Custer, SD

Custer State Park

My ex-sister-in-law was a serious runner, and talked about the rattlers she’d see when up in the hills of Arizona. I kept this knowledge close while driving the Badlands loop road to the Notch Trail, where I intended to hike. The terrain was similar, and sure enough, as soon as I got out of the car, was met with this. 

Ayup

Not wanting this once-in-a-lifetime experience to be deterred by what is a mostly irrational fear, I walked to a well-traveled spot not too far away and heard a couple talking about a rattle snake, so asked if they had just seen one, to which they described the one they had almost tripped over the night before, offering to show me a video. I thanked them but said it wasn't necessary, I believed them. To reassure me, they explained that these are Prairie Rattlers, or perhaps you’re more familiar with them as Crotalis Viridis Viridis, which are not aggressive Apparently there are over 100,000 visitors to the Badlands every year and only 1 person gets poisoned and half of that (never did figure that math out) is some guy saying “hold my beer” and then showing off. Other reassurances are that they rattle to let you know they’re there and aren't interested in you if you give them a wide berth. 

I really did want to do this 3 hour hike which would allow for a more visceral experience of the landscape, and knew that being deterred by this fear would be a bummer and on my way to having a mental health issue, which I'd rather not have.  So I told myself I’d just walk out there a few feet, which I did, and then kept going incrementally. I’d by lying if I told you the landscape was beautiful, as it was high alert the whole time, scanning for threats on the ground. But things were going well and I kept hiking in. For a while. But then, laying across the path in front of me was a big fatty. It would be a better story ending if i leapt over it and made it to the peak, but the reality was that I turned and ran back to the parking lot faster than I used to hustle to make the C Line. 

Sitting in my car, disappointed and unsated, I doubled back to the visitor center, refreshed my water bottle, sad that I had become a person who just drives through a national park and takes a few photographs. At least I didn't buy a Badlands bookmark or fake coonskin hat. 

Loop road through the rocky part of the Badlands

Snake Alley

​​So I decided to head south to Custer in the Black Hills, a totally different landscape that quite a few had remarked upon, though I found not nearly as pretty as the White or Green Mountains of New England. We are spoiled. The road to Custer passes both Rushmore and Crazy Horse, which I can only think of as strong representations of man’s hubris, so no stops. Instead, a walk around Sylvan Lake in Custer National Park. There were families walking around, kids very excited about a dead fish, swimmers, kayakers and people fishing. Much more my speed, I guess.

Sylvan Lake, Custer National Park

Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake

When arriving at the Eagles Landing Guest House, guests are welcomed by a young woman, the daughter of a man who loved Custer but died before he could enjoy the house, so she, her sister and their mom carry on the legacy. She took significant trouble to show me around, offering up all manner of generous things that would never be available at chain hotels. Before leaving, she age-profiled me and mentioned that I might like the rocking chair on the porch, with which I had already made secret plans. She put on a Frank Sinatra playlist and left me with my decrepitude. There was nothing to do but take a bath and contemplate it all. When I got back to the porch with Jhumpa Lahiri, I thought to myself, is this where I am?  Driving around parks and sitting on porches listening to Frank Sinatra? And is there some kind of delicate balance between accepting aging gracefully and staying somewhat vigilant? Time to get back to me Chris Traeger from Parks and Rec alter ego...

The air smelled of fox as I sat rocking on the porch, and soon three black turkey vultures came into view, congregating on the other side of the road. After watching them for a few minutes, because that’s what people who rock on chairs on porches while listening to Sinatra do, it became clear that one had scored some carrion and was feasting, and the other two wanted in, but every time one of them made a move, primo bird would raise its wings in a threatening way. This went on for at least 20 minutes, maybe half an hour, which got me thinking about being the vulture that was waiting on carrion, a sort of scavenger of scavengers. Where are they in the, pardon the pun, pecking order of vultures? Eventually one of the segundo birds got bored of waiting deferentially and flew off, but the other patiently waited until finally, head vulture had had enough and stopped scaring off the moocher. Moocher had only had a few pecks when a white hunting dog appeared, wondering what the fuss was and why he hadn't been invited. The vultures flew off as the dog rolled on his back in the animal carcass. And that was the end of that show. 

View from the porch of the Old Age Home

Custer National Park is a combination of rocky peaks with pine trees in some areas,  and then prairie land and pastures in others. Choosing a hike through the latter, I wandered up and down, nary another soul, taking in breathtaking views of soft hills where bison had grazed, seeing much evidence of them, as well as some tiny wildflowers and all sorts of bird and cricket sounds. There were also many rattles, but I didn’t see any so tunnel visioned and continued on, doing my best not to think about them. Later, driving out of the park, the road was littered with them, coiled up alive on the side, and dead on the road. Ugh. 

View from the prairie hike, Custer National Park

Wildflower, maybe orchids? prairie hike

But also on the road were some sweet and cheeky mules that we weren’t supposed to feed but people were, giving them the appearance of parking lot attendants who were reaching in to drivers side windows to collect fares. They were shedding, with patches of winter coat still on, but the smooth one often showing, making them appear as though they'd just been woken up and had picked up the first wrinkled clothes on the ground.  A few miles later, a herd of buffalo stopped a few of our cars as they crossed the road, big ass angry looking animals were some of them, and then plenty of babies too. In the souvenir shops in Custer, many of the T shirts said “Don’t pet the fluffy cows” and there had been warnings on my trail to stay at least 100 yards away from them. In fact a woman had been gored by one and died the day prior. She was trying to get a selfie with the bison. Worth it? 

This one was my favorite, he or she looked sleepy, Custer National Park

That'll be $25 

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Another old person thing, a driving safari, Custer National Park

Taken from the car window

​After that, it was a bad burrito and a good banana chocolate chip ice cream in downtown Custer and then back on the road, final leg. I found it mind boggling going from the most serene and unspoiled pasture lands to miles of road rash eyesore and wondered how it sits with locals, it's probably just the way it is. There is a nice downtown to Rapid City, with an excellent coffee place and a restaurant called Kathmandu that uses frozen vegetables and has alligator curry options. There are also statues of every president. If you’re wondering why it’s called Rapid City, I’m sorry to disappoint you but it’s not because residents hurry around (as I had unconsciously imagined), rather because it’s on the Rapid River. 

Downtown Custer, SD

Door of the cafe in the prior photograph

Ice cream shop, Custer

My over and out hotel room on road rash highway, Box Elder, SD

Following up on my download, part of this kind of journey is exhausting, my limbic system needs a rest. But there’s something about the lack of distractions and surfeit of sky and unadulterated land that calms the soul and allows for a clarity not apparent when going about the day to day. 

Next trip? Vancouver to Alaska. But not for a while...

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