Faces in stone

Sylvan Lake Lodge to Custer, South Dakota Friday, August 6, 2021

The backside of Mount Rushmore, seen yesterday from the top of Black Elk Peak, was all I cared to see of that monument. I’ve seen it twice before, there are always huge crowds, and as much as I admire those four men, one could argue that two slaveholders, a wealthy adventurer, and the man who was responsible for the largest mass execution in our history, 38 Native Americans in 1862, were out of place here. There was one face in stone I did want to see, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, AKA Crazy Horse. I’d listened to his full story over the past few days in the audiobook The Journey of Crazy Horse, and I wanted to pay tribute to this man who cherished the Black Hills above all else, and who gave his life defending them for his people.

Today would be an easy day, swooping downhill from Sylvan Lake, then just 6 miles up the Mickelson Rail Trail to the monument, where I hoped to camp. Between them was the town of Custer, and I spent some time in the library using their good Wi-Fi and researching lodging for the next few days, the librarian helped me find a B&B just 11 miles from Wounded Knee.

There was no rain in the forecast, but I guess the Black Hills make their own weather. As I went up the trail, I saw storm clouds ahead and suddenly they were forecasting an 80% chance of thunderstorms. Great, the crushed stone rail trail does not do well in rain. I considered turning around, but decided to scoot up and at least make it to the visitor center before it poured. It was arresting to round the bend, and suddenly see him up there.

The Polish-American sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began working on this in 1948, at the request of Henry Standing Bear to serve as a counterpoint, and to dwarf, Mount Rushmore. He knew it would not be finished in his lifetime, and indeed he died in 1984, the work being carried on by his family. They have refused all government aid. If completed, it will be the second largest statue in the world. This is as far as they have gotten in 73 years, not much further than when I saw it with the family in 2005. The visitor center has grown considerably, however, and was swarming with tourists (given the news of the delta variant, I’m wearing a mask indoors again). This was the best picture I could get of the completed model, with the monument in the background.

This was the most touristy thing I did in the Black Hills, but I was happy to pay the admission fee, eat in their mediocre, overpriced restaurant, and make my way through the gift shop. I consoled myself that at least it was for a good cause, then I saw this New Yorker article https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/23/who-speaks-for-crazy-horse

He is being carved into Thunderhead Mountain, and sure enough, the storms returned with a vengeance. I had hoped to watch the laser light show at 9:30, but it’s no fun setting up camp in the rain. During a lull I headed back down the hill to Custer and a motel. There’s some resonance there, Crazy Horse defeated Custer at Little Bighorn in 1876.

Distance 22 miles, 4,911 total. Time 6 hours with stops. Elevation gain 983 feet

©️ 2021 Scott Luria