Traveler's Tip: The best map of the Black Hills area is on the back of the Custer State Park visitor's guide.
We opted to try another of the park's scenic byways. This one is called the "Needles Highway".
"Highway" is tongue-in-cheek. It's far from being a speedy route through these parts. Much like Iron Mountain Road, it was rich with twisty slopes and narrow passages.
We had to be on constant alert for wildlife. They were everywhere! These two whitetail deer were hanging out on the other side of a one-lane tunnel. We saw many other species, too. Pronghorns and prairie dogs were common in flat areas. Chipmunks were ubiquitous. We were looking forward to joining a "wildlife caravan" led by a park naturalist this evening.
Sadly, Mother Nature intervened. A severe thunderstorm struck just as we were reaching the summit. There was a lot of rain and wind plus a little hail. The temperature dropped sharply. Ma was worried a tree would crush us, but I was more worried about the torrent of water rushing down the hill. We found relative safety in one of the many pullouts along the road.
Eventually the storm passed. In its wake, we noticed the incredible amount of gravel that the downpour left behind. You can even see it at the bottom of this photo.
The reason this is called the "Needles Highway" is the tall thin spires of granite carved out by wind, rain, and mostly ice. The ones shown here were just a small sample of the vast skyline called "needles". The most impressive section is called the "Cathedral Spires".
Because of its vantage point above the valley, this area of the park displayed the devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle. It's a small bug, about the size of a grain of rice. But it can do enormous damage to a pine forest. The beetles lay their eggs under the tree's bark. They introduce a fungus which affects the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Meanwhile, the larvae feed on the tree. By the time the larvae mature and fly away, the tree is dead. Over the next year, its needles will turn reddish and drop off, leaving just the branches and trunk behind. Then the wood begins to rot and turns gray. You can see the progression of the infestation by looking at the swathes of color on the sides of a hill: green, red, brown, gray.
Crowded forests are especially susceptible. Too many trees compete for the same sun, rain, and nutrients. Overpopulation is common when natural fires are extinguished before they can spread. Custer State Park is using prescribed fires and logging to control the beetle. If they can let just a few trees grow to maturity, they'll be strong enough to survive the beetle threat.
Because of its vantage point above the valley, this area of the park displayed the devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle. It's a small bug, about the size of a grain of rice. But it can do enormous damage to a pine forest. The beetles lay their eggs under the tree's bark. They introduce a fungus which affects the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Meanwhile, the larvae feed on the tree. By the time the larvae mature and fly away, the tree is dead. Over the next year, its needles will turn reddish and drop off, leaving just the branches and trunk behind. Then the wood begins to rot and turns gray. You can see the progression of the infestation by looking at the swathes of color on the sides of a hill: green, red, brown, gray.
Crowded forests are especially susceptible. Too many trees compete for the same sun, rain, and nutrients. Overpopulation is common when natural fires are extinguished before they can spread. Custer State Park is using prescribed fires and logging to control the beetle. If they can let just a few trees grow to maturity, they'll be strong enough to survive the beetle threat.
The culmination of the Needles Highway is the "Needles Eye". This is not a man-made rock formation. Long ago, erosion produced a small opening in the rock. Over time, it lengthened and widened to into an "eye".
It was getting late. We decided to forgo the wildlife caravan tonight. The sky was still threatening rain, and a deluge of water was still making its way down the mountain.
Rain and gravity are an amazing combination. Even much later, in downtown Custer, we had to turn back at several intersections because the gutters had turned into rushing rivers. The inhabitants were clearly accustomed to this. They immediately had crews cleaning the gravel off the streets.
End Day 5.