the trail around the tower. The river eroded the dirt from around the tower and exposed it. A doe and fawn seen at the Devils tower campground.

A flock of turkeys and a white tailed deer near Keyhole Reservoir. John saw this antelope right outside the bus this am.