A beautiful sunny day, if a bit chilly in the morning. After all the rain yesterday, we decided to get outside early before our luck changed. Our first hike was Roughlock Falls Trail, an easy two-mile out-and-back trail that is well marked with interpretive signs leading to a multi-tiered waterfall along Little Spearfish Canyon. Pioneers traveling down the canyon used to lower their wagons down the drop by roughlocking the wheels to prevent them from rolling freely - hence the name of the falls. We pulled off the road for a look at the intriguing sign for the Devil's Bathtub, which was a wide spot in the creek next to an abandoned hydro-electric plant of the Homestake Mining Company. (More about the mine later.) Then it was a short drive and another easy hike to Bridal Veil Falls. Cascading approximately 60 feet, Bridal Veil Falls is the most accessible waterfall in the canyon. The view from the observation platform was great for photos. We continued on along the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Drive to the small town of Spearfish, where we had lunch at Nonna's Kitchen, a cute Italian restaurant. You probably know that I follow a low-carb diet, so I was so happy that the chef at Nonna's created a beautiful plate for me with pan-roasted salmon, non-starchy vegetables and cauliflower puree. My usual restaurant meal is a burger, no bun, so this made me very happy. Bruce had spaghetti and meatballs. After lunch we were off to the town of Lead (pronounced "Leed") a "suburb" of Deadwood, to visit the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center. This is the site of the old Homestake gold mine, now home to the Sanford Underground Research Facility. As I understand it, and greatly simplified, Fermilab in Batavia IL (from which Bruce is retired, thus his interest) sends a beam of neutrinos to a detector far underground here in South Dakota. SURF also conducts other scientific experiments deep underground, far from the reach of cosmic rays. Science nerds can learn more at https://lbnf-dune.fnal.gov/. The Homestake Mine was a deep underground gold mine (8,000 feet deep). Until it closed in 2002 it was the largest and deepest gold mine in the Western Hemisphere. The mine's open cut is impressive. The photos can't capture the scale of it when standing on the observation platform. Our final hike of the day was up Mount Roosevelt to the Friendship Tower. Deadwood Sheriff Seth Bullock built the Friendship Tower in 1919 as a dedication to President Theodore Roosevelt, his close friend of many years. Bullock wanted to create a memorial of his friend’s life and a place where people could view wide open spaces that both Bullock and Roosevelt had become so fond of during their lives.
1 Comment
Annette
5/24/2024 08:33:22 am
Looks like you are seeing some beautiful scenery! We are wanting to take the northern route someday when we visit our daughter in Seattle. You are giving us some good ideas! Enjoy your trip!
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