Heading South to Hot Springs, SD
After my bison hostage situation, it was time to head south to Hot Springs, South Dakota. But first, I made sure to top off my tank and grab some snacks. You never know when the next gas station will appear when you're out in the middle of nowhere.
I made my way down the isolated highway, taking in the open fields and enjoying the peacefulness of it all. I was really going to miss being away from the crowds, but it had to end sometime.
Then I noticed it: between Buffalo and Belle Fourche, there was no service. No cell service. No gas.
These are the stretches of road that make me feel the most uneasy. There's something about being completely cut off from civilization that gets into my head a little. But I put my mind at ease by thinking about what was ahead.
I had initially planned to take the route on the west side of Rapid City, but Apple Maps had other ideas. It directed me straight through Rapid City and then south on 79. I assumed it was giving me the fastest route to Hot Springs, so I went with it.
Like I said before, I'm never 100% confident when Apple Maps gives me directions because of its history of sending me on questionable detours. But I wasn't close to Mexico this time, so I just went with it.
About 5½ hours later, I arrived in Hot Springs.
It was a very small town, but surprisingly busy. I think what they call rush hour there might be what I'd consider a mildly busy afternoon elsewhere. I made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things before heading to where I'd be staying for the next couple of nights.
Oh, the thought of finally getting a good night's sleep.
I drove through the main part of town, lined with old sandstone buildings, before turning onto the road that would take me to my final destination.
And then I saw it.
The road.
It was narrow. It was steep-ish. And it was dirt.
The road to my teepee.
The narrow dirt road leading up to my teepee in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
I'm supposed to drive up THAT?
Thankfully, I wasn't driving a larger vehicle. Although, in reality, it probably wasn't nearly as narrow as it looked. After spending so much time driving through the middle of nowhere, my brain was probably exaggerating things just a little.
I drove up a bit farther and there it was—my teepee!
I was so excited.
And it was huge.
About 20 feet in diameter, it had two chairs outside, a picnic table, and a hammock. Best of all, I could park right next to it—which I wasn't expecting after reading other people's comments.
I stepped inside to check it out, and it was surprisingly large, but cozy. There was a king-size bed, a small refrigerator (and I mean small), a microwave, Keurig, white-noise machine, fan, table with two chairs, and a futon sofa.
It was much bigger than the teepee I'd stayed in at Big Bend.
I got settled in and walked the couple hundred feet to the private bathroom to take a much-needed shower.
Originally, I had planned to drive out somewhere that evening to capture some Milky Way shots. But after several days of being on the road and not getting nearly enough sleep, I was exhausted. And with the high clouds rolling in, conditions weren't exactly ideal anyway.
So I made the executive decision to skip the Milky Way and get some much-needed rest—but not before I made some dinner. I pulled out my portable cooking pot and made myself some fried rice. Nothing fancy, but after being on the road all day, it hit the spot.
I sat outside my teepee, enjoying the sunset, when I started noticing birds flying overhead.
One.
Then two.
Then three.
Then suddenly, there were flocks of them.
Were they ravens? Was there something dead or dying nearby? What was going on?
Eventually, I realized they were turkey vultures.
Then the wind started picking up.
The days had been pretty hot since I left home, so I wondered if they were simply taking advantage of the thermal winds. Whatever the reason, it was quite a sight to see. They just kept circling overhead, barely having to flap their wings as the wind carried them effortlessly across the sky.
In the back of my mind, I hoped they wouldn't poop on my head.
And then I looked toward the west.
Rain clouds were beginning to roll in during golden hour.
Photographer's note: No color enhancement here. I didn't alter the colors in any way. The sky really looked like this.
And towards the east a faint double rainbow.
Wow.
I can't even explain to you what I was seeing next...the sunlight shining through the falling rain, birds flying...
After dark, I kept sticking my head out of the teepee, checking the sky.
And then it started to clear.
Of course.
So I decided to pull out my Canon camera gear after all. I figured I'd at least try to capture some photos of the teepee with the Milky Way behind it.
Unfortunately, the lights from Hot Springs were overpowering the sky.
After about 30 minutes of trying, I decided to call it a night.
Tomorrow would be another day.
