Crazy

Sunday was the first of our two days off. Monica is our designated guide, for she has a knack for getting the most out of any visit, being a tourism professional. She arranged a vehicle and the day's itinerary of Custer State Park, Black Hills National Forrest hike to Harney Peak. This is the highest point (7,242 ft) in South Dakota. From Sylvan Lake we hiked over 2 hours over 3 miles along a difficult trail to the tower, the return trip taking half as long. I let the talkative crew I was with walk ahead so I could engage in a more deliberate tarry. Okay, maybe it was the pack I was carrying with 20 lbs of water and supplies, or maybe they were just in better condition than I. The sound of the breeze through the birch trees and pine, the small rivulets of water running alongside the trail, my footfalls in the gravel, and eventually my panting were my sound track. The climb became more difficult as the steps became large stones that even mules were diverted from to reach the bottom of the summit. Mules there were three- and a horse some cowboys rode up on that were tied to the hitch found there. Fear of being lynched discouraged ideas of equine thievery, but desperation certainly presented that as an option.

This view is about a mile up the trail from the parking lot

To finish the climb took going through a hole, into a chimney rock, up some stairs and across iron walkway, then up some more stone trail to the tower. This tower was built as a fire watch station during the WPA (1930's). Such work boggles the imagination- men shaped, mortared and stacked stones, and I saw an open conduit box, so somehow they had wire from there down the mountain for communication (if nothing else). I'm sure they accessed it by mule from an encampment nearby.

The walk down took about half the time as up, and we were off to our next destination: Crazy Horse Memorial. This is a privately funded Lakota project commissioned around 65 years ago being accomplished by a Korczak Ziolkowski, his wife Ruth, and 7 of his surviving children. There is no government funding of this at all (though offered). This is an absolute must see landmark, the largest excavation in the history of mankind. There has been incredible work done and much more to do; I won't see it finished. At the base there is a museum of Western Hemisphere Native history full of  artifacts and a fitting tribute to their legacy.

 We stayed until after sunset and headed back to our temporary home at Crossroads Wesleyan Church.

This segment through Native American territory has altered my views toward government assistance to the public. We were fortunate during our visit to work with residents of Pine Ridge Reservation, for they are reluctant to accept any kind of "help". You see, whites have been "helping" Indians ever since we helped ourselves to their land, and today they are in such a desperate condition they have found "help" to be detrimental to their welfare. I don't know what the solution is. It is a very complicated situation that must be attended to other ways than through Federal aid. It also causes me to pause and reconsider what work I am doing in this regard, for I've seen well intended effort I fear may only perpetuate situations. The Fuller Center for Housing has the right philosophy in working with people in need, screening applicants to find those with the potential to use what is offered toward bettering themselves and future generations. I am learning what is meant by "a hand up, not a hand-out", and how to carefully apply that principle. It isn't easy, but like all other aspects of this endeavor, it has its rewards.

Tomorrow we continue our trek, some 90+ miles to Sundance Wyoming. I have yet to meet my promised fundraising goal. We are but $7,681 from reaching one million dollars raised in 9 years. It would be wonderful to reach that milestone on this Adventure. Can you work with me on this? Any contribution puts us just that much closer. Thank you.