South Dakota: Centennial Trail Day 2
French Creek Horse Camp to Mount Rushmore Overlook
6/6/23 – 17.1 Miles
Woke up with early sun, sore muscles and soft spots where my new backpack rubs (not surprising, I think I’ll get used to it). As Nancy sipped her coffee, I made an effort to eat breakfast to keep my calorie intake up. Carrying 5 days’ worth of food, every little bit in my stomach means a lighter load on my back!
An ambition day ahead, still trying to shake the aftershock of our delayed start. We had only an idea of where to camp tonight. Our rough plan was to hike past Legion Lake (our intended campsite) and Iron Creek Horse Camp and look for a soft place to land near the side trail to Mount Rushmore. (Yes, we are going to Mount Rushmore!) Paying attention to water sources will be important. Ideally we’ll find a suitable spot not far past Grizzly Bear Creek and be set up to conquer Mount Rushmore first thing in the morning on Day 3.
The guidebook I’m using, Hiking Centennial Trail, 2nd Edition, includes detail of alternates routes during high water like French Creek, which was flowing merrily past our campsite. Since it was running clear water and within its banks, we didn’t really consider the alternative route. Will we get our feet wet? Oh, yeah.
In reality, French Creek Natural Area is 12 miles wide east to west, and we crossed it in just
a little over one mile south to north, along its western boundary.
French Creek flowing along the base of a rock outcrop
Another reptile traveler (Nancy’s trail name is now “Snake Charmer”)The trail began to climb, winding through pine forest, and Nancy went ahead as I plodded slow and steady. At a faint intersection, I stopped to check my GAIA and Nancy reappeared, backtracking to ascertain our direction. Once we agreed on the way forward, we found ourselves on a very disagreeable steep, rocky grade.
At the top of this “hill” we stopped, me to gasp for breath, Nancy to admire the view. A man and woman were also stopping there and we got acquainted. Husband “Sticks” and wife “Bug Bite” hailed from Tennessee and were also thru-hiking the CT. [Sticks is a 2010 AT thru-hiker.] Our conversations continued as we hiked on towards Legion Lake, and eventually Nancy and I pulled ahead.
So far today, navigation had been straightforward, trail signs appearing where we needed them, but as we got closer to Legion Lake things got complicated. The main trail circumvents the lake altogether, going around its western edge, but we wanted to have lunch at the Lodge on the eastern shore (one of Bridget’s stops on our “tour”…just yesterday?)
Many trails intersect in this area, and as we crossed Heddy Draw Horse Trail we realized that our paper maps and GAIA showed different routes. In fact, the CT had several variations going around both sides of Legion Lake! We parsed out the shortest distance to the Lodge, and before you could say “I’d like a milkshake with that,” we settled at a table with salads as Sticks and Bug Bite arrived to join us.
So far, we were 6.3 miles into what would end up as a 17.1-mile day. We said goodbye to our thru-hiker friends and walked through the Legion Lake campground to connect with the main Centennial Trail.
Getting closer to the northern boundary of Custer State Park, the trail switches between single-track trail and two-lane logging roads, more sun exposure than yesterday. This ain’t the “green tunnel” hiking we have back in NC.
At Iron Creek Horse Camp, the CT leaves Custer State Park and enters Black Elk Wilderness. It is the only designated wilderness area in Black Hills National Forest and is named for Oglala Lakota holy man Black Elk, as is nearby Black Elk Peak, the high point of South Dakota. These lands are sacred to the Lakota people. [Later in my SD adventures I have the opportunity to hike to the summit of Black Elk Peak.]
The change in land management practices is evident as the terrain changes, large rocks part of trail-building, narrow muddy horse trails, and occasional trail markers cut into tree trunks. Use of any motorized or mechanized equipment is prohibited in wilderness areas – no chainsaws to remove large trees – and I was impressed that we didn’t run into any significant obstacles during our hike through this stretch. [That means the trail maintenance crews are keeping up with blowdowns.] I found myself enjoying this part of the hike, thinking of Linville Gorge Wilderness back home.
Around three miles past Iron Creek Horse Camp I hopped a small creek and mounted a switchback to find Nancy waiting for me with a tentative grin on her face. “What do you think about this as a campsite?” I looked around and, indeed, there were a couple of flat spots. I hadn’t expected to stop here, but Nancy has good instincts. Then she pointed through the trees to a granite mountain range…Faces? Presidential faces?
We were on a little rise so there was no water source, but if we stayed here, Nancy offered, she could backtrack to the small creek and collect water for the two of us. A bargaining chip – did she think I would say, “Nah, I don’t feel like camping with some guys looking at us”?? Well...okay.
We set up tents, carried our food and stoves to a rock outcrop view of the big guys, and ate dinner by twilight. [Nancy’s photos below.]
Next morning's view of Mt Rushmore from our campsiteMuch gratitude to Nancy for choosing this site! A reminder that you can plan for months, but being open to what nature shows you makes the most special memories.
“Peace will come to the hearts of men when they realize their oneness with the universe.
It is everywhere.”
~Black Elk
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