The Outdoors

By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist

I find it interesting that no matter where you live or what kinds of outside activities you enjoy there is always a desire to see and experience new things. I never get tired of a good wildlife ride exploring the prairie landscapes in my state. Even with this deep appreciation for this kind of ecosystem I still find a need to explore further from home.

I make these explorations to different parts of the Midwest and always end up one time per year in the Black Hills of South Dakota. You can drive down Interstate 90 at 80 miles per hour across South Dakota, but this is a drive I try not to do. I prefer to drop down into the state of Nebraska and drive through the sand hills region of that state.

I have spent some time there and it is like no other place on earth. There is one spot there that is designated as a national forest. It is called the Samual Magilliivary National Forest. There are 18,000 acres that have no electricity within its boundaries. This is one of the only places in the entire state you can ride your side by side on a designated trail system.

I spent a day sitting under a sun shade and just watched the wind wave the short grass prairies that seemed to stretch endlessly as far as the eye could see. It was quite a sight. As misleading as the title it carries, this national forest has virtually no trees on it at all. There are some plantings in a few campgrounds but that is about it.

The Black Hills, which was my ultimate destination, is so different. I have spent a few days every year in the unique landscapes of western South Dakota and it is like nothing else. My trips have spanned more than 20 years, normally centered around the area near Hill City, S.D. I have ridden almost every trail in this region, but have also been to Spearfish, S.D. a time or two.

The best part of a trip like this is the diversity of landscapes. Some trails travel through deep canyons with rock faces that climb skyward at 90 degrees. Other trails traverse through cattle grazed pastures. I have always admired the guy or gal that had to erect the fences used to keep their livestock where they belong. Pounding a T-post into what looks like solid rock would seem to be an impossible task. Fences are located in places I thought would be impossible to complete. The cattle there are of many varieties and I have been exposed enough times to be able to identify those different breeds. I think a Red Angus is my favorite.

This year we came across only one dead animal. It was obvious that it had been predated on but I could not tell if it was the cause of the animals’ death or after the animal had died of other causes. In our adventures in the area, we had come across some mountain lion tracks in the soft mud. These are big cats and South Dakota actually has a season on them with very tight controls limiting the total kill.

I can’t imagine coming across one of these big cats on a trail, but seeing one is unlikely. They tend to shy away from human activity. We did see a few deer, no elk and more than a few wild turkeys. We normally make this trip in July but we moved it to September so I could try my legs at riding the RAGRAI. This is a 500-mile bike ride, the pedal kind, across Iowa.  Needless to say, with 95-98 degree temperatures, a heat index that hovered around 105, my bike riding ambitions were quickly snuffed out. It was a one and done effort for me.

The dates for the trip in September were picked to coincide with the fall color changes. We did not hit at the peak but were probably within 10 days or so.  There is nothing more beautiful than riding in a canopy of golden leaf aspens gently fluttering in the wind. We did manage to hit a two-day rain spell during our four day outing, and when I left the flat lands of SW Minnesota, I was suffering from some pretty serious allergy symptoms.  When your gal tells you the allergy meds are packed and you find out when you get there that she actually packed gas-x tablets, you don’t fair very well. I was pretty out of it for some of that time but the rides were safe and the company was exceptional. There is just something to be said for having no phone signal for four days. 

Seeing different surroundings are just part of the human psyche. The difference between me and all of my friends is that I really have no desire to leave the continental United States. I am soon to be 63 and there is so much more to see that I will never live long enough to cross them all off my bucket list. The bucket list item I am looking forward to the most after I retire is to hook up my camper and load my four hunting dogs and take off on a one month long bird hunt across the central and western part of the U.S.

I am no different than any other member of 4th quarter of life human being. You need your health and enough folding money to make these dreams happen. Until then I will just continue to harvest native plant flower seeds and propagate then across the prairies of my region. Get outside, listen to Gods’ creatures and enjoy as many sunsets as you can. Nobody is ever promised a tomorrow.