petehowell
Well Known Member
I dropped the only kid I still have at home off at the Cherry Festival in Traverse City on Thursday, so Andi and I had the weekend free to visit the Black Hills and do some lightweight camping at the Hot Springs airport. The trip out was uneventful, save for the smoke from the fires out west. Visibility was horrible, so I deleted all the photos.... Once we landed, we (ok, Andi) set up the tent while I chained the plane down and got the car set up.
Ed Jensen and larry Vetterman met us on the ramp and told us there were pancakes in Hay Springs, Nebraska in the morning, so we signed up on the spot.
Once we were settled in, we were off to Wind Cave for the tour and hiking. Three things you will know after visiting Wind Cave: 1) sixth longest cave in the world 2) 95% of the world's boxwork cave structure is in Wind Cave 3) Buffalo will kill you, stay in the car......... They tell you these things every 35 seconds.......
Some pics from the cave.......
The Boxwork - beautiful stuff!
Top of the cave - some great hiking. The smoke lingers......
Andi near the top of Rankin Ridge....
Early morning departure for Hay Springs! Our tent is way down there!
Bee Boxes on the Grassland......
"RV9er Pop Hotel Turning final for 11, Hay Springs" ..... Billed at the "Best Turf Runway in the Panhandle”, it treated us right. This may have been the friendliest fly-in we have ever been to. Just great people!
On the way Back to Hot Springs we detoured to Devil's Tower. Andi nailed a few great pics, while I "maintained 3NM for reasons of National Welfare"
We landed Hot Springs and jumped in the car to head to Jewel Cave National Monument, but the due to the crowds on the 4th of July we were locked out, no tours available.......
No worries, we caught the raptor show, with a live Ferruginous Hawk and several owls. Did some hiking, too!
Continued in part deux..........
Ed Jensen and larry Vetterman met us on the ramp and told us there were pancakes in Hay Springs, Nebraska in the morning, so we signed up on the spot.
Once we were settled in, we were off to Wind Cave for the tour and hiking. Three things you will know after visiting Wind Cave: 1) sixth longest cave in the world 2) 95% of the world's boxwork cave structure is in Wind Cave 3) Buffalo will kill you, stay in the car......... They tell you these things every 35 seconds.......
Some pics from the cave.......
The Boxwork - beautiful stuff!
Top of the cave - some great hiking. The smoke lingers......
Andi near the top of Rankin Ridge....
Early morning departure for Hay Springs! Our tent is way down there!
Bee Boxes on the Grassland......
"RV9er Pop Hotel Turning final for 11, Hay Springs" ..... Billed at the "Best Turf Runway in the Panhandle”, it treated us right. This may have been the friendliest fly-in we have ever been to. Just great people!
On the way Back to Hot Springs we detoured to Devil's Tower. Andi nailed a few great pics, while I "maintained 3NM for reasons of National Welfare"
We landed Hot Springs and jumped in the car to head to Jewel Cave National Monument, but the due to the crowds on the 4th of July we were locked out, no tours available.......
No worries, we caught the raptor show, with a live Ferruginous Hawk and several owls. Did some hiking, too!
Continued in part deux..........
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