Dear Gentle Readers, On my last post I had left the trekking Boy Scouts at the Crazy Horse Monument so they could continue their backpacking journey through the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. That was a Thursday night and it was now a Friday morning and the final full day of camp. The boys were to complete the last portion of their hike, then rendezvous with a van to be shuttled into the main camp. As a reward for their 40+ miles of trekking the boys were going to be whisked off to see Mt. Rushmore; and I was allowed to join them. This, gentle readers, is where the fun begins! It was a comfortable late Friday morning. A slight breeze fluttered the leaves of the Aspen trees, causing the sunlight to twinkle overhead. Down the dusty road from our camp, a lone individual with a heavy pack ambled his way in our direction. It was Evan! The boys were back! A warm reunion ensued with all the other scouts as Evan dropped his gear under the troop dining fly. It was nice to see such camaraderie amongst the boys. I too was glad to see Evan. He’s a nice guy, but he also had our stash of Gold Bond medicated powder which is used to address chafing in the most sensitive of places. The water main that broke earlier in the week had been repaired, permitting a quick clean up. After lunch the trekkers gathered at the main office to load up in the camp van. This poor van had obviously seen many trips up and down the heavily wash boarded country roads, causing it to rattle like a bunch of rocks in a tin can. The passengers themselves experienced the shaking effect, and over the noise of the van a conversation would go like this: Passenger; “S-S-SOO, W-W-WHEN-N-N D-DO W-WE R-EACH B-BLACKTOP R-R-OADS?” Driver; “W-WHAT?” Our van made it to the blacktopped highway and frolicked up the mountain pass to our destination, Mt. Rushmore. This carving is truly a work of art and engineering. I didn’t realize you could get so near the base of the monument to experience up close the size of this creation. It was here that you could walk into a short tunnel, look through a crack that existed in the back wall, and see right up George Washington’s nose. Now I think this is a good point to tell you the story about one the actual carvers of this monument, One Eyed Chislin’ Chuck,….. next week. Coming Up Next Week: The true story (would I lie to you?) of One Eyed Chislin’ Chuck, and the conclusion of our trekking adventure.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 22:37:57 +0000
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